Search the Community

Hello all, Just a quick update and alert that the Guangzhou consulate now requires the beneficiary to fill out and send a DS-260 along with a copy of the photo page of the passport and two US-sized passport pics. After that's completed, the consulate then sends instructions on setting up the visa interview (in the meantime, we're collecting the necessary documents). It took us about a week to get the I-130 approved, and a month to get this notice from Guangzhou, which has the case number. I'm hoping we're a pretty straight-forward case as we've been married almost nine years and have a child, who is a US citizen. Question -- is the expedited service at the Citic branch on Financial Street reliable/worth it? And does anyone have experience with these new steps? How long is the wait for the instructions on setting up the visa interview? And here's to hoping the government shutdown in the US doesn't occur. Best, Jennifer

Wife's appointment is on the 27th. Feel like we're in pretty good shape and have everything just about lined up, but in reading back through all the threads here to ensure we've crossed our t's and dotted our i's i noticed something... It seems like the vast majority of people have co-sponsors on the I-864. Is that an unofficial requirement or something? I'm now living stateside (DCF'd but since then have taken a job back in the US), fully employed and make a salary that far exceeds poverty guidelines. Based on my tax returns and current salary (pay stubs + letter of employment as proof), I can adequately support her without issue. As such, I had no plan of getting any sort of co-sponsor. But again, after reading through everything, I'm wondering if that's somethign I should reconsider. Any thoughts or advice on this? Thanks, Charlie

It appears I do, but I'd like confirmation from the experts here. I'll be traveling to Beijing next Tuesday to submit everything. Table of contents outlines: I.USCIS forms: I-130 FormG-1145 FormG-325A Form (wife’s)G-325A Form (mine)II.Documents to prove my U.S. citizenship: A copy of my birth certificateA copy of my passport’s biodata pageIII.Documents proving marriage bona fides: Copies of our marriage certificates (Chinese and notarized English translation)Copy and notarized English translation of our son’s birth certificateCopy of son’s consular report of birth abroadCopy of son’s passport’s biodata pagePhotos dating our relationship (August 2006 to present)IV.Documents to prove my residency in jurisdiction covered by Beijing American embassy to be eligible for direct filing: Copies of my Chinese resident permits (in passport) (2006 to present)V.Other documents: Copy of wife’s passport’s biodata pageCopy and notarized English translation of wife’s hukouCopy and notarized English translation of letter written by the hospital at which my wife was born attesting to the fact that she has never been issued a birth certificate, but was indeed born at that hospital on the reported date.Copy and notarized English translation of wife’s criminal background check2 passport photos for wife2 passport photos for me Am I over doing it? I don't want to leave anything to chance. Also, do I include my domicile and financial support documents, such as the I-134, tax returns, savings account holdings, IRA, etc.? I have these available to submit if possible/necessary.

I have been a student in China for 9 semesters in a row (4.5 years) but I have recently come back to USA for summer holiday, and I'll be flying back through Guangzhou and would like to stop there and submit my I-130 application without first going back to my school to get my residence permit (I'm entering on a student visa). Is it really 100% necessary to have my residence permit before submitting the I-130? Do they even check? I'm going to be living in the same dorm that I've been in for over 4 years. It would be annoying and time consuming and costly to have to go back to my school first, get my residence permit and then fly back to Guangzhou. Below is their official wording: If you do not have a long-term Chinese residence permit, you must file a petition at your local USCIS office when you return to the United States. http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_married.html

