MarcRosie

Interesting. I guess if you have personal experience with the health care in China, thoughts would or might be different. My wife was diagnosed with tubular carcinoma which is breast cancer. #1 reason why she got it was the high doses of estrogen a doctor in China had prescribed for her and demanded she keep taking as it was "good for her". It was also the cause of the cataract in her right eye. High levels of estrogen and some steroids can cause these. Was the first thing the eye doctor asked. Doctor in China wouldn't even do a mammogram. Didn't do a biopsy. Just said that "it wasn't pretty" and they needed to get rid of it. Wouldn't call it cancer. He wanted to do a double mastectomy, radiation and chemo. My wife would've had no breasts, no hair and been very sick from the treatment. Mortality in China is only about 20% for breast cancer after 5 years. USA it's almost 85%. They said that she would be in the hospital for 10 days with a constant IV. All of this came in one of the best hospitals in China and a supposed top notch doctor. Luckily, we had her taken care of here. They found that it was not even a Stage 1 cancer. Very low grade. Size of a pea. Did biopsies of 3 different lumps and mammograms. Did the surgery, no sentinel lymph nodes involved. Was in surgery in the morning and we were home in the afternoon. 33 rounds of radiation but low intensity to reduce as many issues as radiation can cause. They said her chances of a recurrence were less than 4% but have her on tamoxifen for 5 years which cuts that % in half. So my wife had cancer and a cataract because of the health care system in China. And would've gone through all I described if we had not had her come here for a second opinion and care. So possibly you can see why we want her nephew to come here. I understand you could run into poor health care anyplace, but from what I have seen (and I've visited many 'top notch' hospitals in China) and was basically appalled at the lack of cleanliness and old run down equipment. Doctors standing in the hallways smoking standing right next to a "NO SMOKING" sign. Lights hanging out of the ceiling by a wire. Open windows (no glass...just open to the outside with cat footprints going in and out). Hospital workers on lunch drinking beer. I've seen it all. Anyway, I appreciate your efforts in the links! Have a great day!

Hi, Don't know if anyone has any experience in such things but I am trying to research a few things. My wife's nephew was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a few months ago. Surgeon in China will not give him a date on when the surgery might happen but says it might not be for a year or more! So we want to bring him here to have this resolved as he is worried that the care he will receive there is not going to be as it would be in the USA. And also, afraid that in a year the cancer could and most likely will spread to other areas. Question is has anyone had any experience in getting medical insurance for a Chinese national here in the states with a pre-existing issue? Just starting to delve into this and thought with the knowledge base the people in this site have that someone might have dealt with such things. Thank you so much for any thoughts! Marc

Thanks again Randy! Yep...hindsight. I'll see if there's someone I can call to see if that's on her permanent record and go over the fact that she was given an I-131 for the trip/s. I don't believe she should be dinged for staying out of the US for less than a year when she has a current and still good 131 to care for her parents. Why would they give her a warning if she had the 131?! It should've been right there in her records if they looked. Nuff said. Thanks for your replies.

Thanks Randy! I guess my question would be that the US Government approved her to be gone for up to 2 years as they issued her the I-131 before she left to go to China. Wouldn't that supersede their decision to write "Final Warning about Residency" on the passport? Seems like we should be able to call someone (IPASS?) and get that taken off their records...if it's on there.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope all had a great holiday. My wife just mentioned that they had written "Final Warning about Residency" when she entered the US in May. She had received an I-131 so she could stay out longer than a year if she needed to (was caring for her 89 year old father and 80 year old mother). She stayed a little less than a year. They never asked her for the I-131 but she said she showed a customs officer after she had gone through customs, just to be sure. But the officer had already written this on her passport. Is this something to be concerned with? She had the governments approval to stay out longer than she would've normally stayed out, but she has gone back and forth quite a bit because of her parents. Any thoughts? She's going back the end of Jan to do all her retirement paperwork and care for her parents then coming back. She wants to get her citizenship in the US now. Thanks!!

