computerguy

Just curious, looking at the requirements for naturalization. I see I need to provide last 3 years tax return, and bank statement. But I don't see the usual evidence of a 'real marriage' requirements I'm used to seeing in nearly every other previously application I've done. Is none of that required this time around? Will it be expected at the interview to bring photos, ect?

Sadly, we've had issues with the online website with our case number, the national hotline can't even see it (but the local office can). We have the stamp, we went for it before the interview because we were worried since she was approaching her expiration and we haven't received an interview notice yet. I'd really hate to drive there to ask about the green card, but if its our only choice I guess we'll have to.

Hey guys, me and my wife went to an interview to remove the conditions of her green card. The interview went great, she said we passed but we didn't get any type of 'receipt' or anything, she just said that it would be in the mail about a week from then. That was the week before Thanksgiving, and we still haven't received anything in the mail. Should we be worried? When should we try contacting them? I really hope we won't have to go to the office again because its at least a 4 hour drive! (and there is no way to call a local office...)

Usually, in order to work, you would need to be sponsored for a work permit by a company. You can do your art, but someone else would need to sell it for you - but don't quote me on that. There are apparently ways to get general work permits (Serpentza has his own motorcycle shop - his videos are elsewhere on CFL), but I'm not familiar with what's involved there. You are not taxed in China on your U.S. income, although you will be taxed on your Chinese income in the U.S. (with some allowances through the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion). You can buy visas - whether L-visas or residence permits - annually at the PSB. No border hops are needed. Simply enter the country on an L-visa, register your residence with the PSB, and drop by for a new visa before it expires. After 5 years, you will be eligible to apply for the Chinese green card, which WILL allow you to work. You retain your Social Security whether you are a citizen or not, but attaining Chinese citizenship is unlikely to happen. Your wife will be eligible for both spousal benefits and survivors benefits on either your work record or her own (whichever provides greater benefits) as long as she has lived in the U.S. for 5 years or longer or has attained citizenship. A little off topic, but is it actually possible to become a Chinese citizen?

That's great to hear. Only pain is Memphis is a 4 hour drive for us. UGH.

So, in what feels like has been taking forever almost a year later after submitting a book full of evidence after a RFE came in a few months ago, I have found our case was transferred from California to Memphis and it says we will have an interview (but doesn't talk about when). This has me a little nervous for a few reasons: 1. They are very slow, its almost been a year since this whole process started and in November her letter extension expires. 2. Her drivers licenses expires as a result of above, and our lease on our apartment expires around then too and I'm worried that could cause more issues. 3. She is attending University this semester and next, I don't know if this is going to cause issues. 4. I have no idea what more evidence I could bring. We did return to China last month for a second wedding party (our first was just my close friends) but her parents wanted to have their own party so we had another. I'm hoping to get a video of that event and put it on my phone for the interview but that's all else I can think of, besides bringing what I already sent! So how does this interview go? Is it any different then the one my wife took at the embassy while in China? Just go up there, he asks her some questions about how we met , ect, then its done? And is it normal to have to attend an interview at this point? The Immigration hotline is pretty terrible at explaining anything, they couldn't even tell us if they received our RFE. Am I almost done with this terrible process? Is the citizenship process just as slow and tedious?

I have experience with this. The Chinese authorities started real hard at the letter and clearly didn't understand it but they let us through. But in all fairness the American authorities seemed just as perplexed.

Sadly the online system just says it's processing. I entered various receipt numbers I've gotten not sure which one I should use.

Thanks

I sent my response for the RFE about a month ago got deli every confirmation. Will they send any type of notice saying they received it?

Thanks Randy, I felt alot better after reading your message, I can't always help to feel the government is against me sometimes, especially the tone of the letters they send. Anyways, the letter says since the beginning of the marriage, so I'm worried I need to be providing all the things I provided before when I DCFed in China. Marriage Licenses, all my old pictures from within China, ect. Am I wrong? Should I resubmit all this stuff? Do they not have all of this attached digitally on file there? I'm also unsure if I should be paying another fee when mailing back the additional evidence, or if I just mail the evidence plus the letter to the address it was sent from and thats it. I've managed up to come up with the following in the last couple of weeks: 1. EOB from my health insurance provider with both our names on it. 2. Bank Transactions from my Wife's account going back since we came to USA, we don't have a join account, but the bank transactions clearly show that I transferred money to her account through out the two years (as she doesn't have a job, so all her money comes from me atm while shes in school). 3. Tax Transcripts for 2011, and 2012, which were both filed together. 4. I went ahead and changed the address on my drivers licenses because it still had the old one on it, that way they both matched between me and my wife's. This is all I could come up with financially that would both have our names. We have no loans or property in both our name. I may throw in some letters that show we both get things sent to us at the same address but none of them are utility bills or anything of importance to my wife. We have a few new pictures since the last one I can add but thats it. No credit cards, college is being paid with student loans in her name. Not sure how college transcripts will help. Will adding any type of letter at the top, providing a story for her life since she moved here and lived with me at all help? And then provide a couple things like college transcripts to help back up that story? Will this be enough? The only other thing I know to do is add everything else I've ever sent before since living in China but I'm not sure if that will help and be more of an annoyance. Any advice on that? it said 'since marriage'....

