jtaylo69

Ok all, I am planning on Going to Manila in September (actually Cavite City) to visit my SO and her 2 boys, for the first time. I will be staying at the Island cove Resort while I am there and I guess what I'm needed ti know now is about how much can I expect to pay for food while I am there. i will be there for 5 days, and i am planning on paying for the 4 of us, 3 meals a day. Well acutually, 2 meals a day as the breakfest is included with the Hotel stay. I've tried looking up the average costs for meals there but the only thing I really found was prices for the local Mcdonalds, and lord know, I sure as heck don't wish to be eating all of our meals there, LOL So, maybe someone here who has been there recently can try & give me a break down of the various costs. I do know that the resort has several establishments on site, but i am hoping to be able to get out & do a little exploration in the local area as well. OH!! YEAH!! Does anyone know if there is a place close by to Cavite City where one can either Scuba Dive or snorkel (My favorite hobby, LOL) I have yet to find out if there are any close by public beaches there. Thanks

We have talkd about me & my job and she seems to be ok with it. With her being a RN over there, we've talked about the possibility of her being able to do that here. And as far as the boys are concerned, when they are not in school, I could take them out on the road with me (One at a time of course) and possibly, once in a while, take all three with me so that they could see and experiance the varoius places of our country. The Oldest has expressed an intrest in wantong to join our navy when he finnishes school, while the youngest one only cares about blowing the horn in the truck, LOL.

I am planning on going to Manilla later this year to visit with one of them who has 2 sons. one 8 the other 15. We've been chatting now for almost a year. It's like we are almost in sync with each other. and by that I mean, we know when the other is either going to be online or home & we make it a point to dedicate that time for one another, spending as much as 6 - 10 hours (boy time flies) but we (her & the boys) we talk about just about anything you can imagine & it just feels like we are almost already married, LOL. The boys will fight, or girl problems at shool, & with her, various issues at her work etc. She knows that I am still speaking to 2 others at this point but also knows that the time I spend chatting with them is no where as much as :OUR" time, LOL. So, we shall see what happens

That's for the Advice & I'll definately be looking into it Here in the carolinas. Like yourself, I too am on that Asian site, and like yourself, I find that most of them are from china etc. I've tried looking into Match.com, however, seems there isn't much activity (like you said) so in about 6 months, I'll most likely let the Subscription go. So you see folks, like I said before, this is why we hear (those who've been her for quite sometime) are still here. We ARE A CLOSE KNIT FAMILY. we already know the challanges that each of us have, already have or those that are just beginning their trek. So when antoher is having issues, or, what ever, we are here to help. Thanks Guys.

