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jwdoetsch

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  1. jwdoetsch
    The email (which I just got today, whoop whoop!) basically gives this checklist: DS-260 Confirmation PageCopy of biographical information page of beneficiary's passportTwo 2"x2" passport-style photosYou also need to select the CITIC location where you are gonna pick up and drop off documents. All the financial documents, I-864s, police records, et cetera will be taken in (document intake) at or right before the beneficiary's interview in GZ just like dnoblett said. Basically, just follow the instructions to the T and you won't have any trouble.
  2. jwdoetsch
    which makes me even more amazed that I got my approval within two weeks. Told the wife about the other situations and she is now worried they missed something or did something incorrectly because it was so quick. I should have kept my mouth shut I filed 7 days after you. I hope (accounting for Spring Festival) that our approval is as fast...
  3. jwdoetsch
    So your wait was a total of about 73 days, yeah? This seems like a trend for people that filed around Thanksgiving last year...
  4. jwdoetsch
    You can use the same software here you used back in the US, as long as you can access their websites behind the Great Firewall. Personally, I've used TurboTax for the past 3 years (the CD download). TaxAct is also an option, so is TaxSlayer.
  5. jwdoetsch
    This poster was having the same issue: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/47553-dcf-on-25112014still-waiting/ All the holidays coinciding with each other and the winter season is probably the best explanation as to why things have been moving so slowly. The poster in that thread got an email notification after about 70 days. Make sure to check your spam-filter folders too!
  6. jwdoetsch
    The only places with USCIS field offices are the Guangzhou consulate and Beijing embassy, right? In other embassies you'd have to deal with ACS then, can they even do USCIS document intake? edit: I'm assuming people would want to go to the closest embassy/consulate to file for convenience and cost, so you guys should note that you can use the English ctrip.com to book cheap flights very easily and also to book hotels simply.
  7. jwdoetsch
    So that's a total of about 70 days, yeah?
  8. jwdoetsch
    Here's question number 4: Are photocopies of testimony letters going to be accepted as evidence or should I submit the originals when filing instead? Are photocopies of evidence fine as long as you bring the original evidence along, or are they really not going to look through the evidence for photocopies and look at the originals and then stamp/approve the photocopies?
  9. jwdoetsch
    Hey all, I have found some sample cover letters here on CFL using the forums search, but I haven't come across one specific to DCF'ing. I'm planning to file next week so I'm organizing my documents now and writing up my cover letter. I've used the I-130 Instructions PDF and the Guangzhou Consulate page on DCF'ing to come up with this list: How does this look? What about police records? that's only for the DS-260 right? Will the Consulate want an original of the marriage notarial certificate and the birth notarial certificate or do they want a photocopy of the notarial certificates? Do I need to include any financial documents such as tax transcripts and so on? That isn't necessary at this stage in the game, right; itsn't it for DS-260? And some extra questions: Regarding photocopies: I have photocopies (prints, really) from some friends in different provinces but I don't actually have the original documents. Will the Consulate accept these or must I have the original documents? Regarding continuation sheets and signatures: does my signature and date need to be on literally everything; photos, continuation sheets, photocopies of testimony letters, etc? Regarding pictures: is it necessary to write each name on the back of the picture or just the date, location, and a simple description like "ME with NAME'S family for Spring Festival"? Thanks a million, everybody! Best, Jake
  10. jwdoetsch
    To file a petition, no, you will be dealing with a clerk that will simply check to see if everything is in your package and take the filing fee. However, there is a second reason to bring your spouse to the consulate, that is to get a certified copy of her passport and national ID to attach to the W-7 to apply for an ITIN when you file a joint tax return. http://candleforlove.com/forums/tags/forums/ITIN/http://www.irs.gov/uac/Form-W-7,-Application-for-IRS-Individual-Taxpayer-Identification-Number Good call, but we weren't married by the end of 2014, so I've already filed my 2014 taxes as single. We will be able to get her an SSN when applying for the DS-230, right?
  11. jwdoetsch
    This doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has done business with Alibaba. My wife and I have a few different wholesale/retail stores that we operate on one of their web platforms and fake transactions, crap products, customer payoffs, review and ratings padding and more are all seen as normal. This goes on in almost all Chinese businesses, actually. And since it's so endemic, every business owner or trader is forced to participate in order to compete. edit: It's not surprising that these allegations are coming to light now that Alibaba is now publicly traded in the US. It's the face of Chinese business for many western traders, it makes sense that China would want the company to employ fair business practices. I don't think these allegations would have been made had not gone public.
  12. jwdoetsch
    Good deal, thanks for sharing your experience! I'm heading there next week to file, myself, and it's good to read recent experiences.
  13. jwdoetsch
    Did you guys take your spouse, though? Could you foresee any reason why it would help if the spouse was present?
