Bert

I got mine today as well.

Congratulations!

You're about 3 days ahead of us and we haven't received an interview date. Just remember that there were 2 official holidays in one week during this period. It probably took a little longer to process because of this. A lot of people probably took the whole week off. FWIW, DOS told me it would take about a once the P3 was qualified. They suggested calling every two days. The P3 for us was qualified on Monday. Nothing to worry about yet.

You can email GUZ. If you email in the evening, they will usually respond in a few hours. The responses are generally worthless. All I can say it that the day I harassed them for taking so long to process it, they acknowledged receipt and started the P3 the very same day. Maybe it was coincidence.

If I got the right package, it was delivered May 26, 2009 5/26/2009 9:27 am Shipment delivered. Guangzhou, China, People's Republic It took about a month for the consulate to acknowledge receipt and put in the order to send the P3 for our package, once it was delivered. It sounds like your package is finally out of Customs, just have to wait a little while longer.

We mailed our P3 in on May 14. It was received on May 15. Receipt was acknowledged today, June 01. It took 10 business days (2 holidays in there) just to acknowledge receipt. I don't have an interview date yet. It would seem that after 9 or 10 business days would be a good time to start calling to monitor the process. I suspect it will take another week or so before I will have an interview date. If anyone else has a better estimate, I would like to hear it. Wow i hope you hear soon, i guess i will start calling in a week or so...i would like to see how long after submission the interview date are set for on average if anyone knows....thanks for the great info we will both get there soon average is about 3-4 weeks from sending P3 until Interview date assigned. thank you hopefully it will be quicker since she lives in guangzhou and wont take so long on the mailing end of it It only took a day for the Consulate to receive the paperwork from Shanghai, so don't get your hopes up. I doubt it will be any faster from Guangzhou. It will take a while for the Consulate to "qualify it".

Congratulations! Let's keep the pinks coming.

The US is still China's largest trading partner by country. It was said in many publications, including the Economist, that China is no longer dependent on the US and that the current economic crisis would have little impact on Asia in general and China in particular. They were wrong. It may be changing, but the US is still the world's engine.

We mailed our P3 in on May 14. It was received on May 15. Receipt was acknowledged today, June 01. It took 10 business days (2 holidays in there) just to acknowledge receipt. I don't have an interview date yet. It would seem that after 9 or 10 business days would be a good time to start calling to monitor the process. I suspect it will take another week or so before I will have an interview date. If anyone else has a better estimate, I would like to hear it.

Congratulations!

It will be interesting to see if China emerges as the engine that drives the world. There seems to be many people selling the US short. It could happen, but I am not betting on it. Over the last 2 1/2 years, I have met numerous Westerners in China. Most all of them have two things in common: 1. They love being in China; and 2. they believe China couldn't stand on its own without Western assistance. China has a very real lack of middle managers. They say it is due to the Cultural Revolution. That is one problem that has to be solved. Another problem that puts China at a technical disadvantage is its labor laws. People change jobs way too often and they don't pick up the experience that companies need. People are astounded when I tell them I have been with the same company for 25 years. I've been told and I don't know if it is factually true, but at our company half the employees quit and go elsewhere every six months. All I know is that the turnover rate is very high. It makes it frustrating trying to train someone. In less than one year, we went through 3 technicians. They were mostly good, but they lacked experienced, despite being well into their careers. There are probably 30 engineers at one of our facilities. Three of them are Filipino. The Filipinos get 90% of the work done. The others are busy as hell, but I never see them doing anything. There is a notion that engineers don't go on site. You are supposed to stay in your little office all day. My ex-Chinese girlfriend, also an engineer, used to chastise me for working on site. She had only worked on site once. She doubted whether or not I was a real engineer. I just have my doubts that China will replace the US as the engine that drives the world. China needs the US at least as much as the US needs China, IMHO.

