Chinese Wife!!!

Hey Mike- finally getting to the end of a hard rocky road with this process? You may have seen this in another post concerning tax returns but..... my wife's N-659 Naturalization check list states "An original IRS form 1722 listing tax information for the past three years (call IRS toll free at 1-800-829-1040) or copies of the income tax forms you filed for the past three years; and....". I have seen someone here state that IRS no longer does Form 1722's but I will check myself shortly. I do NOT have any copies with legal standing as my tax guy files them electronically. My thoughts on the tax returns requirement? STATUS OF AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP can be very easily be deduced i.e., filing joint as opposed to filing seperately and having different addresses for either refunds or payment.

I think the timeline between biometrics and interview actually depends on the availability of slots at the LOCAL OFFICE (Also noted: her notice came from the USCIS CA branch- your USCIS District Office mileage may also vary). Las Vegas HAD BEEN running about a year between both until recently- there was a concentrated push to approve and swear in new citizens in time for the elections. My wife had biometrics done in Vegas on 5/30/08- her interview date is 12/02/08. Richard

Carl, My wife has a form N-659 "Naturalization Interview Document Check List" for her citizenship interview that requires "All passports and travel documents (including expired and current) issued to you by any government"- the underlining of All is USCIS' doing. Did Bing get to keep her Chinese PP? Did they punch a hole in it? Best of my (somewhat aged) recollection my ex-wife surrendered her Thai PP at her US Citizenship swearing in. Richard

My old recipe called for potassium nitrate. Then again sodium nitrate may work??? Think there is a tiny bit of it in my jerky compounds. Timothy Mc Vey used ammonium nitrate (fertilizer) on the Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City.

Any and all school records or professional licenses for a spouse and any applicable child. Don't forget certified translations and possibly ORIGINAL Chinese transcripts signed and sealed on the OUTSIDE enclosure by the School officials (wife is having a "beach" of a time with ECE accepting her documents to take the FPGEE Pharmacist's test). This requirement was NOT put forth on FPGEE or ECE web sites in advance. She went to Cn got copies certified to their web site requirements. We submitted such and ECE rejected 2 records as the OUTSIDE PACKAGES was not signed and sealed by a school official. Richard

Daughter age 16 needs a police certificate!! Mark Mark, I have told you in a PM and I will say it here in the forum, I would be very surprised/shocked if GUZ asked for a police report for your daughter, on the exact day of her 16th birthday. I think they will be very happy for her !! She and your sweetie, will have a very big birthday present on that day !!!! I know you may want to be safe, and some here will bring forth the negative view, but I just don't think it would be an issue. In any event, I am so happy that you guys can see that light, very brightly now, at the end of the tunnel !! I don't know the specific details of Mark's situation but here's our experince with a child that did turn 16 in process- it appeared her P-4 was VERY imminent in late Sept/Oct 2005 based on timelines shown here and elsewhere. Our daughter's CR-2 was received in GZ in 7-2005. She was ALREADY in the system at Guangzhou simply awaiting the P-4 interview letter. Approx. two weeks before her birthday on 10/05/2005 the case was returned to NVC for a NOW required name check termed "Administrative Hold" by the DOS call center. After a month her case was RE-returned to GZ and she started all over in line for the P-4 until her March 2006 interview.

Izus, Thanks for the reply BUT I have tried this repeatedly- I DO NOT have a disc (or download location) to facilate the installtion of either the Thai or East Asian Langage packages. When I check the boxes for either I get a message similar in wording to "Insert system cd or list download location". C4Racer seems to be on the right track for my problem. I have spent a couple more hours at Microsoft trying to find a "East Asian Language" download package but so far they are all tied into an "authenticated" copy of "Office". I *MAY* have had "Office" ORIGINALLY installed before repairs but...... it's long gone as is the language package that WAS definintely on my computer before. Richard

This portion is located in the I386 folder of the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD. It is sometimes easy and other times hard to pick out just the files you need. The East Asian language should be in the Lang Folder, but you just might need some other files elsewhere to program the interface. It is better to get the whole I386 folder (586 Meg) so you don't miss anything. If you can wait until Tuesday evening after my blazing fast Internet install is done, I can provide you a link to download this folder. Otherwise, PM me. I could also burn you a CD and send it to you. Thank You Micheal! We got HER laptop back sooner than expected. Chinese friend of a friend thing over in Las Vegas. She can now read her e-mail in Chinese. Pressure is off me now but I would still like to get my 'puter back up W/Chinese. For mine, I might try finding the I -386 Lang. folder within my system today. I went to the Windows site days back seeming to recall that XP SP 2 and/or updates had some type of Lang. options (computer guy MAY thought it un-necessary???). If I am unsuccessful I'll PM you about the file on Tuesday. Thanks Again! Richard

