Randy W

My ex-wife's kids had learned the "elbow" technique at day-care - whoever's elbow was in front was first in line. No pushing, no shoving, no cutting - but those elbows sure could leap-frog! You learn techniques to maneuver in crowds without shoving or being rude, or falling behind your place in line.

Mine is still the same person I saw the first time we met online. Falling in love felt more likely discovering that we were already in love. Consistency (across several interpreters and now electronic), a love that I've never felt from anyone, and the feeling that it is just there and won't be turned on or off. Did I mention that I love her, too?

It seems incredulous to me that this guy could evaluate your marriage, and turn it down like that without a very specifc reason. How can he "simply not believe"? Maybe you can appeal to someone else at the consulate? What a nightmare!

Good job!! http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/mittelgrosse/medium-smiley-082.gifhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/mittelgrosse/medium-smiley-076.gifhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/mittelgrosse/medium-smiley-082.gif

There have been several posts on bringing DVD's through customs - I think DavidZixuan brought somewhere around that number back with him one trip. I think that bootlegs are just not something they look for, although you might catch someone's eye by bringing 250 copies of the same DVD. Also, be aware that the region code probably won't bite you (China is Region 6, but most Chinese DVD's are Region 0 - universal), but they are the PAL format and won't play on American TV's, unless your DVD play will convert to NTSC.

A friend of mine at work who recently went back to China for the first time in 15 years or so, told me that a new superstition was to hang a symbol upside down to mean "going to be", e.g., the upside down symbol for rich means "going to be rich". His explanation was that the word for upside down was very similar to the word for going to be, (or something like that - I forget exactly what it was)

The burden of proof is on USCIS. You don't need to prove a negative. There is a supposed 30 day rule whereby marriage in the first 30 days is presumed intent on entry. However, I have read reports of people who have married within a week and sailed through AOS. If her visa allows a long enough stay, give it several months. There's no hurry and one of you may change your mind? 153513[/snapback] So what happens at the end of the 6-month visa that would allow her to stay? Is simply filing the I-130 and AOS good enough (along with the NOA1), or would she have some documentation to prove that she can stay past the visa expiration? If the I-130 and/or AOS would go through quickly enough, would they have to be sure to give it enough time to be approved? If this were my case, I would want to know what would (or should) happen at the expiration of the 6 month visa.

We have a whole range of P2 to P3 dates, from P2 on April 11, to entered in computer on or around August 12. Our application was forwarded to the GUZ on April 25, and accepted by the GUZ on June 9. My SO received the P3 on June 22, and returned it on June 24. SHe left a field blank instead of entering "None", so it was bounced back to her on July 15 (although there was never any indication that they actually mailed it back). She got a new form in in late July, which languished in the Swan Hotel until it was entered in the computer around August 12. I think the projections assume that the relevant date is the first P3 date (around June 22). Our entire timeline is about 1 week behind ed_and_ying's, so that may have spilled us over into the November wave, instead of the October wave that they rode. We'll find out when we get there!! I haven't gotten any information from the DOS beyond the April25 date that it was sent to the GUZ.

Thanks for moving us up a week, even if you couldn't keep us up with Ed and Ying. Seriously, though, we appreciate your good work and find it very helpful.

Hopefully, the "priority date" (date it was received at TSC) thing will kick in and get you back in line where you should be. That would help cut down the P3-P4 time for you. How about another "Hang in there, Jesse"? Would that help?

The thought that my SO may be the last person on earth willing to go out with me doesn't bother me in the slightest.

CFL is Candle for Love, not Candle for Divorce. I think what you are hearing is that we all have a great deal of faith in our SO's. While part of these stories is about immigration from China, to some degree, they are simply about divorce and misunderstanding. We have relationships to build, and cannot do that if we are focused on the negative. While I appreciate stories like these and believe they should have a place in Candle, I will remain focused on what I have every belief that my relationship is.

I'm very heartened to see the response to the this topic. I think a lot of us have learned our cultural lessons. I think the responses have been fair, objective, passionate, and informed, and I've been especially heartened by the responses from some who have been there. These things happen only when you let them. The most important thing is to give a good relationship every opportunity to succeed. "Warning signs" may or may not lead to anything - don't let them cloud the picture.

VERY well put, guy! Thank you

I try to read between the lines on these things. I usually find that the Chinese woman's behavior is consistent with that of someone who is more than a little bit surprised at what she found when she got here. At the same time, I realize that I wasn't there, and don't know, and wouldn't want to come to any conclusions without hearing from her. I think we all have a big responsibility to our Chinese SO's when they get here. Saying 'I didn't know' doesn't carry any weight with me.

Maybe. We all hope so, but, so far, it's hard to tell. They haven't made any claims to improved efficiency.

Someone (I think myself and someone else) has also posted links to the actual code sheets. If you have trouble finding this, let me know - I can find it later on for you.

See also Another active Guangzhou "customs delay" thread

Check out what someone heard from DHL a few years back: NVC to GUC customs delay

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/ups/unknown/sunshine.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/ups/unknown/sunshine.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/ups/unknown/sunshine.gif and with only 3 blue thingies! Congratulations!

Make that at least 5 calls now, with roughly the same result. Like you, I've said that I wanted to check the status, and gave them the GUZ number. They then respond with the April 25 date, and that I need to call the GUZ for any further information! I've had much better luck with the GUZ email web site.

Apparently nothing - I believe they are extended as need be.

When I call the DOS helplines at either the 603-374-0700 or the 202-663-1225 numbers, I am told that my application was forwarded to Guangzhou on April 25. They then say that they do not share a database with the GUZ, and that I need to contact the GUZ for any further information. How did you guys get your interview dates from DOS? Do they not have ANY information until that interview date is granted? I thought that they would at least know that we were "waiting to be scheduled", which is what the GUZ tells me.

http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gifCongratulations!!http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/corky/corkysm60.gif We would be there now if we had followed your advice!!

Hopefully, you are pretty close to the top of the list because of: Case sent to GZ............................4/12/2005 Case entered in GZ computer............5/02/2005 and/or your GUZ case #. Have your SO keep an eye out for the P4!