mandarinstudent

There is a weird situation in my wife's old apartment complex back in China, where her parents still live. A woman that lives in the complex has been bragging to everyone that her daughter has been offered a singing job in Las Vegas that pays $10,000 per month for the first year and a bump to $17,000 per month if they decide to sign a contract in the second year. Admittedly, the girl graduated from one of the top arts school in China as a soprano singer and is said to be really beautiful, but something smells really fishy to me. The girl doesn't speak English and doesn't sing in English either. Also, on average, graduates from this school end up in Chinese production companies that pay 5-6000 RMB per month. If they are really excellent, they might get 12,000 RMB per month. I really don't understand why a performance house in Las Vegas would bother going to China to recruit a singer and pay her THAT much money given that there are plenty of wannabe singers in the US that would jump at the chance to perform for 1/5th the pay. The thing is, the girl has received a work visa, although it took a few attempts at the embassy. The parents didn't do any kind of research on the company, but the fact that the "talent agency" was able to procure a work visa for the daughter is all the proof that they need. Have you heard of any sort of work visa scam originating from Las Vegas? It seems to me like this girl is going to get to the US, the company will tell her something like, "You know, that job isn't available anymore...but you could do this for some cash in the meantime...," and she will end up a prostitute or something. What do you all think?

I know that there are Americans milking these programs, and those people are just as leech-like. It just seems a bit more unfair that people from other countries can do this sort of thing while my wife and I have to wait to have a baby. I'm the one that has paid into the US tax system, yet I'm not leeching. Why should they get to given that they haven't contributed? I know complaining won't do anything, but I was wondering if anyone else knew about the "graduate degree/baby" racket. I was so surprised!

I've discovered a weird situation and was wondering if anyone here has an explanation. I'm a doctoral student who lives in graduate housing. In our graduate housing complex, nearly everyone is Chinese. My wife (who is Chinese) has befriended a few of our neighbors and has found out that practically everyone in our complex is having babies on the government's dime. Basically, the man comes on a work/student visa and the wife cannot work. They then have a baby (or babies) and apply for every government program available. They don't pay any medical expenses. They don't pay for food. They don't pay for anything, yet one couple has managed to save up to buy a new car with cash! How is this possible???? Non-citizens can qualify for government hand outs? This really gets under our skin. We have to wait until near the time when I graduate to have a kid, as we can't afford to take care of a child on my PhD stipend and my wife's rather small salary. However, it seems like everyone in graduate housing is coming to the US, popping out 2 or 3 kids, and letting the government pick up the tab. They all proudly tell my wife, "Just have a kid now! Look at all this free stuff the government is giving us!" I'm a US citizen and I can't imagine using these kinds of programs unless I was in some sort of impossible situation (e.g., having 3 kids to feed with inoperable cancer that insurance won't cover), but people who come here to study can use US taxpayers' money to have babies? I'm really curious as to how these non-citizens are able to milk the government dry while here on a student visa. Apparently, it is a well known racket in the Chinese community. Anyway, just wanted to vent a bit. Any thoughts?

My wife and I were wondering about getting her parents a green card. She found out that we can get them a 1 year tourist visa, so the question is whether we can first apply for them to get the 1 year tourist visa and then while they are here apply for their green card. Does anyone know how this would work? Can we file an I-485 while they are here on a tourist visa or is that not allowed?

Please read this... http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28307 That post has to do with going to ACH before the interview to increase your wife's/fiance's chances of success during the interview. I am talking about going to ACH after the interview to give them evidence that the VO wouldn't look at during the interview but still asked for in the blue slip. Not quite the same.

Let's say you get one of those fabled VOs that refuse to look at evidence your wife has with her, then puts that same evidence on the blue slip. Is it possible to come to the next ACH after the interview and bring the evidence they requested and reverse the blue slip? My wife and I plan to bring any and every document that might be needed, but I have heard that VOs routinely give out blue slips asking for things that the applicant already has on her. Would my "ACH reversal" strategy work if we happen to be in that situation?

I am going to go to ACH before my wife's interview just to show my face. I know that there is no direct evidence linking ACH attendance to interview success, but I want to play it safe. The problem is, I don't really have any questions. 001 is pretty comprehensive regarding the documents you need to bring and the few visa questions I had have been answered here. I've heard that it is best not to really mention any specifics about your case to the ACH VO, so what kind of "softball" questions would you all recommend asking? Our case is CR1.

On 001 my wife and I have seen a bunch of cases where the girl gets a blue slip, but for no reason. They are asked to come back in 3 months, but they don't need to bring any extra proof or documents. When they are handed the blue slip, they are just told, "The case just needs to be investigated further (code 221 g)," or something like that. One girl was even told, "I believe your situation is real, you have all the documents. You just need to come back in 3 months because we need to further review your case." Why would someone get a "rejection" like this? Why would they schedule an interview if they aren't finished reviewing your case? Anyone have an experience like this?

Maybe we could start an official DCF thread. I have found that most of the people here on this forum are living in the US while the wife is in China (K-1, K-3, etc). Their main obstacle is proving the relationship. We DCF'ers living in China have the opposite set of difficulties such as proving domicile in the US and income (due to the fact we are earning RMB and the exchange rate is low). I think all the DCF people should consolidate their posts/concerns in one place to see how the process went for the other DCF members. I have yet to file my I-130, but when I do I will be sure to report my progress (for my particular situation look here: http://candleforlove...howtopic=25693) or any problems I encounter in this thread. What do you all think? Start a Living in China DCF thread/subsection, or are there too few of us to even bother?

Well, I guess I have my answer to my original question...don't say anything unless asked. Thanks for all of the replies. If any others have experiences with this sort of situation, please post.

Ok, thanks.

When you submit your I-130, do you give them the notarial marriage certificate "white book" or a copy of each page of the white book? The notary office gave us 2 white books (we are in China now). One for us and one for the I-130?

This is why I am thinking the way I do about "household issues": From the I-864's "How do I count household size?" section: "If necessary to meet the income requirements to be a sponsor, you may include additional relatives (adult children, parents, or siblings) as part of your household size as long as they have the same principle residence as you and promise to use their income and resources in support of the intending immigrants" From the I-864's "What if I cannot meet the income requirement?" section: If your income alone is not sufficient to meet the requirement for your household size, the intending immigrant will be ineligible for an immigrant visa or adjustment of staus, unless the requirement can be met using any combination of the following: -Income from any relatives or dependents living in your household or dependents listed on your most recent Federal tax return who signed a Form I-864A It seems from the first part, I can count my parents as part of my "household" because they are willing to say that my residence is their home and then in turn, from the second part, because they are part of my "household", I can use their income to overcome the income requirement. Does this make sense?

I am all for listening to advice, but advice like "You cannot use your parents' income on the I-184" or "You cannot count your ex wife just as a member of your household, she is something entirely different"? These things are clearly stated on the I-184. Come on now... Ok mandarinstudent. I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong. But you need to carefully read things again. I do not think you're understanding everything correctly. I will let others bring you up to speed. But allow me to correct you when you are wrong. It's I-864, not I-184. Good luck. Ok, you got me there.hehe Point taken. I can take it as well as give. I've fixed the typo. What exactly am I not understanding here? It seems pretty cut and dry. If I am missing something, please let me know. Thanks.

I am all for listening to advice, but advice like "You cannot use your parents' income on the I-864" or "You cannot count your ex wife just as a member of your household, she is something entirely different"? These things are clearly stated on the I-864. Come on now...