AngryTexan

Shyaushu, I truly sympathize with you, and I understand your plight. I have not visited this website for well over a year and a half, and I had no idea the process was still so agonizingly long. I applied for my wife's fiancee visa in November of 2001, and we did not receive it until March 2003. Hence the name "AngryTexan." It is truly a disgraceful situation.

Robert S., Your post did bring back some bad memories. We waited 17 months, from 10-01 to 03-03. There were some around our time period who waited even longer. To say it really sucked would be an understatement All I can say to all who are now enduring the unconscionable wait is that it WILL end. Keep the faith.

Came across the following article in today's New York Times concerning waiting periods for green cards, AOS, etc. The Black Hole reprised. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/06/nyregion/06VISA.html Not sure I did this correctly to create a link, so if anyone knows how to do it, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Mike, I'm an attorney, and while I do not practice family law, my instinct is to tell you that you should try to do it here if at all possible. At the very least, you should get the divorce petition personally served on her here so that a default judgment can be entered against her if she does not appear at the final hearing. If she returns to China and you have not had her formally served with the divorce petition, you could run into a real nightmare concerning notice, her ability to contest the proceeding (even in a no-fault state), etc. In most states, the court will proceed with the case in her absence, as long as she has been formally served. In any event, you should absolutely consult with a competent family law attorney in your state to review your options, given the differences in divorce law that exist between various jurisdictions. Sorry to hear the news. Feel free to PM me if I can be of any assistance, although I am only licensed to practice in Texas.

My wife lived in tropical Shenzhen, where the climate is very similar to what we have here in Houston. However, I made two trips in the winter, and always seemed to be cold, due in large part to the fact that she did not have any heat in her apartment. I mean, when it's in the low 40's and very humid, it can get uncomfortable for those of us who grew up in the South. In fact, I developed a nasty cold during my Christmas 2001 trip, which I suspect was due to the fact that I could never seem to get warm. Of course, I'm not sure if that was worse than the trips I took in the summer, when I found Shenzhen to be unbearably hot and humid. Coming from a guy who has lived his entire life near the Gulf Coast in Texas, that's saying alot. I remember the first time I walked into her apartment in July of 2001, and said a prayer of thanks when I saw a small air conditioning unit attached to the wall! I know....sounds like a typical spoiled, "soft" American!!!

Wow, where does one begin with this one............ ?

Orrin, Do you have any idea how many lies those of us in the original Black Hole group were told by GZ and DOS concerning this process, and the timelines involved? Do you realize how many guys, upon written assurances posted on the GZ website that visas would be issued the same day as their loved one's interviews, planned weddings, paid for receptions, and flew to GZ, only to have the door slammed in their face, and to be sent home without their loved ones? Do you know that I was told at one point in the process that my wife's namecheck had been cleared, and that her visa would be issued, only to be told the next day that it was a mistake, and that I would have to continue to wait (another 2 months)? Did you ever have to deal with Janice Foreman in Linda Donahue's office, who had the gall to ask me, after I had been waiting nearly 16 months, why I was so upset that applicants who had applied 6 months after I applied were receiving their visas and I was still waiting? To those of you who are considering protests, please inform me of your plans, and I will be there in Orrin's place. STILL The Angry Texan!

As is Li, Mick. You are a very lucky man indeed!!

After seeing how well Xiaolu takes care of me, and how much happier I am these days, several of my friends have inquired about the possibility of meeting her available friends in China. "Docile" and "obedient" are not words I would use to describe her. Rather, "kind", "generous", "caring", and "loving" are the ones that immediately come to mind.

Skibum, You raise a very valid point. The reuse of hypodermic syringes and needles in China is a MAJOR public health problem, and probably accounts for the fact that China has a hepatitis A infection rate that is SIXTY (60) times higher than the U.S., as recently reported in the NY Times. And with the spread of HIV in China, you really cannot be too careful. I hope that I have not offended any of the Chinese wives or fiancees by making these remarks, but it's not something that should be ignored.

Boy.....does it ever!!!!! B)

As a charter member of the Black Hole gang, I better jump in as well Great to hear from you Mark, Tine, AZWolfman, Mick, bobmal, ttlee, donahso, Robert S., and everyone else who shared our ordeal, including Eric and Owenkrout. Things are going great here. Xiao Lu was walking through the mall here a few days ago and ran into one of her friends from Shenzhen, who married a guy from Houston, and they are now attending English classes together. We also went to Dallas this past weekend to meet up with another one of her friends who now lives in Memphis, and had a great time. Speaking of the Black Hole gang, has anyone heard from JoninDenver?

