Zingaro

Much as I would like to, I can't put responsibility for the clearance delays entirely at GZ's doorstep. I think it's a larger issue than that, and I do think that Chinese customs is a large part of the delay. The bigger picture, in my opinion, is that the Chinese government is very displeased with what it sees as unfair and discriminatory US visa/immigration policies. For example, when the US raised fees for visa applications, China retaliated by raising some of their fees and tightening some of their restrictions. It's no mystery that the vast majority of clearance delayed NVC shipments are to China. Chinese customs isn't the most efficient and equitable to begin with. When you add some political tit-for-tat to that scenario, you have delays. In my opinion, the problem really traces back to US government immigration policy with regards to China.

CONGRATULATIONS!! AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! One more step toward the end of the road! What DOS has told me on several occasions is that GZ really finds things out first, and logs their info on the computer. That is what DOS sees - what GZ logs into the computer. Sometiimes DOS can be a bit more articulate about giving info (and sometimes not - you have to ask the right questions), but GZ is really running the show once the fiancee files his/her application. Best of luck!!

It's encouraging to me especially to hear that you found someone who could be effective on your behalf. It's about time for me to try another senator's and/or congressman's office. I wrote to one Calif. senator (Feinstein) about our (now) 7 months long name check. I wrote a diplomatic, thorough letter about all my email and calls to GZ, DOS, CIS, and how I'd only received the reply "name check incomplete - we'll let you know when it's done." I asked for help in unsticking our application from wherever it is stuck. Received a letter from Feinstein's office today, as a matter of fact, in answer to mine. Can you guess what it said? "Name check is incomplete, they'll let you know when it's done." I was dumbstruck at first, to hear the very words of my letter parroted back to me. Obviously, whatever office assistant dialed DOS had not read my letter. I've since emailed Feinstein directly, and tomorrow will write letters both to the other senator (Boxer) and to my district's congressman. I wish it weren't so, but persistence seems to be the name of the game. Best of luck to you in resolving your situation.

That does seem odd ... But it occurs to me that maybe the "mock VO" was a trainee of sorts, practicing on y our SO. "Mei guan xi." It turned out to be a very lavender day for you both, and I am truly happy for you!!!

This is my #1 concern for Zixuan... that was my motivation to collect and study the interviews... An interesting thing I noted was that recently I've seen a number of interviews done in chinese.. Often the VO starts in chinese without asking for a language... I'm not sure if a different trend is occuring, VOs shifting, etc.. but maybe the stigma of no language is not as strong? But I'm sure the VO factor still rules; depends on who you get... We're in a similar situation, David. I'm going to China for a visit next month. I've already told my SO that we're going to be doing a lot of rehearsing. She found the idea terribly funny. I don't think it's going to be a problem, but we're gonig to make a short video just in case. She also thought that idea was terribly funny. My girl is easily amused. It's one of many things we have in common, and one of many reasons I love her to pieces.

I traveled to China once without my laptop. I went to an internet "cafe" (there were no food or drinks there) near my SO's apartment. Bought a rechargeable card that you just slide into a pay slot on one of their computers. I was able to check email, even downloaded some photos. Piece of cake. Haven't tried the small "wanbai". Those come and go in all corners of most Chinese cities. I also arranged for my SO to get dialup internet service in her apartment. Slow as hell, but on another trip I brought my laptop, and was able to use it to handle email. Depending what city you're visiting, you'll find several major hotels with wireless hotspots and/or in-room ISDN. Typically, they want you to be a guest, but you can prepay for wireless time in most places. There are also a few (very few) coffee shops with wireless hotspots. Haven't tried any of those yet.

Believe me, I feel for you. My SO and I are in the same boat. Just received yet another response from GZ that the name check is incomplete. I'm sure that if I call DOS tomorrow, I'll hear the same thing. It is interesting that DOS told you such detailed information about the 7 people with the same name requesting a visa. I didn't know they had that kind of information. IF that's true, it really shouldn't take all these months to sort out who's who. Quite likely most of those "7 people" aren't even the same gender as your SO, and it's unlikely that any of them have the same birth date, for example. Have you written to your elected representatives? I wrote to my senior US senator (Feinstein) about 10 days ago. I'll email or telephone her office next week to follow up.

MAJOR CONGRATULATIONS!!! Well done to you both, and best of luck always!! And, yes, your interview writeup is VERY helpful.

That's true for US citizens. However, DOS told me that the name checks done by various agencies do not include querying any foreign government or agency. A name check of a Chinese national is done internally, within US security agencies. There are no queries sent to any Chinese agency or office, and certainly no interviews with former neighbors or associates. Where the US government has specific agreements, a name check might include information from a foreign government, but this normally is not the case.

We're much more efficient - and motivated - than most people doing paperwork at the FBI, CIA, etc. I Googled my SO's name in both Pinyin and Hanzi. The process took a few seconds for each search.

