frank1538

Great news! Sometimes the government is like an elephant - very hard to start moving, but once it starts, it hard to stop. Hope the trend continues. Good luck.

Please try to show a little emotion and excitement, ok? Congratulations. It's downhill from here.

It is rare, but USCIS sometimes uses an interview either in addition to or in lieu of a written or documentary response to an RFE. Normally, though, this is used in conjunction with e-filing which is not available for the I-129f. Maybe USCIS saw a need for an interview in this case rather than sending out an RFE. In any event, this is indeed strange. I'm looking forward to learning more about this. http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/e...st.htm#moreinfo

Welcome to CFL and the Matrix. If you're lucky you'll get disconnected like the rest of us, but it's a strange world out there in visa land. When I submitted the I-129f over a year ago, I included only the bare essentials and not too many photos. I was advised not to give them more than was was necessary for fear that it might confuse them and create an RFE or two. I took this advice and got approved in due course. Things may have changed since I filed, but I would check the links and then ask more questions. Believe me, you'll have much to ask. Good luck.

Congratulations. Hope the process moves quickly for you, but you should always remember that what USCIS gives you (a faster than normal CSC processing time), DOS (aka GZ) usually takes away.

The proverbial rock and hard place. I do not condone falsifying any filing with the government, but I will hazard a guess that none of us is lily white in this regard. How many applicants obtained each and every police certificate for those cities whey they lived or worked for more than six months? How many of you knew the exact work dates and addresses for the past five or ten years of employment? With respect to not listing a prior divorce, I can certainly understand how someone could assume that what was intended was proof that the person was not married - nothing more, nothing less - no intent to deceive or falsify. I am assuming here that it was the first divorce and not the second divorce that was omitted. I would suggest that you contact a good immigration attorney and see if there is an easy fix. If so, do it. If not, you will have to make a decision.

Jingwen remains a purist. She refuses to cook any western foods, but I do take some delight in pointing out that just about everything she cooks is grown or raised or processed in America - even the rice from Arkansas. Speaking of rice, Jingwen is very particular about her rice. Thai rice seems to be her favorite, but the Arkansas rice at 3 lbs for a dollar got her frugality hormones raging - had to buy 36 lbs (should last about a month) She still has a hard time believing that her favorite vegetables are grown in the US, that her Chinese sausage is packed and processed in the US, and that her favorite hot sauces are packed in the US, and I'm still having a hard time getting her to balance meat with fat. Man, what I wouldn't do for a 16 oz. NY strip, cooked medium rare.

Good news indeed. Seems like the visa process resembles one of those long balloons. You start to squeeze out the efficiencies at one end (the service centers) and the other end (GZ) starts to bulge. Good luck. As to the question about sequential processing, I was told that most service centers do process in sequence, but it's done on sort of a batch processing basis. Examiner A gets some petitions, Examiner B gets some, etc., etc. Sometimes, Examiner A get his/her batches done before Examiner B does, so the sequence is not truly linear.

I can't speak directly to the P3 for K-3, but there was nothing that had to be done for K-1 purposes between P2 and P3 other than trying to keep tabs on where things stood with GZ. I think Se Leng holds the record for P3 turnaround. Wanna try for less than 17 hours?

Just a couple of thoughts. We had this problem with the I-129f. Jingwen's daughter's name was based on her notarial birth certificate which turned out to have the guandonghua pinyan for the translation rather than the putonghua pinyan (Yiqi vs. Qiqi). We dropped a note to GZ after the files were sent there to let them know this and then had the noratial birth certificate re-issued using putonghua pinyan to conform it to her passport. From then on, everything went smoothly. You might try dropping GZ a note and simply ask them to correct their records to reflect the correct ordering of the names - maybe claim stupid American ignorance. If you're lucky, this will be the end of it. Otherwise, depending on your daughter's age, you might have to suffer through another name check. But, before I'd contact GZ, I'd call the NVC. Again, when we were applying for Qiqi's AOS, the NOA had her name misspelled, this time Qigi rather than Qiqi. I talked to a nice lady who first talked to Qiqi to verify that she knew that I was calling on her behalf. She then corrected the name in the system.

GZ is the US consulate in Guangzhou. DOS is the Department of State. GZ is within the DOS structure as Don points out. Unfortunately, GZ doesn't rate embassy status - think of it as a satellite office of the US embassy in Beijing. Based on your post, I'll bet your files are in transit from the NVC to GZ. It may be time to find the DHL tracking number for your shipment. Se Leng and others can point you in the right direction on finding the tracking number. Using the tracking number, you can determine when the files were physically delivered to GZ. Unfortunately, physical delivery does not mean receipt. It will take a while before the folks at GZ wil enter the data into the system, but after about two weeks after delivery to GZ, it would be a good thing to start asking DOS (via telephone to DC) or GZ (via e-mail), if the files have be entered into the computer system. Chances are better that DOS will give you this information before GZ does.

Good to hear that you are alive and doing well. I took the liberty of changing your website address - hope it's the right one. http://www.ourlifeinchina.com

What, 105 days? Can't be. You must be on counting days by the Martian calendar. Congratulations and good luck during the name check phase of the gauntlet. As has already been said, keep close tabs on NVC. They'll tell you when the files have been sent to GZ.

