roblimei

Anyone know if there is a china town in Pittsburgh?

Thanks for the info.! Very much appreciated. Curious...What is the repair cost for a "mop slapping"?

Limei and my daughter and I are moving to China this late summer. Limei will be forfeiting her green card. I have to return to the U.S. twice a year for my business so I will operate with visas. What are our options for health insurance for the girls in China? With a one year old baby we definitely need good health care. Anyone have experience with this? Rob

Need to relax! I initially sometimes found myself a little disappointed because "I" thought Limei's reactions weren't as I anticipated. What I have found is her ACTIONS speak much louder. Even now Limei is in China visiting family for CNY and to have our baby meet her relatives. Some days I am a little lonely and call her and find she appears more excited about going somewhere with her parents. It would be easy to find disappointment but I know this is an important time for her. You will learn that displays and verbalization of feelings from a Chinese is more reserved. Limei"s parents have never hugged her or told her they love her. At first this amazed me but I assure you their love is intense and sincere. Relax and allow her to say goodbye to her friends and family. When she comes home with you, it will be you in the spotlight.

Thanks for the "personal" input! Just missing my girls. They have indeed become my life. Their absence has only reinforced how much.

Limei and Meiling left for China a month ago to visit her family. They will not return home for another 5 weeks. Meiling is 14 months of age. I call every other day and spend a lot of time talking over the phone to my daughter. The first couple of weeks she would talk back to me. (baby talk and saying "da da"). She also would not "warm" up to any of Limei's family. Now Limei states that she has accepted every member of her family with enthusiasm. However, now she will not verbally respond to me on the phone. Limei says that she is listening but with no response or reaction. I miss my girls tremendously and am now panicking! Is Meiling forgetting who I am. Limei is afraid, as I, that upon their return at the airport Meiling might not recognize me and forbid me to hold her. OH! The price of love!!! Anyone else experience this? Rob

One consideration for my daughter to have Chinese citizenship is that she would not then be required to keep renewing and applying for L visas and extensions. I would never want to risk Meiling being separated from her mother (Limei)

I believe it's allowed until 18 years of age, however. That is, it's not allowed only if the other citizenship is acquired voluntarily. A child would make that choice at age 18. "Any person born in China whose parents are both Chinese nationals or one of whose parents is a Chinese national shall have Chinese nationality." A child born in China who has an American passport would thus have dual citizenship. My daughter, one year of age, born in the U.S. and has a U.S. passport, actually in China now with her mother for family visit, she obviously is U.S. citizen. We are considering moving to China so our daughter can grow up with family. ( I guess we are going to have to do the continual L visa extension process, Limei will probably forfeit her green card).Can she go to school there if she does not have a houkou and is a U.S. citizen? Can she change her citizenship should she desire at later age?

Always learning...Thankyou

Exactly. For the one year L visa (extended stay) when you're at the PSB in China you want to tick the box on the form that says "visiting relatives" and specify that you want a one year visa duration. I've heard of people some places only getting six month "visiting relatives" visas, but I do think that as long as the officer at the PSB understands what you're asking for and you have all of the correct documentation (you need your marriage certificate, hukou book, IDs, your police registration, and your spouse's temporary residence permit if you're not applying in the city where your spouse has his/her hukou), you should be able to get this visa and stay in China without having to leave every 90 days. I've gotten mine in both Kunming and Beijing with zero problems. What is the hukou? Thanks for the info!

With all of the consideration for extended stays in China does this all also apply for Limei's and my daughter? Is she the same requirements as myself or different because her mother is Chinese national?

What is the IR-1 process?

Is there the worry of someday the L visa extension not being approved and having to leave China and being separated from your wife because she has forfeited her green card?

My wife(Limei) and I want to start spending more time in China. Eventually even possibly consider moving there. How does this affect her green card status? I understand that I can keep renewing L visas for my stay in China but how does this affect Limei for travel back to the U.S. Either for visitation or a move back. We also have a 1 yr. old daughter U.S. born. What if China would refuse an visa extension for me. Would I be jeopardizing being separated from my family if I were forced to leave and Limei could not re-enter the U.S. because she lost permanent residence in U.S.?

My wife Got her SS# before we married. As for the vaccinations we were able to get all of hers at the county health dept.. They know which ones you need and record it in a vaccination records for you. Also, no charge. Even recently got her H-1 N-1. We then took her vaccination record to a civil surgeon and for a $50.00 fee he signed the I-693.

But don't you get that from the PSB and not at the Chinese consulates in the US? Right, I get it here in China. What you can do is just come over on a normal, 30 day visa, and once in China get it changed to a year long multi-entry visa at the end of the 30 days. Once you have that visa you can renew it yearly. The advantage of this visa is that you don't have to worry about leaving the country (China I mean) at set intervals, which isn't always convenient. I understand the changing to a one year multi entry but how long is each entry of stay good for?

Thanks to all..".VERY" helpful. Rob

It has been reported if married to a Chinese citizen you may get visa allowing longer stay, I believe 90 days, which can be extended at the PSB. THANKS!!! I remember you from several years ago. Quite helpful then also! Thanks again

4 months should not be an issue, if you hit the 6 month mark, just be prepared to answer questions at the POE. Note more than 6 months out of country at one time WILL affect when you can eventually file for citizenship and naturalize. So, are there visas for longer than 30 or 60 day stays? Last week Limei and Meiling went to China for 2 months. Yes, I am home alone and sad. Anyways, I did get Meiling a 60 day visa.

We do not want to permanently reside in China, only to be able to "visit" her family for 4 to 6 months each year (winters mainly). I have a business and other properties here in the u.s. and we also would retain our house. We are wanting to have Limei's family part of our lifestyle. 30 day stays are too short. Rob

I am soliciting advice from anyone that can suggest my best options. My wife(Limei) and I married almost 3 years ago. We have a 1 year old daughter(Meiling..u.s. citizen). Limei is currently awaiting her removal of conditions green card. Biometrics have been completed. We desire to be able to annually reside in China with her family 4 to 6 months. The rest of the year we would reside here in the states overseeing my business. What is the option to pursue? Most visas are 30 days. Because I am married to a national I believe longer visa stays can be granted. Maybe up to 4 months? Is it possible to acquire a multiple entry with each being a 3-4 month stay? Are there different circumstances for my daughter being that she is a dependant of a national? P.S. When Limei and I were going through the k-1 process I referred to this site often(very helpful). I recall other persons discussing that they were going to retire in China etc. So I am led to believe there is the opportunity. Anyone know? Thanks in advance!!! Rob