It took like 8 months, but I just got an RFE. I was really shocked and not sure what to do. It states that they want more evidence from the beginning of the marriage, because my evidence was too recent. And more evidence of financial commingling. What I submitted the first time: My lease with both her and my name on it, for our current address. Our car insurance (both names on it) Affidavit from my Dad. Tax record from last year (I used the record I had from TaxTurbo) One or two bills (doctor), to same address but different names (hers and mine, as we are not put on the same bills together). I don't really know what else to provide. We don't have a joint account, as a student they suggested she get a separate one because it would be free. I transfer her money regularly, but I don't know how to really show them that or if they will care. I have two car loans, one for mine and her car, but since she's a student with no credit, I put my name on both, and we didn't bother to put her name there. We have no utility bills in her name. We don't own a house so no mortgage. We are both young. I'm not sure what to do, some ideas that I came up with were: Add as many bills with our address and previous addresses that I can possible find. Just add them all in there. My Dad added me and her as part of his cell phone family plan, maybe I can get evidence we are both under it. Print out my Bank Statements and try to draw some map that shows I'm sending it to her. See if my Health Insurance company can print something that has both our names on it. Call for Tax transcripts from IRS for last 3 years (more than before, and more official being from the IRS?) Pictures of our apartment and things we own? Cars? Clothes? Food?? Add more photos for good measure. Add all the evidence I ever submitted before, so there is records from the beginning of the marriage, before I just focused on our time since we been in USA. I'm really all out of ideas, and I'm not sure any of those are going to really help me! I also don't know if I should be freaking out about this blue letter or not, or if its pretty common. I also don't know what happens after I submit these, what should I do? Should I be considering a lawyer? ~ Freaked out and confused.

Hello guys, I got two affidavits notarized but they are both from my Dad, and my brother who is living with me temp as he goes to college near by, do you think this will be enough? I was unable to get a friend out to get one signed..

Guys, I have photos, lease contract, and auto insurance both in our names. Our bank cards were separate, as it was easier to do with Bank of America, since she was a student and would get the checking account free. Other then that, I don't have any financial statements that have BOTH our names on it. Do you think the stuff I listed would be enough? I could get Affidavits but since they have to be sworn, it would be a big pain to get, so I want to avoid having to get those if necessary... We are both under the same health insurance, but my cards have both my name.

Hello everyone! me and my wife are approaching the 90 day window for our 2 year anniversary in the USA, and we are preparing to file the i-751 to remove conditions. I noticed it says to include evidence of a relationship, and the instructions look exactly the same as the first ones we did when we first started this process almost 3 years ago. Is the evidence as important in this step as the first time? Should I pack all the same stuff I had in there before, plus more? Also, I called them up and they told me after I send it they would send a receipt, which my wife is to use until the new green card comes, is this receipt good enough for renewing a drivers licenses? When my wife got her licenses they made it expire on the date on her green card, she drives to school and i'm concerned this will be an issue. After she removes her conditions, when can she begin to apply for citzenship? Thanks,

Hello! I have recently have been trying to help my wife get into school and its been a BIG pain. They don't want to classify her in-state, but since we are married in TN that makes her automatically in-state. They want me to fill out this long form and long story short the form asks for a copy of marriage certificate. What do I do? Is my Chinese translated marriage certificate from China acceptable? Do I have to get married again here in the states??? I'm totally lost at what to do. Help me! (on a slightly unrelated note, does anyone have experience about getting student loans - I figured there might be a problem with this since I had to sign a document saying she wouldn't be liability to the government, but everything I've read says permanent green card holders can apply)

what about her job before she got the green card? does she need to file that income? I read online if I file jointly she will need to declare them because that would be part of world wide taxes but it didnt say if the same would need to be done for separately. since I worked in China the whole year, I am not expecting to get a refund, so I'm not concerned about getting the bigger refund.

My wife just came to USA in November 2011, do I still need to put her on my tax reform? She didn't work but I thought you need to declare even if you don't work. She had a job in China, would I have to put info about that even though she wasn't a USA resident yet then? Edit: Does money she spend from her credit card that is filled by her parents in china taxable?

