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Although I'm prepared for our interview, we were notified with less than 2 weeks until our interview. Is this very common? Is it because we are DCF? I was hoping for a bit more prep time or ability to plan work and travel a bit better. Also, just curious, if I was to reschedule, let's say I tell them the week after, would there be a big problem with that? Do you think it'd be too risky that I may have to wait longer? I guess I'm venting a bit because I feel a little hurried....

Can anyone tell me the name of the gentleman who owns the apartment near the Guanzhou Embassy that helped my wife for K1 Visa? We are preparing for Visa for my wife's parents (B2) to visit us in the U.S. and wanted his advice or atleast a place for my wife's parents to stay in Guanzhou. Thank you all. Really dont know where to start. Have list of things for Inviter and Invitee, but just don't know where to send or even how to start. Her parents have their passports as of last month.

I just went and filed my i-130 in Guangzhou (that is, DCF) last week. Here is my description of the process, with pictures. (Since there are too many pictures here, some have been converted into links, which you can click on to see the pictures.) I stayed at Yang's, for more information on which you can also see these posts: http://candleforlove...sulate-complex/ http://candleforlove...y-in-guangzhou/ Thursday (4/26/2012) -- Arriving, locating Yang's and consulate I arrive in Guangzhou airport (domestic arrivals). Exit baggage claim and turn right, go to the escalator by door B6£¨6ºÅÃÅ£©(may have to exit and re-enter the building) and go downstairs. Follow the signs for the 'metro' (µØÌú). (Finding the metro inside the airport) To go to the consulate (or to Yang's), buy a token to Linhexi (ÁÖºÍÎ÷) -- which is on Line 3, the same one that leaves from the airport -- for 7 yuan, enter by swiping the token, and board the train (toward Tiyu Xilu ÌåÓýÎ÷·). Get off at Linhexi (ÁÖºÍÎ÷). Deposit the token to exit. (Linhexi metro station Exit C) The most straightforward way to get to the consulate (and to Yang's) is to go out Exit C from the metro station, turn right coming out of the exit (onto Tianhe Beilu ÌìºÓ±±Â·), pass Citic Plaza, and take the first left, onto Linhe Zhonglu (ÁÖºÍÖз). (Going past Citic Plaza on Tianhe Beilu) (The Linhe Zhonglu intersection, where you turn left.) Go up Linhe Zhonglu ÁÖºÍÖз for a couple blocks, crossing Linle (ÁÖÀÖ) Street and going by the Westin hotel; the embassy is not marked in any way except for the address number (136), but it's on the right, just before the IKEA. (Going past the Westin hotel on Linhe Zhonglu) (The intersection with the IKEA, which is where you turn right if you're going to Yang's, and means you've just passed the Consulate (if you're coming from the Linhexi station like me).) Yang's is just around the corner (turn right in front of the IKEA). I just called Yang's wife when I arrived at that street corner, since I hadn't had the forethought to figure out the address more specifically before arriving, but she came right out and met me, and took me in. She speaks decent English; I don't think her husband does, or at least he spoke to me in Chinese. (Yang's: 140 Linhe Zhonglu) (The street names are kind of ridiculous, by the way, in that you go up Linhe Zhonglu, and turn right, and you're still on Linhe Zhonglu, but the address numbers continue to increase accordingly. The metro Line 3 is also a bit weird in that it splits in two at Tiyu Xilu (ÌåÓýÎ÷·) so if you're going through that stop you may have to switch trains there to stay on the same line, or to make sure you're on the correct branch of the fork.) (The metro plan.) It's just an apartment building. Their address is 140 Linhe Zhonglu, apartment 2903£¨ÁÖºÍÖз140ºÅ2903·¿), which is (as you would expect) on the 29th floor, so you could probably just go straight there for check-in, or if you need to talk to them for anything else. But I didn't actually go there (until the next day), because, like I said, she came outside and met me. So then we just went to the room that I was renting; she took me up to the right floor and showed me into the room and gave me the keys. It's basically just one of these shared £¨ºÏ×â) Chinese apartments, I just had a very small private bedroom (with lock); the bathroom (and a small common area with little couches) was shared with the other four people staying in the unit. Which I wasn't expecting, but turned out to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage. (Yang's apartment: 2903) The place itself was alright; kinda dingy; about what you'd expect by Chinese standards (although maybe for half the price if it wasn't right in the same complex as the consulate). I did see several little cockroaches, but the little ones aren't so bad, right? By the way, I paid 180 RMB for a very small, closet-like room; the other people sharing the flat that I talked to had paid 188 for a slightly larger room, or 200 for a two-bed room. There was no wi-fi in the apartment I was in. (I get the impression that they have access to a variety of apartments around there, and put people wherever they can, depending on how many people there are.) There are other places to stay very nearby, which advertise cheaper rates, but may not speak English or know anything about the visa process, or whatever. I heard lots of people asking them questions and getting knowledgeable answers. Yang also helped me put money on my phone, which I needed. (Yang at his desk) So the good thing about staying here, and even about sharing a little apartment like this, is being able to talk to other people who are also staying here because they're applying for visas and stuff, and to be able to head to the consulate together, etc. Which takes us to... Friday (4/27/2012) -- DCF We arrived at the consulate at about 7:30 AM. It's