You mean its not legal before you get married? I have to have a talk with Jie Let me ask a question or two about marrying as soon as possible. I will probably go the same route. Apparently, she doesn't need a social security number to get married in my state. So, is it best to wait until after marriage to get the social security number? She has to have it for a driver's license. Can there be a name change, or does she need to keep her current name until her status is adjusted? There is a specific rout you need to follow, Lee has the skinny on that. You need to wait 10 working days after she gets here to get her a SSN. My personal view is that it is easier to get the SSN in the same name as the passport and get it changed once the USCIS puts their stamp of approval on the name change. In fact, according to the SSN POM's it is not legal for an immigrant to get their SSN in any name other than the one that the USCIS has in their system. Some have been able to get their SSN in their married name before the USCIS has it in their system, but in many cases it's a major battle and I have heard of more issues raised by the SSA when attempting to do this, such as hearing "she's married now so the visa is not valid and no you can't have an SSN" to "you must wait for a green card to get an SSN". In most cases this makes it really hard on you and your spouse, so take the easy route. It's only a piece of paper, but it's an important one that helps to get added to a checking account, state ID or drivers license. One thing that is helpful in so many ways is to get a simple postcard and mail it to your fiancee in their passport name at your home address. Take it to your local post office and mail it, should arrive the next day. Also check to be sure your post office doesn't require their name to be listed for delivery to your address, if so, list both the passport name and married name. This provides evidence that can be used to prove residence as validated by the USPS. B) The important thing to do when going for an SSN for a K-1 is to print out a couple of their Print the Social Security Application Form Also print this to take with you, it solves many problems when you get the uniformed SSA employee: RM 00203.500 Employment Authorization for Nonimmigrants When visiting the SSA take: passport, notary birth record (original and photo copy) and the post card. Your passport provides: Legal Name and immigration status (visa and I-94). The notary birth record provides proof of age, they only get the copy but can compare the original with the copy if they like. First give them the copy and if they ask for an original inform them they can validate the copy or make a copy, but the original is to be returned as it cost $2000 to get another one (price of a round trip to China). The really long form you printed is your proof the a K-1 is work authorized, I suggest highlighting the proper area in Section C,1 Aliens Work Authorized Without Specific DHS Authorization. Use this only if they push back on issuing the SSN. If they still refuse calmly ask for a supervisor and show them the POM and ask them to comply with SSA procedures. Most importantly don't get mad, angry or cause a scene as they can throw you out with a possible ban on entry to that office. Sometimes the K-1 is not listed in the SAVE system, if that is the case stop there and come back 3-5 days later and try again. You don't really want to wait for a manual check as they sometimes get lost. If they are not in the SAVE system within 20 days of entry you need to do the manual check, but get the name of a supervisor to check on the status of the inquiry and call them about a week later. The big thing is not to let it sit because at 70 days after admission they will be able to refuse you and there is nothing you can do until you get EAD or the green card. Once they approve the SSN the card should arrive in about 10 days. Once it arrives, I suggest getting a State ID with their US address on it. It too is only a piece of paper, but it can open many doors in getting settled. With both of these getting on a checking account in their married name is pretty easy. Take your marriage license with you and most bankers will add them to the account in their married name without any question. Thanks, Lee! That's going to be a great help.

I made the mistake after a very frustrating day of asking rhetorically, "Is everything in China fake?" That was the source of our first major argument. She let me know quickly that I disrespected her and her country. She also asked if I thought her love was fake. She cut down to the bone. I won't make that mistake again. Ironically, she has since made that statement to me and asked if I agreed. Believe me, a no answer is the best response. She has recently developed the penchant for discussing politics. It's a conversation that I have to tread very lightly. I've resigned myself to never winning an argument. If I disagree, it can sometimes come down to "you look down on me" or "you don't believe me". I've learned when the best thing to do is say, "Yes, Dear."

You mean its not legal before you get married? I have to have a talk with Jie Let me ask a question or two about marrying as soon as possible. I will probably go the same route. Apparently, she doesn't need a social security number to get married in my state. So, is it best to wait until after marriage to get the social security number? She has to have it for a driver's license. Can there be a name change, or does she need to keep her current name until her status is adjusted?

Congratulations! It sounds that the new life is off to a good start.

I was reading the FAQ file on the Guangzhou website last night. It was asked why the interview was so short. The answer was as follows: "Officers have access to a lot of information about each case before the applicant even comes to the window; information gathered from the interview forms only part of the evidence being considered by each officer. Due to severe time constraints, interviews must be handled expeditiously, and so officers are trained to only ask questions that they feel are directly relevant to the adjudication decision." Some are already denied before they ever make it to the interview. Some are hanging by a thread. Some can only manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A lot of emphasis is placed on the interview and it is important, but perhaps more important is the preparation of the case beforehand. It's too bad we don't know where we stand before the interview.

Best of luck to everyone! Let's get that trend back on pink.

