newman

I've extended twice in China. The first time was relatively easy at the main police station where my wife is from, Fushun, Liaoning. We had to take my wife's father there with his credentials. The second time my wife tried to use her sister's local police station with no success, we were directed to her father's station where after an hour the local king wanted $100 bribe. My wife refused to pay. We went back to the hotel where I sweated what I was going to do, either go to Hong Kong or stay and pay the fine when we exited. My wife's street smart nephew disappeared from the hotel and returned thirty minutes later with a letter from our hotel on their letterlhead paper. It explained that we had already stayed there for three weeks and that I was a bonified husband of a Chinese national. My wife and nephew went to the main police station with my passport and I had the extension in three days. We returned this past June. I wasn't going to go through the hassle again so my wife left for a forty day stay. Prior to this I applied for a single entry visa to arrive ten days later than my wife. Low and behold, they give me a 90 day multiple entry visa. Too bad our tickets were already purchased and I was stuck with thirty days. Moral is: get yourself single entry visa if they are still good for 90 days or get a good letter of recommendation from your hotel. Make sure you get the official BIG RED STAR STAMP ON THE LETTER. That seems to make all the difference regardless who brags on your character.

Sounds funny to me. I met my Chinese fiancee/wife in April and we corresponded until my first visit in October. My first divorce was final in August of the same year. We didn't have any problems and my fiancee/wife got her visa in November the following year. All this took place in 01 and 02.

This is quite a post in itself. I haven't read this entire thread but, my comments are about the above post. I find it quite accurate especially since I've recently retired and do not have the income I did when I brought my wife to the US. I brought my wife to the US with the promise I would do the best for her that I could with what I had. I promised no ROSE GARDENS without conditions. I have worked over forty years and believe I deserve to retire without conditions. My wife has also worked hard with her two part -time jobs since she has came to the US five years ago. Thankfully we never had to use her money to live as mine was always sufficient. Now all of sudden her money is her's and my contribution no longer is good enough. I will not continue to work to satisfy her unconditional security. My retirement income is satisfactory, in my mind, to live a good modest life. I'm sorry that I am not going to work two less paying jobs and that I no longer have the means to buy every diamond and fur coat for my wife's security. I love my wife and she knows it so she says but, it seems love is has never in the equation for security. Well tough!! I don't know what's ahead but if my wife feels she has to walk away I guess that will have to addressed later. I don't know about anybody else but, I'm too old to believe that a family is one sided. I'll gladly give my life for my wife but not working myself to death to do it. I'm tired.

Hi All, I've been on this forum a long time. I religiously monitor all topics even though I only post when I think I might help someone. It is a great forum for help and information. I need some information on Chinese passport renewal for my step-daughter. I searched the net and all information refers to an expired passport. My daughters passport expires in May. We would like to renew it in March. My question is, is it possible to renew the passport before it is expired? I've received no return calls from the Consulate in SF. Thanks for any info.

Wish I could spend CNY with my SO in Jinan too. She was born and raised in Harbin which is about the same latitude as Shenyang. Make sure you bring enough clothes, it's mighty cooooold there. How long are you planning on staying? My reservations are for returning the 25th but if the P4 comes and the interview is within a week of that I'll stay. If the reservation is any later (most likely) I'll come home and get some work done before going back. I'm self-employed and work solo so I can't be gone tooooo long. My wife and I will return to Fushun on Feb 16. We will spend both Chinese New Year and celebrate my wife's birthday on March 26th in China. We are both looking forward to the six week trip.

Just prior to my marriage, which is now in it's fourth year, I had an interesting conversation with my attorney about pre-nups. He told me that a pre-nup kinda goes against what you're getting married for, in otherwords love. After a long discussion he suggested that a pre-nup would protect my wife. I ask him what the hell did that mean. Since I have a sizeable retirement, which my wife would be entitled to at least half, my attorney stated this: if something happened to you, some not to nice attorney is going to get wind of this. He/she is going to approch your wife and tell her she is entitled to everything. By the time he/she gets done with your estate, he/she will drain it and your wife will get very little. I did the beneficiary route that specifies where things go.