just around the corner from Yang's, maybe a one or two minute walk. The entrance to the consulate's building is at 136 Linhe Zhonglu (ÁÖºÍÖз136ºÅ). (The entrance to the building the consulate is in) When I got there, there were huge lines of people waiting outside the doors, and they had just started letting them in at 7:30. They seemed to be mostly people applying for non-immigrant visas, and they were lined up according to the time of their appointment. The door, however, is open, and you can just waltz right in. Those other people have to wait outside to get their appointment ticket, without which they won't be able to be seen. But since I'm not going to the same section, and in any case I don't have an appointment (and indeed can't make one; they only see people from 8:30 to 10:30 AM on Fridays), I don't need to wait in these lines outside here, and you don't either. (The consulate's address number: 136) So anyway, you can just walk straight into the building. The consulate itself is on the 5th floor, so go up the escalators on the left after you walk in the door. The first floor is the lobby you enter in; the second floor is a balcony overlooking the lobby; the third floor is just another opportunity to go up another escalator. When you get to the fourth floor, there are two lines of people waiting to be let through (although it may be hard to tell, since the space is small and it kind of just looks like a huge crowded mass). Most of the mass is the line on the right, which is made up of the same Chinese people who were just waiting downstairs outside the building; they make a huge long line, at times snaking down the hall and around the corner (but it moves quickly once they start letting people through). In any case, you don't need to wait with them. The other line, which is the one on the left, is the one you want, and it won't start letting anybody through until 8:30 (Waiting on the fourth floor to be let through.) Like I said, I got there at a little after 7:30. To be honest, there's probably little reason to go so early, at least with the security trick I'll tell you in a minute. You can go line up, but they won't start letting through in until 8:30 (in contrast to the hordes of Chinese people going to the consulate for visa interviews, who began at 7:30). When I first found my way up to the third floor waiting area, there were about 7-8 people in line already. I went out and walked around and surveyed the premises, and didn't actually come back and get in line until about 8:00, at which time there were 15 people ahead of me. After another 20 minutes, there were another 7-8 people behind me, and at 8:30 when they opened the gate to start letting us in, there were a total of about 25 people in line. It's not really a huge number, but we're all waiting for just two workers to see us all when the time comes, and of course they supposedly close at 10:30 -- although I assume as long as you get in before that time, they would still see you sometime during the day (but that's just a complete guess on my part, and better safe than sorry, you might as well go early.) After they start letting people through at 8:30, they just check your passport (and in at least some cases ask you what your business is; I said file an i-130 at USCIS) and let you go upstairs to the fifth floor itself, where you then have to wait in line to go through security. Except you don't. The officer who let me through on the fourth floor (and who I told I was going to see CIS) told me when I got upstairs I should turn right. All the signage also says for USCIS you should turn right at the top of the stairs. (Signage indicating you should turn right.) Here's the security trick: Don't turn right. That would put you in the same security line as all the Chinese people, and it'd be a long wait, maybe over half an hour depending on how many people there are at that time. But if you turn left at the top of the stairs instead, you can go through the security checkpoint for the US citizen services area (for people who are adding pages to their passport, getting something notarized, getting a marriageability affidavit, etc., I think) -- and here's the thing, there was literally zero line at that one. And the waiting area is all connected on the other side of security, so it doesn't really make any difference whatsoever. (Here's the secret way through security so you don't have to wait in line.) Even though there were fifteen people in front of me in line on the fourth floor, there was only one other guy that knew about this security trick, and so I ended up second in line at USCIS. (And actually, he figured out he might be in the wrong place, so he actually let me go ahead of him, and I got in first.) So a huge thank you to the friend who tipped me off about this little shortcut. Going through security, they will collect your phone and camera and stuff, and you can pick it up when you leave. After you get through, you'll see a bunch of numbered windows; the numbers increase from left to right. You want to go all the way to the left, all the way past window number 1; there, there are two doors marked A and B, and a sign indicating that this is the USCIS area, which is what we want. There are also two rows of about ten chairs each there, which are the actual lines you wait in. I first sat in the line for B, but the guard moved me to A, and as I was sitting and waiting for a while, it looked like A was mostly for Americans and B was mostly for Chinese. There was also a sign on Door A that said that was the place for I-130. (So to summarize, on the fourth floor, wait in the line on the left. When you get up to the fifth floor, go through security by turning left. After going through security, go all the way to the left.) Now, they didn't actually open the door until 9:00. Maybe they're used to everybody waiting in the security line for half an hour first. In any