dan1984

I've even had them with a sauce that made it taste more like spaghetti and meatballs than pizzas. Very true! I have experienced that as well

I always find a lot of Chinese pizza places never put enough tomato sauce on. Pretty much just cheese and toppings. Of course, good pizza places still got you covered with enough tomato sauce.

What a GREAT laugh as I get ready for my last day of IV's - we have a 10AM appt with the doctor!! Thanks, Larry! I often think of you too Randy, some for the "good" (each time I consider buying steaks and cheese in China), and some for the "bad" (all things Yulin Dog Meat Festival related), among other things, haha.............

Also, it's not just 1 bank account that is over $10,000, it's the total amount of all your foreign bank accounts put together.

Amazing write-up! Saved for future use when we go through the DCF process. ......also, congrats on the visa!!

Like Randy said, other than the application fee, can't hurt to apply and give it a try. I've had friends who have prepared absolutely nothing in terms of evidence and got US travel visas. Similarly, I've known people who have extremely strong ties to China and prepared boat loads of evidence, and were denied their US travel visa. I think all you can do is prepare as you best see fit, and be honest with the visa officer. In the perfect world, this should be enough to get your step-son the visa, but, I guess all you can do is put yourself at the discretion of the visa officer.

Every year in the past, I too struggled 8-10 hours to complete my taxes. In 2015, however, I got married to my lady here in China and started our company (in Hong Kong). I broke down and had to hire a tax professional. Being married to a non-US citizen and owning a foreign company, just so frustrating all the hoops that need to be be jumped through. $600+ spent on a tax professional all to confirm that I need to pay ZERO in taxes! Am I ranting and complaining, yes, but, tis' a fresh wound and I'm jealous of places like Hong Kong and friends in European countries where completing one's yearly taxes are MUCH less complicated. :ranting:

Happy Birthday Randy! Hope you have a good one! And has been echoed above, you time spent here on the board with us is much appreciated! Happy Birthday!

I seriously doubt you will have any problems for the 6 month issue and travel visa, but if you are really worried, you guys are married already. You can go to your local PSB and get a family based residence permit instead of using the travel visa, and that takes care of that. Also, with the residence permit, you won't need to make trips to Hong Kong every 60 days.

As Randy said, you could physically bring it with you from the US when it gets close to interview time. Or if you're currently in China, you can schedule the interview for after the next time you go back to the US for a visit. Or if you know somebody who you trust other than yourself to bring the documents?

Very true! There were many different bars/restaurants broadcasting the Super Bowl here as well.

Thanks Randy! Yes, at the start I was worried I was just getting her passport notarized as opposed to certified, but, after checking with a couple different Embassy workers, they assured me they know what I need for the W-7, and said this will be no problem. No fun indeed. Good luck to you with the accountant and quickly/smoothly having your sister's final year of taxes completed.

Owwwww, if only I would have seen your guys messages yesterday. I subscribe to the NFL's Game Pass each year for $199.99. Live streaming feeds of all the games as broadcast in the US - important for the Super Bowl, has the commercials too. Honestly, it's better than watching football back in the US!! I'm never going to be able to watch football in the US the same after I return, well, I guess there probably are cable packages to get all the games. But even if I get that, with the online Game Pass, I can split my screen into 4 and watch 4 games at once. It's like heaven on Earth! I subscribe for the whole year for $199.99 for the whole season all games, but for future reference, I think if you only want the games of 1 team, only the playoffs, etc., there are other package options as well. Also, for this, I MUST turn off my VPN, because this Game Pass is only available for viewers outside of the US, and my VPN obviously makes it appear as if I'm in the US. https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/loginform Also, if you don't want to fork over money, almost ALL sporting events from over the world are broadcast streaming in China. There's many websites that list all the streams, but here's one of the bigger, Zhi Bo 8. Yesterday there were at least 5 or 6 of the big online platforms - LeTV, Sina, PPTV, etc. streaming the Super Bowl. I'm not sure if they were the US stream and Jim Nance on commentary, or streams with Chinese commentators, but, streams nonetheless. Pretty much all NBA games have streams, and how I watch my Milwaukee Bucks every so often. All soccer games are streamed. I think baseball games aren't streamed as frequently......or regular season NFL games......usually just 3 or 4 regular season NFL games each week. http://www.zhibo8.cc/index.html

