LeeFisher3

I wouldn't read too much into this, some of the offices collect the EAD card just prior to issuing a green card so that they don't have the extra document floating around.

I'm ready for someone to file a complaint with the DOS for some of the consulates in China hampering a married USC from filing their taxes.

There is an exception to the requirement for the SSN on a bank account for this situation in the Act, google "patriot act ssn exception CIP". USA Patriot Act Requires Banks To Implement Customer Identification Programs This one has alot of good information: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Fact Sheet 31 As this is a joint account with a USC, your banker has extremely limited risk involved in adding her to your account and using her passport number as her identification number. In the meanwhile file your taxes and get her an ITIN using Form W-7, you can then take that to the banker and have them update her account. Just explain to them it's a chicken and egg problem that was compounded by the SSA not being able to do their job and issue her an SSN and their delaying tactics cause the window to close for getting her SSN. As for the SSA office, I would consider getting a supervisor involved where at the original office. Your application was in long before the deadline and due to them not correctly using the SAVE system or the manual verification they are now saying you didn't apply in time to be issued a card. You might just be able to win on this one.

Here is the answer from the various locations in China, appointments may be needed and a fee may be charged. As this is for tax purposes they may waive the fee. This is extemely confusing, but the DOS information at the end of this may help. Beijing NOTARY SERVICES Chengdu Notarials Shanghai Notary Services Guangzhou Notary Services Shenyang Notary Services Now let's look at the ultimate authority on what the Consulates can do concerning Notary Services, I'd suggest printing the following page for your trip to the consulate and ask them to explain why the DOS makes a statement that they refuse to comply with: NOTARIAL AND AUTHENTICATION SERVICES OF U.S. CONSULAR OFFICERS ABROAD The goal is to get a True Copy, so if you need to ask for a supervisor do it, but don't get angry or loud as that gives them a reason to force you to leave. Another option may be to ask them if all consulates in China operate under the same rules for Notary services, if they say Yes, the direct them to Shanghai's website and ask them to do what Shanghai is willing to do. B)

I handled the state income tax return by giving the same info that I gave with the federal return. I also sent them a copy of the W7 application that was sent with the federal return along with the notarized copy of her passport as well as a cover letter explaining everything. Everything went smooth. How did you get the notarized copy of her passport? I am living in China right now and the US Embassy will not just nortarize a copy of her passport even with me having the original. They say I have to get a Chinese nortary from our city. Then go to the province Foreign Affairs office and have the notary notarized and then bring both documents to ACS and they will nortarize the nortarized documents. Did you just get a notary public in USA to stamp a copy of your wife's passport? My wife & I did this at the embassy in Beijing last November, Maybe the Embassy or Consulate is hesitant to notarize a document that is in Chinese. You can go to local Chinese Notary Public Office and have the document notarized and translated into English. They will charge you a nominal fee, but it is worth it. Maybe the Embassy or Consulate is hesitant to notarize a document that is in Chinese. It's a passport, it contains both English and Chinese, but the only thing they are being asked to do is state that it is a True Copy. The easiest way to do this is for them to photocopy the passport and then notarize it. This isn't rocket science and even a person who's only skill has been to ask "do you want fries with that" is capable of performing that task.

Happy to see you came to the US, but why did you leave again by going to Oklahoma? Now you will need to get a visa to visit any of the good states. You would have thought Dylan would have told you about that.

Yep, my pump action Daisy BB gun can puncture a coffee can at ~25 yards. Dennis I had a first cousin that had one of those. I wanted one of them so badly. I never did got one though. Is yours from your youth or do they still make them? Larry They still make them, Larry. ~50 bucks. http://i40.tinypic.com/2rykbw3.jpg Loads of fun. http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/Daisy_BB_Gun_...le_p/day880.htm Charles, quite possibly your wife is a city girl who's getting a sensory overload from nature? That's a good thing, right? Dennis you just don't get it, she needs an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! Never mind that Santa said "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

I handled the state income tax return by giving the same info that I gave with the federal return. I also sent them a copy of the W7 application that was sent with the federal return along with the notarized copy of her passport as well as a cover letter explaining everything. Everything went smooth. How did you get the notarized copy of her passport? I am living in China right now and the US Embassy will not just nortarize a copy of her passport even with me having the original. They say I have to get a Chinese nortary from our city. Then go to the province Foreign Affairs office and have the notary notarized and then bring both documents to ACS and they will nortarize the nortarized documents. Did you just get a notary public in USA to stamp a copy of your wife's passport? The US Embassy informed you incorrectly, unless China somehow is a member of The Hague Convention. Take the W-7 form along with the instruction sheet, her passport and highlight the following on page 2 Inform them that this is an IRS concerning a USC and their spouse and if necessary run this up through a supervisor or two, you are wanting this certified as a TRUE COPY and nothing else. Unless they are blind they should be able to do that simple task as certification of a true copy only states that they verified the copy is of the original. You might also ask the highly informative person who says to use a China notary to show you documentation as to when China signed the Hague Convention.