case, they opened at 9:00. I was the first one they let in, and she apologized for making me wait, so I don't know if that means they usually actually open at 8:30 or if she was just being polite, but anyway that's when I got in. The officer herself was very friendly. She first asked to see my originals -- passports (mine and wife's) and marriage certificates -- then she accepted the huge stack of papers I had, all together, just as I had had it. She was very impressed by how organized it was. Her review of it was pretty cursory, just flipped through the stack for a few seconds to make sure the forms were all there and signed and filled out completely, and pictures were attached, and that's about it. Then she gave me a payment ticket and told me to go to window 16 to pay, which I did. The cost is 420 USD, which I paid as 2688 RMB, cash. Get the receipt, take it back to the officer (don't wait in line again; I just stepped to the front of the line, waited for the person who was currently in the room to come out, and then hopped in and gave her my receipt). The receipt gets attached to the top of the stack of papers I just gave her (and you get to keep a copy for yourself). Don't forget to pick up your valuables from security, and that's it; you're done. She told me USCIS should be done with their role in two weeks, and then they give everything over to the state department, but she couldn't tell me how long that would take or anything. I was done and through and out by 9:15. At that point, I hung around the exit for a while, waiting for the girl who I had walked over with this morning from Yang's to finish her interview, and I saw the guy who had been first in line by rights on the fourth floor but who didn't know about the security trick. He came out at 9:40. And FWIW this is the same place everybody exits, so if you accompany your wife (e.g.) to the interview, this is also where you would wait for her to come out. There's a little cafe and stuff. (The exit and waiting area)

My wife Yan originally interviewed on March 15th 2010 . They said it was not a bonafide realtionship and sent our case back to Customs and Immigration and National Visa Center for them to "reaffirm our petition" to Guangzhou. We had her second interview Sept, 22 2011 and this time no YES... no NO ...just "administrative Processing " It seamed like forever until last week when Yan was invited to come back to GUZ. She traveled 1572 km spent two nights and meet with the Consulate on two seperate occassions. They made her wait for four hours in a crowded room finally calling her to a window and DENYING our petition. They never asked a question. It has taken us 39 montyhs to get to this answer and they had no need to put my wife through the long travel and lodge charges etc... Just to say NO. I'm not sure the reason and I am sure we can appeal it but does anyone here have any advice for a story like ours. We we married 12/9/08. I have no reference point to match my emotions. It feels like somebody has killed a love one but no one is dead.... I'm lost. Anybody got anything for us?????????

OK, I give up on looking and I'm just going to ask you folks. Sorry if this information is posted somewhere else already and I just haven't found it... but I haven't found it. My question is: Which US embassy/consulate do I need to go to in China for my DCF? In all the documentation and instructions it seems like it's very important to go to the right consulate -- the one that has jurisdiction over your location -- and yet it's not easy to find out which consulate that is. In fact, I seem to be finding conflicting information about the jurisdictions of the various consulates, and it probably has to do with them offering different services than each other, so while you might be in one jurisdiction for some particular service, maybe you are in another jurisdiction for something else. At first I was thinking I would have to go to Guangzhou, but now I'm starting to think that's not correct. I think I was getting confused because ultimately her interview will be in Guangzhou, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's where I file the initial documents in order to get her the interview. We live in China, and want to do DCF. Of course, the official websites don't know that term. So what I'm looking for, first of all, is where to file an I-130 (right?). Then, at some point after that, she would have to do the interview in Guangzhou (I think?). So I think that my question is: where do I go to file the I-130? My wife's hukou is in Zhejiang and we live in Zhejiang. It seems like that (might?) make us under the Shanghai consulate's jurisdiction, but it looks like the Shanghai consulate doesn't do I-130s. So maybe I actually have to go to Beijing. But I'm not at all sure about this, and I don't want to take a trip all the way to Beijing and then find out I'm in the wrong place. Surely this question -- of where the consular jurisdictions are -- is one that others have run into before. So, what do you say? A little help? Thanks

