keelec

Well, I will cross that bridge when it comes. Unfortunately, each state is different. Missouri uses the SS# on the drivers license, although I am pretty sure you can use a "generated number" if need arises. Oregon creates their own drivers license numbers, so I would assume that all one would need is proof of residence, proof of age, and proof of identity. A passport and a letter with her address on it should be sufficient unless something has changed since I got my first DL. ----- Clifford ----

Aw, Come On, An unheated pool wouldn't be that bad. When the Russians want to go out for a swim, they break a hole through 3 feet of ice (or so), and go for a nice leisurely swim!!!!!!!! (of course, March would be a little early in the year for me, although I have been known to launch my inflatable kayak from snow banks).

As an American, "All Chinese Look Alike"...... But, I am sure that there is a tremendous amount of ethnic and cultural variation. Meeting another Chinese person doesn't mean that they would share anything in common with your wife or fiancée. Although it may be important to maintain ties with the old homeland, I think it is equally important to make new connections and join mainstream American culture. Also, remember from earlier posts, there is a lot of controversy about Americans marrying Chinese. I am sure that some of this same sentiment would be found with the Chinese community in the USA..... And, if you convince your wife that all Chinese Restaurant Owners are crooks..... Well, maybe that is a good environment to steer clear of. Hmmm, I am thinking about my Italian experience, and I could imagine the similarities with China. In Italy, all businesses had to give out receipts. So, a restaurant had to give out receipts to the customers for a meal. And, in theory, this was recorded somewhere in a permanent duplicate record. In theory, the police could ask for the receipts when the person left the restaurant, although I never saw that done. However, if one customer managed to forget their receipt, then it was not uncommon for the restaurant to pick it up and try to give that same receipt to another customer. I could imagine how little tricks, and even more blatant tax evasion could be brought to the USA. ----- Clifford -----

P.J. Does anybody call your fiancee by the first half of her name? Can any of your coworkers, or your parents pronounce the whole name, or is it easier to introduce her by the first half? Perhaps you did the right thing by "Americanizing" her name. Of course, there are also a few Americans (generally women) who use both their first and middle names, almost as a single name. We have a Mary Ellen at work that doesn't like using just her first name. My mother, Betty Jean, also always uses her middle name. ----- Clifford -----

I think after the immigration laws are updated, then you should just hire a new nanny (how old are the kids)!!!!!! I am scared about the prospect of bringing Irina's parents over too. I presume that Irina's mother and sister might want to come leaving her father at home. I don't know if the sister would like to eventually immigrate to the USA, but I doubt the parents are interested in doing it. In fact, apparently they were a little stunned when Irina told them that she had found an American Boyfriend. Oh, As far as attending the interview. I presume that you would not be invited inside the room (just like the finacee is interviewed alone). Remember, you have to demonstrate all of the following: 1. A place to stay in the USA and sufficient resources for the trip and return trip. 2. STRONG ties to China 3. No strong ties to the USA. Unfortunately, these requirements tend to contradict each other. If your mother in law and father in laws don't speak very good English, or haven't traveled before, either you or your wife would probably want to accompany them to the USA. ----- Oh, a little anecdote.... On my last trip back from Russia, the man sitting next to me (in the seat I had reserved for Irina) was an older Russian man, perhaps 60. He didn't speak a single word of English, and my Russian is so poor that I can hardly say anything more than "hello". Of course, the flight attendants spoke Russian, and I assume he will be able to find interpreters when necessary. Anyway, I had just learned a couple of the most common Russian card games (and had a deck of Russian cards) so we just played cards for half the flight. ----- Clifford -----

Hmmm, When did Jeb Bush get married? How long did it take him to get his wife into the country? That might be an interesting research topic. ----- Clifford -----

A couple of things to consider. When in the day does the flight arrive? Any major holidays? How many United flights from SF to Atlanta are there? If it is a morning flight, and if the planes are not crowded, and it is not holiday season, then schedule the short layover. If you miss the flight, they will just put you on the next flight and you will be ok, although you may not have 4 seats next to each other. Of course, If you schedule a later flight and get through customs witout any problems sometimes you can still catch the earlier flight. I am not sure what happens to your luggage if you take a different flight, but perhaps the decision will be made early enough that it would be done before the bags are rechecked after customs. Sorry, it has been a few years since I have been in the SF airport (maybe 1982) so I don't remember how cumbersome transportation is. Chicago is fine for changing domestic to international terminals. JFK is miserable. Another option is to fly through LAX and schedule a 48, 72, or 96 hr layover...... How old are the kids? They might really enjoy Disney Land although it could be overwhelming the first day in the USA, and they might expect Atlanta to also have mono-rails and giant mice. Have a wonderful flight. ------ Clifford -----

No, Mark, I was not refering to "300" or "Mick's Whump" pages. But, this board does seem to instill a tremendous comradeship. P.J. I thought I would mention that I think this is also one of the easiest BBS systems to read and use. I am not sure why, but it just seems to be well put together. Fonts & etc are a little cumbersome, but they aren't bad once a person gets used to them.