We shipped some rather large framed photographs via China Post - "slow boat" surface transportation - for less than 10% of what it would have cost to go air freight on United. They arrived in Houston after about two months in perfect condition. You should be fine.

Congratulations Mick! Glad to hear the good news. Please give Li our best wishes !!!

I'm afraid the federal government has immunity Eric !!

We applied for Xiaolu's SSN on 06-13, at which time we were handed a letter saying that she should receive her card in about 2 weeks. Yesterday, after waiting 5 weeks, I called the local office and was told that because someone with the same name had recently applied for an SSN in another state, we needed to wait for a "background investigation" to be conducted, to make sure that it's not the same person trying to get two different numbers. No....I'm not making this up. Doesn't this "similar name" drill sound familiar? Needless to say, my Congressman's office will be receiving a phone call bright and early Monday morning.

Gongfuman, Mick is absolutely right. We received the same letter, and my wife picked up her visa the same afternoon as Mick's wife, and several others on this board. Your situation is very similar to ours, in that my wife received the EMS the same day I arrived in China for what I had assumed would be yet another trip at the end of which I would be once again returning home without her. Congrats, and savor the moment!!!!!!!!

JC, They pulled the same stunt on JoninDenver. I haven't seen him here in quite awhile, but you might consider trying to contact him to get his feedback. PM me if you want, and I will try to get you his e-mail address if you can't find it. Is there no end to the misery these jerks seek to inflict ?

More OT: You're absolutely correct youmolide, and I agree with you 100%. In fact, the only thing more disgusting than the behavior of the current administration is the total apathy of the average American citizen with regard to what is happening in this country today, and the seeming inevitability of another four years of the same. In fact, with the current crop of Democratic contenders, I fear a repeat of Nixon-McGovern '72, or Reagan-Mondale '84. The only thing that could possibly be worse than having to suffer another four years of the current occupant of the White House is having to do so after he has been given what he thinks is an electoral mandate. Just look what he's done already, despite having lost the popular vote in 2000. Can you imagine what's coming in the event he thinks a sizable majority is behind him?

While I consider myself to be fairly liberal, I'm afraid I'm with tparrent on this one. While I was enduring my 16 month wait, there was a Palestinian family here in Houston that was about to be deported to Jordan. They had come on tourist visas many, many years ago and simply overstayed. In any event, a local Congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee, took up their cause by arranging media events, press conferences, and even going so far as to introduce a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for them to be granted permanent residence status. Again, these people broke the rules, and were living here illegally!!!! All I can say is that Congresswoman Lee is damn lucky that I do not live in her district, because if I did, I would have taken up permanent residence in her office, demanding that Xiaolu and I be afforded the same constituent service she was giving to those who broke the rules

I was told by a board certified immigration attorney that the only requirement is that you marry within 90 days of her entry, and that the I-485 does not have to be filed within 90 days. However, I would NEVER take a chance on that, and I would make absolutely sure that your I-485 is filed within 90 days of entry. Call me paranoid, but I could see some bureaucrat somewhere deciding that it was not timely filed if past 90 days. And Mick, as usual, is absolutely right - this is a very murky area of the law. Since we filed within 90 days, I did not bother to find the answer concerning how long you can wait, but I will attempt to do so and post my immigration attorney's response.

I sympathize with you Mick, as you well know . However, there are a lot worse things than having to drive from Huntsville to Birmingham, which, in my opinion, is one of the most scenic drives in the U.S. I tell people that, and they usually say, "In Alabama?!?! You're joking, right?" Not at all - it is absolutely beautiful, and I recommend it to anyone who finds him or herself in that part of the country. The terrain is semi-mountainous, with beautiful pine trees and scenic cliffs. I know it's a little off topic. Sorry . But best of luck with BCIS!!!

I was told the same rumor about Texas, but discovered that it was false. However, there are a number of Chinese driving instructors here who advertise their services in the local Chinese newspapers. They all have translated the Texas handbook into Mandarin and Cantonese for their students, so you might try contacting one in your area to see if that works.

Mick, They do a draft off your checking account. I guess they can be trusted..... Anyway, I did it off the BCIS website, which I found off a search engine. Feel free to PM me if you need any more details.

Filed Xiaolu's I-765 online today. Beats the hell out of filling out forms, making copies, filling out certified mail forms, standing in line at post office, writing check, etc., etc. If only the I-485 could be made so easy!