Here is the process of documents hand-in and interview which happened on my interview day. Hope it helpful for you. I will post my interview details later. The Day of Documents Hand-in. 1. Get into a line in front of the building where Guangzhou Consulate locates. At about 12:20pm, start to go inside the building. Security guards check your passport and visa appointment letter, and give you a greenblue card. 2. Get up to the fourth floor by elevator. There are security guards who check your passport and visa appointment letter again, and take away the greenblue card. 3. Get up to the fifth floor by elevator and turn right. Here is security check. Turn off all electronic devices and hand them to the guards (they will keep them for you and return them to you when you leave. You can bring purse, backpack, food, water and even luggage into the consulate). Take off your shoes and belt, and pass the security door. 4. Turn right (there is a direction sign on the wall). A person there takes away your visa appointment letter and gives you a number. 5. Be seated and wait your number to be called. The number is not called in order. It is called according to your visa type based on my observation. How do they do it? Remember they have your visa appointment letter. 6. There are 14 windows open to take documents at the beginning, then 12 and another two for fingerprint. All officers are Chinese and they speak Mandarin and Cantonese. They are nice and patient. Documents hand-in may take 5-10 minutes. Some may take more time especially for elder applicants. Besides taking-in documents, the officers also ask some questions. At the end, they give your visa appointment letter back with the number nailed on it and a stamp telling you come back for interview on the next day at 7:30am. 7. Be seated and wait your number to be called for fingerprints. Fingerprint is at window 17 and 18. After fingerprint, it is done for the day! The Day of Interview 1. Get into a line in front of the building where Guangzhou Consulate locates. About 7:15am, start to go inside the building. Same as the process on the day of documents hand-in and get into the consulate. The only difference is that no number is assigned. 2. Be seated and wait. About 8:30am, all stand up and swear an oath to tell the truth at the interview. Then the interview starts. 3. Wait your number be called. The number is not called in order. Applicants with little babies/children and elder applicants are called first based on my observation. It is very thoughtful!! 4. There are 8 windows open and all officers are Americans. If there is a difficulty of communication between officers and applicants, there will be a Chinese officer as interpreters. It is typically for elder applicants. 5. The interview averagely takes about 10-15 minutes. Some may take less or more time. In my case, questions they ask are point-to-point because all cases may have been reviewed before the interview and some information was collected at the day of documents hand-in. I think it increases efficiency and accuracy of the interview. If you get a blue slip and have questions you can go to window number 30 to inquire. Good luck with your interview!!

Hey all, lots of great info here, so much as I have never even had to ask a question that wasnt already answered! thanks! We just sent back our p3 and are waiting for the interview date. After the interview we would like to go to a beach in Thailand but realize that the Consulate keeps her passport to attach a visa correct?? Does anyone know how long this normally takes? Because, of course, without a passport we cant go anywhere outside China. Anyone else have this predicament? Thanks again for all the help here!

The US Consulate in Guangzhou - much of this post needs updating More new consulate information can be found at the CFL topic GZ Info U.S. Consulate Home Page: English http://guangzhou.usconsulate.gov/index.html Chinese http://guangzhou-ch.usembassy-china.org.cn/ Immigrant Visa Unit: (handles both CR/IR visas and K-visas) http://guangzhou.usconsulate.gov/immigrant_visas.html DS-### Forms to download in English or Chinese: http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/forms/ Contact Information: http://guangzhou.usconsulate.gov/contactiv.html Email: http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzhou/iv/email.html Holiday Schedule: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/holidays2.html Passports http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/passport.html Lost or Stolen Passport - no appointment is needed http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/lost/stolen_passport.html Address and Contact Information: The US Consulate General in Guangzhou Mailing Address: U.S. Consulate General 43 Hua Jiu Road, Zhujiang New Town Tianhe District Guangzhou, China 510623 Phone: 020-3814-5000 邮寄地址: 美国驻广州总领事馆 广州市天河区 珠江新城华就路43号 510623 地图 电话: 020-3814-5000 http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guangzhou/34611/guowz/consular%20customer%20entrance%20map_001.jpg American Citizen Services - http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/contact_us.html Telephone: 3814-5775, within Guangzhou (020) 3814-5775, within China (011-86-20) 3814-5775, from the U.S. After Hours Emergency Telephone: (010) 8531-4000, within China (011-010) 8531-4000, from the U.S. Fax: (86-20) 3814-5572 Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 11:30 am & 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, excluding U.S. and Chinese holidays. Please see our holiday schedule. Emergency Services - http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/contact-us.html Case information: You can access limited case specific information - confirm Visa Petition arrival at post and verify interview date - at the National Visa Information Call enter (a for fee service). See www.usavisainformation.com.cn/eng/index.aspx. Call Center Appointments (China) 4008-872-333 (International) 86-21-3881-4611 This is a pay service and you have to sign up on the webpage at http://www.usavisainformation.com.cn You need your case #, and need to get a pin #. Visa Information Center Call Center Info (English): http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...callcenter.html Call Center info (Chinese): http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzhou/niv/c/ Charge may be paid at any CITIC Bank office or on the Internet at: https://www.usavisainformation.com.cn/eng/index.aspx Once the charge is paid, you will be given a PIN number that must be given to the Visa Information Center when you call to verify the payment. The U.S. Visa Information Call Center currently can assist callers in Mandarin, Cantonese, Taishanese, and English. Information Payment Service