Wait a minute...just because there aren't available Asian ladies in your immediate area you choose to look on the other side of the world for one? Doesn't make any sense. While I have "TRIED" looking into a couple of dating sites here in the usa (ie. Match.com, ehaemoney.com etc) none of them seemed to have the kind of lady I was looking for. I've been trying to look in areas that I drive to (Philly, Jersey, & Tampa) but I'm never there long enough to just sit down and talk. So yeah, any suggestions, I'm all ears. To knloregon, it appears to me that "MAYBE" you did not read everything before you casted your vote for me to leave this site and stop posting here. That's all well and good, we are all human and sometimes we just don't take the time to see the big picture. I forgive you. No, I am not a casual person when it comes to relationships, and no, (just in case you are thinking this) I am NOT using CFL as a dating site. I am still here because I know from the past, (Those of us who have been around for a while) we joined together like brothers & sisters to help each other to see things what we ourselves could not at the time, saving each other from possible heart breaks. I personally feel that we here at CFL, WE ARE A FAMILY. Some of us, after we get married, we go on with our lives and forget about or we get so wrapped up in our personal lives, we forget about not only our own familes, but also, our extended ones as well. But sooner or later, we tend to come back, if for nothing else to catch up on old times and to see how others are doing, and to share what has been going on in our own lives. So.... Like I had mentioned, there "were" a total of 6, and after a few more rounds of Q&A's We are now down to 4. When I stateted : "I AM looking at things like, How well does she keep her home, does she pay close attention to the needs of her children (if any), does she & will she prepare meals" what I was saying here was, to those that I am speaking with, some have of them have kids, in which one of them, I'm finding myself chatting with the kids as well, which is actually cool. Why, because not only do we talk about what they did at school, we also chat about what "momma's doing, how she reacts when we chat or on the phone, what they did or where did they go, etc. (Sometimes, kids can be a great window to see what others may not).In this paticular case, this lady has two fine young boys, one 13 & the other 8. Both of them tell me that there are many nights when momma stays up late just waiting to see if I am going to come online, knowing it may be a possibility with me being out here on the road all of the time. The boys are sooo eager to want to learn to fish (something they had never had the chace to do) while the younger one is always sending me emails about his day at school was and which girl he teased that day. Sometimes he tells me that his mother has made comments about what did he thought if I were to come there to live with them, in which case, as all young kids get, he gets all up and excited, telling me that his mom told him that she's keeping her fingers crossed & how he's been watching her to see who she chats with, to only see that she now only chats & writes emails to me & her sister. (Which, I guess could be a good thing) but only time will tell, right? There are two lovely lady's now that I am leaning more towards mainly because when I tossed the Idea of going over there to live verses living here, it was like they were cool with that and wanted to know what all my skills were so as to try and help me look for possible jobs. So to me, (Don't know if it's a smoke screen or not) but to me, that tells me that they couldn't care less either way of either staying there or comming to the USA, just as long as they were able to find the right guy. The one that I was really looking into (at the start of this thread) I've decided that may she's "NOT THE ONE" based upon what a couple of you had stated, as well as a hunch I got. I began looking back over all of the emails, letters and chatts that we had, & It dawned on me that she had only been comming online alot when ever she thought she could use me as her personal banker or get her out of a financial bind. (why I did not see this before is beyond me) But thanks to those that pointed me in the right direction as to what to look for. Well, I guess that's all for now, got to hit the hay for my next load. But will check in hopefully later this week. Thanks all for your input. It's worth millions.

