Rakkasan

Not to be a trouble maker, but is your comment about your pay check getting smaller every week literal or figurative? My check has remained the same since my last raise in March of 2006. I don't see my take home pay changing at all. If yours is changing on a regular basis perhaps the problem isn't the Federal taxes, but state and local taxation. While I am not happy about the increase in fees, if that is what it takes to get Zhen over here then that is what I will pay. These are one time fees, so it is not like I have to budget for this amount monthly. I will just live a little more economically for a few more months to save the money to cover the fee increases and be happy when she arrives because I know she is worth it.

For online translation I use http://us.dict.cn/trans. The accuracy is pretty good for the price (free). Give it a try before you spend money on other programs or software. Zhen and I have been using it for almost a year, for short sentances it works really well. When she uses it to write a letter some things get lost in the translation, mostly grammatical issues, but I have learned to read through those. Good luck

When she said that I replied that it didn't state in the I485 instructions that I couldn't move. Toni, I have to give you credit for maintaining your composure through all of this with Immigration. I hope that if I encounter any similar problems I can remember your tact. I have a tendancy to rip peoples asses when they say something as stupid as "You shouldn't have moved", I guess it's like cutting my own throat just to watch them drown in my blood. Keep plugging alone sooner or later you will encounter that one gevernment employee who didn't graduate at the bottom of their high school class. Best of luck to you and Lin

I would go ahead and file the appeal and pay the 385.00 or whatever the price is even if it's $1,000. Look at it as a business deal and amortize the cost of the term of your relationship for the next 30 years. $2.77 per month. Of course after you get everything settled you may want to consider filing a law suit against the California office in a New York court for damages. If they fail to show up in the New York Court you could win by default. After all the cost of the appeal plus lost time and productivity at work added to the stress caused by their negligence is worth something, besides if you are able to demand a jury trial in New York, I would think you could stack the jury with immigrants. As Donald Trump said when asked if he was going to sue Rosie O'donnall he said "You know that might be fun to do, I think I just might do that" Good luck in whatever direction you choose.

I also think you should discuss with him what U.S. holidays he celebrates and how they are celebrated. Although I am all for celebrating Chinese holidays as much as possible given the limited participation in my area, I think it would be a good idea for any wife coming to the U.S. to assimilate by being introduced to American holidays like ameriken did.

I am sure that being Federal employees they will just work harder for the rest of the week to remedy this lost day of production.....................

I do not consider you as being greedy. Zhen sent me a Christmas card and that was all the present I needed from her. I was pleased that even though she doesn't understand our Christmas, me took the time to purchase a simple card and mail it early in the month. Your SO could have done the same for you, it is not a big expense and it shows that he is thinking about you. I do not know what kind of relationship you two have, but based on what you have said he seems a bit defensive about money. This may just be because of the stories about some women trying to take advantage of American men financially. As others have said, he may not be a gift giving kind of guy, but a card is a simple expression of ones feeling. I think they are very important for any relationship, but especially so in the type of long distance relationships that we are dealing with.

Toni, maybe you can convince Lee to attend the info pass meeting in your stead. Sorry, Lee but your responses have been so good that I thought you should go and make the case for her and Lin.

Toni, I am sorry to hear you are having to deal with this crap. I would suggest, as others have, that you follow Lee's advice, especially the part about rewording the letter to be more firm. As much as I am against attorneys, I would love to see a class action suit against USCIS for gross negligence & incompetance, seeking damages for stress, anxiety and most important as in the case of those like Mick and Warpedbored, lost wages. These people are being paid a good wage with medical and pension benefits and seldom are they able to perform their jobs without screwing up. This may be a good agency to outsource. Best of luck to you and Lin

Thank you for your post. You are absolutely right, in that our affairs must be in order. I was diagnosed with cancer in May of this year. I was warned that my Oncologist was very good, but if I didn't want to hear the truth I should find another doctor. In our first meeting he said "With the type of cancer you have the average life span is 9 months, only 5% of people make it 1 year, we are going to bust our butts to beat these odds, but get your affairs in order. Your guidelines are helpful. Although Zhen and I are not married yet, I immediately contacted my attorney with instructions on establishing a 20 year trust for her should I die before her arrival in the U.S. This way I know that regardless of what else occurs in her life she will be financially secure in China with the option of taking the principle amount at the end of 20 years or rolling it over and continuing to live off the interest. My family understands that if I should die shortly after her arrival what steps will be necessary to assist her in establishing herself in the U.S. Having a Will in place along with guidelines for establishing a Trust for her financial security are of major importance to me. Although I do not expect her to arrive any sooner than late spring 2007, I have already begun looking for ESL classes for her, in January I will pay for her driving lessons in China where she will be able to easily question her instructor, I will purchase a Moped for her to use until she feel comfortable with a car. I had originally thought about getting the Great Wall package for her to watch CCTV, but through reading various posts I think continued easy exposure to her native language will only delay her assimilation and hinder progress with ESL classes. Your advice about exposing her to banking, credit cards, debit cards etc. is something I hadn't thought of, thank you again. From the start of our relationship I knew she would outlive me and I knew I had to prepare her for a life on her own, I just never thought that life on her own would occur so soon. Thanks again for your post. Please express our condolences to your friends wife from everyone here at CFL.

