carhil24

To all, If anyone has the ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ for Richard Adams, I would really appreciate it. Also, the phone number for the National Visa Center as well. Thanks in advance, carhil24

Everybody, Believe it or not, I actually got through to GZ today and was told something I've never heard of yet! When I asked why her computer showed that our name check had been resubmitted on the 19th, but my source at DOS as of Friday shows no transmittal, she replied that now, as of 1-2 months ago, they do not submit them to the FBI, but instead to the National Visa Center. Have any of you heard of this yet? She also told me that recently it has been taking 1-2 months for the approval. I don't know if this helps any, it seems to just add another mysterious piece to this unsolvable puzzle. carhil24

Also, one additional thought for those of you who are wondering how she was able to come over her with regards to the Non-marriage certificate. Remember, that certificate is good for a year, and PJ said that she had just recently married (2-3 months ago) this guy. So she could have easily gotten a non-marriage certificate earlier, and still have married this guy after the fact without informing the authorities. Or, maybe they are not legally married, who knows? It doesn't matter much, she came over here on false pretenses regardless, and I think you did the right thing by sending her back as fast as possible. If you would have turned her in, INS probably would have put her up in a 5-star hotel, and she would be there living off our tax money for a year or so until they processed the paperwork to deport her!

PJ, I read this thread earlier today, and just now have had the time to respond to it. I too wish to express my sincere sympathies. I'm sure this has been a nightmare for you, and I think all of us can feel your pain and discouragement. But hang in there, because out there somewhere is another woman for you, one who will care for you and treat you with dignity and respect, and you will find her one day, and you will undoubtledly live happily ever after, and this incident will soon become a distant memory. I would also like to take a moment to give everybody another perspective on this situation, so none of us will forget that this process is a two-way street. When I first read this thread, I immediately called my fiancee and told her about it. And after talking about it for awhile, she told me about a newspaper story she had read recently concerning an American man who had brought over a Chinese woman ostensibly to marry, but instead traded (sold?) her to another man for cash and drugs. The second man treated her with no respect, using and abusing her, even beating her, until finally she had to leave him. She now has three children, no husband, little English skills, no meaningful job, and no way to return to China. I would just like to take the time, especially on behalf of the ladies on board, to remind everyone that this process takes a lot of faith and trust on both ends, and that none of us should be judging the other based on the inexcusable actions of a few. For every story I have heard of a woman from Russia or China coming to America under false pretenses and sometimes destroying a man's life, I have also heard an opposite story of an American man bringing a woman from either of those countries to America, and then proceeding to treat her like trash. Please, ladies, believe me when I tell you that only a small minority of us would act in that manner, and that instead, in most cases you will have a husband who will cherish and care for you for the rest of your lives. And guys, please remember that in most cases you will be marrying a woman who wishes to love you and make you happy for the rest of your life. And for every one sad story which ends like PJ's, remember there are thousands of successful American-Chinese marriages and couples who would not trade their love for all of the money in the world. Again PJ, hang in there, there is always something good to come out of something bad. And there is a reason for this, and maybe soon you will meet the woman who will make you happy for the rest of your life. It's unfortunate that this had to happen to someone like you, and it also hinders the cause of all of us as well, as this is exactly why GZ/DOS/CA are examining these visa applications so closely. Please accept my heartfelt condolences, and I wish you all the best. Carl

Tex, So you mean to tell me that all I need is a billion dollars and to act like a horse's a** on the basketball court, and I can buy a visa? Why didn't anyone tell me this before? The horse's a** part is easy, can anyone out there loan me a billion dollars??? Maybe our system works a lot like China and we don't know it! Of course in China we could probably buy one for a few grand!

