Dan R

Lucky for you Tony that the 11th isn't the one day of the year to meet. For 3 years we have been celebrating 7/7 which is the day for seperated lovers. My SO says once she gets here we wont celebrate anymore because we will stay together. I thought last year was the last one we would celebrate but I guess we have one more.

A few years ago Shenyang issued licenses for prostitution. As soon as Beijing got wind of it the 27,000 licenses issued were revoked. It was one of the reasons the Mayor although very popular was ousted. Among the license holders were Russians, Koreans and several big name Shanghai fashion models.

My friend and his wife did the apps for AOS/AP 1st of April. July 5th they got the appointment letter. Biometrics on the 14th and AOS interview yesterday the 26th. They are glad to be finished with the Gov for 2 years. Their K-1 from app to interview was 2.25 years. He never went to China so it was very hard on the relationship.

The USCIS website lists these reseans Permanent residence might be revoked which would end the SS benefits. Maintaining Permanent Residence Maintaining Permanent Residence You may lose your permanent residence status if you commit an act that makes you removable from the United States under the law in section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you commit such an act, you may be brought before the immigration courts to determine your right to remain a Permanent Resident. You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you: Move to another country intending to live there permanently. Remain outside of the US for more than one year without obtaining a reentry permit or returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year. Remain outside of the US for more than two years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year. Fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the US for any period. Declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns. It seems late in life it might be hard to keep if returning to China. It seems a legal residence in the U.S. and filing annual U.S. income tax might assure the benefits. The need to prove intent to live in the U.S. sounds uncomfortably like talking to GUZ.

Careful Carl don't say those figures too loudly. In the 70's those same statistics led to quotas at many east coast colleges for Jews. In the 60's & 70's the removal from minority status to prevent us from getting benefits was ordered by both Democrat and Republican Presidents until Reagan restored the classification. David you mention "survivalists". That is something I always admired in a number of cultures and it is prevalent in Asia.

This depends where you are and what business. Here on the left coast there are many Asian-Americans as gov administrators and elected officials. The movie industry inspite of newscasters still gives little opportunity to Asian-Americans. In general Asian-Americans are still under represented in upper management.

Yup sounds right to me. But mightn't we be just a wee bit biased on this subject. I know I am. Yesterday I received a shirt and two pants in the mail. Everyone told me they looked great. I said I guess this is my new style Then a friend of hers called saying she must take me out for my birthday because Ping had called her 4 times telling her she must. Did she do this for appearances? No, she'd be annoyed that I was telling it here. Yup practical, straight forward, family oriented, beautiful and just plain folks. Use to be just plain folks meant good people with values. Seems Americans view it as being a simplton without ambition and the sophistication to be manipulative today. David could you have your SO talk to mine and explain why return to China is a goal. I'm the one who wants to move there, she wants to move here. I guess having her here will be enough change for me for awhile. Next month I will probably start count down again unless I've adapted to her attitude.

Hank, The only problem with looking ahead on this is that it is governed by political policies. As such it can be changed any time. Both procedures and forms can change at any political flurry.

A green card is not a passport. A passport must be presented for entry to a country even if a visa is not required. The SO's passport remains P.R.C. From the USCIS website http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/PermRes.htm#travel International Travel A Permanent Resident of the United States can travel freely outside of the US. A passport from the country of citizenship is normally all that is needed. To reenter the US a Permanent Resident normally needs to present the green card (Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551) for readmission. A reentry permit is needed for reentry for trips greater than one year but less than two years in duration. You can find more information about travel documents from "How Do I Get a Travel Document?" Maintaining Permanent Residence Maintaining Permanent Residence You may lose your permanent residence status if you commit an act that makes you removable from the United States under the law in section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you commit such an act, you may be brought before the immigration courts to determine your right to remain a Permanent Resident. You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you: Move to another country intending to live there permanently. Remain outside of the US for more than one year without obtaining a reentry permit or returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year. Remain outside of the US for more than two years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year. Fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the US for any period. Declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns.

They all have their own kingdoms. The government keeps adding but not reorganizing. Even recent changes in response to 9/11 which were supposed to reorganize became bogged down in the politics. Ours is a government of the powers that be. Luckily they must do a little more than lip service to the principles of government by representation or imagine where we would be. It is our taxes that support this sluggish and unwieldy bureaucracy. Resist it by refusing to pay in and you go to jail. Thomas Jefferson - "I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." Since the 1940s to 1960s civil rights movement and late 1960s to early 1970s war protests, when was the last successful rebellion?

In other words citizenship is not a requirement for any financial benefits you may set up for her. To collect social security benefits she must have a SS# which if she doesn't have and you should die after naming her as your beneficiary and being married she qualifies as required need would then be established.

