DennisLeiqin

Here again the word of the law is being shown, yet what is actually enforced is not. ...as long as they can provide evidence of legal entry to the USA. Again, these women are here. The final judgement is given to an immigration judge. These words of the law are lost and become moot when an immigration court and the judge makes her (his) ruling.

I meet Chinese women almost weekly who've overstayed. When I first meet the woman, I can almost size up her profile just by her age... Most are in their thirties. They leave a teenage child behind in China to be cared for by the child's grandparents. These women may or may not be married and are usually mum or coy about saying whether they are or not. They overcame a sense of hopelessness after their husband’s divorced or abandoned them for another woman. Job opportunities in China are few. Remarrying ‘UP’ is unlikely. Remarrying at all is daunting. And, they know it is difficult and sometimes risky to find a west man through the internet. They also know that if their feet can get on US soil they’ll have a world of opportunities available to them that they’d never have by staying in China. Then there are some overstayed women who are married and their husband’s finance them while the women establish themselves here. These women and these relationships puzzle me. They seem to have little contact with their husbands. Years may pass without seeing each other. The women will frequently QQ with their child, yet I will seldom hear them mention their husbands. Although not rich, they seem to have enough money for the necessities of an apartment, car and sometimes travel without having to work long hours in the Chinese community or work at all. I’m guessing that their husband’s are rich enough to afford to send their wife away while they play…but, that’s just a guess. One thing most of these women have in common is, once here, their desire to stay and live out their lives here. Even with a GC, most will chose to remain here to live while making annual trips back to China for visits. Many have dreams of their child attending a US university. Seldom does that dream come true. Women in China know there is no deportation threat by overstaying. They all know they are free to live here, go to school, graduate, get a drivers license, buy and drive a car, own a home... So, they apply for a visa. Work visas are limited. From my experience, most arrive here on a tourist visa. Once here they work in the Chinese underground economy. The jobs available to them are nanny, elderly care, cleaning homes, working in restaurants, and massage. There are few options but to work for a Chinese boss who'll expect them to work 12-on 12-off, 7 days a week. I believe that INS prefers that these women adjust their status and become legal. Yet, it's not so easy. Immigration court is an adversary. If these women feel confident that they overstayed for good reason they’ll hire an immigration attorney who will file for AOS and then represent them in immigration court. Those are usually women who arrived on a fiancé visa. Those women have little recourse but to claim they were abused in order to gain legal status. Many who try to scam the system again fail. Those who have a legitimate case pass. Meaning, those who appear before immigration court with a lawyer and a convincing case will often be given the benefit of the doubt. The letter of the immigration law is simply left to the mercy of an immigration judge to decide if the person overstayed for good reason. As in most court cases, it is up to the judge to decide if the testimony is the truth or not. If they do not have a legal case, their only recourse for a GC is to marry a USC. These women tell me they simply want a good man to love them. If the man is a good man they will stay to love and care for him. I have helped many ladies join internet dating sites like Match.com. Some have married. Some have married Chinese men. And, some have married American men. All of them seem to have a happy and contented married life here now. At least, the couples that I have heard through our network of friends have all turned into positive marriages and the couples whom I know and keep in contact with personally too. There are obvious courtship advantages with both persons already here on US soil that one cannot have separated by an ocean, continent and culture. These are simply my antidotal experience from years living among the Chinese community here in Los Angeles. Nothing I say is gospel… simply my opinion. I would appreciate David_D's take on this (as well as other men) who have lived within and among Chinese here in the US.

I suddenly hear the theme to 'Jaws' playing in my mind.

Good news, Robert!

Like David, I too have seen and been on the 'inside' of these massage businesses. Keep in mind, no matter how much you want to poo poo the notion, Massage + Asian women = prostitution in the minds of many. Massage parlors are an easy mark for police. Here in LA, County Sheriff were busted for citing women for prostitution as punishment when the women would not perform sexual acts on the officers. The officers knew the women weren't English literate and that they had little recourse but to go deeper underground and hope they didn't get busted again. Many women who begin massage with pure intent find that girls who give the happy ending get the repeat customers and the lure of easy money is sometimes too strong. Again, unless she can work as a licensed masseuse in a city licensed establishment stay away.

That's the thing, Chinese advertise under the guise of reflexology or accupressure when everyone knows that means massage.

Chinese/Asian bosses work their workers 12 on 12 off 7 days a week (be fortunate if you get 1 day off). If you live in an area close to and with a large pool of Chinese/Asian workers, the boss will more than likely not give your wife special hours. Most or many of the massage girls are undocumented and find this cash paying work better than cleaning someone's home. With or without a massage license, if your wife's English isn't completely fluent she will still have to compete for work with undocumented and unlicensed massage girls unless she can open her own business and be her own boss. My suggestion, being that this type of work is so flexible (girls come and go all the time switching jobs), have your wife do it for a few weeks or months then quit for a while. Otherwise, maybe you'll need to get extra work and give the money to her. B) Let us know how everything works out.

Wow!!! Talk about explosive football!

Cripes, hope that opening drive is not an omen of things to come today.

Happy Birthday to YOU!! And, many more. ...oh and I hope that you get that 'special' gift too.

So what if once here the K1 fiance does not want to return to China? Who's going to make her? No one. And, then she overstays and becomes undocumented. It happens all the time and Immigration knows it. Yep, The Bonafide relationship thing is still a big factor with K-1 as it is with CR-1.. One note about the K-1, it has a legally binding requirement, of Marry the Petitioner or leave. Cannot marry anyone else and then attempt to adjust status that way, it just will not fly. There is no way for a K-1 visa holder to legally stay in the USA without marrying the K-1 petitioner and then adjust status. Legally, to the letter of the law, that's correct. However, reality works differently IMO. Of course the K1 fiance who decides not to marry and overstay doesn't know about all those legal issues pertaining to her. She now has her feet on our soil and isn't going back. I've seen, met and know many such Chinese women here in SoCal who've overstayed different visas. And, I have seen them get married, file for adjustment of status and receive their GC. I do believe that USCIS prefers that those who are undocumented become documented and that any prior issues of overstay are forgiven. Possibly this separate topic needs it's own thread. Didn't mean to steer the OPs question in a different direction.

So what if once here the K1 fiance does not want to return to China? Who's going to make her? No one. And, then she overstays and becomes undocumented. It happens all the time and Immigration knows it.

Well, I will just put The Flowers of War on my to watch list. I love those type of docu-tear-jerker movies. Thanks for the review. Hope it has subtitles.

Yes, of course, so says Baba.

Contact Henry or Sarah @ Travel Depot Monterey Park, CA (626) 280-2198 traveldepot@ymail.com travel_depot@yahoo.com Chinese travel agents to mostly Chinese in SoCal. They purchase blocks of tickets from China Southern, China Eastern, Air China and then resale at a discount. Many of us have used their service with high satisfaction. Give them a try.

Really should have split this into two posts... Regarding Chinese beds, here's a picture of my wife's sister's bed. Don't think that would be too difficult to duplicate here with a sheet of plywood. http://i43.tinypic.com/eq4fg2.jpg