Hello everyone. This week my wife arrived in the USA after getting approved for her green card at the end of November. This website has been an invaluable resource throughout the green card process, and I wanted to try to contribute some information in case someone in the future has problems or worries similar to mine and is frantically searching for help on these forums. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank any and all of you who helped us along the way. First, here was our situation. I lived in China from Sept. 2002 to Sept 2012. My wife and I met in 2003, got married in 2008, got her first tourist visa to the USA in 2009, and got her green card at the end of November 2012. I did the Direct Consular Filing (DCF) at the Guangzhou consulate on August 17th, 2012. My wife was approved for her green card on Nov. 30th, 2012, so the entire process took a little over three months, but that doesn't include the two months we spent getting paperwork together for the August 17th filing. So, if you're reading this and thinking of getting started gathering paperwork today, it's going to be about six months before your wife has her green card in hand, and that's if everything goes flawlessly. We had a really bad experience when we first tried to get my wife a tourist visa in 2008 (she was rudely denied after the CO refused to look at any of the documents we had prepared), and as such I have had no faith whatsoever in the people at the consulate who held our future in their hands. Because of this negative experience, I spent way too much time worrying myself sick about things I shouldn't have. Here are some things I was sweating which I shouldn't have. These tips are for men doing DCFs in China for their Chinese wives, not for fiancee visas or people who met over the internet. 1. The best piece of advice I can give you is to tell your wife to get on the Chinese language boards on this website and make nice with the other ladies. They will tell her what forms and information she needs to get, and then she can tell you and you can just do it. The ladies do a great job of helping each other out. My wife was consistently more informed throughout the process than I was. 2. Establishing a domicile is easier than it sounds. If you have a bank account or still receive mail at a family member's house, you'll be fine. A letter from a parent explaining that you and your spouse will be living with them is a good idea. You do NOT need to rent an apartment or anything like that before your wife goes in for her interview. The Guangzhou consulate isn't going to fail you for not proving you have a domicile. 3. You and your co-sponsor MUST have copies of your income tax returns for the most recent three years. For some reason, the government gives you the option of just submitting one year, but they'll deny you if you do. They want three years, so give them three years. IF YOU ARE LIVING ABROAD, FILE YOUR TAXES EVERY YEAR. Many Americans abroad (including me) are confused about whether or not you have to file taxes if you live abroad. Yes, you have to file, but unless you make more than $92,000 per year, you won't have to pay any taxes. Yes, this is stupid. You should complete form 2555 along with your 1040 every year. You do not have to prove your income by sending them a work contract or anything like that; it is strictly on the honor system. Yes, I'm serious. Most tax software programs (like TurboTax) won't let you file electronically from abroad, so you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way and mail it to the USA, unless you have someone prepare you taxes for you in the USA. You do not need a tax professional. 3a. If you have not filed your taxes since you've been overseas, DO NOT PANIC! The IRS doesn't give a crap about you unless you owe them money, and unless you're making more than $92,000 per year, you don't owe them squat. Just file (at the minimum) the last three years (because your wife will need copies of these at the green card interview), and if you haven't filed for longer than that, file up to the last six years you haven't filed (the IRS only keeps the last six years of your information in their computers). File your back taxes now, or at least few months before your wife will go in for her interview. If you have more than six years of unfiled back taxes, you can do any years longer than six years ago later if you want at your leisure. 4. If you do a DCF, remember that the Guangzhou consulate doesn't care how much you make (just that you filed your taxes), unless you have a lot of money in the bank. They care how much your CO-SPONSOR makes. Here's some information about our co-sponsor and the documentation he provided. -Your co-sponsor does NOT need to be a family member. My wife was sponsored by one of my oldest friends. -Our co-sponsor made $30,000 per year the last three years. He supplied the following documents: -Three most recent tax returns and W-2 copies -Passport information copy -The ten most recent weeks of salary receipts from his company -A signed letter explaining who he was and his relationship to me (note, he was NOT a family member) -Completed and signed I-864. That was it. Other people have supplied more information, but that did it for us. One more thing about your co-sponsor. It needs to be someone who isn't resistant do doing this, because the government may request more information from them. I don't believe in karma, but the person doing this needs to have a positive mindset about it, otherwise it's going to be hell for you and them. Find someone who is enthusiastic about you and your wife and ask them. 5. Make sure the correct person signs the correct forms. Triple check to make sure. 6. If your wife can speak English, she will have a much easier time at the interview. 7. You do NOT need a job in the USA for your wife to get a green card if you do a DCF. After I went to Guangzhou and dropped off all our information, I came to the USA to start on the job hunt. My wife stayed in China to finish her driving class and do her interview at the consulate. 8. It took about one week for the consulate to mail my wife her passport with her provisional green card, or whatever it's called, in it after she passed her interview, so take that into consideration when booking flights. 9. You don't go to the interview with your wife if you do a DCF. You go first to start the process, and then she goes by herself later for her interview after you prepare an ungodly amount of paperwork. 10. Unless you live in Guangzhou, getting your wife her green card is going to cost you a minimum of $2,000 for all the consulate fees, the hospital checkup, the plane/train tickets to and from Guangzhou, and the hotel in Guangzhou. Minimum. That's about all I can think of right now with regard to our experience. Just to be clear, I am not an immigration attorney or a tax professional, so use this information at your own risk. Good luck, grasshopper!

Hello. We recently received the letter approving my petition for a IR-1 visa for my husband and our case has been sent to Guangzhou. We're doing direct consular filing, and was wondering how long it took for people to receive the initial P3 packet from Guangzhou. I also have these questions: 1.) What documents are required for the P3? Once we get the documents together, we send them via CITIC branches listed on ustraveldocs.com? And is there one in Beijing that people generally go to? 2.) I've been working as a freelance writer and worked a lot less last year as I was pregnant. My brother, who's a doctor in the States, was going to be a co-sponsor. What documents do I need to get from him? 3.) Between mailing off the P3 and getting the P4, what sort of wait times have people been experiencing? 4.) How easy is it to schedule an interview once you receive the P4? A little bit of background on us: I am Chinese-American and my husband is British. We've been married for 9 years and have a baby, who is an American. We're currently residing in Beijing. My husband has never had any issues with US immigration and we're hoping to get the visa by November. (How realistic is that?) I realize that this forum is for people trying to get visa for their Chinese loved ones, but it's been hard for me to find information on the DCF process in China. I'd appreciate any guidance and advice.

Hello All, Long-time lurker, firstish time poster. We've gotten started on the paperwork. As I'm being very pedantic about this, I have quite a few form questions: For the I-130: Which address should we write on the form? Our (rented) apartment in China, our mailing address in China, or my mailing address in America? Re: B13: If you are a U.S. citizen, complete the following: What is the “Parents” section for? My citizenship was acquired via birth in the U.S. I’ve checked this box. Do I need to be concerned with any of the rest of the box? As a U.S. citizen, do I need to concern myself with B14, regarding lawful permanent resident alien? C17 asks to list children. This includes the children we have together, correct? C19 asks for relatives address abroad. Does this mean the Chinese address? As above, which address should be write? C21 asks for the address for where we’ve lived together, as well as the dates. We’re still at the same apartment, but I see no option for “present.” Do I just include today’s date for “To:”? There is not enough space provided on the electronic form for typing out addresses and phone numbers in full. What should we do?For the G-325A: On the G-325A form, how do I know my file number? The G-325A has a section which asks “This form is submitted in connection with an application for:” Do I check the “Status as Permanent Resident” or “Other” and then state the I-130? The bottom of the G-325A has a box “Applicant: Print your name and Alien Registration Number in the box outlined by heavy border below.” Is this for my wife? If this is something we fill out, how do we find out what her alien registration number is? For my wife’s G-325A, it asks for applicant’s residence for last five years in one box, and then immediately beneath this form asks for “last address outside the US of more than 1 years.” As my wife and I have been living together for the last seven+ years, do I restate the information in the box above, or do they want the address where she lived before we began living together in 2006? When writing my wife’s name in the boxes which call for Chinese characters, do I write the name as it would be written in Chinese (i.e. surname first)? Thanks in advance, and apologies for all the questions!