This is a great thread. Language is so important to being a functioning adult. Some of the "China-isms" bothered me because there is nothing cute or funny about the frustrations of not being understood when you are able to function effortlessly in another country. It is great when as couples we can see humor in it but people outside our community often use it for derision. I think we all as much as we find a mispronounciation or misusage endearing want our SOs to succeed. natrigon did your SO go to Evans? I taught ESL at LACC, all four levels. There is nothing more important than helping your SO to be a functioning adult in English. Luckily because Americans hear foreign accents often and miuse the language themselves so much, there is no need to be perfect or eliminate the accent. It is only necessary to reach a point where most people you come in contact with understand. I want to be able to function in China. China does not have accepted ranges of deviation like English. Much of my future plans depend on gaining enough to function in Chinese. I hope it will happen or plans must change. I wonder how many of us if lost in a Chinese neighborhood, could ask directions then follow them to go back home. A very basic linguistic life skill. I can't but I'll try. Unlike "China-isms" she may come up with that I understand, she tells me my "American-isms" are completely unintelligable. Yet they make sense to me based on the little Chinese vocabulary I have used with my American mentality. Actually because I speak Japanese I get in even more trouble. It seems when I speak or do something Chinese it is in a "Japanese style".

Since citizenship based on parent's citizenship is not guaranteed in the constitution it has changed over the years based on court decisions and interpretation. So this is an issue that needs to be researched carefully when the time comes. In most cases a child born to parents of two national citizenships will have the right to choose when they reach adulthood. In China and Japan being born in that country and registered in the family's hukou makes it much easier later.

Unfortunately finding someone that gives a **** is the hard part of giving a complaint that will do good. In government the direction is to insulate from complaints rather than act on them.

Great link. Looks like no problem registering as an American citizen if one parent is a citizen and the parents are married. Since for President you must be born in the U.S. they could not become the first Chinese/American President of America. But would anyone wish that on their own child? Although a Chinese/American President of China would be interesting. By that time China could well be the world's leader in economics,population, international trade, enviromental sustainability and military.

Are you talking about while you wait for the K visa or later if she goes back to China to have the baby? This is a big difference.

Although she did the registering, sometimes they insisted on it being in my name and seeing my passport. This has nothing to do with being married but rather the way foreigners are registered and tracked by recording the visa number. While traveling she was often asked how much she was being paid and for what. Usually this was from older women. Some of it was said malicious other times it was just curiousity about the job and how much you have to do for a foreigner to make the money. Ah those old Chinese women Young men on the other hand made comments about how exciting to be a tour guide compared to their dull jobs.

Even this rule is not rigidly enforced anymore.

Like many things this in China is in change. Laws are out dated and often just ignored. Until you get to somewhere it is enforced. These are usually rural areas. This shouldn't be a problem. Usually only one of us registered anyway. I registered in her town and she registered elsewhere unless they saw the Laowai and required the passport for reporting. I believe the last start prohibiting two people of different race (married or not) revoked its law in the mid 1990s. Hadn't heard of anyone being arrested for it since 1970s. Virginia had the most arrests for this violation. At least the Chinese law doesn't prohibit us traveling together.

When Japan moved its currency from the long pegged 360 :1 it jumped 30% overnight. I had urged my father to change his dollars to Yen a few days before. He wouldn't believe it. Oh well many opportunities come and go. The Chinese government is much more in control and seems to be making every effort to avoid past mistakes of other governments by controlled change. They have avoided the pitfalls faced so far by the Shah's Iran, Soviet Union and now Japan. Seems they are walking that tight rope well but they have far to go to the other end.

I know 5 Chinese, several Koreans and over a dozen Israelis that either overstayed visas or were here illegally; married and got permenant residence without leaving the country. They did use attorneys for finding the loopholes. The government is hardest on those who follow the rules. Government policy is those who didn't should be returned to the legal fold. In this case if you have decided to marry and the over stay is not more than a couple months, I would marry and file as if nothing was unusual. Make them decide if they want to make a case of it. If they accept the AOS no problem. If they do not that is the point to get an attorney to get it straightened out. I have heard in such cases of spouses told to wait in their country for the decision. Some have had to return home only when notified by the consulate to pick up their status. Most never went back out of the country. Leave it to the DOS to tell you what they want after you file. In my business we operate under the USDA. violations of regulations are felonies often resulting in jail time. Non licensed competitors when caught are usually given two chances to become licensed even though the law allows for up to 10 years prison plus heavy fines. Government prefers the path of least resistance for themselves. This is part of the problem we face with the initial visa process. For the employees the path of least resistance is to do nothing and let us do all the work. If your post means the two of you have worked out the problems from before... Congratulations.

If my SO ever asks me if she looks fat in that dress? What do you think my answer is? I think women are connected in complexity somehow... ha-ha 138586[/snapback] A great opportunity to make her get the one you liked her in..... all the others make her look fat.

It is nice to hear from all of you seasoned veterans. So you have been quietly keeping an eye on us and have witnessed all the lunacy. Best wishes to you all. So Trigg after Ory-gun did Fang Ling clamp down on CFL time further, you've been rather quiet. I know some of those wives read English pretty good. Did someone rat on your posts?

will be interesting if you get answered. Looks like the purpose is to discuss the porous southern border. Tightening up security may push our concerns further back on the burners.

I have noticed the same type of things. Is it possible they are telepathic and just trying to make us feel good