There probably is logic involved in the process, but it is unknowable, so, therefore, from the outside, it appears it appears to be illogical and purely subjective. I have no idea how the process works, but I imagine that the petition has been reviewed by someone at GUZ and notes have been made about certain concerns before the VO at the window receives it. It's the VO's duty to probe these concerns further. Someone mentioned that their idea was that you earned brownie points along the way; the more you earn, the better your chances. My view is, whether officially or mentally, you start out with so many points and get deductions along the way. If you have a high number of points left, the interview goes smoothly. If you have a low number of points, the burden of proof is higher. The lower the points, the easier it is to deny the visa. This is where the preparation of your case comes in. You must avoid creating doubt. Too much information is as bad as not enough. The Letter of Evolution, although not required, can be an excellent opportunity to address any weaknesses in the case as well as to prepare your SO for questions the VO might ask. There is no sure way, no guaranties, but that does not mean that it is futile to put your best effort into preparing and organizing the case. If all about making your chances the best they can be. It's like someone that suggested power dressing when you demand to see someone in charge. There's no guaranty, but I bet it does improve your chances. You don't have to be there for the interview, but it improves the perception of the VO if your SO can produce your passport at the interview.

My fiancee told me that her friend said we could go to the Consulate for the single certificate. I told her there was no way that the Consulate could prove a negative. I went there to appease her. I joked with her that the only thing I could do is raise my hand and say I swear... Much to my surprise, I was able to get one, but the Consulate did not check any records. It was exactly that; I just had to raise my hand and swear that I had never been married and have my signature witnessed. Then I had to pay 100 RMB to have it translated. I never used the thing.

I don't think there is anything magical about the forms. Below is a Word Document found on the Guangzhou Consulate site. It has all the pertinent information. I wouldn't use it "as is" unless you do this at the Guangzhou, but you can change the header to suit your needs. It is very similar to the one filled out in Shanghai (never used), but I only had to fill out the first page. http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/up...csaffidavit.doc

You can go to the closest consulate in China and pay $35, I believe it is. You just fill out a form, swear all the information is true, sign, and have someone at the consulate notarize it. You can probably do the same thing in the US. I have seen a copy of the form somewhere on the internet. Keep in mind, you may have to have it translated into Chinese to marry in China.

That's good advice. I think that's key, make their job easy. I don't believe in the kitchen sink approach. Anything that you might provide they may want you to back it up. Don't put anything out there you can't back up; i.e., don't give them the rope to hang you. I think the Letter of Evolution is an excellent opportunity to lead the VO in the direction want to them to take. Just make sure your SO knows the information in the letter. I may find out otherwise, but I plan to be organized, concise, and to the point and will be prepared to back up everything. I think it is a big mistake to think there is any logic involved. You just have to put your self in the mind of a VO and ask what would make your job easier. I'm sure their job is based on statistics where they are expected to approve or reject a certain percentage. Don't make it easy to reject your case. Make them feel good about approving it, because they will likely have to justify it.

This guy in Guangzhou was crying out for help and got it in an unexpected way. Be careful what you wish for. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8064867.stm

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. The machine translation sounds like a red flag that might have sent the VO looking for an excuse the deny this petition. I am really sorry to hear about this case ending in a white. It sounds like the VO made a snap-decision instead of attempting to thoroughly investigate the matter. I think that is unacceptable -- denials should not be so easy to hand out. Aside from the language issue, were there any other circumstances that might have put some doubt in the VO's mind as to the legitimacy of your relationship? I'm wondering if there might have been additional concerns... Well my cage is officially rattled. We're up on 6/02 and I'm afraid of how they will interpret our emails Ours is 6/4,i am also afraid,I have 756 emails ,that i am concerned,only shows the email address,and the date the email was sent,i am thinking i should have the full header on them,the isp address,where the email bounced to and from etc..... may God be with us all. Jimi It's a horrible miscarriage of the process and I hope Jeff and Qingyun have the perseverance to overcome. I don't know if Jie Lin could survive a denial. We don't even have an interview date set yet and she has trouble sleeping at night. Maybe I am wrong, but I think you have to be careful about providing too much information. You don't want to give them the rope to hang you. It seems that the problem with Jeff and Qingyun was something the VO picked up in the header. Again, maybe I am wrong, but I plan only to provide a sampling of emails, emails that I select for the VO to read, rather than leaving to chance to the VO what emails he chooses to read. I will provide a screen shot of the sender, addressee, subject, date, and content. Best of luck to you, Bert.

If I don't call my fiancee before she goes to bed, she calls me at work. If I am leading a meeting, I can't answer. She will call several times and I just have to ignore. She gets pissed and says, "Work's more important than me!" She just doesn't understand. She expects me to answer the phone no matter what, if only to say, "I will call you back later." She doesn't mind leaving messages telling me I had better call her back ...lol. It can be annoying in a cinema when people answer their phones in China. When I pay up to $15 a piece to watch a crappy movie, I expect to be able to hear it.