Hi all, We live and work in Shanghai and will celebrate our first anniversary on December 12 – which, coincidentally, is the expected due date of our first child :-) 1 For DCF, can we initially submit the I-130 form (and all related documents) but then delay subsequent steps in the immigration process? If so, what steps are delay-able and for how long may we delay them? 2 Regarding IR-1 (10-year residency permit) vs CR-1 (2-year residency permit) visa – at what step/point in the immigration process is 2 years of marriage determined/measured? 3 Regarding demonstrating a true/valid marriage, would several knowledgeable folks please weigh/chime in on the importance of developing a “relationship history” document to be submitted with the I-130? 4 And many pictures (with burned-in dates?) spread over time? 5 We cannot at this point demonstrate co-mingling of finances – neither an apartment (because we simply moved into an apartment that she and her parents co-own) nor a shared bank account. How critical are these criteria? 6 Is a complete file of all documents we initially submit to USCIS-Beijing along with I-130 thereafter forwarded to Guangzhou consulate? Specifically, what does Guangzhou receive from Beijing? 7 On the I-130, are US citizen children exempt from listing? After all, IR-2/CR-2 visas wouldn't be needed for US children, right? Other questions to follow, I'm sure! Thanks in advance for your answers to these.

Hey everyone, I've run into an unexpected confusion with the DS-230. I've searched and browsed all over this site, the GUZ embassy site, VJ, and Google, but haven't seen anyone else even mention it. Is this a new/unique situation, or am I just unlucky (read: haphazard) with my searching? Here's the situation: I filed the I-130 petition at Beijing on June 4. Ten days later I received the NOA2 (petition approved) with instructions, which tell us to (quote): " ... complete and submit the Document Submission Letter [we registered at ustraveldocs, and printed the DSL] along with the above requested items at the nearest CITIC bank. If you fail to take the action requested within one year, your application will be terminated." They also give a URL for finding CITIC bank locations but just my luck the page "cannot be found." OK, so the wife and I took our documents to the CITIC closest to our apartment, and the nice lady at the front desk told us she didn't think that branch handled these (doesn't ask anyone else or check), and gives us the address and phone number of the branch closest to the embassy. Fine. Then she tells us that the Guangzhou embassy is closed, etc. (it was only after this I learned about the move). Well anyway, my wife calls the other CITIC branch to ask about the forms, and they flatly told her not to say anything specific about what forms (apparently very strictly, like knowing what forms we want to send puts them in jeopardy somehow), and said only to bring the forms in a sealed envelope. So my questions, for anyone who has done this recently or can help: Firstly, is this right? Do I need to supply the address the forms are to be sent to? Which address should I use? (Can't use the return address on the NOA, since that's the old address.) The embassy website gives this address: U.S. Consulate General / 43 Hua Jiu Road, Zhujiang New Town / Tianhe District / Guangzhou, China; and says they will be open for service again on July 23. Do you think that's a safe address to use (ensuring the forms will reach the proper people)? Of course there's nothing more specific given in our instructions. I don't want to submit our forms to the bank if they're not even sure what to do with them. Could I mail them myself (EMS)? I emailed the consulate at the beginning of the week, but I assume they're busy with the move and probably won't see it for a while. Any insight, suggestions or verification would be greatly appreciated. (Sorry for the lengthy explanation. This is quite an annoying snag in our process.)

I've been married to my Chinese wife for 5 years and we have a one year old daughter. I am getting ready to start the DCF process for an IR1 visa. I have a couple questions regarding filling the I-130, mostly because I am hoping to avoid a trip to the notary office. First, looking through the forums it seems like most people submit a notarized and translated version of their spouses Chinese birth certificate. However on the Guangzhou consulate website it says that they need a birth certificate OR a passport. If my wife already has a passport is it neccessary to also bring the birth certificate? Is there a time limit on notarized documents? We succesfully applied for a tourist visa several years ago and still have the translated and notarzed copy of our marriage certificate. Do we need to get it redone? Besides the marriage certificate and the birth certificate is there any other documents we need to get translated and notarized? You don't need the criminal record check until later in the process right? Am I right that it is ok if I translate all the other documents that don't need to be notarized? Thanks for the help.

Hello! I've been reading these forums for a while and am finally ready to begin my own journey! However, I'm a bit worried that what I've previously read may be different from what the process currently is for DCF in Beijing/Guangzhou, since I know there were some changes in May 2013, and then the Guangzhou Embassy moved very recently. A bit of background on me and my husband: I am a Chinese-American woman, and my husband is a Chinese citizen. We met in Beijing about four and a half years ago, dated for two years, got engaged, then married in his hometown of Henan Province in June 2012. We're getting ready to DCF in Beijing to get the CR-1 visa, and I have a couple of questions. 1) I would be really grateful if anybody could post their experience beginning or going through the DCF process from within the past month. Particularly, are there any big differences now in the process than there were before? 2) From the first step of filing the I-130 to preparing for the interview, what are the documents I need to get translated and notarized? So far, I have: His/hers marriage certificates (is there a difference between white books and the notarized translation?) And since my husband and I each got a marriage certificate book, do we need to translate both?Apartment contracts for the last two years for proof of residenceIs there anything else I need to get translated/notarized? 3) Just to confirm, the address we put for the beneficiary and petitioner on the I-130 form is the address that we'll receive the P3 packet? On that note, what's the difference between the P3 and P4 packets? I'm sure I'll have more questions as we start filing (hopefully in September), and I'll also try to post about my own experiences to help others in the future. Thanks!