Hi all, Just wanted to report back and say last week I was able to go to the Embassy in Beijing and get my wife's passport certified. The American Citizens Services room was the absolute busiest I've ever seen. I'm not sure if it was because people had to get things done before the holiday, OR, similar to me, people needed to make a visit for tax purposes. Normally I'm in and out in about 15 minutes. But this time I was there waiting to check-in, pay, and then receive our documents for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. I registered the appointment using only my name, but the guards at the gate let my wife come in with me. For certifying her passport, she was not needed and just sat in the little waiting area as I did everything, but, it was nice the guards let her in just in case she was needed. I brought her completed and signed Form W-7, but the Embassy workers did not look at it or check anything. I confirmed multiple times that we need her passport certified for the W-7 and receiving the ITIN. A couple different Embassy workers both said they know exactly what we need, and over the past few weeks each day there are a handful of people coming in to get passports certified for tax purposes. Her passport was certified by making a photocopy of it, stamped with a marking of "The original document of which, this is a photocopy, appears to be genuine and unaltered and to have been made at the time purported. This photocopy consists of 1 page(s)." *signed by the Vice Consul of the Embassy* The document was also stamped with a "For U.S. IRS use only" stamp. For good measure, they also "stamped" the document with the raised seal impression stamp of the Embassy. So, that was my experience. They said they knew exactly what I needed for the W-7, and in the run up to the tax season they went over protocol. Sincerely hope this is the case and I don't have trouble down the line! This year has been a mess for our taxes. I have always completed my taxes myself, but after gotten married last February (2015) and my wife also registering her (well, our business - but only registered in her name to simply things) business in Hong Kong last May, it's been such a headache! Trying to figure out how to file jointly with a non-US citizen, getting the ITIN, certified passport, completing the tax papers to register the business when filing our joint return, EIN for a non-US citizen with no SSN or ITIN, etc. The most tricky part was actually determining what is the best way to register the business so we have as little paperwork and as few headaches as possible. Time to stop complaining! Issues many of you have been through too..........glad I see the light at the end of the tunnel now, finally. I want to get the joint returned filed within the next couple weeks. It should take about 6-8 weeks for us to receive the ITIN number. Because we're filing jointly, my wife will be treated as a US citizen for tax purposes. So she'll have to get her ITIN and use it to make her FBAR filing for her non-US bank accounts before the June 30 deadline. Whew! Anyways, hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the Chinese New Year! For the first time in 5 years, we did not go back to Sichuan for the CNY this year - the previous 6 months have been absolutely jam packed with so much, plus we were back in Sichuan in the fall for 3 weeks for our wedding there. We're celebrating here in Beijing. It's been nice taking it easy the past few days, actually having time to cook at home, enjoying the non-stop fireworks outside, and more. Hopefully in the next couple days friends will be able to go out as family activities die down, and we can see friends and organize some meals and all that type of fun stuff. Kind of a rambling message here, BUT, just wanted to report back on my experience getting my wife's passport certified. Take care everybody! dan P.S. Sorry, no time to check for typos, being called to the table for dinner!

Wow, breathe-taking indeed. Never been to Harbin, would love to check this out someday..........

I'd say check with the PSB in Beijing or the YongHeGong Visa Center place. One time I had to go on an unexpected trip to Chongqing while I was in the middle of the 15 working days wait for my new residence permit. I went to the Yonghegong/Lama Temple Visa Center and they gave me this travel document Randy is talking about. I forget the process and what it entailed, but it was very simple and pain-free. If that doesn't work, perhaps after you're in Guangzhou, you could go to the PSB there. I'm guessing you haven't been the first one with this issue, and they'll know what you need and be able to get you the travel document quickly and easily.

Thanks Tsapper! BTW, how are you surviving without your Lil' Rabbit?! Hope you're hanging in there! Well Dan, with no lil' rabbit to chase around the kitchen counter top or tabletop, lets just say, I have the situation in "hand". Worn out hand. Mick has turned me on to some new, fancy blow up critters, but I blew out my latex blow up stump and am limited to servicing the blow up critters with short legs until my new blow up stump arrives. Sigh....life ain't easy when yore partner in carnal knowledge is on the other side of the world. Nothing like thousands of miles of coitus interrupt-us. Thanks fer askin', buddy. Whew, sounds like you're still staying busy and getting your "daily workouts" in!! Perhaps you should talk with the Mrs. and ask her to stop in one of those easily found "Adult Toy Stores" while still in China and pick up a few gifts for you. I mean, with her being away for so long, it's the least she could do, right.......? :jump: Hahaha. Take care Tsapper!

Finally. Congratulations!

Thanks Tsapper! BTW, how are you surviving without your Lil' Rabbit?! Hope you're hanging in there!

Yes - the IRS will issue the ITIN when your tax return is submitted to the address on the W-7. You MAY accompany your wife, although I expect that either of you could get it by yourselves. Sounds like you're good to go! Thanks Randy, got it!

Hey all, I need to get a certified copy of my wife's passport in order to get her an ITIN and thereafter submit our joint tax return this year. Is the prevailing wisdom at this point still to make an appointment with the Embassy (here in Beijing), and bring the following: 1) Current valid passport for wife. 2) Appointment letter from consulate. 3) Completed Form W-7. Correct? Also, because the two of us will have to go together, I'm thinking I should just make the appointment's name in my wife's name to be on the safe side. And to be clear, they will simply provide us with a document that says her passport has been certified, not directly give us the ITIN; we then submit the original document certifying her passport with Form W-7 with our taxes, right? I'm pretty sure this is the procedure. Just thought I'd check with you guys so we don't end up wasting a trip and time going to the Embassy only to have to do it all again. Thanks! dan

Or just try to open Facebook or Twitter or Google.

Was in the Philippines on a trip this past week. Was supposed to fly out on Thursday, but all flights were cancelled out of Manila for the most part of 3 days. I'm guessing for security reasons........ We went to Boracay for 4 days. Had to take a 6 hour bus from the entry into Boracay in Caticlan to "IloIlo" (forget the name of the city). Flew from there to Hong Kong, and then back to Beijing. There were hundreds of Chinese tourists stranded - pretty chaotic situation! Thankfully I could speak English with the airlines, and after a couple hours were able to come up with this method. I helped out a few Chinese tourists before having to take off on the bus. That was my experience with the APEC - creating an airport mess! But, the APEC and having Obama and all the other world leaders in their country really was the talk of all of the people in the Philippines.

Hope it's a great trip, Randy! Enjoy the steak

Stupid question for a non-Xoom user, but, can you send money out of China and back to a bank in the US?