Lovebane

Sounds like Desert Survivor Minesweeper. ELE is the true answer. Equality for all.

you didn't really post alot of information about your case (unless you use a different account) to indicate what is wrong and why if you would need congressional help.. imo, like someone noted earlier, government representative to help is 'debatable' if it has any effect unless you have a steamroller effect going.. which isn't just 'you against the world'. what you're describing is what i've read around here that the US Citizen went up to the consulate prior interview date to support (in China atm) the SO's interview...

better a white denied than a blue blackhole. The lawyer I spoke to in regards to our 2 year+ blackhole situation was that a Writ of Mandamus to force a response doesn't work for K1 Cases as you're not married.. tried with 100+ letters to senators and representative... no dice either... we cut our losses and married... I think waiting for a response indefinitely proves more commitment and perseverance.. meh.. I walked pretty much the same path as you.. so grats to your success that you can FINALLY start your lives together

Cannot swords be turned to plowshares? Can we and all nations not live in peace? In our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world. And yet, I ask you, is not an alien force already among us? What could be more alien to the universal aspirations of our peoples than war and the threat of war? http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/spee...987/092187b.htm

MSN is actually better imo. look for A-Patch to remove ads and other things(goes for Yahoo too) http://www.msgplus.net/ for improved chat logging and other functions and plugin support.. this also logs when you start and stop video/voice chats... but not what is said/webcam..

hehe.. haven't played since Burning Crusade.. got to 60 Warlock and quit due to time differences with the people I played with.. Sword of a thousand truths. though would be funny if there was a CFL Guild, too bad WoW is region locked like most newer games out now (regionally locking / licensing per region is lame) thanks for the grats :3

XD if anyone cares The letter posted as it was ok'd on the 2nd but it wasn't sent til the 11th, Got call in letter on Sept 11th, but was in Beijing via Tour so things were really cutting it close, Got to consulate on the 14th, got a paper to return the 15th, gave Visa, got it back via EMS today. Happy now after such a long hard enduring trial... Don't know what else to write :3 Quest Completed. + 50000 XP. + 1 post count.

they're usually a bit expensive tho. they also got a sister site for clothing..yesstyle.com (sp) used to order from them.. they'd ask you to verify your CC too.. ie. scan the card for them.. they did it to me like almost every order even though I used the same card with them every time >_>; it really depends on what you want to get.. Try finding Desperate Housewives with chinese subtitled.. just the boxed of the 1st season from them cost like close to $100.. It's lame how adding 1 subtitle track to a dvd would push the thing 200%++ over the normal region (spanish+italian+english or whatever else the current one has sans chinese) subtitles. at the time, US region version was around maybe 25 low~$35 with discounts.. but yeah.. if no choice, that's one option.

I feel for you man. See how long your patience would last if they held your case blackhole'd style for 2 years... Take it from me, (My personal view & opinion) I've been on the net so long, and it's hella lonely, if she's not being depressed about it, then don't think about it on your end.. don't push it, don't force it... The only time you need to do damage control is when she starts to feel the side effects of depression/despair. if you want to cover all your bases, even if you make enough. Get a co-sponsor anyways.. I had a lawyer prepare everything, everything is ok, and then they throw a Co-sponsor requirement at us.. :/ Just have faith and confidence in yourself and it'll be fine. The thing with when you're not there with her, there's really not much you can do to placate her... unless she's a gamer type and virtual items can placebo :3 otherwise, well.. just have to deal with it. In regards to the interview part... Just consider it luck of the draw.. Although I wish they would issue some of these things by circumstances and on the base of merit, I know it's totally retarded but I think it's really all about luck. Good luck, and well.. if you really want to do something, you can always sing her a song if you can sing, or draw her something nice if you're an artist.. or the fastest cheesiest route is a photo slide show of you both..

