CR1togo

Randy, the list I posted was from "our side of the pond". Talked to the wife and the niece DID take the college enrollment paper (and others from CN) to the interview. Niece's interview was 3 questions: 1) Q: "Purpose of visit"? A: "Tourist visit ONLY with my aunt and uncle." 2) Q: " Do you have a letter of invite?" A: "Yes. Here it is" Niece as instructed handed VO BOTH the letter of invite AND the "open letter to consulate" posted above. 3) After VO read the letter of invite and about half of the above letter she asked Q: So have your parents been to the US?". A: "No, but my grandparents have. I have copies of thier visa from before". "I won't need to see it. You're approved" Visa is multi visit/one year.

I'm almost in shock. Our 24 year old niece was approved for a B-2 visa yesterday in Shanghai! I figured approval chances were worse than a snowballs slow flight through Hades (especially without either her mother or grandfather accompanying her). She is a student (2nd year of a Masters degree) without any assets, siblings or job- fully dependent on her parents. Other than school there's not many ties to the community to ensure her return to CN. Copy of my cover letter follows. From: Xxxxxx & Yy Yyyyyy 33 Main St. Anywhere, USA 01110 March 15, 2012 Re: Tourist visa issuance for Ms. Ff Ffff I have invited my niece (Ffff) to visit us in the U.S. as a reward for completing her bachelor degree at Shanghai University (July 2011) and being accepted into the Master’s program. I hope she can visit for a period of about 60 days during her summer break from university. All expenses will be provided for her trip by us including her RETURN TRIP to China. The purpose of this visa is solely as a TEMPORARY tourist visa and I state that UNEQUIVOCALLY it is NOT an attempt to immigrate to this country. I (Xxxxxx) regretfully, was unable to fly there for her graduation activities last year as I was undergoing vast amounts of medical tests for liver cancer. Diagnosis, while not cancer, was several hemangiomas on my liver and kidney stones. Long air flights are out of the question. Originally, we wanted Ffff's grandfather (Hh Hhhh- that already visited the US in 2006) or Fffff's mother (Hh Gggg) to accompany her to the U.S. (Both have solid financial ties to China). Unfortunately, her grandmother now has advanced Alzheimer's disease. Ffff's mother took an early retirement from her Government job to assist her father (Ffff's Grandfather) as joint caregivers and cannot leave China at this time. I understand that the visa applicant must establish ties to their home country so they will not overstay their visa and return home. As she is a student she may not have a great amount of assets but her mother (Hf Gggg) and father own their own home in Shanghai. They are Ffff's source of both familial and sole financial support. Additionally, her ties to China include her total dedication in obtaining her Master’s degree. Ffff will be returning after her visit to resume her studies. She is already enrolled in the next semester. She has extremely strong family ties to her parents and maternal grandparents (especially her sick grandmother). She has other social commitments that she intends to keep such as afterhours calligraphy classes that she has been doing for 11 years. I have sent her various documents establishing the relationship of her being our niece, some documents that show our financial status is able to cover her trip. I can be contacted by email at anybody@yahoo.com or 800-111-1111 THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your consideration! I made out I-134's for both my wife and I and attached COPIES of tax returns, W-2 and 1099's, year end pay statements Copies off the internet of both my and my wife's bank and stock acct's. Copy of wife's US passport & Natrualization cert. Birth cert. (to tie my wife to her sister (by common parents) and thereby the niece) Copy of the "Family Composition" form submitted to Gz. for the wife listing both her sister and niece Copy of her grandparents B-2 Visas from when they visited in 2006 Pictures of me, wife and niece at several different functions I had my wife label the various papers in Chinese. Lastly (but IMPORTANTLY), a few nights before the interview, my wife conducted a simulated interview by videochat. When asked "would you like to move to the US?" the niece was sloooow to respond- "maybe later". She got schooled in being polite but quick, decisive and firm. Hope this helps someone out there.

trivial point: Is the new consulate the same with teller windows? acw

P-4 (for CR-1) said to bring ALL items listed on the OF-171, an I-864 was one of the items on this list. As we had gone thru NVC I sent the email to GUZ for clarification that David referenced on the second post. acw