As someone who has looked at Long Term Disability with SSI I think it's a shame that our government has a disability program that would not put you at 125% above the poverty line.

Today I received a I-797, Notice of Action, Notice Type: Approval Notice Valid from 12/07/06 to 04/06/07. My file is now being sent to NVC. I have been looking at the USCIS web page for the California Processing Center and it shows they are processing applications dated June 1, 2006. My application has an application date of Sept, 20, 2006. What am I missing? Am I looking at the wrong web page? Don't get me wrong I am thrilled that my application is moving along, I am just trying to make understand what I am supposed to be looking at.

I used this service for the Chicago Consulate. She offers 24 hour turn around if needed. There's Alway Hope Visa Service She also provide document authentication through the Chinese consulate. Her primary business is adoption, but I used her for my regular travel visa earlier this year. She notifies you via email every step of the way so you know when to expect the documents to arrive at your home.

After reading BuffaloPauls update on how his wife is caring for her mother, I was wondering if the lives of their in-laws have improved financially since their fiance or wives arrived in the US. I ask this because my fiance is always talking about how much she wants to work after she arrives in the US. Financially, I do not need her income and told her she can send as much of it as she likes home to her parents, if she so desires. She has decided to send about half home and keep half for us. If she works at minimum wage here, which averages around $7.00 per hour in my area, she would be sending home around $500.00 US (or 4000 Yuan) every month. Based on average incomes in Nanning which run around 700 Yuan per month this will be a significant boost for her parents and allow them to purchase items that would make their lives easier. With the oldest male child in China traditionally being responsible for taking care of elder parents, this will be of significance for my fiances parents since they only have daughters. My fiance is the oldest daughter and feels that this responsibility for her parents care rests on her shoulders. Does anyone else have this kind of financial arrangement with their wife or fiance? How have the parents responded? Have you noticed the parents living a better, less stressful life with the additional income? My fiances father works for a school district outside of Nanning and loves Chinese history. This income would allow him to travel to see the Great Wall and other sites that he has thus far been unable to see. MODS...This can be moved to another forum if you so desire. I didn't know if this should be an "Our Stories" or if it is cultural. TC is alway my default Forum

Congratulations to both of you. I truly hope the luck holds out and you receive mail for the son very soon. Actually I hope the luck never ends. Perhaps soon a medicine will be developed that will allow you to return to work without the constant pain. I never understood this until my cancer moved into my lower back. Fortunately, minor surgery and my pain medication seems to keep it under control and I am able to work without much problem. Best of luck to both of you. Now she gets to experience Christmas in the US for the first time. What a great year you are having.

USCIS Webpage Family Members of U.S. Citizens Spouses of U.S. Citizens Generally, certain lawful permanent residents married to a U.S. citizen may file for naturalization after residing continuously in the United States for three years if immediately preceding the filing of the application: the applicant has been married to and living in a valid marital union with the same U.S. citizen spouse for all three years; the U.S. spouse has been a citizen for all three years and meets all physical presence and residence requirements; and the applicant meets all other naturalization requirements. There are also exceptions for lawful permanent residents married to U.S. citizens stationed or employed abroad. Some lawful permanent residents may not have to comply with the residence or physical presence requirements when the U.S. citizen spouse is employed by one of the following: the U.S. Government (including the U.S. Armed Forces); American research institutes recognized by the Attorney General; recognized U.S. religious organizations; U.S. research institutions; an American firm engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States; or certain public international organizations involving the United States.

Excellent topic. I too have worried as to what I would do if one of her parents became ill before the AOS. I had already planned on setting aside money for her to travel back home on short notice should the need arise, but does anyone know how this is handled if she is still waiting for her GC?

My gifts were simple For the men - mini Maglite flashlites - Made in the USA. For the women - Lotions for the Victoria Secrets Garden Collection. Next trip the gifts will be more specific to the individual.

I agree with DavidZixuan in that this sounds very familiar to my fiances' story. Her Ex-husband had cheated on her, her family supported her actions fully during her divorce. They now support her desire to get re-married to someone from outside China (ME!!!) because they understand the culture that essentially treats divorced women as undesirables. Although they will dearly miss their eldest daughter when she leaves to live in the U.S., they also want for her happiness and security, both of which I intend to provide. During my visit every member of her family greeted me with open arms and accepted me as part of the family.

Could it be that you are looking for Longan fruit? It is in the lychee family. You peel the outer shell/covering and access the fruit which has the consistancy and look of a white grape with a big seed in the center.

