skrunks

ok i have not sent them anything with my new address, but the I-134 affidavit would have that on it would it not (the new address). You're right its not in china, its MY address. But I suppose I could just use my old address? Hmmmmmmmm i dont want to cause them a problem and get han line confused, you know, if they ask where does he live?

Anyone know what form to use for change of address? Do I send it to the consulate or to BCIS? Would hate for her to go to the interview and my address on recent documents differs from when I felied the original petition. oops sorry, dyslexic fingers.. "filed"

ditto here, sent one out 3 days ago, haven't heard back.

explains why han lin said "Huh" when i called her about this! She seems happy to stick with the US Valentines day when she pulls out the Victoria secret catalog!

Wait a minute. He's jumping out of airplanes? Big price to pay for keeping the books! "never jump out of a perfectly good aircraft"

must feel good to have survived the process....makes that wait outside the consulate...where the concrete gets mighty hard!...worth the wait. Looking forward to reading your recap.

hope you had better luck than I! FIlled out the form and sent it in to get a copy from the IRS. they said it would take 3 to 4 weeks, took 2 months. hmmmmmmm. Luckily I keep copies of all my old returns, but i was missing page 2. Finally went back and had filed it with the previous year. Then promptly forgot I wrote the IRS. About 8 weeks later, I get a letter from them. EVer get a letter from the IRS that you dont' know what it is? Raises the heart rate mighty fast! Opened it and realized i had asked for the info! geeze, sometimes I am my own worst enemy.

thankyou thankyou. As a side note, I received an email from a special assistant to A/undersecretary Harty today that conveyed the information on the name check. And, after penning a quick thankyou note, called Han Lin immediately. She...somewhat grumpily...answered and said it was 4 in the morning! So i told here it was exceptional news and she woke her mother and father and we all talked for 15 mins or so. Small victories, big celebrations.

agree with the sentiment herein. I did a lot of research before I started the K1 process, reading as much as I possibly could about it. As stated, the approval rate is extremely high. If you browse the web, you'll see any number of immigration attorneys who advertise that their success rate is 100%, even with challenging circumstances. Good luck! "May your path be lined with the fragrance of an eternal spring"

I've always been one to believe in the basic integrity and honesty of our fellow human beings. And in looking at the old geezer's time lines he's either a darned lucky guy...or...well...he's been cookin the books (means the numbers are wrong). If that is so, I agree, no one belongs here just to stir the pot with bad info.

got a few chuckles outta that. I suppose you dont' have a balance sheet and a monthly P/L eh? shame shame! Its a good site, glad we're in the "black". "may your path be lined with the scent of eternal spring"

Just to let folks out there know, asking for help does work. Han Lin and I have been waiting since September of last year for the interview packet and an interview date. I had originally applied (K1) in April of last year, rec'd TSC approval in about 30 days (did my own packet no less!) and got the background packet from GZ about mid june. We had to wait on police certificates from europe because she had lived there, so it took us until early september to turn that back in. Sept 19th the consulate turned in the packet for name check....and we have been waiting ever since. "vetting and interagency delays" ate up the months. I wrote to my senator and got some assistance back in May. Things didn't move over the summer and I came to this site and read what everyone had to say. A few days ago, I wrote a gracious letter to maura harty who ...my impression...did back flips to help out. This is just me, but I'd say when you do write to a senior government official, keep in mind that they probably get a large number of requests for assistance...and many of them 'not so nicely' phrased. Now, given a stack of requests for help, which one gets the most attention? The one that says they are not doing their job...or the one that is phrased in a kinder tone? I honestly do not believe that venting your frustration when asking for help in any way furthers your cause. At any rate, the name check is now complete, the consulate notified and we should have the final packet shortly. Of course, the race isn't done until you cross the finish line, but it sures looks a lot closer, at least we're not running a marathon anymore. Good luck to all. "may your path be lined with the fragrance of an eternal spring"

I was in the food industry for a number of years...pres of a company distributing food to restaurants, not that my opinion is any better than anyone else, but perhaps it gives me a little credibility on the topic. You might try any of a number orf culinary institutes and write to them, they are an excellent source for those getting into the job market in the food business. Also, there are a number of hiring sites on the web for the food business. Also, every state has a restaurant association, sometimes more than one. Find out when the annual food show is and go to it -- there are usually several each year in every part of the country. A couple phone calls and you'll get the info. Every major restauranteer will be there. The one thing I have noticed about the asian market (meaning those here in the US) is that it is very tight knit -- and there is a huge preference from within the industry to hire those that are of asian descent. On the sales side of the business, we could not even break into the market without having a salesman on the street who was asian and spoke the language. So, its not as wild a thought as you might think. And contrary to postings here, it IS a good career field. Hard work? sure, but everyone I met in china puts us to shame when it comes to hard work. My last trip to china i stopped in Guilin City and spoke with a restuarant owner for nearly half the night -- i was amazed at how we, half a world apart, faced the same business problems and ran things strikingly the same. Cultural differences? sure, but business is business it seems, no matter where you go. good luckjavascript:emoticon('') javascript:emoticon('')

couple thoughts the quality of diamonds in china is not nearly what it is here, at least not where I shopped! We shopped and did not find anything worth buying. If you do it overseas, go to Bangkok, one of the best places i've ever been to buy gems. All you have to do is get the size close. If its not the right size, a jeweler can easily resize it for you for very little cost and only a day or two wait.

i went through the same question about where you live. You are only required to put a residence down if she stayed there for 6 mos or more.