Patrick, Thanks for the Note. I was directed to the Candle a few months ago by a friend, and have enjoyed the online discussions with the group. I have seen other BBS systems including Global 7. However, I haven't felt the online comradeship on those systems that I feel here. My prelimiary searches didn't glean a lot of information. I am convinced that my application is not following the "normal" path through Moscow, and I have no idea why not. I will be calling the Embassy next week (it didn't work out this week to call Russia). Plus, it is hard to keep up with all of the posts on the Candle... Another BBS would be too much. Of course, perhaps you are just trying to get me to "GO AWAY"!!!! ----- Clifford ------

Tips can be good, if it is a good restaurant. In many places, the waitresses make more in tips than in salary (at least on weekends). However, I have heard that the dishwashers don't make as much on tips as the waitresses

Changes are in the wind. Hopefully the Fiancee/Spouse visa applicants will not be put on the back burner and forgotten. I certainly don't want to see the USA completely walled in, or to have soldiers with orders to shoot anything that doesn't look "American" on sight, not distinguishing between armadillos or Mexicans, or anything else they might see. Hopefully the USA will ease the restrictions on immigration, although I do foresee the posibility of a huge surge of people overstaying their visas and suddenly a backlash of the program. Maybe somebody should try to arrange a "nanny" position for a mother-in-law. It would be an interesting test of the new policies when they come into play. One thing I can foresee..... Most of the immigration centers are 6 months or more behind now. What will happen if the number of visa applicants doubles or triples next year?

P.J. Yes, it may be more likely that the GZ Embassy can deal with the change better than TSC. HOWEVER, Any "significant" change to the name late in the process would likely start a second name-check that could cost you days, weeks, or months of time. Perhaps it is best to just ignore the issue as it seems unlikely that the American Embassy Officials would know for certain that it is done incorrectly, and any changes now could potentially cause several months delay. You will just have to hope an astute Chinese Aid doesn't suggest a repeated namecheck. After your fiancee arrives in the USA, you could fix it later with the AOS (perhaps adding a complication, but she will at least be here). ----- Clifford -----

Maybe the IRS would pay her to "cheat" on her taxes, and the state would love to hear about the minimum wage. Let's see. 11 hrs / day * 6 days / week * 4 1/2 wks / month... = 2 97 hrs per month. She is supposed to report $500 income that month.... About $4 / hr real money, and less than $2 / hr reported. Not bad..... If it was still the 1950's. And, it certainly would be quite good if it was in Russia, even today. Actually, I am wondering a bit what the benefit to the employer would be in under reporting wages. Perhaps FICA, and unemployment. However, generally 100% of wages paid out is tax deductable so it would seem to me as if any benefits of underreporting wages would even out..... That is, assuming they are properly reporting all cash register receipts, and other business expenses. ----- Clifford ------

P.J. RFE's tend to be treated "relatively" quickly (I think). For example, on my application (NSC), it took 5 1/2 months to issue the RFE (N/A for previous wives). NOA2 came out merely 1 month later. I would hope that an "update" would be similar. Also, I am convinced that NSC did absolutely nothing to my application for the first 5 months. Why else would they have waited so long for a minor semantic error to generate an RFE? Thus, if you are quick, you could slip the change in before anybody even opened the application If you do want to "fix" the problem, definately do it while your application is still at TSC. The problem with a minor change in the name like that later (NVC or GZ) is that I presume it would automatically generate an additional Name Check, which would cause significant delays, headaches, and heartaches. Of course, in theory a competent immigration agent would automatically run the name in both forms.... ----- Clifford -----

