garfield529

Okay, thanks for the input, this is helping us both to steer this last leg of the road home. Best.

Randy, my point of saying "grief" was in reference to any perceived difficultly that this might cause my wife with travelling back to China. I did not mean to imply anything else. As anyone who has gone through any immigration process has learned, the idea of grief was thrown out a long time ago and replaced with patience and determination to get what needs to be accomplished. Thanks.

I have my thoughts on this, but since I have gleaned a good amount of information over the last ~5 years I would like to hear what the experienced folks have to add. My wife is eligible to apply for naturalization as of last month. She has one year of her nursing program left and we originally had planned to move her naturalization along as quick as possible so that next December she would be an American applying for jobs and not an LPR. Now, her parents have also persuaded her to bring our son (2years old next summer) back to China to see family for at least a month. I won't be able to attend as I have a science conference during the same time period. With the need for a passport and visa for her, plus the change in attitude that China has seemed to mount again "new" Americans, I am wondering if we should just wait until she comes back from her trip to apply for naturalization?? I know that our son will need a passport and visa to travel. I just wonder which situation is going to create the least amount of grief. I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I hope that this has been clear. Thanks!

Just my thought, but have you discussed with your fiancee the differences between where you live and her current living arrangement? I am not sure where in MT, WY, UT that you reside, but there are some isolated places as possibilities. If she is from a large city, she might have a big culture shock, or perhaps it will be a welcome relief. Either way, I would discuss this because a lot of Chinese still think everywhere is like NYC or LA. I live in St. Louis and sometimes assist with incoming international students and they are shocked at how SMALL a city of 1million is compared to home, unless they are from a small city. Good luck!

Dan, I feel the same way. I honestly think it is just a way to make a little money and employ some people.

Hello all, I am curious if anyone knows if it is okay to do a walk-in for biometrics with ROC? We received our notice for our appointment but the date and time is not really convenient. I don't want to assume anything, so I ask for the "group experience." Thanks!

Well, after you strip all of the copper pipe and man-holes from your neighborhood you have to go to some other way to make cash on the street.......

I don't know what exactly happened earlier today, but my mother-in-law had her B2 interview and she passed after about 2mins. The ONLY thing that was asked for was my wife's greencard. My MIL passed over the stack of supporting papers that I sent over and he didn't even pull out the greencard scan, just looked through the stack and passed it back. They took her passport and sent her on her way. I really expected to be rejected ( based on most experiences on this site and others ). We are certainly glad, but I thought she would be grilled. Has anyone else had a family member with recent experience? Oh, the interview was at Chengdu.

I bank with Commerce and even before my wife had her SSN card, they told me that if I wanted to add her they could just create a federal tax ID number and add her. So it should be possible, but maybe since it is a credit union their rules are different or you just have the wrong person.

Just thinking ahead for you regardless of what you apply for K1/CR1, have you met her parents? I don't think it is an absolute requirement to gain the visa, but the cultural norm is being accepted by the family as the son and if you can not show evidence of that it could cast some doubt. Just a thought.

I don't know if it has changed, but if you are going to buy cigarettes, they are much cheaper to buy at the duty free in the airport. I spent $40 for a carton and could have bought two for the same price.

I am in St. Louis and a graduate student that I know just booked her flight home in December for right at $1K total. She is flying Delta, not sure about connections and everything, but I am sure she is flying out of Chicago or LA. It has been two years since my last trip, so I can imagine the prices have gone up. We are planning to try for a B2 for my wife's mother for a trip next year, so I will soon get to lose a leg or two. I am really curious what the food inflation is going to do over the next year, especially among the folks who live off of so few rmb each month.

I think Kyle hit it right on the head. My wife and I were talking about this post and she said that many people in China use this idea of a specific custom as an "excuse" to obtain financial or material leverage. If this is what your wife wants you to do, then that is what she wants you to do, but it is not a custom you can apply to all Chinese culture. Historically there have been many different types of customs that have come and gone and the cultural revolution certainly did away with many of them, yet they are back in vogue just like someone who wants to be a grocery-cart-Christian. Ultimately, you have to work it out with your wife, cuz you know how great an unhappy Chinese wife can be....

Just a thought, since we have had this problem: consider buying her a small netbook for her QQ and Chinese websites. I say this because we have had a lot of problems with viruses and such from these websites and unless you stay on top of the antivirus software it can kill your processing speed. We have two computers, and the "american only" one never has trouble with speed and function compared to his "QQ sister." Just a thought.

three months with interview.