Jerry

Dancing, No really good way to check with NVC or DOS. Just have to be really patient and wait for that hold for about 20 minutes. No other tricks. Why do you think our submit is fast. Why don't you post your timeline so we can see and compare? Jerry

This is an article from CNN. What do you think the implication would be for those of us with wivies planning to attend school after entry into US. Berkeley turns away students from SARS-hit regions Chancellor: Ban will last at least until CDC lifts travel advisories Tuesday, May 6, 2003 Posted: 4:34 AM EDT (0834 GMT) Chancellor Robert Berdahl meets with Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Infectious Disease Preparedness Tomas Aragon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Tools -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIDEO KGO's Willie Monroe reports on a California university's ban on students from SARS-hit regions. PLAY VIDEO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The effect of Beijing authorities temporarily closing many public places. PLAY VIDEO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many countries in Asia are using thermal imaging cameras to single out travelers with an early symptom of SARS. PLAY VIDEO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did SARS originate in China from people eating exotic animals? PLAY VIDEO RELATED CDC chief: Vigilance needed to contain SARS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • WHO sheds new light on spread • Ship crew given SARS all-clear • Special report: SARS outbreak • Gallery: Living with SARS • Interactive: A new epidemic • Interactive: Outbreak timeline -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • World Health Organization • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HEALTH LIBRARY • Health Library • All about SARS BERKELEY, California (CNN) -- Students from China and other regions of Asia affected by the SARS virus will not be accepted for the summer session at the University of California at Berkeley, the chancellor has ruled. The ban will apply to students traveling from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, as well as mainland China. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] has cautioned about travel to those nations and issued guidelines for people who do travel there. "After close consultation with several public health officials and campus experts, and based on the strong recommendation of the city of Berkeley Health Officer, I deeply regret that we will not be accepting enrollments of students from these areas," Chancellor Robert Berdahl said in a written statement issued Friday. "We look forward to the lifting of the CDC travel advisories so that we can once again welcome all of these students to our campus," he said. Several hundred international students are being turned away, and the university is refunding their enrollment fees. The school is also prohibiting the use of its funds for nonessential travel to or from Asia by faculty, staff and student organizations. Berdahl explained in his statement that the university is not prepared to monitor the health of so many incoming students. "All of these students would have to be monitored for a 10-day period," the time it may take for symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome to appear after a person is infected. "Should any of them develop SARS-related symptoms, the CDC requires that elaborate procedures be implemented that would include isolation and other labor-intensive measures that we are not able to provide currently," he said. "If the CDC lifts the travel advisories to these areas, then this policy would no longer be in force," Berdahl said. The fall semester is not included in the ban. Current students who travel in the affected areas during the summer, as well as newly admitted students arriving for the fall semester, will be required to fill out a lengthy survey detailing where they traveled and their health condition. In addition, they will be monitored by campus health officials for 10 days after their arrival. Details of the fall program are still being devised, including how the university would handle any confirmed SARS cases. SARS apparently originated in China, and it has had the biggest impact there. As of Monday, China has reported 4,280 cases, with 206 deaths. Hong Kong has reported 1,637 cases, with 187 deaths. Singapore and Taiwan have been less affected, with 204 cases and 26 deaths in Singapore, and 116 cases and eight deaths in Taiwan.

G_V, So what do you think will happen to those of us whose name checks were submitted recently after P3? Any delay? Thanks! Jerry

Rocksplit's information makes it even more clear that it was a standard boiler-plate reply. I send my email to Harty on Sunday and the reply was sent to me at noon on Monday. They had about 3 hours on Monday morning to check the info with GZ, but it was at night in China during those three hours (Monday morning in the US and Monday night in Beijing). Clearly, they are making things up. But, I did call DOS today and the lady confirmed my wife's name check submit. These people are borderline liars. Sigh......