MSN does offer keeping logs.. it's in the options settings.. there's a check mark for "keep logs of conversations" the thing is MSN is a bit of a bastage... if your MSN crashes, the chat for that session is lost... so alternatively, you can download -> Messenger Live Plus! http://www.msgplus.net/ it's an addon for MSN that has "better" logging functions.. but you might not be used to it... ie. MSN doesn't log if you try to connect or if you connect to a video chat session (unless the new version added it in) Messenger Live Plus! will log the text portion of when it starts/ends. also, there's A-Patch, which also covers Yahoo, removes the advertising/etc and simply makes the chat window more 'cleaner'. http://apatch.org/ as a PERSONAL OPINION, I think they don't accept this kind of thing officially as evidence.. for our K1, we literally printed out all thousands of pages of our chat logs, and they didn't even bother a look at it.. I also put a notarized letter that explained the logs and that they are genuine... They just sat in the consulate for like 2+ years.. >_> Side note > after they told me when I went up to the consulate that they were going to NOIR our K1 after 2 years... They sent my wife a letter for a 2nd interview... also having the audacity to ask... "what those things in the binders were" ; Which on obviousness, means they didn't even bother taking a glance to open it... that's over now but anyways.. for our CR1, we printed the continuation of it totaling over 2000+ and brought it to the interview 'just in case' and they didn't even ask for it. Because I'm one of those digital people, our chat logs are our blood. I still feel it as an insult that I'd have random people telling me random crap like how we should have made more phone calls.. (when the obvious choice is VOIP) without saying, logs can also be faked... when phone calls can just as much be faked. someone can call, leave the phone off the hook for x minutes/hours.. with NO record of what is said, where as logs at least have the content of what is being said along with time stamps.. if someone had the time and energy to blow close to 5 reams of paper to print out logs that are all correctly time stamped, it'd take more energy than just faking a phone call... sigh.. I guess until they get some teens or more tech influenced people into the consulate, I feel it's hit or miss.. stick to emails and phone records as those would actually be on file either on the mail server or with the phone company... >_> start using the phone if you want to have a more solid ground on communication proof...otherwise, chat logs is like saying you communicate with singalongs and sock puppets to them. good luck to you.

Thanks for the tips. That's what I basically said to my wife, to try another bank or what not. guess that's 1 more thing to know about going outside your country, only bring brand new clean bills. XD hehe.. ditto... kinda hurts a little when you had given it to them like say when the exchange rate was like 7.x ^^;

Dunno if I'm posting this really as a notice or an inquiry, but my wife just went to the bank to exchange some of our US $100 bills to RMB, and the banks said they didn't accept the old version of the bills due to their new equipment changes or some excuse.. >_> We're out in Kaiping so I'm not sure if this is specific to where we're at or if we'd be able to exchange it later in a more urban area bank? O_o

I had an updated packet with financial information and such prepared by my lawyer for the GUZ Consulate for my wife to bring during the interview. They didn't even want to see it.. if you're scared they might ask for it, then go ahead and send it as a safety net. so long as you dont' do something dumb like. send out via FedEx, then the next day you forgot a document.. and have to send that separately again via FedEx (happened to me.. and that case blackhole'd regardless) I send things via FedEx not as a 'waste of money' burden.. I considering FedEx more so as insurance.

I actually did the 5 minute video thing.. and for socially handicapped people like me.. it took me close to 3 days to do it for our blackhole'd K1.. in the video section following the voice part, I had a part of me writing some Chinese words. You can't really fake knowing how to write Chinese since if you know how to write Chinese, you sorta innately know the order of writing the characters where as if someone didn't know it, would just randomly imitate the strokes as they see it. Good luck with your SO.

was on reddit 17-20 days ago.. but not sure if this is the same water filter thing that was in the news months ago that could like you can filter piss.. or like this system that was like getting water out of thin air for places that have scarce water. O.o dunno how effective it will be, but you can guess that part of that $150 is mostly hype on possible demand by eco nuts.. just like the green word every company likes to throw around these days ^^;

@HongKong2LA oh hey no offense taken I've been lurking CFL for a while before actually making this post to know that everyone here is very supportive of each other. am grateful for your encouragement, after all, we're all after the same pursuit of happiness.