Mick, That's exactly it! My fiancee's father, who already isn't thrilled that his only daughter wishes to go to America, has already insinuated that "if her American fiancee really loved her, he would have already paid the necessary amount of money to acquire the visa!" And yes, my fiancee understands as well, but there is still a lot of her family and friends who think that our system is no different than theirs. Even though it is unfortunate and I myself could never do so, I do understand the emotional rollercoaster that leads some couples to give up during this process. But it is so very sad.

donahso, My fiancee has mentioned this as well, as it seems to work very well in her city. And I had to explain to her that isn't the way it works in America. OR IS IT? Do any of the ladies on board here know of anyone in Shanghai who can manufacture visas? I've heard that it can be done! DO I SOUND DESPERATE NOW?

agl88, I respectfully disagree! I love my fiancee so much that I would gladly go through this again if I have to. Of course I am angry, aggravated, sad, (feel free to add whatever emotions you wish), but as my fiancee constantly reminds me, "women meiyou fangfa" (we have no choice!) We both remind each other "wo bu neng meiyou ni" (I cannot not have you!) Keep the faith, and don't ever, ever give up!!!

This situation reminds me of an old joke about the difference between a person who works in (insert GZ/DOS/CA or whatever office you choose) and a chess-player! Answer: A chess-player has to move once in a while!

Oh, and I forgot the famous, "give us a couple of more weeks!"

I think the problem is that these offices are over-whelmed, under-staffed, and efficiently-challenged. The problem is, if we ask them to fix the communication problem, they will pull 1 or 2 of the 3 or 4 people they have processing the visas, and have them answer the phones. And the response will always be the same anyways: "still pending!" Do I sound pessismistic yet! BTW, you are correct, they have stopped responding to emails as of mid-December, but I personally am not overly-concerned about it, because most of the responses were form-letters anyway. I still think that our best chances lie in contacting the h... out of DOS/CA, although I have actually talked to a live person in GZ twice during the past week. But of course the response was the same, "still pending!" Somewhere there must be a school for government workers that teaches all of them these retread phrases!

Yes, and I don't know about the rest of you and your fiancees, but mine already knows of two ladies (Mudanjiang) that either they or their American fiancees have given up! Not that that speaks highly of their love, but still, it is a pathetic situation that two human beings who love each other cannot be together if they so choose!

Yes, I talk to my fiancee usually 2-3 times a day, and since her English is very limited, it has been very difficult to assure her in my Chinese-English dialect that our country still has an open invitation for fiancees and wives/husbands to join their loved ones in America. I have to constantly assure her that the majority of Americans have no problems with her coming! So let the people at DOS/GZ/CA sigh all they want, they still get to go home to their loved ones every evening!

I've been through both airports and you can definitely use US dollars at Tokyo-Narita. I believe the same holds true for Shanghai, but don't quote me on that one.

And "squeaky" is working. Today when I called the DOS info line, and spoke to the lady who finally answered and told her that I wanted to check the status on a K-1 visa case, she let out a long, long sigh. I had to force myself not to start laughing!

agl88, NOA1: 5/13/02 NOA2: 7/31/02 P3 RCVD: 9/16/02 P3 RTRN: 9/23/02 P4: STILL WAITING INTERVIEW: STILL WAITING *!# CLEARANCE: STILL WAITING AND WHO KNOWS WHERE IT'S AT! Wolfman, I concur. AS is well aware of this website, and today he informed me that this is not even his normal job! Quote, "I don't even know when I will be able to get back to my normal duties." Quite possibly we are winning this war by tiring all of these people out! Or they just aren't used to having to actually work for a living!

Wolfman, great idea! I think letters are the best choice, as if we could get together about 200-300 of them in envelopes, that would surely make a lasting impression. Will it work, who knows? But at this point, I'm willing to try anything!