Ditto...my step-son has one more left in the Hep A series and he's good as gold. Same here, but the vaccination record was not on the approved county school form. Had to go to county health so they could put the information from the book onto the appropriate form. Just when you think you're done with all the Mickey Mouse BS that the federal government hands you, you find yourself back into it with the state and local governments.

Counterfeiting is a problem in China, so the slighest imperfection will result in rejection of the money despite the fact that new crisp bills may really be counterfeit. I think $100 bills are the best way to go if you are going to take money and convert it there, but make sure you have clean bills or you run the risk that no one will convert it. I had a previous post on this:

Interesting perspective. In many countries, India for example, there are more domestic servants than in the more industrialized countries. Does this mean that Indians are richer? Often, it is cheaper to hire labor than to buy a machine, so having a house servant might really mean that the person cannot afford to buy a washing machine. But, your post does point out one interesting difference. When something needs to be done in China, you hire a laborer or a technician, either because you don't have the skills or you can't afford the tools to do it yourself. I have found this to be so true with Jingwen and the kids. "Daddy, the light is broken". My stepson (age 18) has probably never had to change a light bulb, so he didn't know what to do. "Husband, the computer has no sound". One of the kids had inadvertently turned off the sound, and Jingwen and the kids did not know how to turn the sound back on. In China, when such things happen, the initial response is to call a repairman or technician who will come to the house and fix the problem. In America, we all know that to pay the labor costs to do these minor things would be prohibitive. We in America are generally more self-reliant as a result. This does have its upside. "Husband, you are so smart".

Congratulations and best wishes. Frank and Jingwen

Interesting about e-mails. During the process, GZ was very responsive to my e-mails, sometimes sending a response in one day. Boy, times must have changed. Four things I found to be helpful. Never use one of the canned subject lines - always use "Other". Using "Other" seems to require a real person to read the e-mail which sometimes keeps you from getting a canned response. Do wait a week or so before sending a second e-mail. I am convinced that repeated e-mails do reset the response clock. Be as cordial as you can, even to the point of being sappy. And fourth, send thank you e-mails.

Unfortunately, lost P3s do happen. Jingwen encountered the same problem with hers. GZ had said the P3 went out, but Jingwen hadn't received the packet. The P3 somehow got lost. During the course of the next two weeks, we were able to get GZ to re-send the packet. I had to give GZ Jingwen's address in Chinese. As Don said, sometimes the EMS deliveries just sit at the PO. This has happened on several occasions to me on some of my mailings to Jingwen, but if you have the tracking number (don't know if GZ gives this out for P3s), you can go to http://www.ems.com.cn and track it. I can't remember if there was unique information on the P3 forms, but I would be hesitant to use forms not sent by GZ. If I recall, some of the forms were double sided and multi-paged, and I would hate to give GZ an excuse for delaying things by using forms that might look a little different.

Round one has ended. Congratulations to you both and a warm welcome goes out to your better half. Get ready for round two with AOS, etc. Enjoy life to the fullest. Frank and Jingwen

Why is it that when you find something, it's always in the last place you look. Studies have concluded that saliva causes cancer - but only if swallowed in small quantities. And, one of my favorites about a ficticious beer: Studies have shown that Tree Frog beer causes cancer in rats, so we stopped letting them drink it

Thought I'd close the loop on this thread by sharing what Jingwen told me. During the procession, it poured rain but the sun broke through at the cremation. She was so happy to hear this from her family. While it was raining she said the heavens were weeping for her father's death, but once his journey had begun, the sunshine told her that the heavens were happy. It brought a tear to my eye.

Welcome back. Now you enter the second twilight zone for AOS. And, you thought you were finished with the process. Don't bet the ranch that there is no record. Your wife got an A# upon entry into the US. She's in the system with the I-94. Forget about GUZ numbers. The A# is important now. It is common that the POE folks take all the paperwork, but I hope you've got copies floating around somewhere. You need to use much of the same information as is on the previous filings. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but sometimes I wonder why the government keeps asking for the same information over and over - maybe they's trying to catch you in an inconsistency. Like ty said, send in the AR-11. This informs the government of changes in addresses but, remember, it does not change addresses on filed applications, etc. When you complete the applications for EAD and AOS, use you current mailing address. The EAD and AOS will require information from her passport/visa/I-94. You should have these. Hope you kept a copy of the NOA2. You'll need it for AOS. Eric's listing is probably the most comprehensive list out there.

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. This is some of what Jingwen and her family are doing. Dad will be cremated along with some money which we sent to Mom so that Dad will not be poor during his journey. Jingwen is house bound for seven days - won't leave the house and won't allow visitors. Older brother is fasting - no meat. Jingwen is trying hard not to wear bright colors. In China, the family is gathering for what I take is a post cremation vigil of sorts. I am an outsider, but I am here for Jingwen. Not much laughter in the house today. She will head off to China as soon as she get her advance parole. I will join her later, and we will return together. Thanks again everybody.

Jingwen's dad passed away tonight, but it will take a while for her to get advance parole to go to China to visit with her mom, sisters, and brothers. Death is one of those subjects that Jingwen and I never really discussed, so I have no idea what might be expected of Jingwen as the youngest daughter or me as her husband. Of course, she says nothing needs to be done, but I suspect there's more to it than that. Can anybody shed some light on this? I feel like we ought to do something, but funeral rituals are so vastly different across the world that I don't want to do anything that casts of bad light on her. Thanks.