I love Sunshine

Sunshine and I are currently spending a comfortable winter life in Arizona. However, it seems she will be spending time at our hotel property in South Dakota beginning next month to ensure it gets ready for the summer season and to check on the manager we have managing the place (I'm a student, so accompanying her is not so convenient). Actually, we didn't anticipate this when we submitted our AOS paperwork a week ago. We will be up there for most of the summer. Is there a way to change our address at this point in the game? Should we do this before biometrics or afterwards (in case of an interview date)? For those who have received the biometrics appointment letter, does it explain what to do if the appointment is inconvenient or how to reschedule? Thank you! ILS

Today Sunshine and I went to a local civil surgeon who was willing to fill out the I-693A supplement form without the normal push to get a full physical for $25. It took plenty of calling around here in Phoenix. This is despite the information on page 4 of the I-485 instructions that says K-1's who have had their physical less than a year ago only need the supplement. By the way, the I-693 A supplemental form can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/dq/pdf/ti-03/appdx-a_693vacc.pdf Sunshine had 2 of the 3 Hepatitis B injections in China, but the Civil Surgeon indicated that she needed all 3. Her 3rd injection has to occur at least 6 months after her 2nd, so is not due until this April. The doctor mentioned that he will check the box saying Hepatitis B is incomplete and mentioned we will have to return in April. "Not true" said Sunshine. The Civil Surgeon mentioned that they received the information as of January 1 of this year. Sunshine said many others she spoke with on 001 didn't need the Hepatitis B shot -- she has the other 3 injections that are required and did the Hep B series only for prevention. Has anyone heard anything about this new requirement? Or was this a squeeze put on us by the civil surgeon to shake our pockets a bit more?

Thanks, all, for your advice. I agree -- I don't think Sunshine needs that name change until after we get the documents back showing that the SAVE system has indeed got her name change made correctly. By the way, when filling out the I-485 et al, did you put the maiden name or married name? My hunch is to use married name. If use the maiden name, it will match what is currently in the system, but won't get us any closer to this name change situation. If we use the married name, it will be more accurate, but will delays occur later on because of this?

Sadly, Phoenix is one of those locations where they have centralized operations. That means warehouse-sized waiting rooms and more unsupervised kids running around and screaming than at your local Chuck E. Cheese. And one central supervisor with carte blanche. Time to make a road trip back to Rapid City, I guess.

Earlier, I posted about our easy experience obtaining Sunshine's initial SS card in Rapid City: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29063 Today we tried to get her name changed on her SS card. This meant a trip to downtown Phoenix to the big SSA office there. This time the news was not as great. First the indifferent SS worker told us she couldn't change her name until DHS (Homeland Security) updates her visa type because we are now married and no longer K-1. Furthermore, the man told us that we needed to change our status from K-1 to K-3. Huh??? After some back and forth with his supervisor, they corrected their wording, and we were told to go to the Homeland Security office and get something updated in the computer to show her current status as married before the SS folks can do anything. Did anyone else run into this before for a simple name change after marriage on a K-1? If this is true, what is her visa type (if not K-1)? She has until mid-March as part of her initial 90 days. If only Rapid City were closer right now... Please advise! ILS

According to the article below, only seven states ¨C Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington ¨C allow undocumented immigrants to get driver¡¯s licenses. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=234828 I also believe Maryland is one that does as well or is considering it. Utah issues two documents -- one is for undocumented immigrants, another is for regular drivers. After some investigation, I see Hawaii doesn't require citizenship nor Hawaii residency, and in some cases, will even waive an actual driving test at the examiner's discretion! That can't be good... http://hawaii.gov/dot/highways/hwy-v/hidlrqmt.pdf We are going to Hawaii for our honeymoon, so that is definitely a consideration. She can keep a driver's license there until she gets something from the USCIS saying she is legal, then trade in her Hawaii license for one in our home state. Our only goal is to allow her to continue driving legally.

Oh, maybe I should be living in Washington DC! It seems the DMV employees there sell licenses to people without the right documents... http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1327826

Sunshine has arrived in the USA on the K-1 visa, and SSN has arrived and our marriage has already taken place. Now we are only waiting for the certified copies from the courthouse before we begin our AOS application. Problem is, our state does not allow the expiration date of her ID card or Driver's License to extend past the date stamped in her I-94, which is currently mid-March. When can we expect some sort of paperwork from the USCIS that we can take to the DMV and show them to extend her driver's license's validity? Does some sort of paperwork come right after filing and give her an additional 6 months or a year? Or are we at the whim of USCIS, and Sunshine has to be a pedestrian for a while until they send us some sort of document saying she is here legally? If so, how long will all this take? I can't be the first one to run into this. I feel like I am missing something obvious. Any advice?