Ok, so our situation is a bit complicated so I hope you guys can shed some light and reassure us that there is a way to do this... I'm American by birth, both parents are French so I have dual citizenship. I've never lived in the US except for six months a couple of years ago. I worked for three of those six months but didn't earn enough to pay any taxes and have never filed a US tax return. I have a SSN, a bank account (with hardly anything in it), and a friend's address in California that I used as my residential address when I was there. My girlfriend is from Beijing. We met two and a half years ago in Hong Kong where she was studying when I passed through on my travels. I lived with her there for a few months on a couple of consecutive tourist visas. We then went traveling, spent a year in New Zealand on working visas, then went to Australia where she could only get a tourist visa. Her visa expired a few weeks ago and she's now gone back to China and I'm still in Australia working. We'd like to move to the US together as soon as possible. Our first thought was for her to get a J1 aupair visa and get married once we're both over there, but having done some reading that seems like a more complicated/long/expensive way to do it. So we've started looking at the CR1 process and the idea of getting married somewhere beforehand but we're confused since our situation is relatively unique. Some questions...: Can we get married anywhere or does it have to be in China? After we get married, do we have to stay in the same place while the process is underway and while we wait for her interview? Could she potentially apply for a J1 aupair visa while we're waiting for the CR1 process to happen so we could be in the US together sooner? Will her interview have to take place in China regardless of where we get married and regardless of where she is/we are at the time, or can it be done in any USCIS anywhere in the world? If we have to get married in China, can I be there on a tourist visa? I read that I'd need to have been in China for over six months to file the I-130 by DCF. Is there another way to file the I-130 that doesn't have that requirement? I also saw that I need to file I-130 in the place that is considered my permanent residence. Having been traveling for the past 3 years or so, I'm confused as to where that would be. I grew up in the UK but haven't been back there for over five years and I only lived in France for a couple of years before heading off on my travels 3 years ago. So not sure whether my permanent residence is my current address here in Australia, my father's address in France, my friend's in California, or... Will the fact that I've never really lived in the US and the lack of tax returns be a problem? How would I show that I'm in the process of wanting to establish domicile there? How much money is required to show we can afford the move? We don't have much between us and no joint accounts. Is that ok as long as we can find co-sponsors? Assuming this is at all possible, what happens once we get to the US? Do we need a fixed address so they can check up on us periodically or are we free to do as we like until the 2 year interview as long as we can prove we've spent those two years together? (We're thinking of buying an RV and living on the road while working remotely so wouldn't have a fixed address...) We have plenty of photos together, lots of emails/sms/skype convos, can probably dig up flight booking emails and have met each other's mothers if that helps... A lot of questions I know. Hopefully some of you can enlighten us a bit. Thanks!

Started the process on 2/24 in Beijing. (See previous posts by yours truly). The missus had her interview on 5/29 in GZ and everything went smooth as could be. We showed up bright and early for the 7:15 appointment, arriving around 6ish. My only complaints about the entire process would be that the "lines" (there were supposed to be 3 for immigration visas) were pretty poorly organized, managed, and policed. It was pretty much chaos until you had your passport/appointment letter reviewed and went upstairs. Once upstairs, the wife was in and out in about 2 hours. She said it would have gone faster, but while waiting for fingerprints it took a really long time. Eventually they learned that, apparently, there was an old "peasant" woman who the staff were simply unable to fingerprint. She'd literally worked so hard all her life that her fingerprints were worn off. After trying a couple of machines, it sounds like the staff figured out the issue and moved her aside and did something else (unclear what) while processing the rest of the folks who did have fingerprints. I killed time in the expensive coffee shop outside of where you exit. Tip for folks doing that - drink as many cups as you can, since it'll average out to reasonable on a per cup basis, since refills are cheap. As an aside, we stayed with the Yangs. He was super nice (only met him) and the apartment we stayed in was fine. Nothing fancy, but honestly, if you've traveled around China beyond 1st tier cities, and especially if you've stayed with the inlaws, you've almost certainly stayed in more humble trappings. The place was relatively clean, the airconditioning worked (YES!) and its damn close to the embassy. Also, with the new system, we were in GZ less than 24 hours. Flew in late on the 28th, and flew out the evening of the 29th, same day as her interview. Passport with visa arrived in Wuhan (her hometown) at CITIC bank about 10 days later. She's schedule to fly stateside on the 29th to finally meet me (I flew back to the US after GZ). One lesson learned - when I flew back stateside, I brought a ton of her stuff with me. Thinking she'd used most of the immigration materials she'd need, I mistakenly brought the Xrays from her medical with me. Dumb mistake, as when the passport arrived in WH, it specifically noted you have to have those in hand when going thru immigration in the US. So I've had to fedex them back, to the tune of $180!!!! Expensive lesson learned. So we're really just about there - she'll be here in a week! Couple of final questions for you "old hands." How long after she arrives does it typically take to get the green card? (Assuming it comes by mail?) She's anxious to start looking for work already! And anyone know how long it usually takes to get a SSN Card from the time of application? Likewise, she's hot to get a driver's license and car, but we're told you need an SSN to apply for a license? And lastly, I think that once upon a time, when you immigrated, they asked you if you wanted to make any changes to your name (i.e. adopt a more western sounding name)? Is that an old wive's tale, or true? And if true, anyone know when they do it and how it works? Thanks so much for all the advice - this forum - and its members, have been a lifesaver. The missus and I have discussed that as soon as she gets her first paycheck, we're definitely making a donation. This board's an amazing resource for so many, and definitely saved us time, trouble, money and heartache. And, undoubtedly, we'll be back. Still have to go from conditional to permanent resident status in a couple of years... and know she'll eventually want to try to have her Mom come join us. Thanks again, Charlie

