Mick

Family squabbles are one thing....but this thread seems to be going nuclear. Lighten up guys ....one thing for sure, united we stand, divided we fall. Getting our visas is our main goal, certainly, there can be no doubt about that. But also providing mutual love and support is essential as well. I am happy for those who obtained results and wish this success for many more through whatever means they may deem fit and appropriate. However, lets give each other the respect, dignity, and patience we all deserve.

Congrats and Best Wishes to Kiffie and Kandy. Maybe I should choose and handle that starts with a "K"!

Ana: Have a great trip and good luck. Look forward to hearing from you after you visit the consulate.

I suspect GZ only closed for one day for New Years. Today is January 2 over here (I live in China). I received a response to an e-mail I sent them last week. I politely asked three questions. Has my fiance received clearance? When was her name submitted for clearance? How can I make an appointment with a Consular Officer? Answers: We have not received clearance and cannot predict how long it will take. (Same old same old). No answer at all to question regarding submission date. "No appointment is necessary. The Consulate is open for American citizens to make inquiries on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-2:30PM. Really folks, this is getting more than old. I try not to e-mail them too often. Usually once a month, sometimes once every two weeks. (We have been at this for fourteen months now and four months post interview on August 20). I called DOS last week also, prior to writing GZ. They informed me that the namecheck was submitted in November. Has anyone else received this information regarding submission? I try to stay positive and not start flaming, but my fuse is getting short. At least they are working Thursday and Friday. Maybe that's a good sign. Who knows at this point. Again, did anyone else get info that namechecks were submitted in November and did any of these submissions receive visas? Good luck to all.

WOW OWEN!!! Well-said. I can't add a thing other than I agree 100%

Ana: Welcome aboard and Happy New Year! As to your trip to GZ, the above two items in this thread speak volumes about your possible experiences there. I will be brief as I don't want to sound discouraging. I live six hours away from GZ by bus. We have been at this visa process fourteen months now so you can imagine I have made more than one trip to check on things. Never, not once, did I receive any information of any substance. Mr. Adams, as mentioned above, is quite elusive it seems, as are most Americans who work there. Most of the Chinese there I have found to be friendly, cordial, polite, but non-informative. Perhaps its because they don't know what's going on either or they just won't say. At this point, who can tell. I hope you have a great trip there anyway. If you stay on Shamian Island, truck on over to Lucy's Bar and Grill. They have some pretty decent eats there if you are craving western food. Anyway, good luck!

And a most happy and prosperous New Year to you too! May your journey be easy and, as they say in Ireland, may the road rise up to meet you. Best wishes.

Ditto, Amen, and Right On!!!!

Congratulations and best wishes. I know you both must be ecstatic after going through this long, exasperating process. Good luck and God bless!

Great work and thanks for your efforts. I just hope the "emergency meeting" results in "emergency action". Keep it up! Happy New Year too!

Owen: I did send a PM in response to your PM. I don't know if that one got deleted or not. Let me know if I need to resend it. (Notice I said resend, not resubmit!)

Hope your theory pans out. That would be great! However, I do suggest that you do not hold your breath to see if it is true.

Thanks for responding. I will take your advice. There has to be some light at the end of this eternal tunnel, other than an oncoming train. And by the way, thanks for all your hard work in everyone's behalf.

Did GZ say why they wouldn't resubmit? Like you, I become more confused everyday.

Finally got through to DOS last night (I am in China). Talked with the same nice lady I spoke with the other two times I have managed to get through. So far have not talked with Greg or the imfamous Indian lady. Anyway, what I have to report is nothing new but may be informative to some, so here goes. Li's interview date was 8/20...right in the middle of the famous August Zone. When she checked she told me that Li's name had not been cleared as of yet. When I asked her when it was last submitted she gave me a detailed run down of the submission data. She seemed quite open about what she was reading from the screen. She said the name was submitted in August, post-interview and immediately returned due to incorrect filing procedures. She said the name was supposed to be re-submitted in September but for "unknown reasons" Guangzhou did not resubmit the name until November. Thus, the case is still pending and is due for another submission in January. I asked her what the problem was with the August submissions and she replied there had been repeated paperwork errors on some cases. She could not explain why these errors were made. She encouraged me to contact GZ, which I have for two weeks now with no response. She went on to say that DOS is "well aware of the problems with the August cases". However, she claimed no knowledge of what is being done to correct the situation. She hinted that the problem was still on the GZ end of the pipeline, but then, that may be the left hand blaming the right hand. I hate to complain but I am nearing my wits end with all this. It is like living in a constant state of limbo. Although I am in China, and living with my lady, each delay fouls up our future planning. I am now faced, for the third time, with the necessity of signing another contract with the University where I teach in order to wait this out. This will keep us here until late June unless the issue is resolved soon. What is more frustrating is that way back when GZ sent out packet 3, rather than sending it to our Chinese address, they sent it to my stateside address! It took over three weeks to arrive there and another week to get it back to us in China. Then we hand delivered it to GZ. Yet this little snafu caused us a five week delay in submitting packet 3. Thus our interview date, August 20, could have easily been prior to the July 22 implementation date of the new policy and we could have been home by now. What adds to the burden is that I have been having some cardiac problems and my Chinese doctors have advised me to return to the States for treatment as the medical care is more advanced there. I had a quadruple by-pass six years ago. I am in need of angioplasty on one of the by-pass grafts. The doctors suggested that I not travel alone. Further, they need some sort of time frame in order to determine a correct course of treatment until I can return home. Two months ago I wrote Guangzhou about all this but they told me "we understand your situation but regretfully we can do nothing to expedite the situation". I paid them a follow up visit but was given the run around again. Now, with all this re-submission, ninety day B.S., I feel like I am running out of options. I have written congressmen, senators, no response from either. GZ has no interest in hearing my current health issues. Yet I understand that if a fiance is pregnant, they will expedite the case. So here we are. August zone, not cleared, stuck and confused. The only bright spot is that I am with the lady of my life. For that I am grateful. We have lived together over here for over five years now. To return without her would be like leaving half of myself behind. Anyone out there have any suggestions or at least, a few words of encouragement? I could use a few smiles. Anyone have any new info?

