kaigaorui

Does anyone know the reason why for this measure of wight and size reduction? I am speculating that it is to reduce loads and increase fuel efficiency. That flight from Seattle to Narita has been full every time I have been on it.

Great news!!!!! Keep on rockin! Its all good, baby.

My experience with NWA is that it varies from airport to airport and checker to checker. In china, Beijing is the best bet. Just say its fragile and it goes in a special handling system. At least it was still that way in February. BUT.. No lie, I was in GZ through NWA, and i was 10.3 kg over, and they guy let it slide withiout a word. I even asked if there was going to be an overage fee, and he did not say a word, but slid it on through. Meanwhile, this poor guy right next to me was getting nent over for a lousy 0.5 lg. This little gal was not going to give him ANY slack! So I really think its a crap shoot. Just plan that you will get nailed, or prepare to cut loose with some extra cash.

That is so damned exciting! Hope to be following suit soon. Thank you for sharing your experience. Rick

Good timing of topic. Seems Jin and I were just discussing this. When I just came back from china I talked with the Customs guy while waiting for the luggage to unlaod. He said make sure to have the declaration as accurate as possible ( like you shouldnt anyway). I wonder if they do a thurough search? He sais expect to take about an hour for the whole processing time. Do not know firsthand, but that is what I was told, for what its worth. Seems it would also be important to bring pleny of the documents that need to be notorized and translated, so one does not have to go through the hassle and expense of doing it again in US for AOS. That was my thoughts.

Before reading this post, i just called the visa center, and told the specialist my number, and how i just wanted them to know that we just passed and thanks for their assistance in the matter. My guy is no longer there, but I still asked her to send a little thank you note to all the specialists for us. I know that sounds kind of corny, but i really dont think I would want that job, since most calling are not going to be very happy. So I thought Zi would send a little balance their way. Call me corny, but thought I would share.

A well placed round of CONGRATULATIONS are in order. Best of luck.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!! That was cookin!

CONGRATULATIONS. Thanks for shating the good news.

Hang in there. Glad to hear updated reports from the field. Another Richard

Good topic! Jin and I are having a discussion about this now. Since she will be arriving soon to the US, and the AOS is the next step, we have been discussing the vaccination issue. I have been under the impression, that if you have had the shots before, it would be easiest to get the records there instead of getting them all over again. I have also heard that adults getting these shots can get sick from the immunizations later in life. She just wants to come here and get the shots, but I have read other posts it is better to get them in china. I am leaving the decision to her, but at this point just want some other points of view on this matter.

I have always flown NWA, mainly because i have for about 10 years now. I just left GUZ, with 10.7 kg over the limit and the guy did not say a thing, but the gal at the next counter was busting some guys jewels for .5 kg over (yes that is a 0.5!) If you fly NWA out of Beijing, claim it as fragile, since they have a new handling system for ftagile luggage that does not have a scale. I have used this system twice, and discovered it by accident. If it is too excessive, it would be worth it to buy a ticket be her porter in shining armor!

Welcome Mike and Steve. Good to have another Washingtonian amongst the group. Time to get your game shoes on. Start making two game plans; one to get your paper trail strategy together, and the other is to make a plan to visit for a couple weeks and dance face to face. When you come back you will know what feels right, and you can make the move accordingly. As far as money, it wont cost you as much as you might think. If there is an asian travel agancy or one near an International District, they can have some unbelievable prices. Also there is other online discount options. As far as when you get there, taxi and food is pretty inexpensive. If you plan to use a hotel, have her book it to get the local rates. It was very exciting making plans to see Jin for the first time, and I really saw how well we worked as a team together. The ease of working together with her really caught my attention (which is a stark contrast to my first marriage). Once i came back i filed the k1 petition. It toll 9 days shy of a year from the time the petition was filed, and the date for the interview. There will be plenty of time to strengthen and nourish the relationship along the way. Hope this can give you another perspective. Enjoy the journey. Rick

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Sounds like we had the same VO. Hopefully, this will be the trend.

Great news! Hope there will be a string more like it in the coming months!

Would it help to save any of the medical info from GUZ? At least we have the x-rays. Seems silly, since the K-1 visa should be proof enough she not only had the medical exam completed, but also passed.

Good thread. I called the visa center stateside once a week just to see what has been entered. Once entered into the computer you are good to go. Recall they had blundered twice with us, and I thought they had their act together and did not conduct due dilligence. Shawn was a caseworker who was always very helpful, and I even left voicemail messages for him when I found something had been done on the GUZ side. He was alao instrumnental in filing an inquiry why the paperwork was not recieved even though we had a confirmation of reciept. Yes the number 1-202-663-1225, with 1-0-0 is labeled right on my computer monitor. Faxing letters of inquiry to GUZ from this end i think is also effective, as they responded quickly. I also had Jin email from the China side till docs were entered. Let them know you care.