Go to the HP site and order the system restore CD (costs money). You should also order the Windows service pac CD too (free), they mail it to you. Also, at the startup of your computer when you first turn it on, you can press F11 for system restore (but the computer guy probably erased it (the original) with his CD and did not load the other drivers from online you need). If you made a CD of your HP system restore when you first bought your computer, then you can load that (but sounds like you did not, so too late now). Thanks Mike This is more the direction I need to go in. I was hoping something more expedient could be done than order restore discs thru HP. Tried this in the past (between repair guys #1 &2) and they sent me FRENCH disks, had a heck of a battle to return these/get credit then was told that they no longer stock the English versions and I had to get them through a secondary source??? System seems to be operating fine after the second repair- just don't have the East Asian Language package. Kinda hoping I could somehow download or get a disc just this portion. The first "Computer expert" I took it to for a "corrupt system 32" wiped EVERYTHING- after him the F-11 funtion was gone and the MORON installed "Windows ME" without any Word programs and the like. He also seemed to think restore was F-10??? Some expert!!! This crap repair took him 6-7 days instead of the 1 he promised. After the HP French disc episode went to a second guy- seemed up to speed and got everything back to the XP originally installed but minus the East Asian stuff. I did miss the fact of making my own copies due to the salesmans hype when I bought this thing. "No discs come with it because the restore function is automatically built in". As other lessons I life I'm learning through the school of hard knocks ! I might just go ask the second repair guy if he can fix and how $$$. Richard

Thanks for the reply Michael BUT I believe my problem is in the basic operation of my computer. Almost all the IME links in this post and anything in CFL that have Chinese charaters will only display as either squares or random symbols. Wife again attempted to open her Yahoo email and it's all squares also. We tried switching to the China international version- same thing. I seem to think that my basic need is to SOMEHOW restore the ability to install the "East Asian Language" package back onto my computer system FIRST then proceed from there (i.e., IME's in this and other threads). Problem here is that HP computers ship WITHOUT CD's. (Note: My system was totally wiped out and the computer repair guy got me back-up and running but WITHOUT the "East Asian Lang." capabilities I USED to have. ) Richard

I get to this point and its all stop. My HP computer did NOT come with the Windows XP CD. Computer HAD the ability to install "East Asian Language" before it got fried and went to the shop. (Now the wife's fully loaded Chinese language laptop has taken a dump and repair efforts seem to be a ways off). Anybody know of an easy and inexpensive way to overcome this i.e., a site location to enter at this prompt or a way to download a fix? Spent 2-3 hours at Microsoft and HP sites but it's beyond my ability. TIA Richard

Ken, I spent virtually a full year in Shanghai 2004/05. The financial end of bill paying was mostly done online thru either my B of A or WAMU accounts. At that time it was not quite so easy to set-up payment for some smaller concerns (i.e., the local rural utility, tv cable and garbage companys) so I went to them in advance and signed up for their automatic debit/credit card payment programs. Nowadays I can pay almost anybody online thru B of A. I found I could manage the mortgage, auto/house insurance and even DMV online at their respective sites also. I also put my son on one of my checking accounts and left him a full set of checks for incidentals (i.e., smog test on the car, gas, a little allowance for taking care of my stuff and paying someone to cut down the growth on my 1+ acre lot). Left my car with my son for the following reasons: Was happy with the vechicle and had paid it off- planned to keep it. He drove it the 110 miles between Las Vegas and here to check my house- keeping it from getting a dead battery or flat spots on the tires. Was still registered in a smog area and needed smog test for DMV renewal. Kept my house empty but had the neighbors and son watching it (got both a calling card and used email to keep in contact). Personally, I did not want to rent it out as I had already repaired damage, repainted and carpeted the place- house was rented out before I bought it. Left the utilities on (and the refrig in operation) for extreme heat/cold protection. Son would run the facets, dishwasher and flush the toilets monthly to prevent seals form drying out or taking a set. One thing that did go wrong was USPS. The local PO said that I could simply have my mail forwarded to my son's address. WRONG! Anything from the US Government (USCIS, my US Gov. retirement and health ins. paperwork) got returned to Sender. I had to fly back here to get a replacement NOA I-797C from my I-130 petition so that I could then file the K-3 petition. Richard

