robhon

http://earlyradiohistory.us/1911cod.htm DAMN!! Everything makes sense now!! The reason everything gets so bogged down is because they are transmitting our case information from NVC to GZ via morse code!! Why didn't we think of this before??!!

GAMBEI!!

I hope we all get our interviews on the same day and can have a rippin' party afterward!

Rob, Have you checked with the DoS to see what your interview eligibility status is in their computer? I was told that ours is eligible, and what that meant, according to the operator, is that no more name checks need to be done. Maybe you can check with them and get a 'sort-of' definitive answer on whether or not your case needs more checks... Still sitting here keeping my fingers crossed... Jerry Ah Jerry!! That is excellent! I think the whole game is about asking the right question at the right agency. I'm making that phone call right now!

And some warm woolies too!!

Okay, now I'm making myself a pain it the patootie. The first message I used the little drop down topic menu saying "When will I receive my appointment letter?" That seemed to generate a canned response so I wrote again using the "other" topic and sent the exact same email. I got this... > >Please note that the case is under processing now. Once we complete it, we >will notify her. > >Guangzhou IV I have no idea what "under processing" means. It seems our case has been under processing for almost 12 months now.

I really hope that's right. That would be perfect. I have a flight returning on Feb 7. Even if I have to change that flight by a couple of days I'd be happy. The thought of leaving my family ONE MORE TIME to return and pick them up a month or so later, it's literally killing me.

Hm, this question comes up about once a month on Candle. People have various opinions on which is really the best method. It might be interesting to do a little chart to compare the relative ease and costs associated to getting money to China. Anyone up for helping me create a little spreadsheet? Send me the following information on an actual transaction you've made and I'll create a spreadsheet we can all evaluate. transaction start date method amount sent (USD) charges at origin date funds received charges at destination amount received (RMB) Send me the data by PM or email. You're welcome to proportionately adjust the numbers to protect your privacy. Just make sure you do the math right. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to CQ. I'm doing the cash transaction method because this is what my wife likes me to do. Should be interesting.

Rob... Did they happen to mention February or March of THIS year? I know...not funny. http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/traurig/sad-smiley-043.gif WOW! You know, I've seen Sonny's face turn exactly that same color of red when he's hungry and crying. Really!!

This is exactly what I'm worried about for everyone. Our name checks were all completed before our case was ever even sent to GZ. That's why we were 4 1/2 months at NVC. Literally, all we are waiting on is the interview date to be set. But I think they're now sending cases to GZ before the name checks. Every step of the way these people are very cagey with their phrasing. They try to make you feel good and go away. Or they just say enough to get you off the phone. "Your case has been approved" has very little meaning until the day they hand your spouse/fiance(e) their visa.

Short and sweet.... >Based on our current schedule we will schedule the applicant for an >interview in February or March. > >guangzhouiv Not exactly what I was wanting to hear.

I was told that cases filed prior to April/May of this year all require a second background check once the Consulate acknowleges receipt from NVC. This seemed to be the case because those of us who filed after April were told by GZ and DOS that no second background check was required, we just needed to wait until the next round of interview slots to open up. But I also think the procedure is different for k1 vs k3. I agree with you Rob it does seem that the cases are coming in from NVC fast and furious, but the P4 interviews seem to be very random and slow. But because the holidays finally are over and GZ is back to work full time as of yesterday ( at least until Chinese New Year) we may see some movement especially for those of us on the finish line needing only an interview date to cross over on to the winners circle. Hmmmm, this sounds really strange to me. I know the cut off date between old and new systems is mid-Feb. What you're saying they've told you sound like the new system started in April. Just to clarify, as I understand it... Old system = security checks processed AFTER the case is approved and sent to GZ. New system = security checks processed BEFORE the case is sent to GZ.

I have this slightly scary conspiracy theory that I'm trying to prove or disprove. Even though we're into the first week of Jan we've seen very few P4's popping out. Certainly not like they were the first week of Dec. Then I'm also looking at a lot of cases that have been "approved" by NVC and sent to GZ and now their P3's are starting to show up. My theory (hopefully wrong) is this... I think they've switched back to the old system and it's slowing GZ down again. There are several CFL people who have been approved only maybe 4 weeks after receiving their NOA2. This just doesn't sound like the immigration system we all know and love to hate. For everyone else prior to this it's taken 4 weeks for NVC to send their case to GZ even AFTER their security checks have been completed. On the old system cases would get "approved" by NVC and forwarded to GZ before the security checks started. I remember this is what we were expecting when we filed back in Jan. We only got wind of the new system well after we'd expected to receive our P3. So, I'm thinking that now GZ is getting bombarded with tons of cases from NVC that have not gone through security checks and it's slowing their process down again. ...Again, this is all unsubstantiated. I hope I'm wrong and everything starts flowing like crazy soon.

I sent out an email to them on Friday asking about the status of our case but no response as of yet.

Or, jump on an airplane with cash in your pocket and deliver it yourself! If you save up a bunch of things you need to buy, that can be purchased far cheaper in China, you can actually almost pay for your trip! This is what we're figuring on doing with a lot of baby stuff. That little BabyGap t-shirt that costs $22 here, it's about 60 cents there. A few items like that and plane tickets get REALLY cheap. Of course, you may have to have a baby to do this....

I always tell Youyue that, if I work really hard, one day I will also be a "true Chinese." Not sure what it means, though.

I think you have such a strong familiarity with western history to appreciate so much of their humor. Even the dead parrot bit. It's just soooo utterly British. And lines like: "She turned into a gnute......... well... I got better." It's all so very very western. Imagine a similar Chinese humorist making fun with nuances of Chinese history. It'd be so far over our heads we'd never get it. Maybe I better rent The Holy Grail one last time before Youyue and Sonny get here.

I think my brain is going to explode before we ever get a P4.

Last in - First out.

I have to agree with that. It's like, the closer we get the more pain we endure. Youyue has been so patient through the whole thing, but now she asks more and more, why is this and why is that... Funny. (Or not so funny.) I just remembered that I had this weird dream last night that Sonny didn't know who I was. I kept trying to tell I was his daddy but he just wasn't getting what that meant. ...frustrating.

I'm ready to throw together a list of P3->P4->interview list as people start receiving P4's. I think that held some sway last time in showing GZ things were being processed as they thought.

I know Youyue really likes HK television but I've yet to find it anywhere. Once I discovered I could get CCTV on Comcast and told her. She was very luke warm about it. While living in SZ I think she really got used to a different quality of TV. (We both love that Monkey King series on HK television, the new one.) Another note. A couple of other things I'm doing to try to make YY more a part of things here is, I finding a Chinese speaking accountant and a Chinese speaking doctor for us. Try as I may, my Cantonese is just not good enough to clearly explain the nuances of the IRS, saving for retirement, mortgages and lending, blah blah blah blah blah... And I know in any solid relationship opinions and responsibility on these matters have to be shared.

Yeah, well... I didn't want to mention the electricity in the air between him and my mother's yorkie.

I was just thinking, too... I swear the restaurant owner looked the spitting image of one of those early Looney Tunes characters. It was either a weasel or a fox or something. Thin little goatee and mustache, sideways smile, jumpy eyebrows...

BTW, Dave was totally embarrassed about the restaurant scene. But he didn't need to be. The restaurant owner guy was a TOTAL weasel. He's probably the same guy who dumped that woman on 001 by canceling their interview.