xiaoheather

I think that providing copies of your tax returns won't be enough for domicile though (as it's also another requirement on the form). You really need to have something else... or else I think you can probably expect a blue slip. Steve faced big problems with domicile, as he can attest. For me, I only provided a driver's license (but I see your ID has expired). I also have US bank accounts, and I had copies of the statements that were mailed to my mom's house. Do you get any mail anywhere in the US? Good luck!

You're too kind, Steve! By the way, I'll let you guys know which mailbox the green card ends up in.

I hadn't filed taxes for the three years I lived in China... and then I read the requirements and went, "Eeek!". I ended up filing them late -- and with no penalty since I didn't actually have to pay anything. (You can file up to three years late with no penalties as long as you don't own anything.) Go to IRS.gov, and download the 1040 and Form 2555 (foreign income exclusion form). Photocopy it and mail it in. Also, include a tax transcript request (the address on the form is different, but I just included it with my tax forms and a transcript came to me in the mail). You might not get the tax transcript in time, but all you really need is the copies of the forms. I say do it!

Got it! He ended up putting down the new address, but I'll fill out the form online as well. It's only day 1, so I still have 9 days. So happy to have him with me... even if he's been snoozing on and off all day.

Sounds wonderful! Congrats!!

He can try for a tourist visa. My husband was able to get one, even after we submitted his immigrant visa petition. (Note: Have him use your sisters financial/salary information as proof as well.) However, it takes a few weeks to get the interview. I don't think this would be considered an emergency in the eyes of the consulate.

My husband is coming in two days! Yeah!! In our applications for the CR1 visa, we listed my mom's address as the address where he would be residing. However, I'm getting settled in Evanston, IL quicker than expected, and I've just signed a lease to an apartment. When Tyler goes through immigration, can he put the new address? Do we have to fill out a form to change the address? I'm thinking as a sponsor, I need to fill out form I-865 to show my change in address. But what about him? Is it enough for him to just give the new address when he enters the country? Thanks a bundle!

Thanks. He flew back to Shanghai in the interim... wants to make last-minute prep before the big trip (his flight is scheduled on Sept 10). I hope that it's really ready on Wednesday. The fact that they didn't put him on the list makes me nervous and pisses me off a bit. Maybe it's organized internally, but the people we've recently come in contact with at the consulate don't seem to know anything about anything. On several occasions, our "emails" never got responded to. They were pretty good about this at first, so I thought it was their responsibility to respond, but I guess not. Anyway, hoping that it will come to a close and he can keep it in his pants. And thanks, Steve, for your warm wishes.

I am not as excited this go around for the pink, just because until he has that visa in his passport (and makes it to the States without losing it), I can't really exhale. Apparently Tyler had to wait with the Overcome people this afternoon. Everyone's name was called, but not his. Finally the officer called him over and asked him his name. He told her he was there to get a replacement, and she looked him up and gave him pink. Scary that they didn't have his records up there. (He had gone Wednesday, and they gave him an appt letter for Friday.) Then, they told him it wouldn't be until Wednesday that he would get the visa at the post office. Is this long wait normal?

Haha. They DO drive differently! However, as far as I can tell, the rules in the big city are fairly similar. They just break them all the time. I agree that going over the traffic rules, looking over the different signs, explaining that they *must* follow them... it's definitely important!! I was once driving around two Chinese friends in the States, and they said "wow, you drive really safe". No.. I drive normal. I've been prepping my husband for this for a while, telling him how driving is different. One thing I can't remember is "yield" signs over there ... I think they'd be pretty futile if there were some. Thanks again all.

Thanks guys. I didn't mean to sound rude at all in my last post, so hope it didn't sound like I was trying to argue. It's just that I had heard something along the lines of what I read this morning -- that the Chinese license can (in some cases) satisfy requirements for driving for a couple months. So, I didn't expect to hear that it couldn't. Also, it was very helpful to know it varies from state to state. I had looked in some Louisiana info before, but didn't see anything about it. Anyway, thanks guys for helping clear everything up. I'm still going to double-check before I let my hubby behind the wheel. We didn't have a car in China, so he'll need some refresher lessons anyway. Thank goodness Chicago has great public transport! FYI, for those who know my situation, my husband is in Guangzhou now. Went today during the overcome time to submit his passport for a replacement visa. However, they told him he won't know until Friday whether or not he can get it. Don't ya love it!