Hi everybody, Yesterday was a great day as my wife passed her interview and the visa should be here in a week or so! It feels so good to have this weight lifted off our shoulders. Since I learned most of the process and documentation needed from this website, I thought it appropriate to share our success story with a few tips/lessons learned. Sorry, this will be a long one... Background: I married my Chinese wife in 2009 while we were both expats working in Netherlands. A year later our daughter was born. We had initially decided that we wanted to move to the US so we started the immigration process in Amsterdam. After the I-130 stage but before the interview, we changed our minds. Our company had announced a new focus on China so many job opportunities arose in Shanghai (we both work in the same company). Now, about 3 years after moving to China (my wife had been living in Europe for 8 years), we have decided this time we are indeed ready to move to the US and settle down. Immigration process: We filed the I-130 in Beijing on March 21st and were quite surprised that the notification of approval came within 10 business days. For the I-130, I had brought 50 photos, our international marriage certificate from NL (original is in English among a few other languages), my daughter's birth certificate as well as consolar report of birth abroad. Document collecting: We thought this would be pretty straightforward but it proved to be a bit of a pain in the ass. First was my taxes. While living abroad I knew I had to file taxes and I knew that all my income would be excluded under the foreign income exclusion. So when I tried to efile, I was frustrated that turbotax would not let me file as married because my wife didn't have a SSN. Also, there was no point for me in the ITIN as her income would also be completely excluded so not tax benefit. I filed as single for my tax purposes just to get it filed and I did this for three years. Oops. When I joined this forum I realized this could create a problem so two months ago I filed the 1040X. The only correction was the check box from single to married-filing separately. The IRS still hasn't processed the correction and I'm not sure they even will bother since it doesn't affect money owed to them or money owed to me. But I wanted to have that for the GUZ to clearly show I'm married. Next were the police certificates. My wife was having a heck of a time with the police in Shantou (her Hukou) as they wanted to state that she had no police record in their district, rather than all of China. Luckily, she has a good friend who happens to work in the police dept there and she was able to pull a few strings to get that handled. I need to buy this lady some flowers! Additionally, my wife had previously lived in Belgium, France, and Netherlands. Luckily, we had police reports in 2010 from our previous immigration efforts for Belgium in France (both countries she hadn't lived in since 2005). However, we found out that even though the police certificates were issued years AFTER she left those countries, they couldn't be used since they were issued in 2010. Apparently even these expire after one year. So we had to again request police certificates. So Belgium and France were basically stating that, yep, we didn't make a mistake on the previous report. She really didn't have a police record! Irritating but we were pleasantly surprised that they arrived in China about two weeks after requesting them. We also learned that we could not request one from NL. The embassy in Guangzhou must to so on behalf of us. The translations also proved to be a bit complicated as every agency was accustomed to translating Chinese to English but not French to English. My wife spent quite some time asking around who could translate and also certify/notorize the Belgium/France police certificates. For the I-864 I had enough assets to qualify as meeting the threshold (I don't have a job lined up in the US yet). However, I learned from this website it is always a good idea to have a joint sponsor so I asked my sister to be my wife's sponsor (my sister makes a very comfortable salary). And this paid off as they did indeed ask my wife for a joint sponsor so I'm very happy we were proactive on this. Now, my biggest worry, domicle. I was very nervous about this so I tried as much as possible to provide overkill. I have a daughter and another kid due in less than two months so I really, really did not want to be forced to move back to the US and first find a job. I provided many documents with my parents address: my US bank account, child's college fund, 2 US credit cards, mutual fund account, IRA account, etc. I also had my parents write a letter stating we would live with them temporarily while looking for new jobs when returning to the US. I also had a few emails with my companies recruiters in the US stating our intention to relocate to the US. OK, on to the interview.... I waited with my wife in the long lines outside at 7am. We finally get to the front where the CGI-Stanley girls were putting barcoded stickers on the passport. My wife wasn't paying attention but I immediately noticed the girl put a different person's sticker on my wife's passport. I immediately told the girl (in Chinese) that she made a mistake but she ignored me. I again kept telling her it was wrong and explained again that it was not my wife's name. I even pointed to her master sheet's with all the names and showed her the correct one. "This is my wife" I showed her. She was a bit flustered and I think a bit embarrassed that a foreigner was correcting her mistake. Anyway, my wife went to her document intake and interview. She had provided a few originals such as our international marriage certificate and consular report of birth abroad for our kid. I stressed to her that we needed these back. They took them and said she would get them back before her interview. Later they called her back to collect these originals. She was smart and before just stuffing them in her bag she double-checked the documents. Sure enough, they weren't ours. They mistakenly had given her documents for someone else. A second mistake! Be sure to double check everything! Other than that, the interview was a breeze and they didn't ask her for half of the things we had ready at hand (including her resume). My wife was in at 7 and done by 10, though they did give her priority since she was pregnant. So we'll have the visa within a week or so! However, we can't move back right away as my wife is too far along in her pregnancy so we'll have to have our baby in Shanghai and do another Consular Report of Birth Abroad and make sure we enter the US by December 21, as that is the day the visa will expire. I told my wife, as long as I'm back before Xmas I'll be happy so now it's a must. It's been quite a journey with loads of documents and I'm so happy it's now done. One additional tip: do not get all worked up about possible ways to be denied a visa. It's important to know the key items that can cause this but I was really concerned with domicile and spent far too much time on various internet forums regarding failing due to domicile, which was completely unnecessary since it was out of my hands and most of the crap I was reading were about other countries domicile issues and not China. In the end it was a breeze. That's all I can think of right now. A big thanks to the community!! Steve

Hello all. We're a DCF at P3 now. Couple questions about the I-864: 1. We're using my Dad as a joint sponsor, so I know that he has to fill out an I-864, and provide 3 years of tax returns, a copy of his contract at work, and a copy of his passport photo. Does he need to provide anything else? He's really hesitant to do this and I'm trying to keep the number of personal documents he needs to provide to a minimum. 2. My Dad and mom are still married, and my mom works. Under what circumstances does she need to file an I-864a? My Dad's income is enough to qualify for the joint sponsorship, but I'm not sure if they file their income taxes jointly or separately. 3. My parents are weirded out by the idea of sending these personal documents (tax returns) via FedEx to China. Is it ok to scan and print documents like the work contract, tax returns, and I-864? If so, which documents are ok to scan and email to my wife in China for printing? 4. I'm back in the USA now. Is it ok that my address on the I-864 is a US address, or should I just put the Chinese address I used on the I-130? 5. Does Guangzhou care if the I-864 joint sponsor is a family member or a friend? The whole joint sponsor thing is putting a strain on my relationship with my parents. I have a friend who would willingly joint-sponsor my wife. Which is better? Thanks in advance for anyone who has any thoughts. This green card process is driving me nuts.