"I think that maybe GZ makes decision when to resubmit the case. Since recently GZ does not reply the email inquiry, we can not ask GZ to resubmit the case. I feel hopeless." When I was in Shanghai, I called GZ and asked them to resubmit the case, and they informed me that they could not resubmit unless the clearing agencies asked for it. I immediately called AS in CA and asked him to request it, and he has done so. However, now the problem is that when I spoke with GZ yesterday, their computer shows it as being resubmitted, however, AS informed me today that GZ had yet to transmit (cable?) it and he would call his "colleague" in GZ and find out what the h... happened. If the case is older than 90 days, I believe that if you call CA and specifically request them to ask GZ to resubmit the case, they will do so. Ask nicely with a little bit of complaining! It worked for me! And don't give up the hope! I'm sure most of us have felt hopeless and ineffective at times during this fiasco. Keep the fires burning! carhil24

"As of yesterday, GZ info line still says" pending " though .. I don't bother with the 1225 thinggie anymore. They are the last in the food chain of "knowing"... " What do you mean by the "GZ info line" & the "1225 thinggie?" Thanks, carhil24

Hello to everyone, especially those of you in CA! I'm from Ca (Redding) and still waiting, though not as long as some of you. My fiancee lives in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province. I just returned from China (Beijing & Shanghai) today, and really wish I didn't have to come back home, but work beckons! My timeline is as follows: NOA1: 5/13/02 NOA1: 7/31/02 P3 RCVD: 9/20/02 P3 RETD: 9/23/02 NAME CHECK SUBMITTED: 10/18/02 (According to GZ) P4: NONE (At our request we asked to wait for the name check process) INTERVIEW: NONE While in Shanghai, I tried to contact GZ to no avail. So I called DOS/CA (Not sure exactly what department, but ended up speaking with AZ.) He informed me that they have no records of her case being submitted for the name check, and he told me this is not the first time that this has happened. Currently, he is looking into the problem, and is requesting GZ to resubmit the names (her and her daughter's). After this phone call, I immediately called GZ again (this time I called the Consulate's number and informed the receptionist that I was an Amercian Citizen in China and told her that I needed to speak with someone from the IV unit and that I did not want to use the other number since I could rarely get through. After a few minutes of informing her that I wanted to speak with her boss, etc, etc, she finally did get someone on the line for me that did tell me that the names were submitted on 10/18/02, and that it was impossible for them not to receive them. I informed her that they have no records of that, and she said that it was impossible. After a few minutes of this, she finally told me that she would have someone email the next day. Lo, and behold, I actually received an email from GZ IV (first one since early December), and they said that they could not resubmit the names, unless the clearing agencies (DOS or FBI, not sure which) requested it. So I called AS again, and he asked me to forward that email to him, and he would request that they resubmit it. That's where we are as of today. Needless to say, now I am very angry about this whole situation, and beginning tomorrow, I am no longer patient and understanding. I told my fiancee, Yu, that when I get back, I am going to be a major pain in the a.. for some people working in our government agencies. So anything else any of you can suggest would be much appreciated. BTW, AS seems to be very nice and helpful, so I have a little bit of hope there, but then again, he could be trying to pacify us, as he is aware of this website. Carl & Hongyu I've tried patience & kindness, now it's time for:

Hello to all, I'm new at this posting and chatting stuff, so if I mess this up, please forgive me! I am a new member on this site, and I also have a fiancee living in China. She lives in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, and we have been waiting since May 15th (paperwork submitted to INS). We know the documents arrived in Guangzhou on Sep 16, and she received her first packet and returned it on Sep 24. Since then, especially from November on, we have scarcely heard a thing. As with all of you, we are lucky to get an email, and sometimes its a form letter reply. Since I have logged onto your website, I now have a clearer understanding of the uphill battle we face, and I want to do anything I can to help. Please let me know who I can write, how I can write them, and anything else I can do to further our cause! I will be returning to China for the third time this coming Thursday, Jan 30, and we will meet in Beijing, and continue on down to Shanghai, because I have never been there before. I was considering taking a train over to Guangzhou, but now I am not so sure that this would be of any use, and I don't want to waste our time together dealing with a bunch of #250 (er bai wu de) government workers. I'm very likely to lose whatever patience I have left (which isn't much anymore) and hamper our cases even more. So please feel free to give me suggestions of what I can do to help, I am at your disposal! Respectfully, Carl Hilton & Sun Hongyu