I read an article some time back about the ability of a "true Chinese" having the ability to read the face of a person and basically knowing what the person is thinking about and what the person is about. Probably some truth to it. I know my wife can look at me then tell me what kind of a mood I'm in. She has seldom been wrong.

Pretty much the same, only the dates are changed.

Dear CFL Sisters and Brothers, My worry journey has come to an end, at least for cards. Today my step-daughter received her 10 year permanent resident card from the NSC. I've checked the information on it as instructed and everything is correct. My wife received her card in April this year. My wife came as a K-1 in Feb 03, we married in Vegas in April and I immediately applied for AOS. She received her conditional card in April 04. Her daughter came as a K-2 follower in Feb 04, I applied for AOS immediately and she received the conditional card in July 04. I applied for the permanent card in June 06. In July 06 I sent additional information and now it's a done deal. My thanks to all of you for your wisdom of information. A special thanks to Eric for his AOS application info. Best of Luck to all of you. Vern

Appearantly the mail-in passport extension and name change is still good. My wife retrieved the return envelope from the post office yesterday. The application was sent Nov 15, received at the Consulate in SF on Nov 18, and the extension and name change stamped in the passport on Nov 21. Why it took so long in the mail is anybody's guess. We're glad it's a done deal.

I have a BS EE, Electrical Engineering, in electrical power such as electrical generation, transmission or distribution systems. not electronics. Electronics sounds good for what has been previously mentioned. When I graduated in 1983 I started my first job at $24,000 which was the average. I presently make $110,000 plus. This is not to brag but, show what you can do even if you have to start out on the low side. Get your foot in the door. Five years ago Nebraska was hiring BS EE's at $50,000 right out of school because there was such a shortage. I would suggest do your research on the job market. Don't be afraid to start rather low as your progress and experience will help later on. Be patient and good luck.

Thanks everyone. This was a good thread of information for my wife and me. I just mailed my wifes passport extension and name change request to San Francisco today. I hope we're not too late. I cannot find the consulate web page that talks about extensions that I visited a couple of weeks ago. I'll post again when we hear something.

My wife's daughter arrived in the US as a K-2 follower almost a year (Feb 04) after my wife's arrived (Feb 03). I sent her AOS papers in immediately. Low and behold, she received her conditional card in July 04. She has since taken a part-time job in a local retail store since she is a senior in high school. This may be another option for you instead of the EAD which could take several weeks or months to obtain.

Back thirty years ago (with my first wife), my father-in-law was a small time farmer with home butchering. I remember everytime we'd butcher sheep, cows, pigs, or chickens the smell was something much different than going into the market and grabbing something from the cold shelf. My exwife wouldn't eat the critters her dad and I butchered because it didn't come from the local super store. I remember visiting the factory of the great "valley of the jolly green giant". God, what smell from the processing of corn. The point is: The smell of the raw stuff is quite different than the finished product that we buy at the store. I sure miss the good taste of home grown, home butcher and processed meat and vegetables. I don't eat much store bought chicken. I'm tired of the brownish black substance known as undrained blood on the surface on the bone on the pieces of fried chicken. Take a look at the bone after you take a bite. I also despise the bright red dye on beef that makes it look delicious and inviting. I'd rather have the gray blood drained steak from the butcher market (no MSG) that has a hell of lot better taste of real meat. I feel sorry for everyone that doen't know what good meet tastes like.

I believe the rule is you can keep the conditional card if you're going to do some immediate travel out of the country. Or, you can get your passport stamped with an extension of the condional card. I have a buddy whose wife kept the card because she didn't have time to get her passport stamped. The were a week behind us in sending the removal application in. Unfortunately his wife still hasn't received any further notices to send in her card. Now, they're trying to figure out what to do next.