Hello Guys, My husband filed I-130 for me last month and i just received P3. My husband has been a teacher in China for the last 5 years and in the last couple years, he didnt file his tax, his income was fae less than the poverty line, we married last year and oue baby was born not long after that. here is the questions. 1. how should he do to file the tax while he stays in China now ? how can he prove his income in China? how much would the penalty for not paying his taxes in the last two years(his ex filed it for him before that)? 2.Since he doesn't make enough money, he can't be the only sponsor of me, he will have to get a co-sponsor, right? 3.Do we need to prepare all the documents listed on P3 then send them altogether to the America Embassy GUZ ? Thx.

Was surprised to wake up this morning to an email from USCIS in Beijing with our NOA attached. It's only been 7 working days since I submitted the I-130 in Beijing!! Anyhow... now my head's spinning, and I have a few immediate questions I'm hoping this group can help with, since I wasn't expecting to hear from them for at least a month. - I'm now stateside and my wife's back in her hometown (Wuhan). Ideally, we'd like to change the address they mail correspondence to (to Wuhan). Any decent way to do that? Can I just message the GZ consulate via the online form? - I'm a little confused on who goes to the interview in GZ once its finally scheduled. Is it immigrant (my wife) only, or am I allowed/supposed to go? I thought I'd previously read that only the immigrant goes... - I keep reading about co-sponsors for affadavits of support. I've just moved back stateside and have a good paying job, well above poverty level. From looking at the I-864, I shouldn't need any kind of co-sponsor, or even need to provide bank info beyond proof of employment and income. That sound about right? - I "front loaded" my I-130 packet with tons of stuff. Do we need to take that to GZ with us, or will they have it all? Thanks, Charlie

Dearest Candle Lovers, After almost seven years in Beijing, and two and a half years of marriage to my Chinese wife, it's finally time to leave (China, not my wife!). I just got accepted to grad school, and have to be back in the US in August, so now I am frantically trying to figure out the most efficient way to get my wife home with me by August if at all possible. I have noticed a handful of people here in the forums who managed to do the whole process in under four months, and I'm hoping that our application process can go just as smoothly (but not getting my hopes up... I know so much of it is out of our hands, but we'd like to give it our best shot and at least get everything right the first time and get things submitted as quickly as possible). I've read up as much as time has allowed over the past week since getting accepted to grad school, but I'm working every day from the butt crack of dawn to the wee hours of the morning on a big project that will require me to work every single day like this until early May. So most of my research time has been on my phone while riding the subway (and its taken me several subway rides to write these questions!). After my initial research, here are the biggest questions that I'm most anxious about at the moment, in order of priority (the first one being most urgent): 1. I want to do a DCF filing, but I've read that you must have a residence permit and a valid visa. I've lived in China for seven years, first on a student visa, then four years on a business visa, and the past two years since getting married I've been on a travel visa (since we got married in the US and didn't get our marriage license translated and notarized at Chinese consulate in US, we couldn't apply for dependency visa for me in my wife's hometown, and since we go home to US every Christmas anyway, I just make a new visa at home every year). Will a travel visa be considered a "valid visa" for a DCF application? Also, after my first year as a student here in Beijing, I've been working as a freelance photographer, and as such have been unable to find any employers to sponsor me for a work visa. Yes folks, I'm sad to say, I am an illegal alien (more about this in Question 2 about my taxes). Is this going to hurt my chances with USCIS and GUZ, or can I potentially use this to support my case for residence here in China? The other problem is that my landlord for my Beijing residence lives abroad and has the hukou book with him, so the nephew who maintains the apartment has claimed from the beginning that they can't register me at the local police station (I've pushed them on this issue and they've refused to budge). This police station pass is the "residence permit" that I need to apply for DCF, right? If I can get a Chinese friend to register me as living with him at his local police station, would that be enough to only have a residence permit valid from right before I submit the application? Otherwise I don't see any way that I can get permits for the past several years! 2. I'm a bit worried about proving my financial stability. As I mentioned above, I work freelance here in Beijing. I'm almost always paid in cash or bank transfer with no questions asked and no taxes reported on the China side. It's my understanding that Americans living abroad don't have to pay taxes on foreign income up to about $92,000 if they are a resident in that country, so I've not turned in a tax return the past several years (which I've only now realized I was supposed to do even if I didn't owe anything... DOH!). However, I do have enough money saved up to get me and my wife through the next three years of school (and I will continue to work freelance on the side in the US - legally this time! - and my wife plans to work full-time as well). So what do I do about not having any tax returns for the past several years? Can I submit now for past years not submitted (and will this look bad to visa officer)? And does USCIS and GUZ care that I was working here on the wrong visa? Also, given my situation what is the best way to prove that my wife and I will not become a financial burden to the state? If I show bank account records in China and US with a fair bit of money, will they question my not having submitted tax returns? Can I avoid this, or at least supplement my application, by having one of my parents co-sponsor us? Also, how early do I need to submit financial information in the immigration visa process? Can I go ahead and submit the I-130 form without it to get the ball rolling on our application? 3. I've read up on the DCF filing process and am pretty familiar with the procedure, but I'm still unclear on how to GET STARTED. I've seen different info about this. Do I first put together my I-130 packet and then make an appointment to drop it off? Or do I make an appointment to pay a fee, and then after paying I mail in my I-130 packet? Is the I-130 packet the first thing I need to give them, or do I have to submit something else before that? Also I've heard lots of people say that they submitted a lot of materials early on before it was asked for (and even stuff that isn't requested). Is it recommended to do this when I send in the I-130 packet if my goal (like most people I'm sure) is to expedite the process as much as possible? I apologize for the long post (and my exceedingly obvious ignorance), and if any of you brave souls have made it this far I'm already extremely grateful. Any advice at all from this great community would be much appreciated!!!