Well, it seems my wife's daughter has 'misplaced' her green card!!!! Still looking but what's the procedure to get a new one? She has an I-131 as she went to China for her masters degree. Does that make it any easier? She's of course in China right now. I saw where they suggest you need to do an I-90 and pay the fees plus have fingerprints?? How does she have her fingerprints taken if she's in China? Also, she mentioned that she wants to become a US citizen. Being out of the country on a 131 for 2 years does that reset her 5 years required after the green card was issued? Thanks for all the help! Marc

Hi, Hope all is well with everyone! My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a few days ago. Meet with the surgeon in a few days to see what plan they have. Problem. I'm still working and we need to get her sister (Chinese national) over here ASAP to help with post op care. Does a letter from the surgeon/hospital showing the reason for the visa is not just to tour around the country, cause them to expedite the visa process? Trying to figure out how long it might be/take before she can be over here. I totally understand the process and how it can take varying amounts of time, but with it being important that she's here ASAP to help her sister? Any experience? All help would be appreciated!! THANKS!! Rosie and Marc

Thanks for the information!! My wife believes that just because some of the people coming to the USA have a lot of money that it will be OK. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't about how much money anyone has. It's about what works with what credit card from China in the USA. Most of these people have never been to the USA. I'm just trying to make sure it's as seamless and painless as possible. I know I've had issues with US based cards in China. I anticipate there being some with people cards from China in the US. And especially since we'll be traveling up the east coast to DC and New York City.

Hi, Hope all is well with everyone! We have 30 artists coming for a big exhibition in Newport News, VA. The question arose, do Chinese credit cards work in the USA with no issues? I feel they will but there will be some pretty good expenses that they will need to pay for individually and be reimbursed when they get back to China by the sponsors. Any experience with this by anyone? Thanks! Rosie and Marc

Hi, Lots of conflicting info out there about shipping anything that's powered by a lithium ion battery to China. Some say you can but you need to install the battery and make sure it can't turn on by accident. I'm sending a Wacom graphics tablet to my wife. Wacom tech says there's no way to ship a tablet with battery installed and not have the chance of it turning on. Have any of you shipped such battery powered products to China? USPS says you can but I read that when it hits China it is prohibited on domestic flights in China (didn't say this on the USPS website) and has to go ground, which I bet would take forever (east coast of China to Chengdu). Any experience on this by anyone? Thanks! Rosie and Marc

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! We have 4 relatives that do not have US visas but want to come to visit for a tour of our western states and see the sites. I was going to write a letter to the consulate as I have for our parents to explain the trip but was wondering if I should list all 4 relatives in one letter or is it better to write a letter for each relative? If one wouldn't get the visa the others probably wouldn't make the trip as it's a father, mother, daughter and the father's mother. They would then accompany our parents as they're 87 and 78 years old and unable to make the trip on their own. They own a number of homes, have good jobs and all their family and friends of course are in China so no 'threat' of them staying in the USA. Any suggestions and what are their chances of being approved for all of them to get their visas. THANKS!!!

Hi, Don't know if this is where such a question should be posted but here goes. Will be retiring in a couple years and the plan is to live in China for the most part. When I get really old to just live there. Was wondering if anyone has information about health/medical insurance while living there. I'm assuming insurance you have here in the States will not do any good in China. Medicare? AARP? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Just want to make sure I have coverage. Wife's insurance there I don't think will cover me. But as I said, any help or thoughts would be great. THANKS and have a great day! Marc

Hi, My wife's mother and father are coming to visit again in December for Christmas. They had 4 year visas but want to get the 10 year visa plus the 4 year is about to expire. Do we need invitation letters and all that we submitted for the prior visa? Or because they had the previous one the 10 year will be approved. Father is 87 and Mother is 78. Thanks! Rosie and Marc

Thanks Guys! I have a multiple entry can stay for 120 days each time and the category is a Q2. One question though. Is there someplace that you might know of that specifically states the above? Wife says no way and I have to send it in. She says her Mom and Dad have 4 year visas to come to the USA from China but she says they have to send it in to have it stamped each time they want to come over so that is her reasoning for me to have to have mine stamped. If I can quote something from the gov maybe she'll cool down. THANKS!

Hi, Wife thought I should check to see if I need to send in my passport (with 10 year visa stamp) and have it stamped for a trip coming up in July? Is this required or does the 10 year visa allow for entry into China at any time without a stamp for that specific trip? Thanks!

"If you want to receive mail, it's to your advantage to have the U.S. address. Mine is with a forwarding service who tells me when I receive mail, and can scan the contents." So the address you have your mail sent to is for the forwarding service and not a personal residential home? Reason I ask is because I want to sell my home and use that money for living over there. Wife wants to rent it out but I know what a nightmare that can be. And since we'll be traveling most of the time we're in the States when we come back, to me having a home and renting it when you live 8000 miles away is just asking for stress. I appreciate your help!