Payment Info (English): https://www.usavisainformation.com.cn/eng/index.aspx Payment Info (Chinese): http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...callcenter.html For general inquiries regarding the Visa Information Center Service, you can call our Customer Service Helpdesk 86 21 50623880. This service is available from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese Public Holidays. This service is currently answered in Mandarin only. Please note that specific information relating to US VISA service and Non Immigrant Visa appointments will not be provided by the Customer Service Helpdesk. This information should be obtained by calling 4008-872-333. For technical issues, please email to technical.support@usavisainformation.com.cn VISA DENIAL / OVERCOME Overcome visa application refusal, A new twist to the process http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12599 New Procedure for Additional Material Submission http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...new.html#addmat Starting September 15, applicants asked to submit additional materials for their immigrant visa will need to schedule an appointment. Please call the U.S. Visa Information Center at 4008-872-333 within China or 86-21-3881-4611 from other countries, from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. (Monday - Friday) and 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. (Saturday) for an appointment. Applicants must provide: names in Chinese characters and pin yin, case number, ID card number, passport number, phone number, and date of birth. There is a charge to access the Visa Information Center. Prices are 54 RMB for 12 minutes or 36 RMB for 8 minutes. The Visa Information Center charge may be paid at any CITIC Bank office or on the Internet at https://www.usavisainformation.com.cn/eng/index.aspx. Once the charge is paid, you will be given a PIN number that must be given to the Visa Information Center when you call to verify the payment. The U.S. Visa Information Call Center currently can assist callers in Mandarin, Cantonese, Taishanese, and English. Call Center Requires PIN # - You can buy minutes from China directly from a chinese bank. - You can buy minutes from the US, using the online service and using your credit card (ie: Visa card). There is no reference to any beneficiary.. your just buying a calling card PIN number. - When you call the Call Center, you'll use the PIN number... once you talk to a person, then you will be asked who this is in reference to... Examples of Steps to take: 1. You make an appointment with the consulate for submitting docs to overcome denial. Your wife can buy a prepay card from her local Citic Bank, there are RMB54 or RMB36 cards available. They charge for making an appointment. Prepare the following information before making a call: 1). Her passport number 2). her name, both in Chinese and pin yin, her birthdate and ID number which are on her passport 3). Her Case Number which begins with GUZ 200....., Visa category (CR1, I believe) Date of denial Then their call center will give her an Appointment Number and the date to submit docs 2. She will get the result in two days. The result is possibly to be: 1). Ok, red slip, she can pick up her visa in two days 2). They want more docs or any stuff they can brainstorm 3). The case be returned to DHS 4). Depends on the VO IMMIGRANT VISA PICK UP NOTICE / U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzho...or%20tianyu.htm Jun Yuan Post Office 155 Tianhe East Road Guangzhou, China Telephone: 020-38188078 Travel and Security Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and for callers outside the U.S. and Canada a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. Americans living or traveling in Xinjiang Autonomous Region are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing through the State Department's travel registration website: The State Department's travel registration website: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy by calling (86)(10) 6532-3431 x5344. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. U.S. citizens planning to travel to China should consult the Department of State's country-specific Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html The Worldwide Caution Public Announcement http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html Other information, available at: http://travel.state.gov/ --- USCIS, NVC, DOS, NBC P1 and P2 stage: USCIS online case status: https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp CSC email: K1: CSC-XII.129f@dhs.gov K3: CSC-XII.130@dhs.gov NVC Stage: National Visa Center(NVC) 1-603-334-0700 Call after NOA2 they will give you the GUZ# and do the Security Check. Try to call the NVC number, 603-334-0700. Press 1 (for English) Press 1 (for Immigrant Visa status) Press 1 (for CIS receipt number - from your VSC NOA2 - I-797 form) or Press 2 (for your NVC case number - you do not have this yet) You can call anytime , so try 603-334-0700 then press 1 - 1 - 1 and enter your CIS receipt number. If the NVC has received your petition and assigned a case number the NVC automated system will tell your your wife's NVC case number. After you have this, you can now use the case number to check the status of your case at the NVC (if you do not need to talk to a live person). NVC Shipments to GUZ Stage Shipments to GUZ DHL at 1-800-225-5345. When I got a human, I gave them the NVC address (32 Rochester Ave Portsmouth, N.H. ZIP CODE 03801-2909) Guangzhou is US Consulate No. 1 Shamian Street, Guangzhou, PRC ZIP CODE 510133. The most important parts to DHL are the zip codes. Example tracking from the DHL website: GO to DHL Worldwide Express website http://www.dhl.com Select USA A new page will open At the top highlight tracking and click on TRACK BY REFERENCE In the Reference field = [see below] For the Shipment date you should select a day before and after the date NVC said they sent your file. Customer number = blank Origin Postal code = blank Destination tariff point = CAN Then Click Track Possible Reference Fields: 1) CORRESPONDENCE TENDS to return piece = 1 and the weight TENDS to be lower but it appear the weight is can be anything (I saw one at 22 lbs). 