Hi, all, First, thank you to Dan and all the mods for these great forums. My wife and I are preparing to do a DCF here in Beijing. I found this recent post (and the rest of the thread) to be very helpful in letting us know how to set up an appointment and what to expect. I am sending out the email tonight, hopefully we will be able to go in in early March to file From other posts in the forums, I expect the DCF to take about 4 months to go from filing to interview in Guangzhou. A question: when/where can we sign up for paperless notification? Is that a possibility, or does everything need to be mailed? If it's an option, I think we'll have things mailed to my wife's work address, as mail/courier delivery there is more reliable than delivery to our apartment. Once we get to Guangzhou, things are going to grind to a halt, as my wife is a Party member. She joined when she was a university student, isn't a dyed-in-the-wool commie, etc. It's unfortunate that it will add time to our processing. Thanks to the posts about what to expect, she will be prepared for "extra processing" after the interview for a CCP waiver, and will go with all supplementary documents in order. (We will both write explanatory letters, she will have a resume on hand to give to the embassy worker, and she will also already have the relevant form filled out…does that cover all the bases?) Anyway, I feel like I have a good handle on what the process will entail. Thanks again to all of you for your great, informative posts. They've really helped to make the process seem less scary! I'll keep the thread updated as our application progresses.

Dear All, I hope I can make this as coherent as possible. I am concerned that I will not be able to get my wife a green card, or into the US at all. I currently have been living with my wife for over a year in China and started the process for my wife's green card, however I found out that I need, or find someone, to sponsor her. Since I am unable to do this or have anyone that can. Does that mean my wife is unable to go to the US? We currently have a two and half month baby, but from everything I have read, researched, and found it seems a no go. I am 28 and my wife is 26. I currently work as an English Teacher but am worried now that my wife will never be able to visit the US, and I don't want to leave my wife. We have gotten the passport and SSN for the child already. I erroneously assumed that getting my wife into the US would be easy. , Your questions, comments, and/or feedback would be much appreciated. Regards, Robert

I have received the NOA for my wife and I'm waiting for the NOA for my step-daughter. What documents do I do need to file next? I am currently working on my I-864. Do they mail the P3 packets or do you download the forms. If you down load the forms what forms do I need to download? Bubba

Just wanted to give an update on my application. I DCF'ed on 11/09/2012. Sent back the forms on 12/05/2012. Received the interview letter 01/27/2013. And we are now preparing for the interview. I been working and living with my wife. I am wondering if the officer will asks for evidences that we live together in China or why do we plan to go back to USA? We have bank statements to the same mail address. We have pictures of our trips, wedding dinner, and with friends. However, we have no pictures of us at home. What evidence can we provide to show that we live together And what could I show to prove that we plan to go back to the states to live? I have a letter from an employer that said they would hire me as long as I am back before June, 2013. Or they probably won't ask these questions?

DCF Guangzhou Experience Monday March 11, 2013 Appt time:12:30 Arrived for the line around 11:15, already over 100 people in line, there were 2 or more lines, as mentioned in prior posts, we had to ask which one was immigration, but found the correct one. 12:15 they started checking the appt letter and passports, handing people green/blue/black cards to proceed upstairs to the security check. I followed up to the first check, mainly because I was curious, but ducked out of line before the next one. First check is just basic screen, second check on the next floor is the full check with removal of belt, shoes, etc. Document hand in was relatively easy, the girl at the counter didn’t really ask for the documents because my husband just kept handing her one document after the other. She did however ask my husband questions about the documents such as, oh I see you have a co-signer and the wife, what is her name (he answered), where did you meet your wife, when did you get married, she also had us give our original marriage certificate and my husbands original birth declaration certificate… Documents submitted on the Doc intake day: -Original passport -Photos -Birth documents, baptismal card, affidavit of hospital closure, affidavit from father, national population certificate (notorial copy and original), affidavit of age declaration C This is all due to husbands birth country - medical forms (not the x-ray) - Marriage certificate (both notorial copy and original) - I-864 of petitioner with 3 years tax transcripts and job offer letter, I-864 of co-sponsor and I-864A for spouse of co-sponsor along with 3 years tax transcripts, 3 most recent paystubs, letter from current employer, copy of co-sponsor’s passport (proof of US domicile returned and was not looked at or asked for during both interview days) - Original police clearance for both home country and China Went to the cashier window and paid the $230 (note they DO NOT accept Chinese bank cards, someone had to leave and withdraw cash for this), waited for the number to be called again at the original window to give the payment receipt. She stamped the appointment letter with the return at 7:30am tomorrow stamp. They also stapled an EMS slip to be filled out by us and instruction sheet to be returned tomorrow during our interview along with a pamphlet on domestic abuse and further procedure for visa and AOS Waited some more time to be called for finger printing, seemed to take a while to get all the fingerprints completed. Left around 3:30pm Tuesday March 12, 2013 Appt time: 7:30am Arrived around 6:45am, not many people were there yet, but many more lines today than yesterday. They made 2 lines (green dot, and none) along with other lines for what I could tell were just normal visa appointments. They let the people with the green dots in first, then let in the other appointment lines, and then back to the people (like us) that had their letter stamped without a green dot. A little note, people that arrived later than 7:30 with a green dot were made to wait for other lines to be checked). At about 7:45am we were inside the building waiting in a much longer security line than yesterday. It was quite fast, but again I ducked out before the first check. Everyone entered the hall and took an oath, in Chinese, then sat and waited for their numbers to be called. (The VO wanted my husband to do it again in English, but said he did it in Chinese already) The number was called, walked up to the counter and the VO greeted my husband first with a good morning, do you remember me? My husband said yes, she said, yeah I finger printed you yesterday, I remember you. And from there the conversation took off. She scanned the bar code and waited for the case to come on the computer. He handed our passports, she returned mine without looking. She then asked about the relationship, will he live in this state? Where? The VO was from the same state so they shared some commentary on that. She also seemed to review the documents from the intake yesterday as she asked if my husband came to live with me in November as stated from dates on the police certificate (he clarified with other documents). She asked if we had pictures, my husband handed her a binder with both wedding and relationship pictures, which she loved, and commented on the colors of our wedding, traditional dress, etc. The VO was very friendly and commented that our file was very organized and she’d never seen a file like it before. She then half jokingly said, oh, are you a member of the CCP, my husband said no. She then said CONGRATULATIONS!! took the EMS slip and handed him an APPROVAL LETTER with his case number and Alien number, the copy of EMS form, and instructions on how to pay the $165 online before entering the states, and our original marriage and population cert. 10:40am he walked out with the approval My husband said he enjoyed the talk with the officer so much that when he came out he told me that she didn’t ask any questions…then later said she was quite sneaky with them! He also noted that a lot of people seemed to have received the blue slip and knew of some denials as well. My advice is to stay calm, get your ducks in a row, and you’ll be fine! 2 days later EMS states the package is in the sorting center