I would question the idea that a name check is done and that you are on track if you have not received and returned a P3. My understanding is they need the P3 forms returned before that step is taken. I would also take more than DHL's word on any package, as that is just a package. A call to DOS and asking them if your file is entered into the GUZ computer will be more useful to determine where you are in the process. (Or how about an email to GUZ asking if they sent the P3 forms). Data from the past years worth of time lines suggests it takes an average of 10-14 days to get a P3 after the paperwork arrives at the Consulate. Some recent number of days of NVC to P3 times are as follows. (from CFL). 39 35 61 63 71 46 47 36 57 47 39 39 28 51 58 47 168284[/snapback] I just told jin to wait it out and they will get to us when its time. Thanks to Jin, she wrote the consulate and inquired on the status, and comes to find out they sent the p3 packet to a wrong address 2 weeks earlier. So Jin got them steered in the right direction, and we recieved the p3 3 days afterwards. Still lost 2 weeks on that one. From this side of the pond, we can call the visa center, but they can only verify what has been entered on the radar from the GUZ side. I really think the database that has been so diligently compiled gives a pretty good indicator when its time to inquire. Good luck and hang in there. It will come.

WEEEEEEEERRR OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD! THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF GUZ! Congratulations

Larry, No such thing as a small thing. We prepared as best we could with evidence for a bona fide relationship and financial information. We brought a sampling of everything that was selected from the begining of our relationship till the time I left for GUZ. Inszide the interview room, I cannot tell you, but Jin can. I will see if she will contribute aq piece here. The outside courtyard is clearly marled for immigrant and non-immigrant applicants. You wait in line and she shows her passport and her notice for interview and is given a green card with a number on it. Then you are allowed to go inside. You take an escelator up three floors I think ( I was too busy checking out the stonework inside the building), then you reach a lettle entrance with a guard or two checking the documents, then proceed up another flight of escalators into the room. The so sits in a coffee shop right next door, and when she is done comes right there tio get you. Larry, good luck and let me know how it goes. Rick

Hi all! Just got back and still cant sleep, so I thought I would give some detail to the stay at GUZ. We stayed in the Grand palace Hotel, which is a half block walk to the consulate. Price was reasonable, and there is a 7-11 right across the street for water and what not. Also close to the subway station which gets you areound all over GZ for 5 yuan apiece at most. There is also several banks close by, since the hotel gave lousy exchange rates. Jin had contacted Mr. Yang from 001, about getting around for the examination at the Hospital. Even though we did not book into the hotel room, he showed up at the Hotel, and took us to the Hospital on Thursday, and got the nurses attention and got things going, as well as waited around till she was well underway. We also saw him at the day of interview and made sure we got in the right line. I thought he was a very helpfull and professional man. Many thanks for his help. We had the paperwork expidited so we picked up the paperwork on Friday. Guys, make sure you bring some reading material as you wait at the hospital and in the coffee shop . After the interview on monday, we were scheduled to pick up the visa on Wednesday. Make sure your so brings her picture ID along with to pick up the visa packet, or you cannot pick it up, no exceptions. Hope this is helpfull.

Hi all! Just got back. Thanks to all who replied.

Hi all! Kaigaorui reporting in. Interview was on Nov. 7. Only three questions asked: 1. How are you today? 2. How did you meet? 3. How many times has he been here to see you? All the while he was fumbling for the pages to sign from the packet from the hospital. Once he signed the last page, he said," Ok, you pass". And that was it! Less than a minute. Did not even ask to see the I-134, or tax return or nothing. So Jin came back so disappointed, because she did not even open up her folder! Now we will go to the Post and close the deal. Will write more when I get back. By the way, the new consulate location is sweet. It took us about a half hour from standing in line to getting inside. Once inside you go up several floors, where she enters up another flight , and I sit in the coffee shop getting amped on double espressos.

Thars what I want to hear!! congratulations

I feel your pain. Keep kickin ass and taking names. It does help.I used to have a poster of a Blue Hron trying to eat a frog. The frogs head was begining down the beak of the Heron, but the frog's hands was choking the sh.t out of the Heron by the throat. My sign said,"NEVER GIVE UP". I have never thought so much about that poster so much until the GUZ Zone. Hang in there bro.