keelec

File Number A- this is the one line that I left blank. I assume it is an internal number. Applicant's Last Address outside of the USA of more than 1 year I just listed her current address. Employment History I listed "STUDENT" I have heard that some people have gotten RFE's for putting in either N/A or leaving it blank. The word "none" should also be acceptable. Last occupation abroad I wrote "(above)" Name of Husband or Wife DO NOT PUT "N/A" HERE. IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO PUT "NONE". THE INS HAS BEEN GIVING RFE'S FOR LISTING N/A.

Thanks for posting this. I have seen links before, but it is valuable for the newer members. So, if you read it: 1) HUGE Growth of Namechecks... Hmmm, has anybody ever thought of curtailing the practice of doing 2 or 3 or even more Namechecks on any one individual? 2) As far as times and delays… reading the numbers the other way, about 10% take over 30 days to process (1 out of every 10). And 1-2% take over 120 days (1 or 2 out of every 100). Thus, if the Candle has over a thousand members, then at least 100 of us have experienced Namecheck delays of over a month. And 10-20 of us have experienced them of over 4 months. (Although never confirmed by anybody, I believe that our case was one of those caught in a Namecheck Nightmare). Cables, Tapes, Disks… Formatting Issues… Hmmm, TIME TO JOIN THE 21st CENTURY

This subject came up quite recently. I don't know the eventual resolution, but you might want to review this chain: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....554&hl=domicile Good Luck, Clifford

Here is another "Help" topic on the way: Preparing for the Interview: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....f=1&t=7350&st=0

Sorry about the gender reference. Since you just now sent back the P3, I would guess that a January or February interview would be most likely. At least for Moscow, it was relatively easy to change the interview date to a later date by a few weeks. I just called the TOLL number to the embassy, asked for a new date. They said that we would be granted the first available date after the requested date (which was actually the date I had asked for). Good luck, and you should be fine. ---- Clifford -----

1) The lease may or may not be important. I have heard some people caution against making it look like you are already married. (for example, don't bring pictures of a sham wedding). 2) Any format is ok... Dont' stress over it. Make sure that your fiancee can find what she needs quickly. 3) There is no way to determine how long you will wait for the interview... Somewhere between a week and two years. Lately most couples have waited more than 6 months between NVC approval and the interview. But, a lot of people have gotten P4s lately too. 4) K1 gives your fiancee a SINGLE Entry Visa that must be used within 6 months from the date it is offered. To return to China, she would have to file for Advanced Parole , or hope the AOS process goes quickly. Good Luck

Ok... DS-230. You can download it from the internet and get it filled out whenever you want. K1 uses only Pt. 1. I don't remember who needed Pt. 2. The internet version is just as good as the GZ version. I believe that it "expired" sometime this summer. I don't know if the new version is available yet. OF-169. Check all boxes that apply and return the form. I believe that it may be slightly personalized by GZ. --------------- Start collecting the police reports and information that you need for the interview as soon as you return the P3 (BOTH DS-230 and OF-169). Some of the forms like police reports and medical exams expire after 6 months or a year, I forgot which. No need to start too early. Yes, some members have gotten blue slips for using dated police certs. However, if you look at timelines, the can vary considerably. I believe that delays for sending out the P3 or P4 can be as short as a few weeks, or as long as several months. ANY TIMELINE THAT YOU MAKE AT THIS POINT IS LIKELY PURE FANTASY. IT CAN EASILY BE MUCH SHORTER, OR MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED. ---- CK -----

Ok, I am a bit confused. What follows is mostly speculation, and should not be taken as fact - Your husband came to the USA on a H1B Temporary Work visa. (Isn't a "Green Card" part of that visa, or does it carry a different type of work permit?) - You got married sometime AFTER he arrived in the USA on the H1B. - Presumably you were not intending to get married when he applied for the H1B Visa. - You have applied for AOS and are now in the process of awaiting a CR1 or IR1 visa. - Your Husband's AOS process is still pending. - You now want to bring your husband's daughter to the USA. - You have consent of the child's Mother to bring her over. - The Child's mother is still living (in China) and is known to you (I think this affects adoption). I wonder if the problem with the H4 is that it is a non immigrant visa. Since your daughter intends to immigrate, she may not qualify for it, just as fiancees and spouses are unable to qualify for tourist visas. It might have been much easier if your husband had applied for an H4 visa before you got married. She may not qualify for an immigrant visa either because if your husband's visa were to be denied, it would be bad for her to have an immigrant visa and your husband not to have one. Unfortunately, you may need to wait for your husband's CR1/IR1 visa to be ready. Once he has an "immigrant" visa in hand, you should be able to reapply (or just send in the requested evidence without reapplying). One of our Members often recommends seeking information on the website: http://www.britishexpats.com/ You may also want to contact an immigration lawyer. He may be able to help. Perhaps you could get your congressman to help you too. Oh, one last thing.... BE VERY WARY OF DEADLINES. FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP YOUR DAUGHTER'S APPLICATION FROM EXPIRING BEFORE YOU HAVE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION. Good Luck,

