roblimei
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Posts posted by roblimei
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I suggest you get here and then shop around. No doctor/hospital/clinic accepts insurance payments. You will need to pay the bill upfront and then submit your claim to your insurance company. Since medical treatment here is so cheap, it is useless to use insurance in most cases. There are many places you can buy insurance with an almost unlimited menu of options from "cover everything" to "just the major stuff".
I have medical insurance that costs 120 RMB a year. Another 100 RMB is for evacuation insurance. I doubt they will buy me an airplane ticket back to the states for that amount. Maybe a bus ticket to the nearest big city hospital.So far, they have paid all my claims 100%. However, I'm not stupid. At some point, they will stop paying and drag out some clause from the archives that states that I have used up my benefits for the year. Luckily, I'm still in good enough health to kick their ass!
My policy states that it is renewable at the same rates, year after year. I'll let ya know how that turns out next October!
Seriously, with the prices here for health care, insurance is not needed except in very extreme cases. Complete treatment for a broken arm will only cost $25 USD.
Thanks for the info.! Very much appreciated. Curious...What is the repair cost for a "mop slapping"?
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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
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Thanks for the responses I feel better knowing that it is not that uncommon.
I live in Bismarck it is very cold and we have no market but 200 miles away in Fargo there is a small shop that has some stuff. The next closest place is Minnapolis about 400 miles away. I think we will be ordering food online if I can find a good website.
My friend who introduced us lives here and he is also Chinese and so is his girlfriend. I don't mind hanging around him a little but not to much.
She does bring me alot of food and worrys greatly if I will like her cooking when she comes here. I have been spendind alot of time and money getting everything ready here. When I call her she is very busy going out to eat with family and friends. Freinds that she hasn't talked to in years have come out of the wood work and took her out to eat or she took them out to eat.
The other day I told her about some stuff I purchased to make her life her more enjoyable and she was very moved by it. She asks me if my house has ghosts. I told her there was no such thing but I don't think she believe's me. The day after she gets here she wants to visit my mothers grave. I told her we could go in May for memorial day but she insisted on doing it the day after she gets here.
I guess I have alot to learn. To bad there is no Chinese wife for dummies book.
Thanks again.
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.
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Not to worry.
I was never married to my daughters mother, nor did I ever live with her. When the baby came, I talked to her each day on the phone and traveled 50 miles each way, once a week to see her for a few hours.
On the phone she could only coo and make baby sounds but her mom told me she knew who I was. On my trips she would smile crawl, or struggle to get out of her mom's arms for me to hold her, and it was easy to see she knew I was one of the important ones in her life. Her mom had two older brothers who played with my daughter too, but she always came to me when I came in the door...I don't know how, but she knew dada.
I know your feeling, but believe me, it'll be okay.
tsap seui
Thanks for the "personal" input! Just missing my girls. They have indeed become my life. Their absence has only reinforced how much.
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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
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There are public schools in China which will accept foreign children, you'll just have to pay more than what a local would. Keep in mind that even a Chinese child going to school in a district other than where their hukou is registered to would have to pay more. Unless you plan on living in China in your wife's hometown, there won't be a whole lot of point in getting your daughter put on the hukou book. For us, for example, since my husband's hukou is still registered to a small town in Yunnan that we're never going to live in, having it just doesn't make a lot of difference. I suppose the one major advantage would be that if my children ever want to own businesses in China it will be easier and cheaper to do so as Chinese citizens, but that is a big if. Laws could also easily change in the 20-30 years that it would take for this if to be even possible. Who knows if hukous will even exist in 20 years -- there are lots of people predicting their demise already.
I still don't really think that children in China are allowed to have dual citizenship though. I think I mentioned this in more detail in another thread, but we were told that our children could not have both citizenships and that using the USA passport was an act of renouncing Chinese citizenship. The officer at the entry/exit branch of the PSB in Beijing told us this, so I dunno. Personally, even if is possible, I think there are some good reasons to not have Chinese citizenship and especially for kids not to be on the hukou.
Randy is absolutely right that when your daughter is older, if she wants to, she can voluntarily restore her Chinese citizenship, but China will require her to give up her American citizenship to do so.
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)
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China doesn't actually aknowledge dual citizenship. If your child travels abroad, one of the citizenships is supposed to be forfeited. China calls dual citizenship a "conflict of citizenship" ¹ú¼®³åÍ», and it is a situation that isn't supposed to exist. I do know of people who have kept two passports, but only because they didn't give one up like they were supposed to.
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?
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Hi Rob,
The hukou is your wife's family registration book. It keeps a record of who belongs to the family, what their "class" is (like, worker, peasant, etc.), marital status, and where the family is legally permitted to live and enjoy privileges like public school or healthcare, if available. It isn't something that has an equivalent in the West. Your wife will know what it is though, it is a very important document in China!
Or, there's always google, as Kyle says.
Always learning...Thankyou
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Seem to getting terms mixed up here....
Two types of L visa
Single Entry/Multiple Entry - Limited stay (30,60,90 days), could be valid for up to 2 years. Get this at Chinese Consulate in the U.S.
Extended L visa - Issued at PSB Main Offices of the City/Province.
Enter China on your SE/ME L visa and then go to PSB. Apply for a Extended stay L visa. Once you have that, you can stay up to a year at a time whether you come and go or not. At the end of the year, go apply to get another one.
For now, you can stay in China for as long as you want by simply getting a new Extended Stay L visa each year. You can come and go as you please for whatever time you wish to be gone as long as you return before the visa expires.
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!
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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?
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Separation is a possibility. We have known intercultural couples who have been affected by this (which is one of the main reasons we started the IR-1 process).
What is the IR-1 process?
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Tough decision. Dan did a great job laying out the rules and pitfalls.
If you will live in China for a few years, her Chinese citizenship could provide you with some benefits or opportunities not available to couples who are both foreigners. This is why it can be a tough decision. Not quite sure how easy a visitor visa to the US would be to get. It would depend on your job and how strong your ties to China. The consulate would view her as following you. You would need to reapply for a green card if and when it came time to move back. China would give you a "L" Visitors Visa with a longer period of validity. Every few years, you would need to make a trip to Hong Kong and apply for a new visa.
This information is from the Chinese Embassy website
¡øUS citizens may apply for a Single Entry (valid for 3-6 months), Double Entry (valid for 6 months), Multiple Entry (valid for 6 months or 12 months) "L" Visa as needed.
¡øForeign spouse and children of a Chinese citizen may apply for a Multiple Entry "L" Visa valid for 24 months.The original and photocopy of relevant Marriage Certificate,Birth Certificate, Kinship Certificate and other necessary documents are required to provide.
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?
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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.?
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I arrived in US one week ago. And my future mother in law took me to the federal building to get SSN yesterday, but they said I couldn't get one until I have already married to my fiance.
My question is how to get an SSN?
And what else me and my fiance should do for adjusting my status?
Do I need have vaccination in US?
And where I can get vaccination in US?
What vaccinations I should get?
What I should do for the first step and what's the next?
Sorry I have so many questions.
I appreciate any help here
Thank you very much
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.
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Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.
I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!
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?
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Thanks to all..".VERY" helpful. Rob
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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.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.
THANKS!!! I remember you from several years ago. Quite helpful then also! Thanks again
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4 months should not be an issue, if you hit the 6 month mark, just be prepared to answer questions at the POE.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
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.
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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
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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
ChinaTown
in Stateside
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Anyone know if there is a china town in Pittsburgh?