I believe the interpretation of this is "Has anyone ever filed an immigrant visa petition on your behalf (other than the current petitioner)?

It would be great for the reasons Carl mentioned, the only downside would be the court cases created. There would probably need to be an entire division of the Judicial established to handle the court cases during the first year and the expense of that would become extreme. I seriously doubt DOS will make any move in this direction as it places their authority as reviewable and those folks don't want to be accountable to anyone.

You don't wanna know, but we used to solve bigger problems in Chat in a single evening. How ya been?

This is more about his expectations for self gratification, whatever he wants he expects to receive now without regard to anyone else. This is something you and your wife must work on together, if the two of you are not in agreement on helping him to learn how to accept responsibility it just won't happen, because he will know if you don't do what he wants he can turn to her and get it. It took time for my wife to understand the direction I was trying to go with our son and how to work with me. Remember both of them learned this behavior and it takes time to unlearn it. Today my son was so sad because he is now broke and tried to convince me to buy him something, he was even sadder to learn once again that life is about choices and he made his. Now he needs to work more to earn money and regrets not wanting to help with the basement remodeling last weekend.

I guess I'm the luck one here, I got Bo at age 10 and have been dealing with many of the same issues. In China everyone did for him and they didn't expect him to have any responsibility, part of the one child policy. We finally took him off of an allowance and if he wants money he has to work for it by doing specific chores or helping me work on the house. If he wants new stylish clothing he must buy them with "HIS" money and he has learned that it never goes far enough. You should see him adding up the cost and deciding he can't afford some things. The funniest thing is when he wants a pack of gum, he checks out the price, number of sticks and determines his best option before the money leaves his hands. The other night he was $10 short on buying what he wanted and asked me to give it to him so he could enjoy his new clothes. He really didn't appreciation me laughing at him in the store. Then he decided to barter for the money and has agreed to work with me on the basement remodeling for 5 hours, under the condition he is not to leave to check his email or play computer games and I keep track of the time worked. It's been difficult, but he now washes his own dishes, most of the time. He wanted to get paid for cleaning his room, but decided to drop that idea when I countered with a bill for rent. His other option was to not do it, but was a bit upset when I did this for him and used the 30 gallon flexible storage unit, trash bag, to collect the junk. I put what I wasn't willing to throw away on his bed so he had to do something with them. On day he was really surprised when most of his clothing was missing, a trip to the basement to get his personalized storage units was all it took for him to start hanging up his clothes. I've found that by not giving him things and providing him an opportunity to make money so he can buy them he is learning about life and is really much happier. He's getting there and if I don't get arrested for homicide he will turn 13 in July.

It would be best if you had an attorney help you with this consent form, a Chinese attorney would be even better as it could be created in both English and Chinese to send to him. The statement will more than likely require notarization in China for it to be considered valid in a US court, so take this into account so you don't have a surprise.

Good luck with the interview, at one time someone mentioned the petitioner was even allowed to participate, not sure if they still do that.

You wouldn't believe how many poses it took Lee to get his right. It was extremely hard to get them to take so many shots close enough together to make it look like I was really moving, next time I'll insist they use a video camera.

I doubt it was a "braindead clerk". Why put the blame on an underling? whoever it may be, dedicated a complete web page on the subject an a specific email address. If you were serious about giving him your story you could pick up the phone and call or just send him an email directly. Instead you chose to use the firms public website and are offended by the standard message. It was a web page, it is not intelligent enough to know your intent and you should be intelligent to understand that. Lee - I think that's a bit harsh. Do you know the backstory ? did you read the other thread I started ? FWIW, Roth's email server stuff bounced on him recently - we just learned of this today. I guessing that hkg's email got tripped up in a standard reply filter queue. If you don't know the backstory (including the urls) I do beg of you, take a few moments, read it. It more a matter of expectations. Mail and Web servers crash more often than telephone systems, plus many people live with the expectation that since they sent an email it got to the person and they actually read it. I've had customers send me and email after 10pm and by 11pm they are ranting in another because I didn't know to wake up and check the companies email system. If it's a real emergency they need to call me instead of assuming I know there is a problem. The same rule applies when sending an important email. Picking up the phone is one sure way to resolve questions about whether someone wants to talk to you or got your email instead of bad mouthing someone which as it turns out was due to a technology problem and not the recipients intent.

One for each is the best approach, it's easier to have one too many than not enough. As for putting your picture on CFL, don't do it unless it's really cute or thought provoking. Go to the "My Controls" link at the top of the page and then select "Edit Avatar Settings" on the left menu toward the bottom. You can upload your photo there, but I expect a cute ladies picture to show up now that you know where it is.