Carl, Wait a second, I thought the DUCKS were from Eugene.... You should be "Blazing" a path Anyway, wasn't the interview this morning so it should be all over by now? HOPEFULLY YOU ARE NOW OUT CELEBRATING!!!!!!!!!! Good Luck, Clifford

I believe that the FBI is supposed to finish MOST namechecks within 120 days. If you are outside of that, you can try to contact them. They will ask you to send them a FAX including the petitioner's and beneficiaries info as well as contact info. I assume that the petitioner (US Citizen) should send in the FAX. It may or may not help, but you should eventually get a response. Ask your spouse to send me an e-mail or PM (follow the link), and I will try to dig up some helpful info. ---- CK -----

David, I believe that if your interview is BEFORE April 14, then you can justify sending the 2003 forms. However, if possible, you might consider a co-sponsor. If you go K3, I believe that you use the I-134 which in theory IS NOT legally binding. If you go CR1, you will need the I-864 which IS legally binding (I have heard). AOS also requires the I-864 (legally binding). I wouldn't recommend quitting your current job until you have a good NEW JOB. Remember, you are planning for an eventual interview which is likely 6 months in the future. That may be good or bad for you. Remember Murphy's law... if it can go wrong, it will.... Thus don't count on the date being either before or after April. ----- Clifford ----

How many times have you been in China with your wife? Do you have evidence of the previous trips (photos, passport visas, etc)? To play the devil's advocate... Did you get married within a month of when your mother was in China? That truly sounds odd. But, the demands of her trip may have prevented her from meeting your wife. If it was just your first meeting, and you actually got married 6 months later on a second trip, there shouldn't be any question. However, to look at it at your point of view. Your mother was in China BEFORE you had actually met your wife in person. It would have been equally odd for her to knock on your wife's door and introduce herself BEFORE you and your wife had met.... Perhaps having your mother meet her first would have sent up red flags of an "arranged" marriage for money. In fact, I would recommend drafting a letter to the INS from YOURSELF that explains your mother's trip. The constraints on her trip. The constraints on your later trip. How you met your wife, and when you decided to get married. Also point out how awkward it would have been if your mother had met her first. Maybe have your mother write a letter with a handwritten signature and either scan or fax it to you. She can send an original via priority mail if necessary. Send your wife back in with your passport and your letter. Perhaps get a good picture of the two of you kissing with the current date on it. Look for new and "unique" evidence to send her back with. When did you get married? Is she reported on your 2003 taxes? I don't believe that there is any harm in going back in and them not accepting your "current evidence". Oh, if you have corresponded with your congressmen... maybe they could write a letter for you too. GOOD LUCK, ----- Clifford -----

Taz, The last thing I remember, your relationship was on the rocks. Has something changed? Did I miss something? Contrats and best of luck with everything.

Melvin, Contrats... It is all downhill from here ---- Cliff ----

Oh, I think there is something about an employer letter on the form too. However, I think most of what you need is the monitary values. Depending on when your fiancee/wife will have her interview, you may have a chance to use either 2003 or 2004 tax returns. But... income in 2005 may not be important until the AOS much later, if at all. ----- CK -----

Basic Guidelines... - 125% National Poverty Level - Approx $15,000 for a couple, no children, no dependents - Divide the value (equity) in assets by 5 and add to income. - 1 yr tax returns required for K1 and I believe K3. - 3 yrs tax returns required for CR1/IR1 and AOS (later for K1/K3) I would not recommend trying calculate it to the penny.... If you can't make the cutoff, or are very close, then get a co-sponsor. BOTH OF YOU HAVE TO FILL IT OUT. I believe that your cosponsor has to be able to meet the 125% level counting all their dependents. Anybody they have cosoponsored, plus your fiancee/wife (and maybe you too). If you are applying for AOS... and she is already in the USA, I don't know why they need all 3 years of taxes, or what woudl happen if you had low income 2 years ago.

This morning I heard on the news.... A presidential candidate apparently suggested that we should setup a "Strategic Reserve" of the flu vaccine...... How can we have candidates for US President that are so completely out of it that they show an absolute lack of understanding of the basic issues they are arguing. The Flu vaccine is very different than any other vaccine that we have. For example, - Smallpox, ONE vaccine will prevent all "wild" forms of the disease. - Chickenpox, ONE vaccine will prevent the disease. - Anthrax, ONE vaccine will prevent "wild" forms of the disease. Most of the vaccines can be stored essentially indefinitely. Thus, we can Thus, we can stockpile them. The only shortcoming is that our vaccines were developed for the "wild", or naturally occurring forms of the diseases, and not designed to prevent specifically engineered military/biowarfare forms of the diseases. FLU IS DIFFERENT Part of the virus's virulence is that i is an easily mutated virus. Thus, new forms develop each year. To combat the new strains of flu virus, NEW VACCINES MUST BE MADE EVERY YEAR. Sometime in the spring a committee somewhere tries to guess the THREE most likely strains of the virus to be spreading the next fall. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they miss and the vaccine is completely ineffective. It takes nearly half a year to develop the new vaccines. Thus, the decision about which viruses will be prevalent is made just in time to grow a new batch of vaccines. Thus, due to the short-lived hit&run nature of the virus strains, one needs to get revaccinated every year. Stockpiling and giving last year's vaccine would likely be more dangerous than just giving everyone saltwater injections to people calling them flu shots. With our current technology, a Strategic Reserve would be Preposterous! Come-on candidates… The position is to lead the free world. GET A CLUE!!!