From what I can gather, she's not from a big family. No, I have not been there yet but soooooo Ready to go. We;ve chatted online for about a year, called her more times than my phone bill can handle, LOL. She's not very religious. I want so much to learn more about their culture, but many places on the net only gives bits & pieces. If I knew more, it would hopefully help me to understand more about them, LOL Allow to add to Kim's question a bit... From your posts you seem wild eyed and giddy again, which is good, but does that cloud your judgement? Meaning, what did you learn from your first try? What warnings, red flags, did you ignore that you won't this time? Why not search for someone already here? If it's an Asian woman you want, there are many here looking for a good man. Have you given them a try? From what others on this board did successfully on their second try was to marry in China, live a while or visit frequently with extended stays to develop very solid relationships before attempting to file. Are you also considering how important it is that you leave no doubt in the VO's mind that your relationship is more than just infatuation after a visit or two with email promises? Good luck to you. yes, in some ways you are right, I am a bit giddy, however this go round, I think I am going into this with my eyes wide open. This time, "I AM" looking to see just how well she communicates with her family and those supposedly close to her network. I AM looking at things like, How well does she keep her home, does she pay close attention to the needs of her children (if any), does she & will she prepare meals, paying attention to what others like etc. Is she more focused on her work or her family. That allone can say alot about the person. If they are more focused on their work, more than likely they are only focused upon themselves and to what they can achieve out of life for themselves. I AM looking at other things as well. Things like, Is she pushing to come here or if it really matters to her if she & that special someone could live happily in her native land....How well and often does she respond to emails or chatts. Does she seem to keep to the subject at hand in those messages or does she go off on a tangent on something else, totaly disregarding anything you say. How close to attantion does she pay towards special dates, achievements, promotions etc. Also, I Look to see if she puts me on a pedistal in her life, or am I just another family member or close friend etc. Yes, maybe I am over reacting and scrutinizing things a bit much. But these are just a few of the small things that I should have been paying close attention to with the first one. With the first one, I was soooooo deeply in love with, I failed to noticed things like, her family only came over to see her, when she called them. She only cleaned the house when a certain friends would come over. She always insisted in eating out. And lets not get into the constant shopping for "Bargins"....When it came to dealing with the immigration folks and various paperwork, she always seemed 2 steps ahead of me, knowing what to file & when.........After getting her here to the states, it was like we could not get married fast enough for her. ...Next, it was all about staying on "HER" timeline to get things filed, telling me as to where we needed to go and when.....Once she had her 3yr card, it was straight to work for one of the local chinese restarunts, working 18hr days for money under the table..then she just had to learn to drive, she wanted to do things on her own (Which to me, ok great! less running around for me) Bought her a new car she just had to have.....Next she just had to go back to school to get her cosmitology lisence (Which I had to pay for-she insisted), even though I tried to explain to her that unless one worked in places like LA, NY etc, she would most likely never make much money in this field, unless she was prepared to stay right at it, build her clientel and accept the fact that 90% of those going into this field here in the USA, will drop out of it within the first 3 years due to the low income.(which she finally came to realize that I was right) Yes, I am a truck driver. Yes, I am gone out on the road for most of the week. But when I get home for my 34hr restart, it was Me playing catch up on all of the house cleaning, clothes, floors, stacks of dishes, going through the bills, taking out a weeks worth of trash, cleaning shower stalls etc Never once had she helped me in keeping the house presentable any one who might come by. And if someone from my family did come by, she was just down right rude. Almost like her getting on her Menstral Cycle and running them over on it.. You mentioned something about why not look at those Asian women already here? I would, IF there were any around my area. those that are already here, are either Already married, WAY TO YOUNG (barely off momma's skirt tail), gay, or so damn rich their noses are stuck up in the air and wouldn't see a mack truck if it hit them in the face. And those that could have been available, the ex (I later found out) would go around asking other women if they would like to have "her husband. If so, she would give me to them" That alone by itself told me I was nothing more than a piece of cattle at the auction block. I can only imagin what those ladies were thinging about me. But as far as the current lady at hand....While yes, I do like her very much, I am in no way going to just keep my eyes foused on her. This go round, I am looking at a total of 6 young ladies, ages from 26 up to my age, paying very close attention to those things I mentioned before. Each one knows that they are "In a Pool with others from their area" and in no way, am I about to get tottally serious or attempt to get my dip stick wet until it's down to the final one. And so, also knowing how things rapidly chances with USCIS, I figured that it might be best if I get brought back up to date, this time, hoping that my fellow CFL'rs will be able to help me see any possible red flags as well as assist me in various decision makings. Thanks guys & gals

From what I can gather, she's not from a big family. No, I have not been there yet but soooooo Ready to go. We;ve chatted online for about a year, called her more times than my phone bill can handle, LOL. She's not very religious. I want so much to learn more about their culture, but many places on the net only gives bits & pieces. If I knew more, it would hopefully help me to understand more about them, LOL

Actually much quicker. USCIS 2-6 months NVC a month or so.. Consulate 1-2 months. Holy Crap!! That's AWESOME!! How many times will I (Or should I ) actually go there to be with her? I know at least once. Being a truck driver that is gone 3 - 4 months at a time now (Now that I have an ex) I rally can't afford to spend several weeks at a time there. I am hoping to be able to go later this year for about a week, but the next time I'd be able to go would be the middle of next year.

The visa that she seems to have in her mind is a tourist visa not spousal visa that you are asking about. All of the requirements that she lists are need to visit here on a tourist visa. So I am guessing that viturally everything as I remembered is the same, except uncle same got greedier. Right? Are they just as slow as before? The last time, it took over 2 years to get the ex here. What else can I expect. Thanks all

Oh yeah, it might help If I state the route i am planning. Since she does not have any children, I was thinking of doing the K1 again. I guess mainly becuase it is what I did the last time.

Great info there. Thanks. Here is what she worte to me last night. Not sure if what she's saying is true, (Just seems weird in comparison what I went through there in Guangzhou) "you dont have to do that to immigration just for me to come there.,we know each other that it was very expensive,i need to have a property here a house and a lot and i need to have a business and most of all i need to have a money on the bank 200 thousand and above.,see that is the major project that needs to apply a visa here thats why i ask you to come here 1st and go to the immigration here and be clear about all the requirements soo that you will know ok.,i wish you understand about what i said.,pls pls pls do not make a move that can make you pay big.,you must come here 1st jim and get the requirements,do it step by step not a hurry" What can you all make of this? Is she being miss informed or is there something underlying here?