Sunshine and I went the day after New Years at the SSA office in Rapid City, SD. I have an ownership interest in a hotel in the Black Hills and am up visiting, so this office was convenient and marked the two-week anniversary of her arrival in the US. Also, Sunshine waxed nostalgic about the big snows she experienced as a child -- nothing better than a South Dakota winter to reacquaint her. We will marry next week in the mountains of central Colorado, so the eight inches of snow here is uneventful compared to what we expect next weekend. Our wait in the Social Security Admin office was 15 minutes and the person behind the counter was friendly and things went smoothly. He took our filled out application, entered it into the computer, had us check it for accuracy, taking about 5 minutes. He mentioned the card would arrive in the mail in about 7 days, but we could come back the following day and get her number. We went back two days later and she was able to get her number unofficially from another friendly person behind the counter. Straightforward and rather simple.

To answer the first part presuming you applied for a K-1 visa: You can probably end up with your visa and GUZ won't know. But remember, that is not the end of the story, you still must do AOS. That is where you will provide proof of marriage, and then what do you do? Either marry again in the USA or show that your K-1 visa was provided to you based on fraudulent information. As for the second part of your question, there have been several people who are K-3 or CR-1 who have been given a white slip for this reason. The OP is K-3 if you check out their signature (I-130 + I-129F) In the government's eyes a marriage is a marriage no matter where it takes place. You just need to provide evidence of relationship to show bona fide relationship. Ah, I missed that, Don. I assumed that pb115's question was hypothetical. Thanks for bringing me back in line. His name is Dan. We're on a roll. Oh, my. What's in that cup of coffee I had this morning? I doubt seriously it's the coffee that affecting you................... I think maybe it's a little too much 'Sunshine' !!!!! Yes, I am finishing up final exams today, and tomorrow I begin my journey to bring her home with me! I am excited!

To answer the first part presuming you applied for a K-1 visa: You can probably end up with your visa and GUZ won't know. But remember, that is not the end of the story, you still must do AOS. That is where you will provide proof of marriage, and then what do you do? Either marry again in the USA or show that your K-1 visa was provided to you based on fraudulent information. As for the second part of your question, there have been several people who are K-3 or CR-1 who have been given a white slip for this reason. The OP is K-3 if you check out their signature (I-130 + I-129F) In the government's eyes a marriage is a marriage no matter where it takes place. You just need to provide evidence of relationship to show bona fide relationship. Ah, I missed that, Don. I assumed that pb115's question was hypothetical. Thanks for bringing me back in line. His name is Dan. We're on a roll. Oh, my. What's in that cup of coffee I had this morning?

To answer the first part presuming you applied for a K-1 visa: You can probably end up with your visa and GUZ won't know. But remember, that is not the end of the story, you still must do AOS. That is where you will provide proof of marriage, and then what do you do? Either marry again in the USA or show that your K-1 visa was provided to you based on fraudulent information. As for the second part of your question, there have been several people who are K-3 or CR-1 who have been given a white slip for this reason. The OP is K-3 if you check out their signature (I-130 + I-129F) In the government's eyes a marriage is a marriage no matter where it takes place. You just need to provide evidence of relationship to show bona fide relationship. Ah, I missed that, Don. I assumed that pb115's question was hypothetical. Thanks for bringing me back in line.

To answer the first part presuming you applied for a K-1 visa: You can probably end up with your visa and GUZ won't know. But remember, that is not the end of the story, you still must do AOS. That is where you will provide proof of marriage, and then what do you do? Either marry again in the USA or show that your K-1 visa was provided to you based on fraudulent information. As for the second part of your question, there have been several people who are K-3 or CR-1 who have been given a white slip for this reason.

Glad to hear about your success despite the passport scare! Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your lives together! Congratulations!

Oh, sorry that I missed the fact that he bailed. I feel bad about putting humor at his sake if he and Ping had some issues. Bad timing on my part. Yes, he was rather thought-provoking and reminded me of Dr Phil. He seemed so proud of Ping. Let's hope his absence is only temporary.

Oh, there's plenty in SH. There's even one near the Bund right opposite the Peace hotel on Nanjing Dong Lu (or whatever that road becomes after the pedestrianized portion of it ends). It says "Adult Shop" or something like it in purple neon letters.