4-6 months??!!!! You on drugs Mark or just lovesick? The truth is..... 4-6 months might leave one's head spinning, but if all of the stars and planets are aligned precisely right.... It could happen, even going through GZ. Let's see: VSC - 1.5 months NVC - 0.5 months Ship to GZ 0.5 months P3 - 0.5 months P4 - 0.5 months Interview 1 month...... ----------------------------------- Ok, add it all up and one gets: 4.5 months..... As Moscow has combined the P3/P4, perhaps China would do the same and save some time that way. Of course, the flipside is: NSC/TSC - 7 months NVC - 3 months Ship to GZ 1.5 months P3 4 months (120 days max, right?) P4 3 months Interview 2 months Whilte Slip???????????? -------------------------------------------- Add it up and one gets 20.5 months. Let's hope Mark gets the first timeline..... Are you planning on moving to Vermont? I wonder what would happen if one used a mail forwarding service? Some look very much like a "real" address (no PO Box or anything). Just file a change of address once the wife gets to the USA. ------ CK ------

Congratulations on the interview date. I am sure that is a HUGE weight off your shoulders. Actually, I have been surprised that there appears to be is no method for tracking the "older" cases and lighting a fire under them. Was that the Notice of Acceptance (NOA2) and the forwarding to GZ back in January of 2003? What the heck were they doing with the application for the last year? ------ Clifford -----

Welcome Jim, You will find a number of friends on the Candle, including several from the Portland area. I bumped up an earlier discussion topic. I believe several of the members from Portland have gotten together before. Wow, Another "newbie". I just hope your wait is shorter than mine has been. Nebraska is a frustrating place to send your application.... But, at least they are consistant..... Just wait 5-6 months and your application will be "approved".... Then it bounces to NVC and finally to China.... Unfortunately these steps can seem very random at times. Best of Luck, Clifford

Oh, Whenever I buy something on E-Bay from Europe, I aways send US$ Cash. It just is the easiest way to do it. I put on an 80 cent stamp, put the money inside of my letter, and mail it off. Haven't been burned yet. Oh, as far as online auctions... I am very careful when dealing with sellers outside of USA, Canada, Europe, or Australia. I WOULD NEVER SEND CASH TO RUSSIA. I don't know about China. Also, I end up spending a lot more than 80 cents to send mail there. Factor in the cost of postage and time & risk to mail it if you do not send the money electronically. There may also be additional fees cashing checks. In theory, you can get American Express Money Orders (from your favorite supermarket) which should be good anywhere. But, again, I don't like the Russian Postal System. ----- Clifford ------

Check out the FAQ (pinned message). Page 2, Frank listed several links about sending money back and forth from China. ------ CK -----

Doug, I re-read your original post. It sounds like a month ago you were building a wonderful relationship with your fiancée. Yet, a week ago it all crumbled. However, I do find the title of your post "Fresh Meat" a little concerning. You have to keep in mind that the foreign women that we are dating/marrying are looking for LOVE more than anything else, and definitely are not a commodity in any sense. Anyway, I am not sure what the conditions of your breakup was. You had met earlier and had a wonderful time together. Make sure that you did not break up because of an argument over things moving too quickly, or whether one should get married in China before the visa, or the USA after the visa. Of course, you want to be sure that you are ready for a 1+ year wait for the visa. ------ Clifford ------

My first passport was issued in 1982, and was blue colored. It expired halfway though a trip to Italy, so my second passport was issued in Milan, Italy, and was also blue. The biggest differences between the old passports and the new one are: 1 - Picture pasted into the passport vs digitally transfered. 2 - Passport number punched into the cover of the passport. It is possible that a really old series of passport did not have an expiration date, but I doubt it would be valid today. Sorry, I don't have any idea why a person would have a green passport. Perhaps it is a diplomatic series. You should have asked him. ------ Clifford ------

Mark. What happened, your last picture didn't show that you were 1 foot taller than Shu Ping!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Best wishes for a speedy visa application. ----- Clifford -----

Doug, I am sorry to hear that things didn't work out for you. Unfortunately, even though there may be many factors that bring an international couple couple together, the relationships are difficult at best. I assume you are in China now (or just about ready to leave to go to China). Have a wonderful time, and perhaps the more you learn about their culture, the better off you will be in the future. Best Wishes, Clifford

Hang in there Kim & Jake, & Everyone Else. Christmas is perhaps one of the hardest holidays, a time when a family is supposed to be together. Of course, Valentine's Day is just around the corner too. Yet, we all sit her waiting for a piece of paper and a rubber stamp. Questions fill our minds..... What could I have done differently..... Can I do anything more to push my application along?.... Why was I so unprepared for a 1+ year wait?... What could have possibly caused so much scrutiny in our case?.... If the INS has some questions about our case, why don't they just contact us and ask us (perhaps that would be too simple)?...... ----- Clifford -----