First post and I really wish I would have discovered this site MUCH earlier... Quick background: I met my Chinese wife when I was living in Chicago and she in Netherlands, as we work for the same MNC. My wife is a Chinese citizen but had been living in Europe for 5 years or so. We got along well, started dating and making several visits (me to NL and China, and her to US). in 2008 I found a job in Amsterdam within our company so made the move and we lived together ever since. In 2009 we were legally married in NL, and had a church ceremony wedding in Hong Kong. In 2010 our daughter was born and is now a US citizen via Consular Report of Birth Abroad. In 2010 we filed the 1-130 in Amsterdam and it was accepted. We received all the paper work and were informed to schedule an interview with the immigration officer. At that time, our company announced major investments in China, which meant job opportunities for us so we decided not to continue with the immigration process and moved to China instead (job market in US wasn't so good anyway). We've now been in Shanghai for 2 years living together and are ready to start the I-130 process again as we're ready to move to the US, with baby number 2 on the way Taxes: I was a good US citizen and filed my taxes each year. Since 2009 I have only had foreign-earned income that is less than the $92k threshold, so it's always qualified to be exclued. No taxes owed to US gov't and none owned to me. However, after we were married I filed as "Single" for tax purposes as for married it required a SSN which my wife doesn't have. Any status I used wouldn't matter because I have no US income and my foreign income is definitely lower than the threshold. Looking through these threads I think technically filing as "single" was not right. Although no impact on taxes owed or paid I'm worried that this stupid little technicallity may create a problem doing the process in China as opposed to when we started it in Amsterdam. Would a simple letter explaining my rationale for using "single" be sufficient? I understand the "single" might create an issue for bonafide marriage but I have loads of other evidence to prove it is real. And I did file my US taxes honestly and faithfully, but maybe not technically correct when I read more on this forum. Appreciate your comments. Steve

All, I'm another newbie to this situation needing some practical advice. I've considered retaining an immigration atty, but my concern is they'll always paint a worst-case scenario in order to encourage me to use their services. Quick background: Been living/working in China for 5 years. Met my wife about 5 years ago, have co-habitated for over 4, got engaged a year ago February, and married in December. In October of last year I was downsized by my company here in China. Have been looking for (good paying) work since, but found nothing so I'm planning to accept a position I've been offered back in the states (Georgia) and relocate. And I want my wife to go with me, of course!! She has previously travelled to the US 3 times on a B1 visa, which is currently valid and will remain so through June. So, I have a multitude of questions because of the variables. The biggies are: - From everything I've read, it looks like I should hurry up and submit the I-130 here in Beijing before I return to the US for work. My one concern is filing before I start the new job and showing up as unemployed for my current employment. Since the G-325A just asks for month/year I'm wondering if filing during the same month I'll start back in the US will do the trick. - Alternately, if that doesn't work, could I file in Beijing on a return visit. I'm planning to switch my Z visa to a Spousal visa (as the spouse of a Chinese national). While waiting for all this to settle, she'll have a place here in BJ and I'll be stateside, so I'll be running back and forth between both countries. - As many of you probably know, co-mingling finances or bills here is pretty difficult. Kinda no-such thing as a joint account, joint bills, etc. For the I-130 what is common documentation of joint residence/property/resources that others have successfully submitted or would recommend? We own an apartment in Wuhan, but its all in her name, of course, because of property ownership laws and the difficulty for a foreigner to get a mortgage here. - For afadavits is there any weighting of the types of folks I get them from? Are local business leaders or members of the American Chamber of commerce more valuable than friends or family? Landlady? (Also helps show joint residence I'm thinking?) - Any other advice on good "relevant documentation" to submit with the I-130 to establish ongoing marital union? - I've read others talk about documents of financial support, etc... is that to go with the I-130 or for the future interview in GZ? - Related to her having a B1 visa, a couple of folks have suggested that instead of doing the I-130 here, she go to the US on a legit business trip, but then we apply to have her visa status changed from the US with an I-130 and I-485. I'm a little concerned about this route pissing off Uncle Sam, though. Any thoughts or experience with this? - If we submit an I-130, will she lose her B1 visa and be unable to travel to the states for her work? And lastly, assuming we go the I-130 route, filing here before I leave, what's a realistic average time frame to expect from time we file till she can actually come to the US? Is there any avenue for her to come during the interim for visits/vacation, or will I always have to come back to China for us to actually see one another? Appreciate any advice, tips, etc... its all completely overwhelming, especially when combined with impending relocation, new job, etc. Charlie