Hi Everyone, I know it's been at least 6 years since I was on here & it looks like I'll be back for a while as, unfortunately recently, I found out that the lady that "I THOUGHT" was the woman of my dreams, turns out that like many we've read on here before, was acutally using me to get here to the USA from China. Now that she has her education, a new car and a great job, she's decided that she doesn't want to be with anyone and that she doesn't want to love anyone. Sooo, Fantastice. The world changes every day and we must be willing to make the chage with it, right? Ok, here is my current situation and hopefully we have folks here that have either already gone through the process or is currently doing so. I've met a delightful young lady who is form Pagadin City located in the Philppines. While her age is a bit of a concern for me, (She's 20 years younger than me) everything else dose seem to be going nicely. She's a little quirky but very conservative. What I would like to know is the full scoop. The entire process that i will need to expect, ie, what forms first, second, etc. All of the steps, in order. How much I can expect to have to pay etc. Interviews processes / requirements, medical requirements, who to pay, when ... the whole shibang. Any info would be GREATLY Appriecated.. Thanks Jim

This I kind of understand. What I am having problems with are: Where to get the forms (Some places are wanting to charge for them, others are scam sites, and I could not find it on the uscis site) from what I understand is, All I need to do is send (Post) them a invitation letter for vist, and explain as to when I would like for them to arrive, where they will stay & what and where will we all go during their stay. Right?

Hello everyone Wow! I can't believe how fast time has flown. It seems as though as last week I was here looking for assistance on how to bring my (Now Wife) from China to the USA. And now, after being married for almost 5 years, we are looking to finally try and have her mother & sister come for a vist. But haven't a clue as to what all is involved nor the steps. I've tried looking though as many posts here as well as on visajourny and hadn't really found much of anything. One stated that the Mrs must be a USC, another says no. One states we must use DS 156 Form etc but the forms are not only a mystery on their locations, but also, from what I understand, are for the actual inlaw to fill out. So Obviously, I am totally CONFUSED Anyone here gone through the process & have the actual LOW DOWN on this process? Thanks

Here are a few from Our Area: Asian Market (704) 391-7114 1650 Pacific St, Charlotte, NC 28208 Vienghan Asian Food Market (704) 399-3078 3403 Brookshire Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28216 New Asian Market (704) 393-5831 423 Bradford Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208 Asian Market & Seafood 5929 South Blvd Charlotte, NC 28217 Phone: (704) 553-8008 Vinai Asian-Intl Market (828) 322-1295 1221 16th St Ne, Hickory, NC 28601 Asian Market 2636 Northwest Blvd Newton, NC 28658 (828) 464-9005 There is also ONE HUGE Chinese & Asian Mall (Grocery, Jewlery, Clothing, Dishes etc in North Charlotte. (Sorry I don't have the name or the address) but I can give you the directions. (The Mrs Loves this place) If traveling North on I-85 (from SC) get off on exit 41 (Sugar Creek Rd). Turn Right (McDee's on the right). Travel down this 4 lane rd on the inside until you get to the next Main intersection (Tryon) you will know this because Tryon is also a large 4 lane rd. Turn Left & get over to the far right as quickly as possible as the Chinese mall will be on the right. Now do not let the appearance fool you. Yes, it will look like an abandon set of shops with a nasty broken up parking lot. But this is where you will want to be. There are about 30 shops all inside this very old mall building. Here, you will be able to find virtually anything from Live Seafood, to hand made furniture, clothing, all kinds of Asian foods, ingrediants, spices, even Good Ole Chinese Beer. (We buy it by the 4 case lol Once a month trip) When you come, do not get in a hurry as the mrs will want to shop until she drops. While you wait, go inside & find some freshly made chinese bread & pastries, even roast Duck, Fresh Sugarcane drink (made right there while you wait. ) I'll try & get you some more as I can locate their addresses. We've been to them a few times, just cant remember as to how I got there, LOL Hope this helps

Hey I Agree 110% on this. But I can't help but wonder about the possibility of seeking legal advice & possibly seeking a class action lawsuit? I mean, if other "Minority" groups ac do it & win, Why can't we? It would just mean us finding a a damn good law firm with huge balls and not afraid to stand up to those clowns. What do ya think? Could it work?