Joe: I am happy to hear your good news. This mess has been such a roller coaster ride for all of us. I guess the hardest part to live with is the constant uncertainty along with the lack of reliable and accurate information. Thank God for this board. There are a lot of great people out there who understand and care. Again, hang in there and keep the faith buddy. It will be over one day.

Ditto! Whether by phone, fax, or e-mail, of late there seems to be a tightening of information at GZ, not that they were ever particularly open about things. I finally got through on the phone only to be told that there was "no one in the office who could give out information at this time". I suspect the New Years holiday has begun early for some.

Yes the income issue is a big problem. I have been living and working in China for five years so, as you can imagine, my income did not meet the minimum requirement for approval. I solved this problem through the use of a joint sponsor. A friend of mine gladly agreed to do this for me and I am eternally grateful for his help and support. I hope it doesn't come to that for any of you, but if it does, the issue can be resolved only in this manner as far as I know. If any of you are thinking of moving to China for any length of time, keep all this in mind. I think the financial documents are valid for one year. Our interview date was 8/20 and our police and marriage paperwork are still good until April 2003. I hope we are cleared way before then. The financial documents have already expired since November. I hope we don't have to resubmit (there's that awful word again) new documents as it will necessitate my joint sponsor going through all the hoops again stateside. Hope this info is useful in someway for some of you.

Owen: Man, can I relate to what you are saying. You may not be a social scientist but I am. Most Americans don't understand China and most Chinese don't understand America. How true. Having lived over here for almost five years now I still am just scratching the surface of this ancient and mysterious culture. I do, however, love it in many ways. I guess I must or I wouldn't have stayed so long. As to the traffic, I could tell you stories that would make your blood curdle in your veins, but then, being in Liaoning this time of year, it probably already has. During my first year in China I worked in Hefei, Anhui and had the occasion to take a night-time ride to Anqing, about five hours away with a normal driver. It was sleeting at the time (mid-January) and the roads were both bumpy and covered in ice. This made no difference to the driver who, I found out quickly, was the Chinese incarnation of Emerson Fitipaldi. We made the trip in under four hours, sometimes traveling sideways in a controlled slide after hitting a particularly nefarious pothole. Had I been Catholic and had a rosary, it would have been worn bare by the time we reached our destination. Where I live in Shantou, I have yet to be able to discern any consistently obeyed traffic laws. Our campus is located in the countryside, 10 kilometers outside the city. Taxi rides can be hair raising at times. I have learned to take to the back seat unless I feel an overwhelming need for an adrenaline rush, then I sit up front. And yes, horns are mandatory it seems and brakes are optional. I don't think shock absorbers have been introduced yet. In all fairness I must say, however, that my hometown in America is not much safer. I hail from Miami (not Kansas but Florida). There we have to deal with tourists, immigrants from all over the world, and the occasional stray bullet. Look forward to your next installment.

Yes, Nanning is great. I have visited there myself. Also have two students from there. Highly recommended!

HI Owen! Just a quick word to let you know that I am also teaching in China. In fact, I live in Guangdong Province in Shantou. In one of the other posts it lists the address of a "Shantou Seamens Hotel" in Shantou. I am not sure what this hotel is but one thing for sure, it is not in Shantou. If you check the map you will see that Shantou is about 300 Kilometers from GZ. Just follow the Tropic of Cancer right across the Taiwan Straits to the coast of China and you will find Shantou. I have been here at Shantou University for four years and spent my first year (98) in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. In fact, that is where I met my fiance and we have been together for almost five years now. As to visiting the Consulate: Good Luck! I have been there on numerous occasions over the past fourteen months and have yet to receive any valuable response other than getting alot of exercise running around the place from office to office. The people are, however, for the most part nice and cordial. Just either uniformed or unwilling to divulge much info. If you do head south for the holidays, let me know. Love to see you here in Shantou but again, be advised that Shantou, Guangdong, the actual city, is at least six hours away from GZ, not just across the pearl river. Perhaps the hotel is named for the seamen of this city as it is a major port on the Straits. I would love to share with you some of my experiences in China over the past five years. I enjoyed your previous post as to your take on the Chinese educational system. Alas, I am somewhat busy however as I start finals next week.

Have sent e-mail message to Guangzhou today that was 6K in length. The message kept bouncing back with the explanation that it had been "truncated to 1k". I never encountered this with GZ before. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem or knows if GZ is now only accepting extremely short messages. I am, to this board, a newbie. However, to this process I am old and gray by now. Timeline is as follows: 1st NOA: 11/23/01 2nd NOA: 02/15/02 Interview and approval: 8/20 So I guess we are official members of the now famous "August Zone". Love to hear from anyone with any info about anything. Wishing you all the best.

This is valuable info. Thanks so much. I guess the news is bittersweet at best. But bittersweet is at least halfway there, huh? This is my first post so I say hello to all of you. Mick