2) Using I-730 TENDS to return piece > 1 .. and therefore they TEND to be more weight. 3) expedite NIV section 4) expedite IV section All return different packages.. no package appears to return for any two different references used. Member comments: “NVC does not tell you the day DHL picked up your package. They may say, it was sent on a certain day but we cannot be certain that date matches the DHL pickup day. I suggest you track packages a week before and after the date you are given and use both references. You only need reference, date and destination tariff point to make sure you're seeing packages from NVC to GUZ.” Also see: DHL Tracking http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21349 How to trace the CR paperwork on DHL http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21193 [editor's notes:] Attempting to track DHL shipments to the consulate can never really give you an exact status of the package. It is recommended that you follow the timeline averages and call DOS at the time the case is expected to be with the consulate. P3, P4, and Interview Stage Department of State (DOS) 1-202-663-1225 Call after NVC completes Security check and sends to Gunagzhou For Adjustment of Status (AOS) National Benefits Center 1-800-375-5283 csc-xII.485@dhs.com

4/16/2014 - This thread from 2005 is about Guangzhou and Guangdong, NOT the consulate, and is still useful. - RW LOCAL INFORMATION Guangdong Province Area 69,502 Sq miles Population 74.7 million (permanent residents) Capital Guangzhou Language Cantonese (Guangdonghua), Mandarin (Putonghua) Currency Renminbi (RMB, or ?, also known as Yuan, or Kuai $1 = RMB 8 (approx.) Guangzhou Municipality Area 2,868 Sq miles Population 9.9 million PERSONAL SAFETY While Guangzhou is a relatively safe city, as with any large city, it is worthwhile being prudent and taking some simple precautions. As many places are very crowded pick-pockets are common. Particular care should be taken on public transport, especially on the buses and around the train stations. Valuables should be put into a front, rather than back pocket or in a bag out of sight, to avoid giving temptation to thieves. You can generally get taxis late at night but the hotels are often in the middle of tourist zones and the same caution in taking taxis alone late at night should be exercised as in any other major city. HEALTH Hotels almost always have a clinic and doctor on call. You should buy medical insurance before your departure. Any preferred remedies or prescriptions should be brought with you, since they are unlikely to be available. There are Western medical facilities available in Guangzhou (see emergency contact list below). However, fees are quite expensive with an average brief consultation costing approximately RMB100-150. You may want to purchase a medical insurance plan prior to your departure. There are of course traditional Chinese medicine alternatives that you might wish to try. This might be difficult unless you have knowledge of the language or assistance from a local resident. Medical Emergency numbers in GUANGZHOU Local First-aid Emergency Call (24hours) 120 The first two medical centres speak English: Guangzhou Can Am Intl Medical Centre Tel: 8386 6988 Add: 5/F, Garden Tower, Garden Hotel No.368, Huanshi Dong Lu. Guangzhou Time: 9:00-18:00 Mon.-Fri. 9:00-13:00 Sat. Guangdong Concord Medical Centre Tel: 8387 4283 Add: 9/F, Fok Heart Centre No.96, Dongchuan Rd Guangzhou Time: AM 8:00-12:00 PM 2:30-6:00 GD Province Hospital of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Tel: 8735 1238 Add: No.261, Datong Rd. West of Ersha Island Guangzhou Time: 24 hours TRAVELLING IN GUANGZHOU Transportation around Guangzhou: Taxis are the easiest way to get around. Taxis fare should be paid according to the amount shown on the taximeter and the fare starts at RMB7.00 (for the first 2.3 km). You can pick them up outside hotels and in the street at almost any time day or night. It is only when its cold or raining that they are difficult to get. Taxis in Guangzhou are substantially cheaper than one typically finds in U.S. It is rare that any journey across the city will be more than RMB35 (less than $5). Many of the drivers will greet you with the phrase Qu na li??(literally Go where??. Bluffing knowledge of Chinese and the city might avoid protracted detours, but also might invite further questions in Chinese like which route you prefer, or which bridge to take to cross the river. It will be very helpful to have your destination written down in Chinese. Your hotel should be able to give you a card. Avoid taxis without metres and check that the driver uses the metre. It is also a good idea to have small change on hand to pay the fare as some drivers might refuse a RMB100 note, and sometimes even a 50. You are not expected to tip the driver, but it will never be refused. You can bargain with the driver over a price if the distance is quite far, or it is late at night. Again you will need some knowledge of the language or assistance to do this. Travelling by bus is cheap (RMB1 or 2 flat rate for the journey) but can be difficult without knowledge of the language and routes. If you do take the bus you must take the right money as you will not get change. There is no English on buses and visitors may not know the routes so this is not really a recommended option. Guangzhou also has a small underground metro system, currently with two lines. Platform signs are in Chinese and Pinyin (Chinese written with the Roman alphabet) and stations are normally announced in English