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This is my first post. I hope I posted into the correct group. Last year while my (at the time) fiance and I were visiting friends in the states, we decided to elope. He is Chinese and I am American. We both live and work in China. We do not plan on moving back to the states anytime soon so have not started the marriage visa process. We plan on visiting some friends this summer in the USA and doing some sightseeing. He already has a 10-year tourist visa. My question is, if we travel together, do you think we will have problems at the POE? I have read some problems that other people had acquiring tourist visas because they said they were dating/engaged to an American, but he already has the tourist visa. Do you think there will not be a problem? Would it be better to travel separately? Thank you in advance. this forum has been very informative.

We just got through my fiancee's interview and are very excited to say that it was a success. We plan on getting legally married at the courthouse as soon as we arrive in the U.S., but plan on having a ceremony at a later date. It is very important to both of us that her parents and other family members are able to attend the wedding. All her family members that would be coming have strong attachments to China, own an apartment, car, and all but her aunt have jobs. They shouldn't have any issues obtaining visitor visas, right? and is there anything we should know about applying for their visitor visas? I tried searching for a post addressing this, but I didn't come up with anything. Forgive me if this has already been posted about. Thanks for the help as always everyone! Your help really is invaluable!

I am helping my mother-in-law to apply for a visitor visa to come to the US. I see multiple suggestions to supply an I-134. We will be sending her the information for her interview over email and I am a bit concerned with the detail the I-134 requires. I don't really want to put my SSN and bank account details all in one place and send it via email, or even in the snail mail system from US to China. How necessary is it to provide all of those details for a visitor visa? Can I leave the SSN blank and not attach the statements or is that poinless? Thanks.

Hello all, My mother-in-law received the 1 year visitors visa last friday. No problems during the interview in Shanghai, she was asked about 6-7 questions and received the visa the same day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the list of things that needs to be completed. List (目录) PART I - INVITEE (第一部分) (被邀请人) 1. Passport (护照, 原件) 2. DS 156 Form (DS156表, 原件, 中英文各一份) 3. DS 157 Form (DS157表, 原件, 中英文各一份) 2,3. DS-160 Form, see USTravelDocs - http://www.ustraveldocs.com/cn/cn-niv-ds160complete.asp 4. Receipt of Visa Application Fee (中信银行的签证费收据, 原件) 5. Resident Booklet (护口本) 6. National Identification Cards (身份证) 7. Evidences of Properties’ ownership (房产证明) 8. Evidences of Bank Saving (银行存款证明) 9. Retiree’s card and Certificate of pension (退休证和退休金证明) 10. Verification of Son’s Employment (儿子的工作证明) 11. Copies of National ID of Son (儿子身份证复印件) 12. Family Photos (家庭照片) 13. Letter of Dad’s Employment(爸爸公司的经济和雇用证明信) PART II ( 第二部分 ) - INVITER ( 邀请人 ) 1. Invitation Letter (English & Chinese) (邀请函中英文各一份) 2. Affidavit of Support I-134 Form (经济担保证明 I-134表) 3. Ella’s I-94 copy (女儿的入境卡) (I-94 is carried by non-immigrants, and is discarded once having a green-card, in place of I-94 perhaps a copy of green-card) 4. Copy of Income Tax Return 2003 (2003年个人收入纳税表复印件) 5. Copies of Ella & Tine’s passport (女儿和女婿的护照复印件) 6. Copy of Ella’s Visa (女儿到美国的签证复印件) 7. Copies of Daughter & Granddaughter’s Green Card, SSN (女儿和外孙女的绿卡、社安号复印件) 8. Copy of Driver License: Son-In-Law and Daughter (女婿和女儿的驾照复印件) 9. Copy of Marriage License (结婚证复印件) 10.Letter of Tine’s Employment (Tine公司的经济和雇用证明信) 11.Photos (家庭照片) 12.Notarial Certificate of relationship (直系亲属关系公证书) 13.Letter for VO. (英文信函一份给签证官) Letter For VO. To: American Counsulate General Mei Long Zheng Plaza 8th Floor Shanghai, China 200001 Subject : Issuance of visiorts visa for my mother-in law. Dear Visa Officer, We would like to invite our mother, XXXX(here is mother’s name) to visit our home in XXXXX(here is address of your home) for 4-6 months, so she may visit her daughter and grandchildren. While here we would like to take her to visit New York city, Washington DC, Orlando, FL. Her husband can not join her due to his work schedule and she also has a son and daughter-in-law in Shanghai. During her stay here we will bear all financial responsibilites during her stay including her round trip air fare from Shanghai to Indianapolis and back, medical insurance while here, and all travel expense. Tine XXXX & Ella XXXX (sign your names here) Letter for Mom:Chinese & English 亲爱的妈妈：你好！ 这封信是邀请你到美国来看我们，并且和我们一起生活。你在美国的6个月里，我们将会支?br /> 赌阍诿榔诩渌械纳詈吐眯蟹延茫ㄍ档姆苫薄５蹦憷吹矫拦螅颐墙岽愕 揭韵录父龅胤饺ゲ喂酆吐眯小Ｔ诰咛迨奔渖弦残砘嵊兴涠绻奔湓市淼幕埃颐腔够 岽愕狡渌父鲂爬锩挥辛谐龅牡胤饺タ纯础?br /> 5月 去看有名的赛车比赛。Tine在每年的5月和8月到那里工作几天，他可以带家属进入比赛场地 。这个赛车比赛即使在世界上也是很名的。 7月 我们会到纽约和华盛顿：纽约的唐人街，有名的华尔街，自由女神像；华盛顿是美国的首都 ，我们去年去过的，很值得去看看的。 8月 到美丽的佛罗达海滩度假，并到想往以久的迪斯尼乐团去游玩。 其他时间我们会带你到我们印第安那转转，我们生活的这个城市是浅Ｃ览龅摹Ｔ诤臀颐巧?活的几个月里，你会了解和体验美国人的生活，我们也相信你一定会在美国度过一段美好的 时光的。 你的女婿： 你的女儿： 2004年12月 Tine & Ella XXXX XXXXXXX(here is your address) Dec.30th 2004 Ref: To XXX(here is your mom’s Chinese name) Dear Mom: (here is your mom’s name, type “PinYing”) This letter is invite you to come USA to see us ,and live with us for 6 months in Indianapolis Indiana, USA. We will pay all the fees for your living and traveling in USA, and the plane ticket for coming USA and returning to China. During your stay in USA, We will visit several famous cities in the world: May 21st-22nd & May 29th Indianapolis: Indianapolis 500 Car Race ,It is the most famous car race in the world. July 9th- 18th : New York: Walk in Wall Street and to visit the Statue of Liberty; China Town, Atlantic City and Nigara Falls. Washington DC: Our nations capitol, The White House our Presidents home, and many other sites. Aug 14th~30th : Florida: Disney World, Miami 1 week and one week on the beach in Ft. Myers Florida. You will know that how the persons in USA are living and how we are Living in USA. We believe that you will feel pleasure during your traveling in USA. Your Daughter: Your Son-in-law: Dec30th, 2004

