E & S

Hello, We mailed out AOS/EAD/AP together on jan 12th.. today we received the I-797C for only AOS and EAD with the appointment date for the biometric. And they both have its own application number. We tried to search our case on USCIS's website and customer service call but neither case can be located.. is this normal? Also.. what's the difference between I-797 and I-797C. Is it normal that we don't receive one for the AP application? Could it come in a separate mail? I just hope this doesn't mean our AP application got lost or forgotten.

When i went to the DMV here in Wisconsin.. First we went to the one in a smaller town and they told me I needed green card. Later we went to Madison's DMV, the officer said the same thing about the 60-day thing on my I-94.. however.. he tried to search on his computer and pulled up something saying if I would go back with the I-797 for I485, then I can apply for both state ID and driver license.

We entered through Detroit.. the first officer was very friendly but very young.. not sure what to do with a K1.. so he sent me to an older officer, still very friendly. They basically asked me when we would get married.. and asked me if i understood what would happen if we wouldn't get married within 90 days.. he also opened the whole brown envelope from GUZ and browsed through them.. they needed to find the extended stamp from GUZ on top of the I-129F.. mine was stamped at the bottom of the form and he couldn't find it at the beginning.. so it took a little bit longer there as he had to discuss it with other officers to see if they could issue me a new extension.. but then they found the GUZ stamp and the problem was fixed.

Congratulations!!! Agree with u very much regarding the being relaxed, happy and confident! Also agree that prayers work!! It worked wonders for us too! Best luck!

Can only answer your question #2. Yes, both you and your fiancee need to write up a page of how you met till how you come to decide going for the K1.. that's required as answers to one of the questions on I-129F. Not too short.. not too long.. one page is probably perfect.

We have called a few times by using the paid phone card. The phone calls were always received by very friendly Chinese speaking people. However, the answer they gave us wasn't as updated as the DHL and EMS tracking site. It looks like it will take quite some time for the computer system to have all the up-to-date info. I remember calling GUZ when I saw on EMS that my P4 was already in Shanghai.. but GUZ said they didn't see that on their computer.. it still showed that they were in receipt of my P3. Same thing with their email system. They always replied my emails but info is not updated enough. I remember one time I had a typo about my email address.. they couldn't reach me by email.. they even called my cell phone to answer my question. If EMS website says they can't find the tracking no., it means that package is not mailed yet (not scanned by the post office yet).

yeah.. packing is my next project! Have moved many times and never liked packing.. but i guess this time is the only time i feel motivated. :-)

Just checked on the EMS website.. my visa was already mailed out on the 7th (interview was on the 6th). I have it mailed to my parents as they reside in Guangdong province. Wish they could mail to Shanghai though!

Thanks again everyone! While I have more time these days to think it over, I actually tend to believe that the VO has formed an idea of whether or not to approve your visa before you show up at the window.. these are a few things that led me to this conclusion: 1) I saw that every officer took out a stack of papers from the brown envelope (on top of it is the I-129F form with some key answers crossed out in red ink). Before they call out your number, I saw they need a few minutes to browse through the papers and busy typing. I think by this point they already formed the general idea and knew what to ask. 2) I used a rubber band to bind my two passports together as one of them is expired with my old visa info in it. She asked for my passport when I went up to the window. She doesn't mind the hassle to take off the rubber band and returned my old passport and told me she only needed to keep my new old. That made me wonder why she said she needed to keep it. That was before she started any questions. If I would get blue or white, she doesn't even need to take off the rubber band and she could just return me the whole thing. 3) Very few questions asked. I had a thick stack of papers but she only asked to see photos and 2007 tax return. Before the interview, a friend of mine gave me really good advice. She told me to go through my own situation very carefully to find out if there could be anything that the VO will feel like questioning.. anything that I could think of that would become my weakness that prevents me from getting the visa. She helped me make out a list of them and I practiced the answers many times. She told me not to let the VO catch you anything unprepared. From what I observed at the interview room, especially seeing some key words being crossed out on the forms, I do believe the VO is trying to spot your weakness and ask questions according to that.