Ok, I know it's been a few months since i was on here and as usual, "Family Life" kind of things & still going giddy with her. Every day there is something new, and every day, she makes me laugh and all I can think of wanting to do is to curl up on the sofa & snuggle with a good moving. To thisw date, it drives us nuts to be apart from the other for more than 6 hours and it's a sure bet, that if it surpasses that 6 hour mark, one of us is making a call to the other, just to hear the other's voice. As for Sen. Dole, I guess I won't be able to contact her office after the first of the year as she lost in the elections. So, I guess I'll have to start scoping out my next villan to try & and get them to see what they can do to speed up the process. I can not believe that looking at the VT processeing center, they are showing that they are only doing the Nov 2007 EAD. What in gods name are we paying these jokers for? This is down right BS. & trying to make a call to these morons, forget that. It seems I'd get better responce talking to a 5 year old. I called them the other day for one of my wife's friends, who is also here on a K1and has already filed for the EAD as well. Her friend, is wanting to go back to China for at least 6 months, possibly a year to visit with family & try & help them with a new house that they are building. So when I called i kept getting the total run around as to just who might be able to answer that question, to if it would be ok, or would she need to return back to the States within 6 months in order to maintain her status, or just what was what? As for the family over there, the Mrs finally heard from all of them, although most of them are still living in tents, awaiting assistance in rebuilding their homes. From what I am gathering, there is talk that more likely than not, most of those that lost their homes are just SOL. and will most likely end up living on the streets. The Mrs & I are doing all that we can to send virtually every penny we have over there. Just last week we rented out a space at a local shop in hopes that she will be able to sell her Jade & my Rubies & Emeralds. The Mrs even has me taking her every weekend to the Flea Market to sell what ever extra that we have that we haven't used in the past year, just to be able to send them something in order to give them hope. Unfortunately what we send isn't much, but I am sure that it is appriecated. They undersatand that due to the Job market and our location, I should count my lucky stars that I still have a job at Wally World and it's just enough to pay the bills. We were hoping to be able to go back over there later next year, but with everything going sky high, and jobs becoming only just a dream of the past, we figure that it's best if we can put it off another year. Like the Mrs said, it's been 4 years, what is one or 2 more? But I just eats at me inside, knowing just how I would feel if it were me instead of her. Anyway, can anyone tell just how long she may have to wait for the VT center to process her EAD? I know that it could be a year, but, hey, why not toss on another brick to the piles of worries, Aye? Thanks

Well Well Well, Hello everyone. Been a few months since I really been able to sit down and do an update. I guess this is a sign that I now, "HAVE A LIFE" lol Anyway, we finally came up on our 3 year anniversery and had to file for the I-751 (Removal of Conditions) in which we submitted virtually everything we could think of on Sept 8th. Items Submitted: Photos Past 3 years of Taxes Copies of all bills , Utilitiy bills showing both names Legal Documents of us Buying Our New House, Showing Joint Ownership Life Insurance Policies, showing one or the other as Beneficiary Copies of 401 k's Copies of IRA's Copies of all credit Cards Copies of SS Cards Copies of ID's & Drivers Lisences, showing we shared the same address Copies of Stocks and joint stocks owned by us Copies of Home Owner's insurances, showing joint ownership Copies of car Titles showing Joint ownerships Copies of Checking & Savings Acounts showing Joint Addresses Three Letters from friends and family staing their perceptions and proof of our marraige Photos of our Moving into our new home, and photos of all of the renovations (in order), along with land scaping that we did (showing one or the other in the photos. Photos of our past Christmases, her first experiances with Snow & Ice Photos of her picking out new appliances for our home with the Sales guy & me Copies of tickets to local events and visits to historical places, along with photos Copies of photos of either her or I sleeping, or cute photos of either of us asleep with our dogs. We then recieved her Bio appointment and attended that on October the 1st. When I checked the USCIS website, it states that they are schedualed to process the I-751's October 21, 2007 (VT Service Center) WTF??? I am guessing here that they are way behind schedual here? or Am I readign it wrong? What kind to time can we expect to have to wait for her to get her 10 year? Do you think that we will have to go into the office for an interview or should we be expecting to just get the card?