In the financial field myself...but only from the US side. I do not know chinese laws. At any rate, anything over $10k sent/rec'd in the US in a single day must be declared, as stated by others. There is a form for that. There is another form for carrying the funds yourself. If you need these, I can send you email copies. Anyone in the US who receives the money (bank, S/L, credit union, securities agency, etc) for you will be required to have receipt of that same form, even if the money is not carried but sent by wire. You can't break it up and send it $5K in one account and $5K in another to circumvent the regs. Otherwise, wihtout proper documentation, under the 2001 US Patriot act, a report of suspicious activity (SAR) is required to be filed by anyone receiving the funds (and they are liable if they do not do so -- hefty hefty fines plus jail time as an incentive) and your funds may be confiscated and you could be arrested as well. Customs looks for these kinds of things too. Ugly ugly. Once the feds have their hands on cash....well....good luck fighting that dog. Also if you can't explain why you have a lot of cash on you, ie, no good reason to have the money, an SAR must be filed. It doesn't have to be $10K, it can be any amount. Not trying to scare you! Just do things on the up and up and nothing will happen. As others have stated, and for all the reasons I mentioned above, if you have money to transfer, do it by wire. Also, it is much safer and the funds will arrive, intact and ready for your own use. Just make sure you have the EXACT wiring instructions for the transfer and give those to the bank originating the transaction. You can get those wiring instructions from the receiving bank or financial institution here in the US. It can be a touch complicated, so make sure they are written down exactly as the bank requires. good luck

I-129F TSC 8 april 2002 Approved 4 May 2002 Guangzhou rec'd packet 06/22/02 Sent out background check packet 29 July 2002 Turned back in to consulate Sept 4, 2002 Sent to NVC for name check Sept 10, 2002 visited consulate 3/20/03 (or the 18th? don't remember) Told "your packet was received on 6/22/02" duuuuuuh, thanks alot. When I asked for an updated status I was told "i'm just a clerk, I dont know". so, if you go to the consulate, dont' go to window 5! been waiting ever since.

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I'd agree with those who said "do your own" IF you are good at that sort of thing. I did my own I-129 and all the related paperwork, but I was very meticulous, read everything I could about it and made sure I followed directions to a "T", including the order, what words to use, when to use N/A instead of other verbage, etc. I was approved in less than 30 days. That was Apr, 2002. Finished and turned in background paperwork in Aug 2002, and now still waiting for name check at NVC (caught in vetting and interagency delays like everyone else) and subsequent interview though...long waits. Making it especially difficult is that my g/f changed her name a few years back...and she traveled extensively in europe. The advantage of using a law firm is that many specialize in the practice and know exactly what to do and how to do it. If your fiance is not good at US paperwork, doesn't speak fluent english or is very nervous about the the interview, it might help to get counsel. Even if you go to help out at the interview, they won't let you attend. As someone said, the price of erring is high as your time lines, which are long to begin with, get lengthened. However, using a law firm isn't cheap, looking at the many quotes I've seen it ranges from a grand to as much as 2 grand for the whole process (I-129 to visa completion). You have to weigh that against the possibility that your fiance may call you and say the interview went badly and she was denied OR you receive an RFE that has you scrounging for stuff that should have been sent in with the original packet. I elected to do things myself...so take my comments with a grain of salt. There ARE people who are dishonest and use the K1 process for their own gain. The interviewers know the profile of those people and are looking for them...and if you happen to match the profile, you may get turned down. One thing that many people think is that you should go "armed to the teeth" with as much evidence of your relationship as possible at the interview....but then I have heard that is part of a negative profile as well. I'm not a lawyer, but b4 the interview, I would definitely talk to a firm who knows how to prepare for the interview in the country and consulate of interest. Cheap insurance. Back to your original question about why Guangzhou experiences delays more than other consulates abroad. Apparently it was a point of entry that was identified as one which suspected terrorists had used -- therefore it deserved special attention. Waiting is hard -- but the "bright spot" is that K1 visas do get approved, they do happen. I'm in the same boat as everyone else, wishing that the govt would help speed things along, so.....keep the faith! good luck to us all.

HR 2235 does put a halt to all "nonessential" visa processing, including K1 visas, K3 and a variety of others as well. The language is plain and blunt. However, at this point it is in subcommittee, with only two sponsors. While the content is of concern, my opinion would be that the concern level should not be too high. I should have more info on the resolution in a few days.