@3timescharm hehe it's cute for your reply since i used a word reference and your name would be a follower XD once burnt, twice shy, and third times the charm. wish you good luck with your fiance as well. @Randy W . thanks..your info is helpful, I'll have to check with my lawyer and accountant.. though hopefully my wife will already be set for that once she gets here. addem: since you added another post thanks for that post as well. Well, job security shouldn't be an issue since I've held my job for 8 years ongoing.. I already knows that the only thing to do is move forward.. there really isn't anything I can do to change anything since I'm just a common citizen.. by lasting this long and imo not having voiced our story back during our K1 I think is already 'manning up' and sticking to our guns.. we just kept praying and hoping for a response. I don't know, but in my opinion, even if life is unfair, one of the basis of the USA is equality for all. it's kinda messed up when those wronged and are citizens can't even at least try to make it fair via writ of mandamus... another messed up part is not knowing if even by voicing out our story if it would further complicate our case since it comes off as a whistle blower rights protection type of thing. meh.. it's just totally lame.. my mother keeps saying that it's as if we're on a chopping board and they can chop us up however they like. is life. We're just wary if this isn't just a smaller piece of another larger iceberg. Well, it's mostly just me being too over analytical over the bureaucratic process i guess... just trying hard to keep a positive outlook...

thanks for all your replies. one thing i'd like to comment back is that finances is something more of a private matter so that is why i'm avoiding saying specifics. you can say I am an IT specialist since I am the sole technician for the company I work for of 8 years.. on the I-864, the employee letter even states that I worked as long as I have. Also, you can say I am near the poverty level, but it is at least at the 125% rate. not saying i didn't get paid for the year of 2008 but 2 months off is a lot if you're near that level. I can understand the 'hard love' approach, but when you've been shafted for 2 years+ just waiting on a dead end answer, the case in point becomes moot. I already understand the 'cruel' aspects of this world enough already so it's pointless to make posts like 'cry moar' since that's what deters people from posting to begin with. Anyways, the logical approach is the one that I've always followed which is by the book. We've done all we were requested even during our blackhole K1 visa period.. it's totally unfair and screwed up that we got shafted as bad as we did.. and that others, whom didn't or were 'lucky' to get a pink the 'cheat' way that the world isn't more fair. logically speaking, if someone got held up 2 years with no sort of recourse, where is the freedom / checks & balances / due process? the USA is suppose to be a place of equality.. the way that we were shafted out of our time especially since it is suppose to be a 6 month max to get a yes/no response doesn't do much to the people who are honest hardworking people to get the short end of the stuck because some crappy people decide to go do a visa fraud. anyways, my wife is egging me to go to bed so that's all I'll post for today ^^ we do hope it's easy to overcome.. but once burnt, twice shy.

Thanks for replying and for your concern. I believe so. The whole reason I hired a lawyer this time was to make sure everything was in order and there were no holes. my I-164 should have been well enough to support my wife. the lawyer also prepared an entire package for the VO but he never even wanted to see it. My wife explained to him that we have the documents on hand (from my understanding, they also have documents that were originally sent to the US side, which were forwarded to the GUZ side) so us bringing all our documents were a waste of strength (1 suitcase full of our 2000+pages of chat logs, 3 other bags full of copies AND originals of ALL evidence), and from what I understand or interpretation anyways.. the only thing our VO looked at was pictures of us... nothing else was asked of her. so basically in your response, we already have those tax transcripts from the IRS originals AND copies. we've prepared the kitchen sink and then some.. never would I had thought of needing a 'co-sponsor' otherwise we would have prepared for that too... the only thing that I can say is this.. we got married in 2008. my tax preparer stated that because my wife isn't a US resident with NO Social #, she can't be put into my tax return. even then, if anything, any new tax updates would be in 2009 and taxes haven't been filed for 2009 yet.. back to the point at hand, for 2008 2 14,000 > 125% 17,500 I'm filed at well over that limit for 2008. so even if you were to use 2009 guidelines, that's only 18,213 or something at 125%... which I'm also over that limit. also, take into account that it's totally unfair to base it so strictly... I took off 2 months in 2008 just so I can go back to deal with this, and get married.. and in those 2 months, I don't get vacation pay.. so VO's need to have some sympathy at the very least in my case.. 2 months off in just 2008 alone is enough to offset finances. But I guess I'm one of those unlucky people that don't get breaks in life. I read on forums and not sure if i remember correctly that even on here, someone with not even enough or barely making it got passed... I don't know... but from my logic, There is nothing I can do.. If i go to the consulate on Monday, unless someone can actually validate that things can be approved from my visit there.. then this is our Hail Mary shot at trying to find sympathy in our case. I follow things by the book unfortunately.. and I can guess what their responses are by the book. and it'll be like this.. with our blue sheet, you submit requested documents by mail, then they'll say no we can't tell you when we can give you a response, wait 90 days before asking us... which will then turn into another maximum 6 months worse case scenario... my wife is trying hard to be optimistic but I'm all too aware of how most of these things work... chances of finding someone who will sympathize is less than 1%... I sent a call home to my Mother to help get documents for co-sponsorship from my uncle, but again, time is one's worst enemy. they want the IRS to send the documents to the consulate, that's 5-7 days wait from the day I called her. Getting our lawyer to prepare all revised documents, and Fedex overnight just so we can mail it out asap, is another few days.. I leave in a month so.. the worst being the unspecified exact dates that they can get you an answer which can be any day to 3 months + regardless of which, in all likelihood, I'm going back home again to a lonely room again this trip.. just praying for the salvation that is my wife's love.