Does anyone know if we can ship our huge package of proof directly to their address (Vermont - 75. Lower Weldon Street) address or do we have to ship it to their P.O. Box? Knowing this in advance will help us to decide as to which Carrier to use (FedX, UPS, USPS) We want to ship it all out by Tuesday the 2nd, Overnight. Thanks

U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL GUANGZHOU American Citizen Services Date: August 6, 2007 Warden Message: Chinese Visa Policy Tightens The Entry and Exit Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has tightened its regulations pertaining to the issuance, renewal and alteration of visas. The changes took effect July 2007. For the foreseeable future, it will no longer be possible to change tourist (L) and exchange (F) -type visas to other types. Many applications that formerly could be handled by a representative now must be completed in person by the applicant. Additionally, express visa service is no longer available. Enforcement has tightened of entry and exit violations, with recent reports of police, school administrators and hotel staff checking to ensure that foreigners have not overstayed their visas. Please be advised that current regulations state that the penalty for overstaying a visa is 500 RMB per day of overstay, not to exceed 5000 RMB and/or detention. The period of detention can range from 5-30 days depending on the severity of the violation. Detention may be longer than 30 days in the case that the authorities believe that the foreigner was involved in criminal activity. The Embassy is aware of several recent detentions of American citizens relating to visa overstays and violating the terms of their visas (i.e. working while on a visitor¡¯s visa). For more information, please consult with you local Public Security Bureau¡¯s Entry and Exit office or logon to Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau¡¯s English language website at www.bjgaj.gov.cn. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in China are reminded to register with the U.S. Embassy or closest U.S. Consulate by entering your travel itinerary and contact information at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp. In case of difficulties registering online, please contact the closest U.S, Embassy or Consulate. U.S. Embassy Beijing: No. 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District. tel: 86-10-6532-3431 Email: amcitbeijing@state.gov. Embassy¡¯s website: beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn. U.S. Consulate General Chengdu: Number 4, Lingshiguan Road, Section 4, Renmin Nanlu, Chengdu 610041, tel. 86-28-8558-3992 Email: consularchengdu@state.gov. U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou: The Consular Section is located at 5th Floor, Tianyu Garden (II phase), 136-146 Lin He Zhong Lu, Tianhe District, tel. (86-20) 8518-7605; Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov. U.S. Consulate General Shanghai: The Consular Section is located in the Westgate Mall, 8th Floor, 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai 200031; tel. (86-21) 3217-4650, Email: shanghaiacs@state.gov. U.S. Consulate General Shenyang: No. 52, 14th Wei Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110003; tel. (86-24) 2322-2374, Email ShenyangACS@state.gov American Citizen Services U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou Tel: (86-20) 8518-7605 (86-20) 8121-6077 (after hours duty officer for emergencies only) Fax: (86-20) 3884-4410 Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov

Yes. I've been sending out resumes, foot stomping & knocking on doors, to no Avail. We really can't afford to move anywhere at this point as we have utilized virtually every source of savings that we have, (except our IRAs) and under now way are we going to go into touching that. It's not much now, but when we reach retirement, it should be enough to allow us to move back to china to retire. I've tried looking at being a data cable & telcom cable monkey, but most of those only want someone for a couple of weeks, or months,all of which do not offer any medical insurance. Then after the work is done, it could be months before I found any more work. This is just unacceptable. I need full time Perm work if we are going to make it. And since WM is about the only steady thing here locally, It would be a fool to walk away from it.

