pkfops

Yes....... "Good for Woman"

In Rodeo terminology: "You're in the Chute" The gate is about to open and you will be on your way.

I gave a dowry of 6633RMB. Some relatives refused to come to the wedding celebration because of the tremendous insult to my mother-in-law because it was so low. Some of them believe because I am American, my underwear must be lined with gold. I paid what I could, and 6633 was a lucky number I was told. Other relatives also received their red envelopes, though a few of them 'returned' the money to us in the form of wedding gifts for us. My wife has been quite the smooth talker over there, I guess, though she informed me when I go over in the Spring, I should be prepared to buy ALOT of cigarettes and alcohol! (lol) It's ironic since I am not a smoker and one beer every six months is about all I will drink... 169664[/snapback] I gave my mother in law $999 and my two sisters in law $200 each. I was told this was well within custom and everybody was pleased. And I didn't spill the tea. "Returning" money in the form of gifts is common and should not be taken as an insault.

No need to worry yet; CSC is a busy place. Your packet is probably sitting in the mailroom. Once it is checked in, your NOA1 will go out. You are now on your visa journey.

There are financial incentives to have only one child. The local gendarmes won't come and take you off to jail for having more than one.My wife is one of 3 children. My in-laws are anything but wealthy. 169367[/snapback] As stated, it is more in the area of government medical/educational benifits. A mother will not get paid for maternity leave after the first child. If you have the resources a second child is not a problem. As is living in a rural area. The idea of the government being paid to look the other way or else they will take your child is absurd.

Shanghai is cheap to fly from. Might want to have your SO do some leg work from her side also. Of course when it comes to air travel the "Chinese Way" is to do things at the last minute. But when it is "crunch time" and you are ready to bring her home, the ticket price will become less important. Good Luck

Got some good trips under your belt. Check out VT.

OK; I'm gearing up for this step also. I take it the best way is to send all in one packet rather than to use three seperate mailings. (And have five copies of everything on hand to quickly respond to screwups).

Only problem I've every had in that area was after eating at McD's in Beijing. I eat all the local food and follow up with a large Tsing Tao before bedtime. Having somewhat of the oppisite issue; I have two cups of coffee and a smoke to get things moving in the morning. My advice; stay away from western food while in China.

All said; the only thing else for her to do is fill out the departure card at the airport in China and she will be on her way.

Pete, I will be going to Nanning in mid December. Do you remember the book store? I would love to get those books. Are they regionalized? Also, do they feature foods and recipes from the Guangxi Province? During my last visit, I picked up a cook book when I was in Guangzhou. The name of the book is, "Famous Dishes and Great Cooks", Volume 2. I could not find volume 1. 169057[/snapback] The book store we went to is in the shopping area close to the river walk. Walmart and Mcd's is there also. Sorry I don't know the street names. And yes, one of the books I have is chapered by region.

Just a quick note about East Meets West cooking. For those who want to learn chinese cooking, check out the "Pei Mei" cook books. Recipes are in Chinese and English so you can work together with you SO. I picked up two at a book store in Nanning last year. They are illistrated with color photos also.

Never had a problem. I only attract attention when we travel in rual areas; pleasant and friendly contact. When taking the river cruise from Guilin to Yangshou I had a small tour group ask me to pose for photos and my autograph. A fun trip. As always, take the normal precautions as you would if visiting a US city. But China is by far safer than the US.

You should hear something around 12pm GZ time. Keep one eye on your GZ clock and your hand on the phone.

I'm not rich either but if you plan well, you can have a great time touring China at a cheap price. Stay away from package tours. Pick a few cities and have your SO shop for domestic travel, air or train tickets. For tours, go to the local CTS offices. Keep all recipts and ticket stubs and then copy your stamped visas in your passport. When paying for your hotel make sure you use your credit card so it shows up on you statement. Start building your "Proof of Relationship". Good Luck

You did the right thing. I only made 5 copies of everything.

I just listed my 401k & IRA as an asset.

Just a quick note. Chinese address are reveresed as compared to US address. The same rule as date formats; "big to small". Country, Province, City, Street, Addresse. Knowing this and if you have a complete copy of the address in Word, you can do a cut and paste. For some of the PDF docs that would not take Chinese characters or would not format correctly in the text box, I just printed what I needed in Word on a seperate sheet and did a physical cut and paste; running the document through a copy machine to get a finished product. Once your SO is here, she will take over your PC ( turning it into Chinese) and you won't have this problem when you start your AOS.

It is just PR. No need to alter travel plans.

My personal opinion is that I would prefer a classroom environment so she can interact with other students and teachers. She may come home speaking Spanish though.

Go to China Post Office and find out how. The application is at the post office. In some cities, like Shanghai, it can be sent by mail. In smaller cities, it has to be submitted in person at the provincial administrative office of her residence on record. 167574[/snapback] Thank you for your quick answer. I have been spending much time trying to find out any information to no avail. You have been very helpful. Would you happen to know any of the basic requirements? She has no criminal record and no health concerns, etc. Again, Thank you. 167578[/snapback] You can start here if you read Chinese: http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/hzqz/hzlxz/default.htm

If you are not sure of the return date, you can buy a ticket with an "Open Return Date". Check the Cathy Pacific site. As far as Customs; I have no knowledge on the subject.

Steve, I don't believe there is a requirement that states that both must have the ability to communicate or speak the same language. What becomes a problem is when a VO suspects fraud and a sham relationship because of the difficulty in communicating one with another. My SO speaks very good English, but I know there are many whose partners do not. Some have gotten themselves into trouble by saying they can speak Chinese, when in fact their usuage, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar suck. If you aren't excellent at speaking it then I would refrain from making the claim. With that said I think one could be VERY creative making a video showing how the two of you communicate. Only the one made of stone would NOT agree that most communication between loving partners is non-verbal anyway. 166934[/snapback] I don't think a homemade pornographic video would be in good taste or professional. A boring tourist video would be a better substitute. Chances are the video thing won't even come up.

Just to give you a heads up. After we sat down in the boarding area at the GZ airport she began to cry. She didn't "perk up" until the plane was over SF and she saw the Golden Gate bridge. Things are fine now as she has a good friend from GZ who works here, her cousins/auntie and Yahoo IM/Webcam. As far as her family in China goes, she hasn't missed a beat.

In my case - I was required to file the actual tax return along with the TIN application - they processed the TIN and then processed the tax return afterwards. Scott 166337[/snapback] How did that work out as far as $$$$$$ goes?