and Chinese over a loudspeaker system on the train. It is useful to know the end direction of the line you want to travel on. Line 1 runs from Guangzhou Dong Zhan (East Railway Station, which has the KCR to Hong Kong) in the North East to Xi Lang, in the South West of the city. Line 2 runs from San Yuan Li in the North to Pazhou (which is the location of the new Trade Fair Exhibition Centre) in the South. There is only one place to change lines currently, and that is Gong Yuan Qian station (near the middle of both lines, and close to Beijing Lu shopping street). There is a flat fare of RMB2-6 (depending on the distance). There are machines from which you can purchase tokens which take RMB1 coins (which can also be obtained from the attended booth) and also RMB5, 10 and 20 notes (although all change will be in RMB1 coins!). If you plan to use the metro a lot, or are staying for longer you can get a pass card (Yang Cheng Tong) which will hold any amount of credit you place on it and can also be used on the buses, which can save you a lot of time and trouble. Below are the first and last trains: Station of Origin First Train Departs Last Train Departs Last Entry Line 1 GZ East Station 6:17 22:29 22:24 Xi Lang 6:17 22:41 22:36 Line 2 San Yuan Li 6:17 22:41 22:36 Pazhou 6:29 23:18 23:13 An alternative way to see the city is by boat on the Pearl River. This is especially worthwhile at night when the city lights radiate across the river. TRAVELLING TO AND FROM GUANGZHOU There are two train stations. Guangzhou East Station (Guangzhou Dong Zhan) is the one which is used to get to and from Hong Kong, Shenzhen etc. The old train station, more often used for travelling northwards is on the northern end of Line 2 (named: Guangzhou Huo Che Zhan). If you come to Guangzhou on the direct through-train from Hong Kong your passport and visa will be checked at the Hong Kong end, and vice versa when you travel to Hong Kong from Guangzhou. Alternatively there is a bus you can take from the large hotels which is cheaper although it takes longer, and you must get off the bus go through the border crossings and have your documents checked. The new Baiyun International Airport is now in operation and takes about 50 minutes to reach from the city centre by taxi. Depending on where you go from, a taxi will probably cost around RMB100. Some of the major hotels might provide an airport service so it is worth enquiring with them. LANGUAGE Mandarin Chinese is the official language of China (called Putonghua by the Chinese) and even in Guangdong, where Cantonese (Guangdonghua) is widely spoken, most people know some Mandarin. Chinese characters are used for writing, though many signs on roads and in shops now also appear in "pinyin", which is the Romanised version of written Chinese. English is spoken in most hotels, but it may be useful to have a phrase book to hand if you want to venture further. Mandarin, however, is a tonal language (4 tones), so that the same word pronounced in different tones will have completely different meanings. For this reason some Chinese may find it difficult to understand what you are saying in Chinese unless the tone is correct. On the whole, however, people are very patient and a bit of English on their part and some sign language normally gets the message across. Ni hao (nee how) = Hello Xie xie (shi shia) = Thank you Zai jian (dsai jen) = Goodbye (although Bye bye?is probably more common) Wo shi?(wor sher) = I am?(a simple way to introduce yourself) Mai dan (my dan) = Pay the bill (a short phrase used to ask for the bill, literally Buy bill? and understandable in Mandarin and Cantonese) COMMUNICATIONS Time: China runs 8 hours ahead of GMT. Business hours: office hours are generally a standard 9am to 5pm or 6pm (with some individual differences and depending on the industry. Some more local places close for lunch). Shops tend to open from 9 or 10am to about 10pm, and bars and clubs up till about 2am. Post: Airmail letters/parcels to and from US take 4-10 days. Parcels must be sealed at the post office after inspection. International postage rates are expensive but the service is generally reliable. Mobile Phones: There is a very good network in Guangzhou so it is worthwhile activating international roaming with your service provider before you arrive. Another option is to purchase a pay as you go?SIM card when you arrive. This is very cheap at just RMB100 for the SIM card, which will contain around RMB50 credit. RESTAURANTS: Guangzhou is very famous in China and around the world for its cuisine. You can find different styles of cuisine, such as Chinese (from various regions and provinces), Japanese, Korean, Thai, French, Italian amongst others. Some restaurants have English versions of their menu. Prices vary between restaurants, usually from RMB20-100 per person, depending on your choice. Fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC are open from 7:00am to 11:00pm. Of course, apart from western restaurants, most restaurants only provide chopsticks with knives and forks sometimes available on request. It is common practice for almost all restaurants to serve you with Chinese tea throughout your meal, with frequent refills of the pot. This will not be charged by the cup or pot as often is in other countries, so feel free to linger. Also in many local restaurants you will see people washing their cup, bowl and chopsticks in hot tea. This is for hygiene reasons, and will not be offensive to the restaurant staff. It is also very common to take a packet of tissues with you to a restaurant (especially local ones) as napkins are often not provided, or should be purchased. The tissues will also be useful if you use the toilet as paper is not always supplied. Most Chinese restaurants will have a very different atmosphere to those in the West. They are often crowded and noisy, which is the way local people like them. There