Ok, So what would you suggest & how to go about it? I've never had to do this so I am not too sure as to what to be looking out for, what not to ask for, what not to let them include, etc. But on the flip side of this, what should I make sure of that she & the baby gets or is elligable to recieve. It's bad enough that I am at this point in my life that I am having to go down this road, and it is so hard to walk through town with my head held high. I now understand why so many folks who end up so close to this spectum of the wage scale fid it so hard to have to deal with.

This is true, but the mother would need medical attention as well throughout her pregnantcy, right? They would have to do this through the local Health Dept? Right? If that is the case, then this is toying very close to the federal regulations to what we agreed upon, and should uncle sam decide to get nasty, well, it definately would not be pretty.

Here is what I have found listed under the United States Public Law 104-193 (Welfare Reform Act of 1996) SEC. 403. FIVE-YEAR LIMITED ELIGIBILITY OF QUALIFIED ALIENS FOR FEDERAL MEANS-TESTED PUBLIC BENEFIT. (a) IN GENERAL.¡ªNotwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided in subsections (b), ©, and (d), an alien who is a qualified alien (as defined in section 431) and who enters the United States on or after the date of the enactment of this Act is not eligible for any Federal means-tested public benefit for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of the alien's entry into the United States with a status within the meaning of the term "qualified alien". (b) EXCEPTIONS.¡ªThe limitation under subsection (a) shall not apply to the following aliens: (1) EXCEPTION FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLEES.¡ª (A) An alien who is admitted to the United States as a refugee under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (B) An alien who is granted asylum under section 208 of such Act. © An alien whose deportation is being withheld under section 243(h) of such Act. (2) VETERAN AND ACTIVE DUTY EXCEPTION.¡ªAn alien who is lawfully residing in any State and is¡ª (A) a veteran (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) with a discharge characterized as an honorable discharge and not on account of alienage, (B) on active duty (other than active duty for training) in the Armed Forces of the United States, or © the spouse or unmarried dependent child of an individual described in subparagraph (A) or (B). © APPLICATION OF TERM FEDERAL MEANS-TESTED PUBLIC BENEFIT.¡ª (1) The limitation under subsection (a) shall not apply to assistance or benefits under paragraph (2). (2) Assistance and benefits under this paragraph are as follows: (A) Medical assistance described in section 401(b)(1)(A). (B) Short-term, non-cash, in-kind emergency disaster relief. © Assistance or benefits under the National School Lunch Act. (D) Assistance or benefits under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. (E) Public health assistance (not including any assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act) for immunizations with respect to immunizable diseases and for testing and treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases whether or not such symptoms are caused by a communicable disease. (F) Payments for foster care and adoption assistance under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act for a parent or a child who would, in the absence of subsection (a), be eligible to have such payments made on the child's behalf under such part, but only if the foster or adoptive parent (or parents) of such child is a qualified alien (as defined in section 431). (G) Programs, services, or assistance (such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and short-term shelter) specified by the Attorney General, in the Attorney General's sole and unreviewable discretion after consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and departments, which (i) deliver in-kind services at the community level, including through public or private nonprofit agencies; (ii) do not condition the provision of assistance, the amount of assistance provided, or the cost of assistance provided on the individual recipient's income or resources; and (iii) are necessary for the protection of life or safety. (H) Programs of student assistance under titles IV, V, IX, and X of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and titles III, VII, and VIII of the Public Health Service Act. (I) Means-tested programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. (J) Benefits under the Head Start Act. (K) Benefits under the Job Training Partnership Act. (d) SPECIAL RULE FOR REFUGEE AND ENTRANT ASSISTANCE FOR CUBAN AND HAITIAN ENTRANTS.