I seriously don't know where to start as I write this, if you had the same logical progression mentality as I do, you usually anticipate the worst case scenario way ahead of time with nothing but blind faith in a system that is meant to protect us and be fair and bias to at least have the compassion and/or pity to see the effort and struggles of the individual. My wife and I was one of those "blackhole" K1 cases. We had filed for a K1 Visa probably over 3 years ago.. We were the ill-prepared, we thought that the process would be so simple and easy.. the power of love can overcome anything right? only to entail were months..years.. of suffering an unknown certainty. All we had were very few pictures, and the only thing that can truly be the blood and sweat of our relationship are the pages of chat logs we chat daily with.. we don't talk on the phone due to the fact the internet has SKYPE and other forms of free voice chat/webcam, and the times I do call her, they are far and few in between.. Skype invoices aren't kosher as evidence for phone calls. We were hit with our first roadblock back then.. When my wife went to the interview, they requested a ton of things from us stating that we weren't a bonafide relationship. Fair enough. the turn around period was suppose to have been maximum 6 months to at least get a response right? wrong. after painstakingly gathering all the evidence possible as per their request.. the worst one being self recording my me speaking Chinese which a 5 minute video took me close to 3 days (due to social phobia and personal problems against myself to not like to open myself out to the public scrutiny) we mailed it to the consulate. 90 days pass. inquiry - administrative processing months pass.. inquiry - administrative processing a year goes by. Logically, the only option I can do was to personally go to the consulate to inquire what was going on. We do that. being able to be with my wife (fiance then) at least gave me enough strength to carry on when I returned to the states.. We went to the consulate and was only given the reply that they would look into it.. and "there was no reason for it to have been held up for 1 year..".. with blind faith and hope.. we kept praying that our K1 would come to bear fruit... but alas, no such realities came to pass. another year goes by.. nothing can be done. nobody can help. I spoke to a lawyer.. they said because we're a K1, it doesn't hold any water... we can't use a writ of mandamus to even try to do anything about our case.. we've gone to our house of representatives.. and they said all they can do is send a letter on our behalf to see what is going on.. no surprise that the responding answer was "administrative processing." by that time, I had personally written 100 letters to every senator in the US writing out our story.. I'm grateful that had at least heard our story and plight.. but as the world has it, the only responses we got back were "only the state appointed (NY) ones can help us". I got several similar cards and letters back but none from the NYC senators as of yet. The only logical option is to cut our losses in this blind faith in waiting and marry and refile with the CR1 thing. I went to the consulate a month prior and asked them one final time if our case had any changes. The lady at the window, said it was sorry to hear it has lasted 2 years... I then asked someone has to know whats going on.. as she said she'd go to the back and ask.. returning with a "revoke back to the US". we waited 2 years for their answer.. "we stayed the course". if they had simply stated that we weren't allowed, we would have gotten married sooner. We only wanted to be together, and the sad part about this life is.. no compassion. no sympathy. no pity. no empathy. this is the cold hard fact I've known all my life about society just wanting for it to be proved wrong... the time we spent waiting, mean nothing in the eyes of the USCIS... the time and dedication in waiting only to get a no response.. it's unethical. we got married July of 2008 and started to get things ready all over again in the application process.. the strain is just too much to bear so this time we hired a lawyer to help handle preparing everything for our case. as I left back to the US, they called my wife for yet another interview.. the moment she went in, she was white sheeted and asked some more menial questions.. the worst offender being... "why didn't you married yet?" the intent of a K1 is to get married.. if we got married the K1 is void ; and because we got married, even if they did approve her at the