are also very few etiquette rules. It is common to see bones spat onto the table or the floor, people talking with their mouth full of food etc. This should not been seen as bad manners, it is just a very different dining culture. Tips are not expected in restaurants, although some of the more Western style establishments, and certainly the hotels over 3 stars, have a service charge included (often around 15%). SHOPPING For those with time and a good guide there are interesting bargains to be found in Guangzhou- everything from jade to the electronics and clothes that are manufactured in the Pearl River Delta. A great location for a massive array of handicrafts, artwork and novelties is the market beside Hai Zhu Guang Chang (on line 2 of the metro). Expect to bargain for the best prices. For those with less time: Friendship Store (Youyi Shangdian) Situated next to the Baiyun Hotel, opposite to the Garden Hotel. It sells a wide range of products, from clothing to food. Prices are more expensive and bargaining is not possible. Team Plaza (Tianhe Cheng) This is Guangzhou's first shopping mall. You can buy a wide range of products. Prices compare well with those elsewhere and bargaining is possible in some shops. Beijing Road Pedestrian Street Mainly clothing, luggage and shoes, though there are some pearl shops. At the more local shops you will be able to bargain, although its not possible with the international brands. Shangxia Jiu Pedestrian Street Also known as a shopping street with houses in traditional style (they are called Xi Guan Feng Qing?. Sells cheap clothing, shoes and other goods. Expect to bargain. WEATHER & CLOTHING The climate of Guangzhou is sub-tropical. The average year-round temperature is 22C. August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 28C, but with a high of up to 38C in the day and 28C at night. January is the coldest month, with an average of 13C, although it can drop to around 0C. The weather is generally quite humid (often around 80-90% or more) so the heat can feel more oppressive, and the cold more pervasive. The rainy season falls between April and August. Average annual rainfall is 1,720 mm, and an umbrella is a must. By the month of May it is already hot and humid in Guangzhou, with frequent, and often very heavy, rainstorms. Bring light clothing, but include layers ?light jackets, cardigans etc ?since the air-conditioning in hotels and restaurants can be fierce. It's worth bringing something to shield against the sun which can also be severe at times. Local people often favour using an umbrella for this, but sunglasses and sunscreen will also be fine. Chinese often dress fairly informally. A simple suit or day dress is appropriate for all official visits, meetings and dinners, and in hot weather a short sleeved shirt with no jacket is perfectly acceptable business wear. Trousers are also perfectly acceptable for women. There aren't generally any rules about leisure wear, with almost anything being acceptable. However, for foreigners the more extravagant your outfit the more attention you might attract. Low cut and sleeveless tops, while not objectionable, might prove to be a point of fascination. MONEY The Chinese currency is known as "Renminbi" (or the People's currency?, and is the equivalent term for USD. The term equivalent to dollars is the Yuan? also known colloquially as Kuai?(pronounced "kwai"). At the current exchange rate, 1 USD is approximately equal to 8 Renminbi (RMB), or yuan. Foreign money and travellers?cheques can be changed at international airports, main centres of the Bank of China, the large tourist hotels, the Friendship Stores and some big department stores. The official rate is given everywhere, so there is no need to shop around. Credit cards are accepted in major hotels, restaurants and some supermarkets, although certainly not very widely. You can use international debit and credit cards to withdraw cash in the local currency. These include Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro. This service isn't available at all local cash machines, but is most common at Bank of China machines, and HSBC (although there are only two branches of HSBC so far; one at Garden Hotel, the other in Dong Feng Lu). Forgeries of bank notes, as in many countries, are in circulation. ELECTRICITY Electricity supply is usually 220 volts. The local plugs usually have 3 flat pins, the lower pair angled, but other types are also in use. International hotels will have shaver sockets but these may not be available elsewhere. EXPOSURE AND ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS In contrast to Beijing and Shanghai the expatriate community in Guangzhou is relatively small and often centred around the major centres of commerce. If you do venture to more traditional places don't be surprised that some people take an interest, as exposure to foreigners is not very common. You should not take staring and people talking about you as rude, it really is more surprise and interest. It is also not uncommon to have people say Hello?to you in the streets. LOCAL UNIQUENESS AND DAILY LIFE As you experience life in Guangzhou you are sure to see differences from the West and even from other cities in China. Many of the traditions and practices are unique to Guangzhou which makes this city a very interesting place to visit or live for any foreigner. In the public parks and open spaces it's common to see people practising Tai Chi and doing exercises, especially early in the morning. Another common morning activity is going for Yum Cha?(literally Drink tea? where people gather to breakfast on local delicacies (known as Dim Sum) and read the newspaper. This is available in many local restaurants and some of the major hotels and is well worth experiencing. There are also afternoon and night tea sessions, and all are very reasonably priced. Hope you find the above helpful.