My wife says she has an "international visa card" she says she couldnt get a cash card in her town. But she does say the card number is her account number which has me to believe it may be similar to it. It has the visa logo and she has no problem purchasing with it as a credit card. They did tell us we can withdrawl with it but it will be a 3% fee. But, I'm afraid that what ever atm I go to would also add another fee on top of the 3% icbc will charge. ICBC doesnt have western union and on top of that her account is not linked with her mother so theres no way for her mother to access it as far as we know. We can't transfer it domestically because ICBC wont allow transfering of dollars (we already translated our money into dollars in her account before we left).

hey guys, i was wondering if any of you have went through this... my wife wants to transfer a large amount of money back to the states to help pay of a car loan she just got to buy a car. At first she thought she could use her credit card but the company we got the loan from doesn't support that as a payment option. All her money is locked up overseas in ICBC. She has a VISA credit card. What can she do? ICBC won't let her transfer money overseas online to USA. Is there any way she can transfer money back to the US without having to go back to China? She could withdrawal her money from an ATM but she would be hit by 3% from ICBC and god only knows from the bank she gets the money from... I looked at Western Union but they dont support China and im not sure if she could use a Chinese visa card on their us site to transfer... anyways if any of you have been through this, I would love some advice!!! thanks

Hello guys! I checked that my wife wants a social security card on our visa application, but its already been a month since we have been here and we still haven't received it. We just got the green card in the mail recently. Was I suppose to do anything else? She needs it for taking the driver licenses test in my state.

I can't seem to figure out how long point of entry will take to get through...and where the POE should be. I live in Nashville there are no direct flights there, so our point of entry will be somewhere we are not going, how much time do I need inbetween? Or will my point of entry still be nashville? I won't be going through customs if I connect to another flight right?

Hi guys! My wife has a degree in Psychology, we are going back to USA in 4 weeks and I'm wondering what does she need to bring in regards to her degree. She wants to go to a University in USA and study more(Maybe try to go for a Masters..dont know how possible that is, or start a new major), but I don't want her to have to start from the very beginning again. What will she need to take from China to USA so that she can have credit for the work shes done in China? Someone said I should get a transcript and have it translated just like my marriage certificate or anything else, but I'm not sure if there is more to it than that. Can anyone give me any extra information about this? (And this is a completely unrelated question, but I didn't want to open a second topic: When you arrive with your wife to USA, do you need to get re-married or anything, or will our marriage automatically be official in USA?)

Hello guys! Me and my wife will be going back to the USA sometime in November. I will be looking for a job when I get there, but something I've been thinking about is health insurance. Shes only 24, no health problems, so I was wondering if anyone has some recommendations? I've thought about just getting something for emergencies since I hope to get a job soon and have her covered anyways. If anyone was in a similar situation...let me know if you have any recommendations! (Going to Tennessee if that matters)

Ok guys. So here's the story. We arrived in Guangzhou around the 31st and had our appointment on the 1st. We always hear planes in China delay alot, so we didn't want to risk us flying there on the day of the appointment. Here out is how the process works out: 1. Line up outside. Like most lines in China, this is more of a mess. Everyone will cut in line and even if you were near the front at the beginning you can find yourself in the back before you know it. 2. Right about 12:30, they will ask to see your letter and passport. The mess becomes a struggle at this point. And people will battle to get it. 3. After that, you will race to the 4th floor to line up for security check. (Some people will run). 4. You will be selected by random for document intake. So being early won't help at all. 5. They will put a circle sticker on your document. I don't know how they decide what color you get by my wife got a blue one. Which allowed her to enter the building quicker the next day. 6. Next day we came, entered pretty quickly. I don't think it helps to get early to the embassy on this day if you have blue because almost no one had blue and the line was short. 7. They will select you by case. The earliest dates go first. (What I mean , is the date you submitted your I-130 and started the process). 8. The VO was pretty nice, we got an middle aged woman with brown hair and a ruby? necklace. She was really nice, excited when talking to my wife. And when my wife showed her a picture of me and her dog, my wife said she was really excited and happy. Another person we met also had her, and this VO seems really great and easy to talk to person. 9. Approved, no problems! Visa will be mailed to us. They didn't give a pink paper, just a white paper explaining visa pick up. Thanks, to Candle for all your support guys! We couldn't do it without you. I'll try to post a little more later. =) (BTW, The Coffee Shop is a scam, I spent 100 RMB total there, and after approval they tried to kick out my wife cuz she didnt buy anything, and I yelled at her)