I'm not sure if I completely agree with your comments about it not being valid based on what I have just read. This is for the State of Illinois, from the official guide of the DMV: "Sometimes you may drive in Illinois without a valid Illinois driver¡¯s license. You are exempt if you: • move to Illinois and have a valid driver¡¯s license from your home state or country. You may drive with that license for 90 days." http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publicat...of_road2001.pdf It says nothing about holding the "international driver's license". I'll look more into it before he starts driving, and I'll talk with my Chinese friends who rent cars in the US on their biz trips. Surely a rental car place would not let someone who isn't allowed to drive rent a car.

Does anyone know if a Chinese drivers license is valid temporarily in the US in the place of a US license? Most of you probably didn't encounter this, but my husband has a license in China and I've heard he can drive on that for about three months. I know my Shanghai colleagues with licenses could rent cars and drive on business trips in the US, so I assume my husband can on a green card. Just can't find it in writing. Thanks!

I remember that flights to Sanya, Hainan weren't too expensive from Guangzhou on ctrip.com. Pack a swimsuit and plan a romantic excursion if you have the holiday to kill. The Sheraton, Hilton and Marriott are all fabulous on Yalong Bay in Sanya. The beach was amazing. Good Luck! Heather

Hi guys... Wanted to thank you all for your support and advice over the last few months. After losing his passport with the CR1 visa on June 5, we finally got a notice saying that he can come get his replacement visa on any upcoming Mon, Tues, or Wed. Unfortunately, they told him to bring with him a police certificate that is valid through September 19 (even though he could go to the consulate this Monday), and his police certificate is only valid through September 11. I didn't realize they were that close to being expired, or I would've made him go get another one earlier. As it stands now, I guess he can get his notarized police certificate in three weeks or so, spend another week getting the visa and making last minute arrangements, and then come in the second week of September. Actually, it's pretty good timing, because I was just accepted in a Master's program at Northwestern in Chicago. Mom and I plan to drive up from New Orleans labor day weekend and get me settled.... and just after she leaves, my hubby can come. Sorry for the rambling! But I wanted to say that even though the consulate never replied to the senator's office that contacted them, I have a hunch it helped get things moving along. Thanks everyone!!! Heather

This is just random, but if she does have a problem, check out www.hepatitismagazine.org. It has a lot of resources. (I used to work there!)

Everything went fine for us until hubby lost his passport! You might want to do a search for my posts. The replies I got to my questions really helped a lot!! I went from clueless to informed through Candle. In terms of domicile, we just had a copy of my drivers license and a few bank statements with my US address. My mom was a co-sponsor, and I was even unemployed when we went for the interview. It wasn't a problem. Has been tougher for some who don't have current drivers licenses (make a note to make sure yours is up to date before the interview) or any connections to the US. Also note that, if you are working in China with a good job and decent pay, you can use that to help get your SO a tourist visa to the States. Even though my husband wasn't in a great position to get a tourist visa, letters from my employer stating my contract and salary along with notarized invite letters from my family, enabled us to get him that visa, which i think subsequently helped us get Pink! Just don't lose the passport after you get the visa! PM me if you have more questions. Heather

Dear Consular Officer, What is the standard process in replacing a CR1 visa when a passport has been lost or stolen? How quickly after a new passport is obtained could one expect to get a replacement? Thank you, Heather

For the CR1 visa, we had to also submit our second notarized booklet at the interview, so definitely send your SO to get a couple more notarized copies for your life in the US. I also suggested my husband get notarized translations of his college degree and high school diploma while he was at it - that might prove useful when looking for a job.

I think you have to have a Chinese Z Visa (Work Visa) in order to be able to submit the forms at the consulate in China. I submitted my forms in Shanghai - no appointment necessary, just went to the American Citizens Services window. However, I remember that it was necessary to have the Z visa, which has to be sponsored by a company in China. Good luck.

