robhon

Right, but the United flights are brutal. To me they do not compare Cathay Pacific. Just my thoughts. I flew both. Curious. What's so different?

I'm pretty sure I still meet that. Does anyone know where to find out the exact figure for that 125% of poverty level rate?

I don't mean to pop the bubble but I just checked the same dates on United and it came out to $616.36. Both are really great prices, though!! It all has everything to do with when you're travelling. Holiday travel times will almost triple those prices.

If I can show that I have well beyond 125% of the poverty level in general cash and assets, does anyone know if I have to file all the income related information? I'm in the process of starting up a new business so my income looks a little screwy, but my overall financial position is fine. As well, it would certainly save me some time if I didn't have to run around getting so many documents notarized.

Robhon; How did you deal with the no barcode page when you sent in your DS 230? we will be sending ours back to NVC as we are a CR1, Married started with a I 130 immigrant visa process. As far as we know this P3 packet has the agent form, the affidavit of support form and the DS 230 form {bio data part 1}.. oh yes and the BARCODE It seems the last round is from GZ for us and would be the P4 or medical, instruction and part 2 of bio form. Mark So, essentially there are TWO P3's in the end of everything. (Is this right?) There is the P3 generated by the K-visa application and another that comes via the whole I-130 process. Right??? I'm hoping it's the I-130 generated form (from NVC?) that has the bar code on it. Others (K-generated folks) were also sending in generic downloaded forms same as me. I'm hoping that we all don't get our cases kicked out because of this. Can anyone clarify things on this subject???

I always wonder what they'd do if we just presented our son as proof of our relationship. "No Sir, we don't have any other evidence. Just this...." and Youyue plops Sonny down on the interviewer's desk.

DOH! Now I get what you're asking.... No. I'm not in that particular boat. CSC is taking forever on my I-130. They even sent it back once because they didn't like the looks of our marriage certificate. (Which is exactly like every other Chinese marriage certificate.)

WOW!! Man, new people are just smokin' through the system these days! You started in July and are just a hair behind me, and I started in January. If I understand things correctly, your wife will receive the P3. GZ will ship it out via EMS, the Chinese express mail system. Watch out, though. EMS delivers very quickly if your wife/fiance(e) lives in a major, easily accessed place. They deliver to SZ practically overnight. Our P3 was mailed out at the end of November and we've yet to receive it at my wife's parent's address in Hechuan (outside Chongqing). You can, apparently (and we did), just download copies of the DS-230 and OF-169, fill those out and send them back without actually physically receiving the packet. You do need the packet of stuff eventually. Once GZ "says" they sent the P3 there's just no sense in waiting.

Yeah, I have to admit, this original posting is really confusing to me. You're sending a DS-230 to the NVC? ...along with the affidavit of support? Can you clarify a little what kind of visa you're applying for?

On a similar note... A couple of years ago two of my Chinese employees came over to my house because they wanted to see where I live. They are two very sweet women from the Toishan area just outside of Guangzhou. At the time I had two cats that belonged to my ex-wife. I was out back showing them my minimal and badly neglected garden and one of them gleefully piped up to say, "You know if you bury the cats back here things will grow very well!" Yes... to say this is a very big cultural gap is a vast understatement. This would be best defined as "diametrically opposed." Kiss the dog... bury the cats.

Hey, you know, at the SF POE there is a separate line for "NEW IMMIGRANTS." It's way over to the far left next to the CREW line. You can't miss it. I just came through there this morning and there was no one at all in the New Immigrant line. The most I've ever seen in that line were two couples. Everytime I come back to SF I look longingly at that New Immigrants sign thinking about when that day will come...

Hmmmm, but even on the English forms they have a space where you're required to write the applicant's name in their native script. If this is so, why would they need, or do the really even want, all the forms in both languages filled out? When my (now ex-) lawyer filled out the P3 docs they only did English versions with Pinyin for Chinese names and addresses. But, of course, they also were going to send in an un-notarized I-134 (which is a P4 doc anyway) and no OF-169 for our P3. Oh, BTW, have I mentioned what a worthless waste of money immigration lawyers are?

After my orginal post asking this question I found a place in the FAQ section of the GZ consulate site that says you CAN NOT hand deliver P3 documents. I was there last weekend, P3 in hand, and waited an extra day to get to a place where we could send it by EMS. I feel a little more secure having that EMS reciept in my hot little hands. ...Not that I don't trust GZ but, really, I don't trust GZ.