  14. jwdoetsch
    Hey all, What are your experiences bringing your spouse with you to the Embassy or Consulate when initially filing your petition? I talked with the Guangzhou DHS/USCIS phone operator and they said that of course the spouse can come but it isn't a requirement. I figure it would be helpful if there are any questions that need to be asked, but it's really quite expensive traveling around China at this time (specifically coming back from Guangzhou because of all the migrant factory workers returning home for the holiday). So, I wanted to know your experiences having or not having your spouse join you when filing. And a second question; have any of you used passport photos from China on filing? The quality is usually horrible and they do so much Photoshop work that it ends up being fakey looking. -J
  15. jwdoetsch
    Thanks a bunch, Dan, I really appreciate it
  16. jwdoetsch
    Hey all! We're working on our petition paperwork and I've come up with a few questions that I'm stumbling over. Research on CFL and VJ hasn't yielded anything, so here it goes: [i-130] I'm currently living with together with my wife in China (we've been living together for the last 2.5 years actually) and I'm not sure if I should put my Chinese or US address in section B of the I-130. [i-130] Section E of the I-130 calls for a phone number, but it's formatted in US style. Should I just leave it blank since I have no US phone number because I currently reside in China?[i-130 and G-325A] The only address that should be in Chinese should be where it specifically calls for it on the I-130 section C. #20, right? Thanks all. If there's some huge resource of filled forms for China DCF petitioners that I've missed I would sure love to know about them. My research has turned up jack. -Jake
  17. jwdoetsch
    If you try to ask the notarial service to add extra pages, they'll basically tell you to bugger off. Randy W is right, the notary officers have to follow a prescribed format when preparing, binding, signing, and chopping the notarial certificates. Remember, these white books aren't issued by the Chinese government to satisfy US immigration requirements; they exist separate from that for a whole host of international and Chinese civil affairs.
  18. jwdoetsch
    If you try to ask the notarial service to add extra pages, they'll basically tell you to bugger off. Randy W is right, the notary officers have to follow a prescribed format when preparing, binding, signing, and chopping the notarial certificates. Remember, these white books aren't issued by the Chinese government to satisfy US immigration requirements; they exist separate from that for a whole host of international and Chinese civil affairs.
  19. jwdoetsch
    Thanks for the input, guys. Wanting healthcare for evidence of intent to establish domicile is really secondary. I just want her and I to have health insurance on our first day back in the states. Also, I'd like health coverage just in case I have to drop back to the US for emergency health care. But it sounds like that's not exactly going to be possible on account of her not having any relevant ID numbers. We just got married yesterday and that qualification for a special enrollment period only lasts for 60 days after the date of marriage. So, basically, we're going to have to apply at the same time when we drop into the states (qualifies for a special enrollments period when moving to a different state or, in our case, moving back to a state). I wonder if the special enrollment qualification applies to couples or individuals... And, because today is the deadline for February 1st coverage, the call-center won't even let you wait for a representative and is making us provide a phone number so they can call us back. But it's got to be a US phone number. It sucks being an edge-case.
  20. jwdoetsch
    Howdy all, When did you all add your spouses to your healthcare plan? I'm working on signing up for subsidized healthcare on Healthcare.gov to take advantage of those sweet sweet Premium Tax Credits but my wife doesn't yet have an Alien ID number, tax ID, or SSN... We're actually still present in China and will probably be sticking around until the summer, but I'd like to establish healthcare for the sake of evidence for establishing domicile during my wife's IV interview. Any thoughts? Thanks, guys! Peace, Jake
  21. jwdoetsch
    I've been using my Discover Card fee-free in China and have never been hit with a transaction fee of any kind. The conversion is incredibly fair also, they definitely aren't making any money on the conversion spread. I've actually had less problems using my Discover Card than I have with CCB or China Everbright cards.
  22. jwdoetsch
    Hey all, Thanks for all the help so far. I'm presently working on collecting testimony letters from our friends and coworkers regarding the bona fides of our relationship. While working on this I really couldn't find a suitable format that they could follow for their letters, so I made one up. The first page is where the person writes their birthday, address, and all that and the second page (or however many it takes) includes their letter of testimony. Many of our friends have written some, how do I put this... not to brief letters but they're really thoughtful and descriptive, so that's why I opted for this format. Basically, its like a form letter stating their contact and relationship information and then attached to that is a thoughtful and detailed account of their relationship to us and anything else they think might be prudent to add. Page 1: Page 2: Please, have a look! I'm posting it here for critique, and also because someone could be trying to do the same thing we're doing but coming up short on their search like we were. -Jake
  23. jwdoetsch
    Just one and for the filing of the I-130 just a photocopy will do. Any idea which one? Anecdotes suggest that it's probably the beneficiary's, correct?
  24. jwdoetsch
    Since both husband and wife receive a marriage certificate when married, are white books needed for both certificates or just one? Anecdotal evidence is sparse and inconsistent...
  25. jwdoetsch
    Yeah I guess it's more or less irrelevant isn't it, she doesn't have a passport yet. I'll just assume that Guangzhou is going to ask for the jazz outlined on their page.Thank, Randy. I'm really good and over-stressing and worrying.
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