PJ, I don't have any experience with this, but we are planning to do the exact same thing. We are going to have a very simple 'courthouse' wedding so that we can file AOS and be within the 90 days. Next spring or summer we will have a more elaborate wedding celebration. I don't see why the USCIS would view this negatively. The fact that you are having a wedding celebration, with the added expense, and sharing it with friends and family, should be looked at as a positive. I'm sure this is not an uncommon practise these days. "Renewing your Vows" is common in the USA. Consider picking a "special" date for your civil marriage. Then "Renew your Vows" on an anniversary of that date..... 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, etc. P.J. All of our hearts are with you. You have certainly waited long enough for this. ---- Clifford -----

It makes one wonder how we ever survived BEFORE the flu shot. How did children ever go to those cesspools of germs named schools and daycares without flu shots every year? Heaven Forbid we'd run out of the Chicken Pox vaccine. Will businesses acrooss America shut down if all the executives don't get the shots? Yes, I can understand the mortality risk in some nursing homes... but for most other people the flu is just an inconvenience. --------- Is this a sign of the dangers of outsourcing... Well, it is just as likely that an American company would have messed up a batch of vaccines... Howevever, at least it would have left control in the USA. ----- Clifford ------

OH GOD, DID YOURS EXPIRE? YOU NOW HAVE TO START OVER FROM THE BEGINNING !!!!! :angry: Oh.... Hmmm... Don't worry about it. You will be fine.

P.J. As I understand it, you MUST file as married if you get married before Dec 31, no matter whether the two of you are in the USA, or China, or separate. If you are not married on Dec 31, file as SINGLE. You don't need the SSN until next April. There apparently are a few cases that your future wife will not be able to get her SSN before April. In those cases, you can apply for a TIN. Perhaps if she is K3 or CR1 in China, she can still apply for a TIN. I believe this also applies for kids too. If the INS & IRS move too slowly, I have heard of people who filed a "normal", or perhaps an "estimated" return in April with the plan to amend it once the SSN and TIN are straightened out. ---- CK ----

One thing to keep in mind. Importing diseases, bugs, or unwanted plants is VERY SERIOUS. There are hundreds, or perhaps thousands of species that have been brought to America that are now very problematics. Many of them were imported intentionally and then got out of control. But, other problematic species have just been along for the ride. Anyway, just be careful with bringing animals to the USA.

Sometimes I wonder if anybody in government actually understands the full extent of the immigration process. I still have my "receipt" around here that says "this process normally takes 70-90 days"..... 6 months later our application cleared the first stage at BCIS. Another month and a half at NVC Followed by 2 weeks for shippign And 10 more months waiting for an interview to be scheduled. To truly get rid of the backlog, one needs to redesign the system taking into account the whole proccess. Then one must add parallel processing and eliminate redundancy. As far as I can tell, the INS has been eliminating parallel processing and adding redundancy.

As Carl mentioned. Mail is generally accepted as proof of residence in Oregon. I don't think they ever specified what kind of mail is required. Perhaps you could just have a friend or co-worker send a card to your wife. Don't you have any receipts or other correspondence from the INS sent to your house? ---- Clifford -----

As far as bringing your wife's parents for a visit. This subject comes up periodically. Here are a couple of previous discussion topics to review. http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....t=ST&f=1&t=5683 http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....t=ST&f=1&t=4320 http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....t=ST&f=1&t=3304 http://candleforlove.com/forums/index....t=ST&f=1&t=5364 In the past some members have had the visas denied. Others somewhat recently have had visas approved. Ok, here is what you need: - Apply for a visitor's visa. - Prove STRONG TIES TO CHINA - NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER LIE TO THE INS - You may also have to show adequate support in the USA. While your inlaws may be excited about seeing their daughter in law, and grandchild, don't make it sound like they will never want to return to China. In the past, I have suggested that it may be easier to invite the mother in law to visit and leave the father in law in China (STRONG TIES). But, that may not be necessary. And, it would likely be more pleasurable if both are able to visit. If all goes well with the first visit, then it is likely that it will be much easier to get visas to visit a second time. Oh, and about the lying thing, somewhere I read a note about someone's father in law making up a phantom child to pretend that he had "strong ties". But it horribly backfired on him. If one attempt is denied, try again. Apparently some people are granted visas after multiple applications.