Marc Ellis's approach has been more successful based on what has been going on in GUZ and with the number of white slips being issued his method provides a proactive approach to success, not a guarantee. Getting married in HK is a method of interviewing in a much friendlier environment. While you don't rub their nose in it, using their own rules to avoid GUZ is not a bad idea if you're willing to only allow the case to follow the K-3 process. I do understand John Roth's concern about front loading the petition and I'd take his concern about the USCIS to heart as the information provided in front loading needs to be well prepared. Everything you want to cover needs to be addressed carefully without opening new avenues for them to follow, but presents a true picture of the situation. It helps to remove options from GUZ's denial machine. With what can only be described as open hostility toward family related petitions by GUZ that has been occurring I'd do whatever you can to remove options from them and Marc Ellis's approach does that. Getting married in HK and following the K-3 path removes GUZ from the picture as well. If I was in your shoes I'd prefer to take my chances with the USCIS reviewing the full picture of your situation rather than wait for GUZ to have their Perry Mason moment and decide to kick the petition back to the USCIS. The other question I'd ask is who is currently having success in GUZ, both are obviously having success with the USCIS so it comes down to who is able to help pry a visa out of GUZ with the least amount of pain. Both will tell you that the visa office in GUZ is a broken system full of hostility toward your case. John Roth is trying to present a case to DOS to get them to fix the system and Marc Ellis is working with what is available to help people get a visa in spite of the mess that is currently going on. Two different approaches, which one fits your need?

I doubt it was a "braindead clerk". Why put the blame on an underling? whoever it may be, dedicated a complete web page on the subject an a specific email address. If you were serious about giving him your story you could pick up the phone and call or just send him an email directly. Instead you chose to use the firms public website and are offended by the standard message. It was a web page, it is not intelligent enough to know your intent and you should be intelligent to understand that.

There are a number of stamps they can place in a passport, the I-551 stamp is the same thing as a green card and is used until a new card can be issued. This is very common with CR-1 cases. Those returning to the US using AP will receive a stamp to replace the document. Both of these have an expiration date written in the stamped area. For someone who's green card has expired getting a valid I-551 stamp in the passport is the best of all worlds because it doesn't require a foreign airline employee to understand the extension letter from the USCIS.

Which officials are you talking about, US, China or the airlines? She needs both the lettersletter, one for her and daughter, unless you have some other proof that the expiration date has been extended like a stamp in her passport or updated green card. BTW you need to keep a copy of them too. Where does one go to get the stamp on the passport, indicating the two-year green card has been extended for an additional one-year? We have letters for both Lan and Sarah, but perhaps they can get the stamp somewhere in the US before they return to China? Have them schedule an infopass appointment for the same day they are getting their biometrics done. There is no guarantee they will stamp the passport though. It was very rudely explained to me that the letter took care of that even though my wife was returning to China after expiration. I did ask if they could print me one up in Chinese that the local authorities would be able to understand, but you can imagine how far that went.

While you have sent a letter, the local office can actually enter something directly into the computer system concerning your case. They might be able to reschedule the interview as well while you are standing there. The USCIS call centers, while helpful at times, do not have the ability to do much concerning rescheduling appointments and their advise is often incorrect with no liability for their statements. Waiting on a letter to be associated with your case file before the interview date is not a good idea, it may or may not happen, just as receiving a response from the USCIS prior to the interview date may or may not happen. When it comes time for the interview if you are not there and the letter is not there is only one possible outcome. Making logical or legal decisions concerning the USCIS and the process they follow is not always a good idea, the USCIS does what it wants, when it wants and seldom takes into account what it should be doing or who it hurts. If you do not have confirmation on rescheduling by the date of the interview you need to both walk through the door at the appointed time and place or be willing to risk the case being canceled with a deportation notice to follow in the mail. Others have had cases canceled in similar circumstances and the appeals process takes time, lots of time waiting. With the case cancellation also includes the revocation of EAD and AP.

Congratulation Wendy and you too Dylan.

April 2nd will be a Thursday. He has full days of classes on Wednesday and Thursday. I don't know. Apparently law school is not that easy to catch up with if you miss so many classes in a row. Plus he pays like 100 bucks per class. I don't know. I think his school is more important. However, i didn't apply for AP. I am really in a dilemma! We are writing a letter to change the time to either May-Aug or Dec-Jan now. Hopefully it will work during the first period while we are back in WA for summer vacation. The AOS interview is not something I would recommend rescheduling they have been known to cancel the application if you don't show up, read the letter carefully. I don't think they consider inconvenience as a reason to reschedule. If you had put in a change of address they would have done it locally, but telling them you can't make it because you are living across the country and you have a more important appointment doesn't seem like a good idea.