Thank you everyone!! I've found CFL very helpful and friendly place. I am sure part of the reasons we were well prepared is from the help in CFL. I hope everyone here's journey will go well too!

Our K1 was approved today!! Very excited still.. want to share the questions and my 2 cents.. (this is E.. the applicant) My VO is a black lady.. I was told by the woman next to me that she's supposed to be very difficult and tough.. when they called my number - oh well, i was assigned to her window. She did appear to be pretty serious even though i said "good morning ma'am".. she went pretty straight to the questions: VO: May i have your passport pls? Who is your petitioner? Me: xxxx - my fiance. VO: (typing) How did you meet? I told the story.. she seemed to know part the story already and kept nodded her head (it was more like a verification to check if I would tell the same story as my fiance has written at the I129f) VO: How many times has he visited China? Me: I count it as 4 times, but he counts it as 5 (smile) VO: Why?? (looks confused) Me: We went to Thailand together once and back to Shanghai.. he got another entry stamp.. he is always proud to tell he has come to China 5 times. VO: (laugh) I think it is 5 too! I see you have been to the US for work, how many times? Me: No, not for work. It was business trip. 5 times totally. VO: What did you to there? Me: (explained the work related activities and mentioned I always spared time to spend with S) VO: May I see your photos (browsed very quickly through my scrapbook) Me: We have visited many places together. VO: (smile) I can see! You have met both families too, right? Me: Yes VO: Oh, he has kids? Me: Yes, two. (I continued with their names and ages) VO: Was he divorced? Me: Yes. Vo: When Me: It was finalized in xxx,xxx. VO: May I see tax return? Me: (I gave her 2007). Do you need 2005 and 2006 too? I have them? VO: No, thank you (gave back the tax return). Congratulations!! Your visa is approved!! I was a bit surprised at this point as it was barely 5 mins.. while I saw most others spent 15 mins or even longer at the windows. I was so surprised that I forgot to say thank you, but I told her instead "You should come to my wedding!" VO laughed out loud and said "Thank you!!" Then she congratulated me again and gave me the pink sheet.. told me how to get the post office to mail the visa. Then I told her thank you and have a great day.. she was all smiling and wished me good luck! So.. all went well!! I think it is very important to stay calm, keep smiling, try to make it relaxing! It is always very important not to get nervous from what others tell you while waiting! Just believe that every one's situation is different and just try your best to prove it! I talked to a few women while waiting and realized that their husbands sent them all the materials.. but these women didn't even know the name of their Visas.. or what are the documents or what are required! No doubt, they got turned down! I think it is so important to let your loved ones participate as much as possible! Oh.. and don't listen to any of the people trying to "scare" you downstairs outside of the building.. I was told that K1 was the most difficult one and my experience abroad will only cause me trouble.. blah blah blah.. then told me I should go to their lawyer's .. don't let those beat u down! Keep your confidence up! also.. there's really no need to stand in the line early.. they didn't have the interview according to the number order. So.. that's my sum up for my interview.. gonna sleep now with smile! :-)

Congratulations!!! Glad that the long waiting is over and that u can be together soon!! Our interview is coming up on the 6th! Hope we share some of your luck!

hope you have a pink day coming! Good luck!!!

judorex, sorry to hear about your situation. maybe u should call GUZ instead of DOS. we've been calling both and got the feeling the GUZ is more helpful. For example, DOS told us GUZ has not received ours while GUZ said they haven't loaded the info to the computer.. GUZ also told us if we don't get P3 4 months after it was mailed, we can contact them for a specific inquiry. To contact GUZ, u will need to buy that phone card though. I think it is 54rmb for 12mins.

Sorry.. I actually refered to the interview documents, not the documents the consulate has. I think I read somewhere that one can get blue when their I-134 is more than 3 months old... We have all of our papers notarized in June.. if that's the case.. most likely we have to redo them.. is that so? thanks!!