Thanks for the info! So do they require/demand you have a US address? Or is this just for mailings. Which prompts me to ask...if you're living in China for numerous months/years at a time, how do you know if you have any mail at the US address?

Hi, Just got back from a month over in Chengdu. Main topic by the entire family and especially the wife was that they wanted me to retire early (will be 62 next year in May) and live in China for an undetermined amount of time. My wife's parents are 87 and 78 and not in perfect health so us being there to care for them in these latter years is important. OK with me but was just wondering what stipulations the US Government makes for doing such a thing and still receive SS benefits. Do we have to retain an address here in the States? We plan on just traveling for a few months each year back here and live in Chengdu the remaining time. I'll leave the question at that. I went on ssa.com but to me it's confusing so was thinking maybe someone else has gone through this and could offer some suggestions. THANKS!

Thanks Dan but timing will be an issue. I thought there was a way to call and get this resolved? We could do the walk in on the 25th but then we would have missed the 22nd appointment and they'd probably not like that. One issue is that it's a 5 hour drive (for a 15 minute biometric appointment) or a 4 hour drive for the InfoPass. If not for that we could make it work out for the 22nd, but since I'm extremely tight on time on the 22nd, the 25th is the only day it's going to work.

Anyone? I really need to hear what people's experience has been and what I need to do. Sorry to be a pest.

Hi, Something came up and I need to reschedule the biometrics for my wife and her I-131. Is scheduled for Jan. 22nd but it needs to be Jan. 25th. We leave for China Jan. 31st. Is this possible? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Have a great day!!

Interesting and unexpected. I called around and ended up sending a Privacy Release Form out to our senator's office as they said they'd attempt to get things expedited. All I was hearing were stories of it taking far longer than we actually had before our daughter had to go back to China. So filled out the form, faxed it off, came home and hit the hay (work nights so sleep during the day) thinking it probably wouldn't do any good but at least we tried. Was almost asleep, bedroom door comes flying open, wife runs in and says, "Darling! We got the letter!!". Unreal. 24 days since we sent it out to AZ then routed to NE. Biometrics is August 5th. Perfect timing. Daughter flies out August 7th.

Do you know who you'd call in Wisconsin to talk with to see if there's anything these people can do to help with an I-131 issue? Thanks!

Hi, Got the I-797 that they received and forwarded the I-131 Re-Entry Permit to Nebraska Service Center for processing. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience in getting the biometrics expedited. When you call USCIS they just read you what it says on their sheet (and that I can read myself), but just wondering if and how we could get this expedited. Daughter has to leave at the latest early August (first week) to go back to China to get ready for the start of school in Hangzhou September 6th. She has to get set up in Hangzhou which requires finding an apartment and everything else that moving to a new city entails. Would the InfoPass option help? And can we even set an InfoPass appointment before we've been given a date on when USCIS says we are scheduled to have the biometrics. I understand we can do a walk-in but as I understand this it can only be after an initial biometrics appointment date has been given to us. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Have a great day! Rosie and Marc

Thanks Dan! I talked with USCIS 3 times and it's always the same. They really don't know much more than what the card in front of them is telling them. But we appreciate any help. One question I asked is if she had to be physically IN THE USA when the application is filed. Her comment was "USCIS has access to travel records and so they could tell if she wasn't physically here when the app was actually sent in." Problem we have which we have now is timing. Just not enough time for a student to be in the USA the amount of time they need to be here to wait this all out. And with there being no real set time frame on how long it actually does take, it's really a crap shoot. If we could send in the app 30 days prior to her coming over, it would at least give us a better chance that soon after she got here the biometrics could be taken. If the biometrics could be in a couple weeks (now) it would work. But I was told that they do not expedite any 131 or biometrics unless it is truly an emergency. And needing to get back to go to school they say isn't an emergency. But say that they could try but it would be totally up to the officer at the InfoPass to make that decision. Called USCIS again asking a few questions about InfoPass and timing. Now they say up to 30 days to get the receipt # and then 30 days for the biometrics. Then when we have the receipt # we could call USCIS to see if we could get it expedited. But no promises nor anything that seemed very positive.