Right now there is a premium cost to going green. For example, people in the US who value this will pay more for organic vegetables at the Whole Foods Market. In China, the people will look at their wallets and say "So what? This doesn't benefit me at all but costs more money! Why would I do this?" This requires foresight and advanced planning on behalf of the government. The Chinese government has far different priorities than a country like Norway, which is oil-rich and underpopulated. An example: China's big mistake was to charge so little tax on cars or fuel. They were latecomers, so could have been like Singapore and charged a high tax and subsidized public transportation better. Why didn't they do this? There are dozens of domestic car producers and each needed to sell vehicles. Keeping the masses happily employed will be the goal of the Chinese government for a long time.

It's a difficult call, but I'd say China is acting like a baby on this one. No matter what you think, though, the concept of Western nations accepting binding cuts while developing countries don't is a non-starter. I doubt it will ever happen. If I were looking only at this moments issue, I might agree about how china is acting.. but this is the result of years of pushing from developed nations who won't do anything themselves. I think their point is: Why are developed nations (like the US) who won't do anything despite decades of known excess ask developing nations (like china and India) to do something, ergo, more... But I am of the opinion that china is already doing more than the US... but their motivations may be more domestic-social; Unlike the US, I think China will not allow themselves to become hostage to suppliers of oil although they take a much longer view of how to correct this and it may be slower as well to get the country changed. Having lived in India and China, I can tell you that both are vastly polluted. From my eyes alone, the US cannot even compare to their level of these countries' observable per-capita pollution and the after effects of smelly rivers, non-potable drinking water, etc. There simply is no awareness over there that pollution = bad like there is over here. Saying the US is 6 times the polluter of China is a case of inadequate measurement more than anything else. I think overall we pollute more, but would be astounded if it really was 6 times. I recall this summer in Shanghai, going outside with Sunshine. The sky was an ugly brown haze, and one could actually defy my third-grade teacher's advice not to stare at the sun. The haze was so severe that you could stare at it for hours and not be affected! Her words: "Oh, today is sunny!" I laughed. I also recall the stinging in my eyes one spring when I was in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. The smell of sulfur and the heavy pollution was probably similar to London during the early years of the Industrial Age. Okay, I digress. Our velocity of polluting might be greater, but their acceleration is far greater than ours: we may be going faster, but it won't be long before they catch up with us. Finger pointing will not solve anything. China is trying to show they are one of the big players on this planet when it is convenient for them. The truth is, China's Environmental Laws have no teeth, and the penalties for getting caught as a severe polluter are insignificant.

My SO loved to use 001 as well when we went through the K-1 process. There is definitely a difference in culture in our Western approach versus the one taken by many (but not all) 001 members. Although there is good information to be found there, I find they tend to apply far more "useless analysis" than we do here. It wouldn't surprise me if someone said to not wear blue during your interview, since that will make the VO think blue and increase your chances of a blue slip. My SO and I got into some arguments about the things she said were absolutely necessary because she read it on 001. However, I remained steadfast in my stance and we got pink. No, you won't get a choice of VO's. To take things to an extreme, imagine if everyone knew of a certain VO's reputation and everyone headed to the WC when they were called by that VO. It may sound very democratic to vote with your legs, but it is terribly inefficient. The randomness helps avoid corruption as well. The best arsenal is to be prepared. She can read how to do that on 001, and we can help you here on CFL.

...and it sounds like someone's special lady is getting $340 less in Christmas presents this year.

You may want to delete specific dirty words with a sharpie or heavy pen. You don't want the VO to be thinking about your SO in that sexy thong if that is mentioned in your email. That is particularly true if you get an older lady VO... meow! However normal arguments shouldn't be avoided. It shows a genuine relationship.

China's government's main concern is the jobs. If the yuan would go to 5 RMB/$1, products made in China would be much more expensive. This would reduce the trade deficit but put tens of thousands of people out of a job. And those unhappy people out of a job threaten the stability of China, which is the government's big worry. This would be the equivalent of taking your five-year-old child, who is learning to ride a bike with training wheels, removing the training wheels, and making him fend for himself in the fast lane of a busy street. What are his chances? China believes that the brunt of its workers should develop valuable world-class skills first (at the expense of western firms) then it can begin to hone its internal policies. That will take years.

When will she send you pictures of her using the exercise machine that you can paste over those generic photo examples on the wall of your gym? That will get your juices flowing to start that workout routine you have always been thinking about!

Good thing she didn't see Fido drinking from the toilet. And good thing you had indoor plumbing (she wouldn't be singing such a sweet tune if you were living in West Virginia!)

A lot of times a Chinese groom's mother may object to him having an older bride than his son. Occasionally wedding plans can be canceled because of such concern. I know of some Chinese romances that were dashed for this reason alone. That is old China. However, 5,000 years of traditions die more slowly there.