I lived in Shanghai for a year and found an easy way to locate "American" cooking items such as baking powder & soda, yeast, turkeys, our style of corn meal etc. was to visit the expatriate sites of major cities, i.e., shanghaiexpats.com. I was a member there for most of my time in CN. Normally, you just need to create a user name/password to join the sites. Not only could I find American style ingredients at markets but I used the restaurant guides to locate either GOOD western, vegan, Thai, Brazilian BBQ or other eats. Ditto on hotels, doctors, activities (biking, hiking, tours, Chinese lessons). A wealth of info was available there. I also found (and used) these expat sites in advance when we traveled to large cites such as GZ, Beijing and even Hangzhou. All I did was enter the city name and either "expat" or "expatriates" into the search engine. Richard

Yes, it will be an additional 1090 dollars. OUCH!!! That's + for your wallet. A few years back I was in contact with a couple at VJ that had FIVE kids FTJ- but i believe the fees were even cheaper than the old $275 fee I paid for my wife's new card. Some of us need to offer thanks for China's one child policy perhaps.

Mailed daughter's I-751 petition on 1/7/08 (by regular mail) to CSC. Got her ACS appointment letter on Saturday. Appointment for biometrics in our local Las Vegas office is scheduled for 2/7/08- (More detail in our timelines below). I see people at other Service Centers that filed months ago and are still in the holding pattern- I truly feel bad for you folks. Timing on my wife's 10 year GC caused us to go to DMV extra two times but I think the daughter will make it with 1 extra trip (to update the lic. expiration dates based on legal status dates.)

Ken, it appears that the childREN arrived more than 90 days past the mother??? Will this require two (or more) petitions for your kids??? As in $545.00 times number of kids I paid the old $275 fee for the wife and the new $545.00 for the daughter . I personally feel this 90 day crap and MORE fees is ridiculous.

Really glad for all three of you. It was a real trail of tears you went through with the wife. A heads up concerning his university studies- make sure he gets transcripts and translations of such before he leaves (and in some cases they must be sealed by the educational institution). Richard

David, One item that is very obscure is when there is a child(ren) that enters the US more than 90 days AFTER the parent does- TWO SEPERATE I-797 PETITIONS and full fees are due. I looked at the USCIS instructions, various resources such as the VJ guides, etc. I could not find this requirement. I even called the USCIS hotline in adavnce. Likewise knowing of the I-751 in advance I had my wife ask the Immigration Officer about it when the daughter came here. He told her that we file the petition for both at THE SAME TIME- wife on the front (meaning Part 1) and daughter on the back (meaning Part 5). He stated that the conditional conditions of the GC are based on the date of our marriage not when the date of arrival of the daughter. Upon receiving rejection of the petition w/ both of them on it I called USCIS again. First two CSR's were clueless & useless. Took about an hour and two officer supervisiors further up the food chain to quote me the source of the requirement. Had the original I-751 gone through it would have been $205 for the I-751 and $70 each for the biometrics. I ended up paying $275 ($205 + $70 biometrics at THAT time) for the wife and $545 additional for the daughter due to the seperate I-751 and NEW FEES! Thinking about a couple at VJ that had 5 kids FTJ later I recommend using a personal check to pay fees for a few reasons (W/ my Bank of America account online): 1) I knew when the check cleared my bank immediately and 2) made a copy of that check to find the case number written on the front. Guess what? Got TWO seperate I-797 NOA's on 1/18/08 with daughters name BUTTWO DIFFERENT CASE NUMBERS (i.e., WAC08XXX00296 & WAC08XXX00304). Due to the check copy already in hand I was able to tell USCIS which was probably the correct one. This method also saved my butt when I was living in CN and my I-130 NOA were returned by USPS as undeliverable.

it. There doesn't seem to be any interview process (at least in Vegas) but there is the ACS Appointment that consists of biometrics and thereby resulting in a new picture on the 10 year green card. Went up the food chain at the USCIS 1-800 help you NOT line today concerning duplicate notices for the daughter's I-751. The "Officer Supervisor" stated that interviews are still sometimes being done at the descretion of the local offices or to "resolve relationship issues beyond those found at the service centers that a more personal approach may be needed". Ditto on MikeXiao's experience. Wife's I-751 was refiled about May 20, 2007, NOA date 6/5/2007, ACS letter date of 6/18/2007, biometrics done 7/17, 10 year GC mailed 8/03/2007. Her case was through the USCIS CA Service Center and locally the Las Vegas office for biometrics. In a related discussion the above USCIS Officer Supervisior claimed it took "about a year".

Second time around for me, now the step-daughters' I-751 is in progress. Got TWO NOA notices today with two DIFFERENT case numbers (Wac-08-XXX-00296 and WAC 08-XXX-00306)! Looked at my canceled check and found her WAC # handwritten on the front of the check- will call USCIS tomorrow and tell them maybe the other one (#-00296) belongs to someone else that is looking for it. There doesn't seem to be any interview process (at least in Vegas) but there is the ACS Appointment that consists of biometrics and thereby resulting in a new picture on the 10 year green card. My wife's ACS notice (dated 6/18/2007) has a statement concerning rescheduling: "... Make a copy of this notice for your records, then mail the original with your request (for rescheduling) to... " our local USCIS facility.