The name check, I'm afraid, can be a bit more mysterious and prone to error than simply Googling a name. I wish it were that simple! DOS has told me that the second name check (requested by GZ around the same time that the P3 is mailed out) takes a MINIMUM of two months. If you take a look at the average timelines here, the P3-P4 stage, which largely consists of the second name check, runs around 3-4 months. In a few cases - mine and my SO's included - the name check can fall into an inexplicable limbo somewhere inside various US security agencies such as FBI. Fortunately, this doesn't happen all that often. The background checks on a Chinese national SHOULDN'T take all that long. After all, none of the US agencies request any information from any Chinese government office. All the name checks are done internally within US agencies. But federal bureaucracies, especially those which can be rather opaque, don't seem to function by what seems logical or normal. Then again, beginning in 2002, "special" security checks were instituted for both Chinese and Russian nationals applying for varioius visas. The events of 9/11 were cited as the reason for that, even though neither of those nations had anything to do with 9/11.

If it's any consolation, I'm angry for you as well! As my SO and I have been waiting now for nearly 7 months for the second name check, I will know the frustrations of long waits with no information. I've now written to the senior senator of my state (California) and I truly hope she and her staff can help resolve the situation. Your situation really is a puzzle. Amazing that they "lost" your case! At what stage of the process are you?

maybe I've missed something in the past.. you called the GZ info line? Have many people done this? I've heard of emails to GZ and wondered why folks don't call GZ. Yep, telephoned the GZ call center/info line. The woman I spoke with was Chinese (judging only by her accent) and she was terrifically sympathetic but ultimately unhelpful. She actually did say that GZ would schedule the interview for one week after P4. Almost choked on my Hunan green tea. I think calling GZ isn't a bad idea. Actually, when it comes to certain information-such as name check status, GZ finds out before DOS does. DOS depends upon what GZ puts in the computer. And GZ is notified directly when the name check is complete. Evidently, that notification doesn't go through DOS.

CONGRATULATIONS!! Best of luck at the interview. With all those interview dates so close together in June, you folks ought to have a big celebration dinner.

When I telephoned the GZ info line about a month ago, the woman I spoke with sympathized with our long name check delay. She told me that they would schedule the interview for ONE WEEK after the P4. I thought she was pulling my chain. But then again ...

You and maui&china's advice has been very helpful to my SO and I ... I know your interview is finally on the horizon, so I am truly happy for you and for maui and china. The consulate and DOS people I've spoken to have been reasonably pleasant but ultimately not helpful. I hope our name check delay resolves sooner than later - along with favorable conclusions for everyone else at CFL!

Lucky for you in California. Here in Colorado, we have a Congressman (Tancredo) who just absolutely hates immigrants, and want to close the door to immigrants. But he did hire a contractor to work on his house and that contractor used illegals. The official anti-immigrant people often seem to have illegal aliens in the shadows of their lives. True humanitarians, one and all - who just seem to have a problem getting passing grades in US history.

Most of the congressional delegation have offices in major towns within their districts. CALL - don't mail or email. Ask for their immigration laision and speak directly to that person. I really don't know why it was held up, and I didn't want to press for an answer at the time. Was just happy to have that sorry episode behind us. Once we get back to Maui, I'll give the aide a call and try to find out. I agree with Don, talk to a live person if you can. Inouye's aide really was helpful and kept involved the entire time. She even contacted GZ after the FBI cleared the name check, just to follow up. All without my asking. One other thing I just remembered. I always wrote thank you notes to all the people I contacted and kep them informed of our progress. Good advice as always, thank you. Best of luck!!

I'm curious - Was Inouye able to find out WHY things were delayed at the FBI? I'm just about to write to both my senators' offices. I'm not real eager to go through a couple more months of waiting while their immigration assistants get the brush-off from the FBI, but I don't quite know how to go around them without causing problems. I guess the best thing for us to do at this point is to write the letters, keep checking back, and email the senators directly after an apprpriate grace period. Congrats again to you both!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And EXTRA props for hanging in there all that time. And many thanks for the interview write-up. It's very helpful! Wishing you all the very best, great good luck, and a long and happy life together!!!!!!!

I guess it depends on how one defines "telling the truth". It is the truth, in a sense. A name check has been requested. No up or down vote has yet been received. Hence, name check incomplete. Of course, there are a lot of other truths that such a blanket, formula statement can obscure. It tells us nothing about why the name check is incomplete, what remains to complete it, etc. It's that information vacuum that drives us batty.

I think it's that "program loop" you mentioned, D-Z. It's easy to press ENTER and send off a data request. When the requested information comes back incomplete or inconsistent, it's just as easy to press ENTER and send the same request again rather than to pull the string to see what's actually at the other end of it. Hey, do you think we should pin this thread for a while? Or maybe build a small name check FAQ?

Interesting data at 001. I notice that there are quite a few P4's still pending since 2004 and January 2005, assuming that all the data is up to date. Other than that, the 001 timelines seem to track pretty evenly with those here at CFL.

Agreed ... we shouldn't nag at our reps and senators, and we shouldn't start requesting help until it's obvious that something's gone awry. From what I've seen, the name check process is considered to be delayed/excessively long once it reaches the six month mark, although some cases have dragged on much longer than that. The DOS chap's comment that the name check process follows a standard format tells me this: that the process can very easily go onto "autopilot" at the security agencies without a live person really tracking down any inconsistencies, conflicting data, or whatever else might fall outside the "no brainer" category. That's where intervention from representatives and senators can be helpful, I thiink/hope/wish.