I've heard this of other docs. Why would the US consulate care if any of the docs are filled out in Chinese. It would seem they'd be offering Chinese forms for those who find these easier to fill out. Wouldn't they be just as happy to just receive everything completed in English?

Maybe we can all make a special request of GZ to have all our interviews on the same day. We'd be talking one rocking shindig afterward at the Victory Hotel!!

Okay, I will start up a new P4 list. You'll have to give me a few days, though, as I'm still in SZ on the local (lousy) 96169 dialup system. In the meantime, would everyone send me the following information: 1) candle/001 name 2) K1 or K3 3) date P3 was officially sent to you 4) if and when you actually received your physical P3 papers 5) P3 arrived by what service (EMS, regular post...) 6) date you sent P3 back 7) what method you used to return your P3 8) reference number for the P3 return 9) date P3 acknowledged as received by GZ 10) date P4 was sent 11) interview date 12) visa received I knock out the format while I'm on my return flight Monday.

Also, I'd like to ask everyone here if anyone has heard how long, lately, it's taking to get from P3 to P4 to interview? Sure would be nice to have a ballpark idea on which to build dreams on (to later be shattered).

It seems pretty much everyone on my previous list has received their P3. Should I start a list of P4 information to make sure no one falls through the cracks? And if someone who was on the list has not received a P3, please raise your hand... or perform some online version of raising your hand.

I think the proper term is "exit permit." It's not really a visa.

Actually, I think there was an "or" in the statement. If one parent is a Chinese citizen the child must have a Chinese passport "or" get an exit visa. I'm going to be reading through that about 22 times again though to make sure.

Just re-read you original post. It sounds like your child already has the passport. If that's the case just go down to that Local Bureau of Security and ask for the entry exit administration ASAP and see if they'll expedite the exit permit. Personally, there's no way I'd chance it at the border. That's the last place I'd want to have a wild card waiting.

You're pushing it timewise. We're going through the same thing right now, although we don't have a P4 yet. We did not register him as Chinese or get a Chinese passport because apparently they want about 20,000 yuan to do this little favor. From everything I've heard there's no reason to do it. You need to go to a consulate and register him right away. They do two things, they do a registration of birth abroad and they issue a passport. This takes 10 days for them to get it all back to you. After that you need to go to a Local Bureau of Security and ask for the entry exit administration (Chinese government). They will issue the exit permit. I've heard this takes another two weeks but if you pay a little extra it can be taken care of in a couple of days. Being that I haven't gotten this far in the process I can't confirm this for you. I do not think your child can leave China without an exit permit. You'll have to cross a Chinese border and I just can't see them letting any child out of the country without proper documentation. The exit permit is a one-time use permit but is good until the child reaches the age of 18 (or maybe 16, not sure). Here's the little thing I ran into when I went to the consulate to rigister our son. Maybe I can save you some problems... I called twice to talk with Citizen services to ask them what I needed to bring to register my son. They said, "Both parents and the child must be present. The parents must both have current passports. The child must have a birth certificate." This is what I brought. Then, when I'm standing at the window of Citizen Services, they give me a piece of paper with the full list of items they require. They include, in addition to what I mentioned above: 1) Certified documents showing that you have been living in the US for the past 5 years. (Tax records are good.) 2) Certified copies of marriage certificates. 3) Certified copies of previous divorce records. 4) Two photos of the child, front facing, 37mm square. You will also fill out a DS-156 form, available at the consulate. On the DS-156 they will ask you to list the times you've been out of the country. Don't listen to the crazy lady behind the window. You don't have to list every single time you've ever set foot on foreign soil. They're just asking if and when you have lived abroad. I managed to argue my way out of all the other documentation. I wouldn't chance it. You never know who you'll get back there. Hope this helps.

Actually, from all the experieces I've had in this whole process I think this one went off pretty well. I mean, even though I had to do a bit of arguing and running around, everything was alright in the end. I'd say that's a good day when it comes to dealing with government agencies.

I'm sure that was us! I remember we were at the Teem Plaza. You must have been one of the thousands of people I've heard so far on this trip saying, "Hou dak yi!!"

Dave, if you only knew how many times I suggested this to Youyue. It's actually turned into more of a little family vacation with Youyue's mother and two aunts. I think that's where all their heads were at. I'm just this guy that came along with an excuse to go somewhere.