Keep in mind that the rules for re-entry into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda will change January 23, 2008, even for U.S. Citizens. Even U.S. citizens will need a paasport fro re-entry after that date. I am not sure how the rules for non-citizens will change but I would get written clarification from immigration before leaving. I agree that if you must go island hopping a trip to the U.S. VI would be a much better choice for your honeymoon. NEWS RELEASE!!! US: Passports needed for nearly all air travelers Nearly all air travelers entering the US will be required to show passports beginning Jan. 23, including returning Americans and people from Canada and other nations in the Western Hemisphere. The date was disclosed Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in an interview with The Associated Press. The Homeland Security Department plans to announce the change on Wednesday. Until now, the department had not set a specific date for instituting the passport requirement for air travelers, though the start had been expected to be around the beginning of the year. Setting the date on Jan. 23 pushes the start past the holiday season. The requirement marks a change for Americans, Canadians, Bermudans and some Mexicans. Currently, US citizens returning from other countries in the hemisphere are not required to present passports but must show other proof of citizenship such as driver's licenses or birth certificates. Visitors from most countries in the hemisphere are required to show passports. However, people from Canada, Bermuda - and those from Mexico who enter the U.S. frequently and have special border-crossing cards - have been allowed to use other forms of identification, including driver's licenses. "Right now, there are 8,000 different state and local entities in the US issuing birth certificates and driver's licenses," Chertoff said. Having to distinguish phony from real in so many different documents "puts an enormous burden on our Customs and Border inspectors," he said. In a few cases, other documents still may be used for air entry into the US by some frequent travelers between the US and Canada, members of the American military on official business and some US merchant mariners. Under a separate program, Homeland Security plans to require all travelers, including Americans, entering the US by land or sea to show a passport or an alternative security identification card starting as early as January 2008. The Homeland Security Department estimates that about one in four Americans has a passport. Some people have balked at the $97 price tag. The Sept. 11 Commission said in its report, "For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons." The commission recommended strengthening security of travel documents. A 2004 law passed by Congress mandated the change to require passports as the only acceptable travel document, with few exceptions, but the exact date had been in question. Canadian officials and some members of Congress from border states have expressed concern that the changes could interfere with travel and commerce. Chertoff said his agency's data revealed that in September 2006, 90 percent of passengers leaving from Canadian airports had passports. The department estimated that 69 percent of US travelers to Canada, 58 percent of US travelers to Mexico, and 75 percent of US travelers to the Caribbean hold passports. "Could James Bond and Q come up with a fake passport" that could fool inspectors? Chertoff asked, referring to the fictional British spy and his espionage agency's technical genius. Of course, he replied, "Nothing is completely perfect." Still, he said that with new technology, it is increasingly difficult to forge passports, and having just one document to scrutinize should make inspection easier for both inspectors and travelers. Good luck. Post Script: You gotta love bureaucrats and their love of campaign funding from special interests. The Sept. 11 Commission said in its report, "For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons." The commission recommended strengthening security of travel documents. A 2004 law passed by Congress mandated the change to require passports as the only acceptable travel document, with few exceptions, but the exact date had been in question. Why is is so hard for our government to make a simple straight forward decision. Require everyone to have a passport period. NO EXCEPTIONS. It is the exceptions that always cause confusion for us and the workers at the POE. OK....That is the end of my rant, this time.

Roger, what is it that the farmer is holding in his hand. It looks like it should be in TC or Hustler Magazine

Zhen and I met through Loveaccess.com. She agreed to pay someone for the setup and email translation at a rate of around $60 U.S. per month. When I made my trip to meet her last March I offered to hire a translator to travel with us, but Zhen wanted us to have couples time together without a translator so I purchased an electronic translator for $300 which worked great. There is a fee she owes for the setup through receiving her visa. Her family was going to pay the first half, but when the 26 y/o brother in law died just prior to my arriving, his family could not afford the funeral so Zhens family had to pick up the tab. After I returned to the U.S. I sent her the money to cover the first half of the fee. The second half is not due until the visa is in hand. The service is to help her prepare for the interview and accompany her to Guangzhou as her translator, this is included in the fee of $1000 U.S. total. Although I would have preferred that she not use a service, but she had no experience with computers at the time and it was necessary. She has now learned to use Yahoo Messenger and email as well as several online translation programs so there is no longer a monthly fee for email translations. As far as taking the visa and running to the U.S. is concerned, I believe that in China the family can be held responsible for her debts after she leaves the country, so that will not be an option. If she hasn't been able to save enough to cover the final payment I am prepared to cover it.

FYI: "Sleepless in Seattle" has Chinese subtitles. I am not enough of a computer geek to work through this but perhaps someone else can figure out where these shows can be downloaded. Chinese Tech Buffs Slake Thirst for U.S. TV Shows

Periodically I will check the USCIS web site to see if the processing dates have changed. The application date being processed was stuck at May 2, 2006 for about a month, now it shows the applications being processed have an April 18, 2006 date. Does this regression mean that they found an application behind a file cabinet or that USCIS moves so slow that time not only stands still, but actually reverses? Inquiring minds want to know!!!