¡ªThe limitation under subsection (a) shall not apply to refugee and entrant assistance activities, authorized by title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act and section 501 of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, for Cuban and Haitian entrants as defined in section 501(e)(2) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980. This was found Here: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_po...pl104_193a4.htm And this is in the I-864 that we must sign and agree to. Acording to it, if I/we violate any part of this, the US Gov. Can sue us for up to as much as 50 grand: Means-tested Public Benefit Prohibitions and Exceptions. Under section 403(a) of Public Law 104-193 (Welfare Reform Act), aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, with certain exceptions, are ineligible for most Federally-funded means-tested public benefits during their first 5 years in the United States. This provision does not apply to public benefits specified in section 403© of the Welfare Reform Act or to State public benefits, including emergency Medicaid; short-term, non-cash emergency relief; services provided under the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts; immunizations and testing and treatment for communicable diseases; student assistance under the Higher Education Act and the Public Health Service Act; certain forms of foster-care or adoption assistance under the Social Security Act; Head Start programs; means-tested programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; and Job Training Partnership Act programs. Consideration of Sponsor's Income in Determining Eligibility for Benefits. If a permanent resident alien is no longer statutorily barred from a Federally-funded means-tested public benefit program and applies for such a benefit, the income and resources of the sponsor and the sponsor's spouse will be considered (or deemed) to be the income and resources of the sponsored immigrant in determining the immigrant's eligibility for Federal means-tested public benefits. Any State or local government may also choose to consider (or deem) the income and resources of the sponsor and the sponsor's spouse to be the income and resources of the immigrant for the purposes of determining eligibility for their means-tested public benefits. The attribution of the income and resources of the sponsor and the sponsor's spouse to the immigrant will continue until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen or has worked or can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work, provided that the immigrant or the worker crediting the quarters to the immigrant has not received any Federal means-tested public benefit during any creditable quarter for any period after December 31, 1996. I understand that, under section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act), as amended, this affidavit of support constitutes a contract between me and the U.S. Government. This contract is designed to protect the United States Government, and State and local government agencies or private entities that provide means-tested public benefits, from having to pay benefits to or on behalf of the sponsored immigrant(s), for as long as I am obligated to support them under this affidavit of support. I understand that the sponsored immigrants, or any Federal, State, local, or private entity that pays any means-tested benefit to or on behalf of the sponsored immigrant(s), are entitled to sue me if I fail to meet my obligations under this affidavit of support, as defined by section 213A and INS regulations. Civil Action to Enforce. If the immigrant on whose behalf this affidavit of support is executed receives any Federal, State, or local means-tested public benefit before this obligation terminates, the Federal, State, or local agency or private entity may request reimbursement from the sponsor who signed this affidavit. If the sponsor fails to honor the request for reimbursement, the agency may sue the sponsor in any U.S. District Court or any State court with jurisdiction of civil actions for breach of contract. INS will provide names, addresses, and Social Security account numbers of sponsors to benefit-providing agencies for this purpose. Sponsors may also be liable for paying the costs of collection, including legal fees. Form I-864 (Rev. 11/05/01)Y Page 5 Part 7. Use of the Affidavit of Support to Overcome Public Charge Grounds I acknowledge that section 213A(a)(1)(B) of the Act grants the sponsored immigrant(s) and any Federal, State, local, or private agency that pays any means-tested public benefit to or on behalf of the sponsored immigrant(s) standing to sue me for failing to meet my obligations under this affidavit of support. I agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of any court of the United States or of any State, territory, or possession of the United States if the court has subject matter jurisdiction of a civil lawsuit to enforce this affidavit of support. I agree that no lawsuit to enforce this affidavit of support shall be barred by any statute of limitations that might otherwise apply, so long as the plaintiff initiates the civil lawsuit no later than ten (10) years after the date on which a sponsored immigrant last received any means-tested public benefits. Collection of Judgment. I acknowledge that a plaintiff may seek specific performance of my support obligation. Furthermore, any money judgment against me based on this affidavit of support may be collected through the use of a judgment lien under 28 U.S.C 3201, a writ of execution under 28 U.S.C 3203, a judicial installment payment order under 28 U.S.C 3204, garnishment under 28 U.S.C 3205, or through the use of any corresponding remedy under State law. I may also be held liable for costs of collection, including attorney fees.

So, what you are telling me, as long as we are still married and still together, should we have a child, we can utilize the local public assistance (AFDIC, WIC, etc)? For some reason, this doesn't sound right. IF at all possible, and should you know where to find this information for clearification, would you please point the proof to me. I definately don't want to screw things up now, as I would go totally bezerk should something happen to my Liqiu. She is my entire life and my world definately revolves around her. Thanks