I got the exactly same email from Cathryn Cabral on behalf of Marty. I was a bit happy since I thought I was "special". But, you ruined it . BTW, my wife's last name is also Chen and the only difference between your email and mine is our wivies' first names. Good luck!

Got through to DOS after 25-minute hold. Confirmed that my wife's name check has been submitted (good, it wasn't lost in the mail). Also asked the lady about recent rumor that name check will be done between P2 and P3. Told me "no";' it is still between P3 and P4. This is great news as every time they change procedure, some people get screwed. She is cold, but helpful and seems to know her stuff. Has anyone called NVC to confirm name check procedure? Jerry

Just want to confirm with you guys. My wife will be here hopefully soon on a K3. We intend to wait for our CR1s since we have already waited for it for over 1 year. If she wants to work, all we need is EAD, no need to file OAS. Is this right? Thanks a lot! Jerry

After 10 days, I got a reply from GZ on my wife's name check. Seems they do respond to our emails, but not much useful information in it. Dear petitioner, Thanks for your email. This office receives hundreds of correspondence every day and handles them in the order received. We have not processed your wife's forms at this point. Once we do, we will start a background check on her case. Thank you for using the GuangzhouIV e-mail service. The Immigration Visa Unit tries to reply promptly to all inquiries. However, given the high volume of mail we receive, sometimes our response can be delayed. Please be patient and wait for our reply before writing again. Also, please try to combine as many questions as possible into one e-mail. Thank you very much for your cooperation. The Immigrant Visa Unit

Oyster, could you please follow up on the question above? Thanks

Congratulations!! We are still waiting for our P4 and hope to get it asap.

Just to make sure that they won't be rude to us, should we always ask for their name first? We just send our P3 in 10 days ago and is hoping that it got to GZ ok. This slowing down business is making me worried just as we thought it was now faster. Let's keep our hopes up!

Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. Oyester, so why did you choose not to go with the I-130 process? Sure it would be a hassle to go back to GZ to get it, but you get Green Card right there and the OAS would take 2 years. Does 2 years for OAS sound right? So waiting out for the I-130 seems to be better choice if you are not tied up in the US and it shortens your US citizenship process considerably. Comments guys! Thanks a lot Jerry

Any other comments will be welcome!

Congrats, Bob. Hope my wife will make it soon to NYC! Enjoy!

But, I believe on Richard Sun's website, her wife got her K3 and then came back to China to get her greencard. If this is true, you do have a choice then. Is Richard around?

Do you have a choice to either file for AOS or wait for the CR1 or IR1 for that matter at all?

Hi, people, Once in the US with a K3 visa, is it better to wait for the green card (CR1) being processed through Guangzhou or change status in the US for the green card? My wife’s CR1 is being processed through Texas service center and it will probably take 1 more year from now on (submitted F-130 in May 2002). But, the status change inside US will also take about 2 years. In all likelihood, my wife should get her K3 around early August. Are these numbers right and what do you think we should do? Thanks a lot!!

Good luck, James! I will call DOS too to see if our name check has started.

Congrats!!!!!

You guys really make me worried; K3 takes 2 years! I don't believe this. Most of the normal timelines on K3 have been around 1 year and many are below 1 year. Am I right?

Thanks! I did 3 three years anyway just to be safe. It can be used later too!

Can you not change status after getting K-3 and just wait for the green card which might actually come very soon rather than waiting 2 more years for green card after changing status?

Thanks, Owen. Will call and email GZ for sure. Does anyone else know what "in duplicate" means? Thanks!

One more thing, for K3 at GZ. I-864 is not yet needed, is it? Thanks!

Hi, guys I am just trying to complet I-134 with my parents because they will be my wife's sponsor. Its instruction says that we need to produce "in duplicate" all the material. Does this mean that we need two originial sets of paperworks, including two I-134, two bank statements, two copies of three years worth of tax return, two employee verification? Or is that one set of original, one set of copy with both notarized? I am pretty sure many of you have completed this step. Please advice! Thanks a lot! Jerry