interview, the visa would be void logically because we're already married. we waited with blind faith for them to give us some closure to only continually get our hopes and dreams crushed and shattered underneath the weight of the world. watching as others, much more obscene than us get passed.. hearing the testimonials that we didn't 'pay off' people or hire someone the first time around.. only makes life seem all the more bitter. as painful as those times were, we are forced to swallow and only know that at least we still have each other. fast forward to now.. application process as the CR1 thing, my wife's interview was on August 20th. I'm here for another month+.. granted, I'm happy that we're together again, but fate is also a cruel mistress. that on that day she'd be handed yet another blue slip. for some reason, they checked off that she would need a co-sponsor. all my documents are in order.. we literally brought a suitcase full of chat logs, lawyer and personally prepared documents which took literally weeks to get together to make sure things would go smoothly because we've had the experience of setback the first time around.. nothing we brought was even really looked at. (I assumed that because they already had the documents submitted by the lawyers) Although my wife says the VO was very nice and all, as she was pointed to the Window 30.. only sadness and uncertainty ensues. It seems we have to endure further suffering for an unknown amount of time.. as she returned back to me, holding each other, we can only start collecting the requested documents as requested. I make more than enough to support my wife and even if I didn't, I would give my all to make sure she's well taken care of... The only thing I can do is go to the Consulate on Monday and inquire about this but I don't know what good it will do because logically, as I've asked them to help before.. they claim to not have the power to do anything. What can I ask aside from that we got this blue sheet, I make more than enough to support my wife, why am I required a co-sponsor now? how long is this going to take? (which the text book answer is 90 days from submission before inquiring) so thats 3 months down the drain again.. is she going to be asked for yet another interview? My wife at least has the hopes that the requested information isn't as severe as our K1 case, but nonetheless, it puts a rock the size of Gibraltar crushing an already crushed heart. The worst part is knowing that it's highly likely I won't be bringing my wife home with me this time around either. Addem: The really annoying part is how everyone and i'll say majority of the people who are nosy and keep backstabbing into our business like they're purposely throwing salt on our already deep wounds that thinks that having a child is like a magic free pass for valid relationship. I have maybe more than higher expectations of family values that this is the one thing I can not do. I was raised without a father and I'll be damned if we have a son or daughter and my wife and child are stuck here in China while I miss out on the most important parts of my child's life... another addem being how everyone decides to chime in on how "all of a sudden, it's how things are with visas" or some other tale about how someone else got visa'd with less credentials or held for a time which doesn't even pale in comparison to our current dilemma. Sorry if this post seems very depressing, as I really don't want to come off as negative but although I'm happy that some of you people here I don't know getting pinks, it seems our trial by fire isn't yet over and unknown when our time will come. I only wish that they had the power to make exceptions... how can anyone hold someone indefinitely 2+ years with no sort of closure or response? we've waited so long to start our lives together.. We just want our lives to start already. Quite frankly, I don't know why I'm posting.. as no such words can offer any sort of condolence or solace.. and the only people who can do anything about it are the consulates / government whom we've been at the constant mercy of on unheard pleas for help. I'm a hardworking honest guy with a stable job, hard enough being the only IT guy of my company, I come home to my empty room with nothing but the pitch darkness and the unfeeling blue glow of my computer and monitor.. with only the thought of solace of a happy and wonderful future with my wife as we try to give comfort that can't be translated over a phone line or written text.. All we just want to do is start our lives together as a family. Why is fate so cruel?