Update: A cake walk for the both of them. Submitted B-2 online to Shanghai Cons in late March, sucessful interview in April. Interviewer liked the above letters and got a chuckle out of something on one of them. NO I-134 submitted as 001 members were pushing. Both got 1 year multiple entries visa. Have since come to US and then returned home. Re: Skibums prior comments, they WERE asked if they had other children remaining in CN- they do- based on the timing and way it was asked- her parents seem to think this issue could have resulted in a possible denial otherwise

We are in process of submitting tourist visa applications for Mama and Baba. My Chinese Wife keeps getting info from 001.com where posters are saying WE need to submit fianicial records for THEM to come here. At least one of them is promoting an I-134 as required??? I have read numerous posts here and the USCON site for Shanghai and I do NOT see any such requirement (there is a statement about the US based person(s) making assurances BUT VO has discretion as to using such). I have written a letter of invitation and stated that I will provide for ALL costs including airfare, lodging, meals, amusement, unexpected but unlikely medical and incidental expenses despite them having savings- I wish to re-pay them for what they have done for us while I was there for a year AND taking care of our daughter while waiting on the visa (about 8 months now). Likewise they have a copy of one of our CD acc'ts of $35,000+ to back it up. QUESTION: For those of you that HAVE been sucessful on a tourist visa, DID YOU PROVIDE any type of fianicial documentation as is been promoted elsewhere??? Thanks, Richard

Yes, there is federally funded job training available- often referred to as the "Title I" program. Nevada Job Connect is the outfit here. In the late 1990's it was called PIC (Private Industry Council??) in the Northern CA area when I got Locksmith training. The qualification requirements are quite simple, LPR or better, being un/under employed, upgrading skills or a displaced or disabled worker. Wife is being funded through this program for 1 year at Community College to "üpgrade" her skills to a "Technician" despite her being a degreed and fully licensed medical professional in China. Also I found that as this is Federally funded- the cost of many facilities (public and private even) that provide training are substancially lower than a person "off the street might pay". We got told the costs of re-imbursement of C. college here AND three private schools. Somewhat related: There are a number of places that will rate a Forgien License and college classes to apply here but we found that GENERALLY the medical training received in China was of too short a duration and there is very little reciprocary between Cn and the US- even with training at Tonji and Fudan U.. We also are aware of the He!! a husband (Chinese Medical doctor) and wife Traditional Chinese Medical Doctor) went through getting lic here. Suprisingly, SHE was licensed in CA before coming here but does NOT meet NV requirements. Before anyone says that she can not do this due to the I-864, we have throughly checked this out and found that it is NOT true.

Here's a few that I have the step-daughter practicing. Most questions were gleaned from assorted visa types, age groups and other consulates. Do you have your passport? Who is your petitioner? or what is your step-fathers name? What do you call him? How do you like him? or What do you think about your step-father? or How does he treat you? Where does he live? How many times have you met him? Did you live in the same house (or address) as him when he was in China? How long did you live with him? Is he here today? Who brought you here today? or Who came with you today? What do YOU think about going to the US? What do you think about leaving China? Where is your real father? Will you miss your father (or your friends) when you leave China? What will you do in the US? or What school will you go to? Where will YOU live in the US? Why do YOU want to go to the US? Does your step-father have any other children? --------- Plan to have her take her Mom's green card into the interview paperclipped on top of her passport, then fold my PP inside that and finally the step's PP in the middle. Then have her place it right up there at the interview window so it will NOT be missed. Likewise she'll be wearing Mom's lucky interview shirt. Has our City and state's names and a map on it. (Note: Mom worn a thin open business jacket over the shirt last June as it was a little less casual and the Cons at Shamain was known to be chilly INSIDE).

I believe the original poster's intent is to go there as a "tourist" first and then change to a work visa. This could be done as an in country procedure. For me, in Shanghai, this was done at the Chinese Gov. office called the "Exit/Entry Bureau" as were repeated extensions of a tourist visa. Many other large cities also have an Exit/Entry Bureau. I'm not familiar w/ Hubei. I would say that I have gleaned a lot of info about this from the website shanghai.expats.com either from direct links, forums and/or posts there. Likewise the English version of the "City of Shanghai" web site- takes a bit to find the link to the Exit... It will probably be VERY SIMILAR but not exactly the same in HuBei in DETAILS. Sorry I don't have time to provide links- slooooow dial-up connections here.