screamneagle

Hearty Congratulations and all the best for success in the future!

Congratulations to the three of you! Your wife showed a great deal of courage speaking up to the visa official! Her perseverance paid off! All the best for a bright and wonderful future!

WELL DONE and BEST OF LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE TOGETHER!

Yes! Many fond memories in those pix!

Best of luck to both of you! It is quit a relief to get beyond this stage of the game!

Congrats! Your new life has begun! It's a great journey ... enjoy every moment of it!!

My wife kept her full Chinese name and did not take my family name after we were married. This was never an issue. While in China I told my then fiancee and her family that I respected their Chinese traditions and culture and that I did not want to "Americanize" my future wife in any way. I was looking to marry a Chinese woman and I wanted her to STAY a Chinese woman ... embracing everything that made her Chinese ... including her name. It was more my decision for her to keep her full Chinese name although the subject never really received a lot of attention after my declaration. I mentioned it once ... it was accepted ... and the rest was history. I should add that it made her very happy!

Thanks again, Dan! That's what I needed to know. I will pass this along. Seems like by the end of the whole process all those your wife would like to sponsor after she becomes a citizen will be dead ... having died of old age!

Green-card holders are quite limited as to who the can sponsor. SpouseChildThat's it. US Citizens can sponsor: SpouseChildStep child under age 18 at time of marriage.SiblingParentNo one can sponsor: IN-LawsAunts, UnclesGrandparentsGrandchildrenNiece, Nephews Thanks, Dan! Is there any way for a relative on the "No One Can Sponcor" list to immigrate to the U.S.?

I was asked and didn't know the answer so I'm turning to the experts ... once again. The question my wife and step daughter asked was, when they receive their green cards and become Permanent Legal Residents, what relatives (if any) can they sponsor to immigrate to the U.S. They also wanted to know if cousins were allowed and if not how could they immigrate to the U.S. if they wanted to come. I don't have a clue so any information would be appreciated!

Way to go, Griz!

A hearty congratulations to you both! All the hard work has paid off!! Now you can begin the best part of your lives ... together! Can't imagine life gets any better than this!

GREAT ADVICE, NICK!

I don't think that this only applies in China. There's a lot of that going around here in Washington, DC!

We stayed at the Yang's and had to have Mr. Yang mail the visas to my wife and her daughter in Chengdu. The charge was 300 RMB for EMS service but he was very dependable. Everything was received right on time. If you can't wait and they don't mail to your city, Mr. Yang is the way to go.

Just got my notice in the mail yesterday. Green card interview for for my wife, step daughter and me set for 8:30 a.m. in Norfolk, Virginia on May 23rd ... 8:30 a.m.! That means we have got to leave the house at 4:30 in the morning to get there by 8 a.m. to stand in line to get into the building, go through the metal detectors and find a seat to wait to be called for the interview. I am working off of a K-1 visa and have been married now for 4 months. I was hoping to skate the interview. No such luck! So here we go again with the white books for birth certificates, divorce documents, passports, bills, bank statements, social security cards and God knows what else ... in duplicate ... for wife AND daughter! How many times the the USCIS need to see the same documents that they already have in their computer system? They already screwed up my wife's biometrics on the first go around and we waited a month to be called in a second time for another biometric because the FBI could not read the first set of prints taken. Is the interview a good thing or a bad thing? Does it mean, like Lee VD,that you can expect your green cards in from 7 to 10 days if you pass your interview? Anyone else in the same boat? Any suggestions to help prepare?

Super write up! Thanks ever so much. It brought back a lot of fond memories for my wife and me and of our time in Guangzhou!

A hearty congratulations to you both!

Flowers ... don't forget the flowers at the airport! Very important as it sets the mood and trend for your new lives together! Let her settle in and get used to the idea that she is finally in the U.S.A. Make her feel welcomed and loved right from the start. The AOS and all the rest will come latter. There is a ton of useful information on this site and many knowledgeable people willing to assist you ... but first things first!

Best wishes to you both! You will soon find that it was well worth the wait!!

Thanks, Dan! I checked the time line that you suggested and there was nothing more recent then December 15th for my office (St. Albans, VT). That showed 3 weeks time from NOA to biometrics appointment. It has been almost that for me. I guess I will give it a bit more time before getting overly anxious.

Hey, Lee! How long did it take you to get your letter for the first biometric appointment after you sent in your AOS package and after you received your I-797 from USCIS? I am asking because you and I seem to be approximately on the same time line. I've been waiting for over a month and was just wondering what the current wait time might be. My wife keeps asking and I do not have an answer for her.

I am in the boat right behind you! Just received a load of I-797's acknowledging receipt of 2 sets of I-485's, I-765's and I-131's. I'm now setting here staring at an empty bank account and looking for a biometrics appointment letter like you. Can't wait for some light at the end of this black hole.

It was with great sadness that I today heard the news of the passing of World War II veteran Major Richard "Dick" Winters, former commanding officer of "E" Company, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Winters was portrayed in the HBO mini-series BAND OF BROTHERS by British actor Damian Lewis. The exploits of the "E" Company, 506th PIR during World War II were next to legendary and aptly brought to public attention by the mini-series. Winters was recommended for the Medal of Honor but awarded our nation's 2nd highest military decoration for combat valor,the Distinguished Service Cross, for his actions in knocking out a 4-gun German artillery emplacement during the D-Day airborne assault on Normandy, France, June 6th, 1944. He lead his men through the D-Day invasion of France and at the siege of Bastogne right through to the end of the war and the occupation of Bertchtesgaden and Hitler's famous mountaintop retreat at the Eagle's Nest. Winters was a true American hero in the real sense of the word. He was one of those of the greatest generation that the world has ever seen. We owe much to Winters and the men like him who, in their old age, have passed into obscurity after winning the victory in the war that was the greatest challenge to the freedom of this country. He remains a great role model for the American fighting men and woman of this country and for we veterans who had the privilege of knowing the contribution this humble hero made to the welfare of our country and to the preservation of our freedom. They do not make them like this anymore. He will be sorely missed. Rest in peace Major Winters ... sleep your rest eternal brave and noble soldier.

I sent in two I-485 applications on January 6th of this year. Just an FYI ... as of this writing the USCIS fee has been increased from $1,010 to $1,070! Where she stops ... nobody knows!