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.

I hope this is not the case, but in the areas with larger populations and less healthcare opportunities there is the potential for an eventual epidemic. This will be a challenge for the central government and hopefully they support their population properly.

My wife is currently going to school full time, has a part-time job, volunteers at the hospital near my lab, and is considering working on the weekend for the Chinese language academy. I work two jobs and also have two boys from a previous marriage that we spend our free time with. Both parties in a relationship have to communicate to find the right balance or this can lead to problems, as you are starting to have. My advice would be to ask for the one day each week that you have off as your "couples" day...no work, no chores, just time together doing what you enjoy. Unless the financial situation warrants working 7 days per week, I think this type of compromise should be acceptable. Outside of your day together, you also have to support her desire to work so she feels content and supported. This is my advice, good luck!

This is a question that really does not have an absolute answer. Some have been denied with the petitioner present, while others have been issued without the petitioner present. The answer is probably more a balance of: a.)the VO, b.)the VO's attitude that day, c.)level of red flags, d.)communication issues, e.)financials, f.)the number of trips and time together, g.)evidence of relationship.

http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/bak-choy.html http://rareseeds.com/ma-zu-purple-chinese-eggplant.html they also have Chinese radish, cabbage, beans, peppers, ect.

K1 visa entry, needed vaccinations. We went to: Dr. Inna Park, Forest Park Medical Clinic, Inc. 1034 South Brentwood Boulevard, Suite 1250, St. Louis, MO 63117 (314) 367-6600 Fee for I-693 transcription $50 Fee for MMR & TdT vaccinations: $85 (she didn't require Varicella, just asked if Yi ever had chickenpox and then wrote "Age 4" on the form) It is a clinic, so it is not warm and cozy like some offices, but we got what we needed same day. Nice staff.

Mine was pretty basic, I am a staff scientist in an academic research lab so I wrote up the letter and my boss signed it. It was something like this: "Current Date Guz consulate address To whom it may concern: This letter is to verify the employment status of John Doe, a research staff scientist, in my laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. John has been employed by the university since 2002 and has a current annual salary of $1,000,000. Any questions regarding Mr. Doe's employment status may be directed to my attention. Sincerely, Dr. Loser phone number fax number email address" I printed the letter on departmental letterhead and had the boss sign a few copies and then took them with me on one of my trips before NOA2.

I don't post very often...but I love you guys.. Not to give this guy advice, but he might as well open a new account cuz it looks like his bridge is gone....

I have heard of this too...but only because several students at my university (Washington Univ. in St. Louis) have visa renewal appointments for next two weeks and are scrambling to find a way to Beijing with a different carrier. I hear it can take a couple months or more to reschedule these interviews. The following is from AA.com: "American Airlines greatly regrets that we are unable to launch our new daily nonstop service from Chicago to Beijing today as planned. Despite our expectations, which were based on international aviation industry guidelines and procedures, American has not received commercially viable landing and take-off slots for Beijing Capital International Airport from Chinese aviation authorities. We apologize for the inconvenience that this situation has caused our customers and hope that the issue of landing and take-off slots at Beijing can be quickly resolved. Customers impacted by the cancelled flights will have the option to be rebooked or receive a full refund to the original form of payment. We are in the process of contacting customers confirmed on these flights to assist with re-accommodation."

If you are unable to make at least a second visit, you may really come under scrutiny by GUZ at interview. And since you haven't filed yet, you still have time to make another trip. I am not sure of your specific issues that would keep you from going, and that is not our business, but at this point the best advice I can offer is to get another trip in.

This depends, do you only plan to make one trip?