Just an update. Tyler traveled to GUZ and submitted a letter detailing how he had lost the passport. They accepted it with no problem and told him to contact GUZ when he had his new passport so they could issue him a replacement. Seems like it won't be a problem, so I'm hoping to have him here by July 4! Also, he stayed with Mr. Yang, who said he had seen this before, and getting the visas reissued hadn't been a problem. Phew! On a side note, apparently Mr. Yang and his places are nice than those of Mr. Xie. We had no complaints about staying with Mr. Xie last time, but my hubby thinks Mr. Yang is def a bit better. Thanks for everyone's help with this! It's just so great to have this community during a crisis!!!!! Cheers, Heather

Just wanted to give an update. Apparently there's no need to wait 3 months for the passport. He's already gone to the passport office in Pudong, Shanghai and been told it will be available in 10 days. I have to say, though, that the stupidity of the Guangzhou consulate people is REALLY getting to me. Do they do it on purpose to make us squirm? They finally gave my husband a call Monday and said that he needed to go to Guangzhou to cancel the visa. However, she was unable to tell him how to get it replaced. She said we need to send another email to guangzhou to ask that question. MY GOD!!!! He's already got a plane ticket for tomorrow. Wondering if he could wait a couple weeks and just get it all done in one visit (the cancellation and the replacement)?! I need to write another stinkin email to guangzhou specifically asking how to replace the visa now. God, they're so stupid. Makes me glad I'm out of that backwards country where it's so hard to get something simple done. Just need to get my husband out now.

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I'm checking out WangJianShuo's blog - it's always so helpful (used to work with him at Microsoft!) ... seems that he experienced this in 2003. Hope the regulations have changed since then! My husband, Tyler, is Shanghainese - lived there his whole life (still strange that I don't live there!). He went to the police station today and filed a report. Tomorrow he'll head to the newspaper. He said the police didn't tell him how long the ad would have to run. Apparently he had called the passport office, and they didn't indicate that he could only apply after it had run for 3 months. Seems a bit obsessive. I'm praying that everything has changed. It's TOO long apart. We've never been apart for that long before. Anyway, I'm rambling. Will fill you in on the details as everything progresses. Heather

Hi there, Can you tell me where you found this information? That's interesting, because my husband researched it, and said he read that once the ad has run for just 1 day, he can bring the newspaper and police report to apply for a new passport. 3.5 months sure doesn't sound good. I can't believe this is happening. I can't handle being apart for that long, but I need American health insurance, and can't find it in China. That's why I am here. Cry! I'll let you know what happens. I'm off to try to go back to sleep.

Hey there. Didn't find it - but now I am in the States and he is still in Shanghai. I had commitments here so I couldn't postpone my trip. Feels weird to be moving to the States without him. Well, feels weird to be moving from Shanghai period - but especially without him. I've emailed GUZ, but they're stupid and didn't understand my simple email. I emailed again explaining it better and asking them to go ask an American if they don't know the answer. The United office did make a copy of his visa, so he's going to go there to see if they still have it. I called American Citizen Services and the lady there said he should only have to get a replacement, not go through the process again. Hopefully she is right. Our friend who works at the bank he went to after buying the ticket viewed the security footage and saw him leaving with his passport. That means he either lost it in the cab home (but he also had 10k USD in his pocket, so he was being very careful!!) or we lost it at our home. But, he's cleaned up even more and went through everything. No sign of it. Starting to wonder if our ayi lifted it - it's got to be worth something on the black market! We had our ayi for 3+ years and it doesn't seem like her.... She looked guilty/bu hao yisi enough when she asked if she could have our toaster (after I had offered to give her some of the things we were leaving behind). But... you never know. My hubby and I have lived together for 3.5 years, so it won't kill us to be apart for a couple months. I just hope there really is a quick solution like in the case of that K3 visa thread. I don't think I can handle a year apart... Thanks for all your support! I was in tears at the Shanghai airport, but by the time I got here, I had settled down.... I'm trusting that there is a higher purpose for all this, and maybe it will become apparent soon. Now, just trying to overcome jet lag... slept from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Gotta grab dinner now! Thanks for all your support. And take care of the passports!!!! Heather