Hank, Your timeline indicates I-130/CR-1. Your wife will get a "green" LPR card in the mail. Advanced Parole is appliciable to the "K" visas not the CR-1. acw

This info went out of date on Oct. 1, 2003-i.e., physicals to get married, permission from parents to marry a Laowei. acw

This statement is also misleading, also was the writer implying (other than DCF pets.) that fianicial data was needed to SUBMIT the initial appl.? 1) K/I-129F visas, NORMALLY need an I-134 at time of interview. (they do the I-864 at AOS in US). 2) CR/IR-1/I-130 at NVC, I-864 is REQUIRED!!! Filed with NVC BEFORE the petition is reviewed, then sent to GUZ. 3) CR/IR-1/I-130 DCF I believe you will find the I-864 is again REQUIRED. I don't personally known of a DCFer that has NOT turned one in. acw Edit: #3) DCF I-864 should read .... turned one in 'at/or by time of interview' acw

Nygatl: Alec will be doing a direct Consulate filing HERE of the I-130 leading to a CR-1 visa- not a K-3. A lot faster than doing a K-3 thru the states. acw

?? um.. Not sure I understand.. you mean a K2/K4/CR2 who will travel with K1/K3/CR1 to US?? I have a section in the FAQ about separating the packets for a child (those that follow will have separate passport) and then there are some child who can be on same passport as parent if leaving at same time... Maybe more can chime in on this , or clarify. Your S/O will be given a large x-ray at the medical- it is NOT sealed in the same packet as the other medical info- the x-ray is quite large (approx. 14" x 18") They tell them at the medical to be sure and take it to GUZ. LIKEWISE the visa package from GUZ (for POE) has a sheet with it that is entitled: "IMPORTANT IMFORMATION". It addresses hand carrying the x-ray and presenting it to the nice immigration inspector- again in large letters "DO NOT PLACE YOUR X-RAYS IN YOUR LUGGAGE." Prior experienceS (ex, step daughter, brother-in-law and MANY others I knew) with the immigrant visa process have yet to find someone that wants to see it at the consulate or POE. Don't know if anybody has needed it for AOS though. I won't swear the seperate PP isssue is true for all catergories of family "K" visas as we are CR-1 but what I have from NVC and GUZ indicates seperate PP's. I seem to think some others here (and at VJ) of the K visa catergories have also reported that they needed seperate PPs for the child(ren). I known what DOS web site and the 9 Fam say but GUZ seems to follow it's own rules on some issues. Question here: Where would they put the child's visa- in the mother's (father's) PP??? acw

David, They BETTER have the P-4 interview letter and their passport to gain entry. Someone here described entry w/o interview letter- it took a few hours additional. Medical Packet including that useless BULKY Xray neither GZ or POE will look at? At GUZ I believe you will find that dependents can NOT travel on their parents PP. They must have a seperate PP from what I have heard (despite the indication of family travel somewhere on the consulate site). Another remainder, Have S/O take his/her official Chinese ID card to later pick up the passport w/ visa in it at China Post. acw

Debit cards are generally cheaper than using a "straight up" credit card. W/ a credit card, you would pay a fee to get cash here (in China), then YOUR card server would generally charge you a cash advance and/or monthly fee. Using a credit card is MORE difficult here also to pay for goods and services. The Visa CHARGE CARD here is NOT as readily accepted. I've only be able to use mine at MAJOR hotels and a FEW LARGE department stores like on Nanjing ST. here in Shanghai. I have even had some of them either outright decline an process an American Visa card or not get it to work- THEN we used the bank debit card w/ visa logo to pay. acw

Yes. acw

Certainly it may be easier that way for some- we preferred to have it over and done with and eliminate the sweat factor. Actually I TRIED to start this early (before we got her P-4) to spread out her shots- too many roadblocks! Also on the money side, you will incur extra hotel and meal costs in GUZ. acw

I did ask GUZ- they referred me to the pay for service visa information line here in China. Incidentally it's a Shanghai phone # I believe. acw

(This may apply to debit cards now) but it was a problem w/ my MBNA issued Visa card. After 1 purchase here (China) they "froze" my card to ALL purchases- even in the US last year. Give 'em a call before you leave, and maybe renotify them upon return.