Hi all, First, thanks again to all those that helped my husband and I go through the green card process last year. Now, we're trying to get B2 tourist visas for his parents to come visit us. We got all the paperwork together that was listed on the ustraveldocs.com site, but they were rejected for a visa at the interview on Sept. 1 in Shenyang. The interviewer asked for a proof of my husband's employment in the US, which they didn't have. They did have extensive white book documentation of the business, houses, and car that they own, plus copies of our ID's, husband's green card, and our marriage certificate. They didn't have the following (this is a list put together by an agency they visited after the interview): 邀请函（抵美日期是11月15号。住45天，主题是预计婚礼在感恩节期间举行，邀请父母参加婚礼，顺便带父母过圣诞节） 工作证明 身份证明 税单 存款证明 英国留学毕业证 去韩国留学的毕业证 爱人的毕业证 The United States Invitation letter (arrive date is November 15th. 45 days, is expected to the ceremony will be held during the Thanksgiving holiday to invite parents to the wedding, bringing his parents for Christmas) Work certificate Proof of identity bill Deposit certificate British study abroad graduation card Go to South Korea to study abroad graduation card Lover's diploma So, my question is, for their second interview, is there anything else that might be indispensable, that is not on this list? Another question, what's the proper format for a "work certificate"? Last question, should I (the US citizen spouse) prepare versions of these documents as well (such as proof of employment, etc)? Thank you for reading such a long post!! Ksenia

Hi All, Before I start, I wanted to thank everyone again for your help over the years. This will be my 6th year in China and I will be leaving soon （next August 2018), your site/members have been very helpful when I needed it. I just had a few questions regarding how my wife and I should proceed before heading back. - my wife has her green card but we applied for the reentry permit for several years until recently when we allowed it to expire. This means if we go back anytime to the states, they will cut up her card and send her back. - at this moment since we are only 13 weeks into the pregnancy and my wife is able to travel, what process would benefit her more? I was considering the B-2 visa to get into the states then apply for her green card again...but she was considering the CR1 visa which I am not very clear how that works, etc... - our child should be born around Feb/March next year after that I believe from reading the forums here that he/she would be an automatic Chinese citizen since my wife is Chinese and we are in China. After my wife's visa is worked out, I thought we need to visit the Shanghai consulate and register our child...is there a general process for this? Sorry I know this covers many topics, so thank you all in advance for helping on this. Bill

Hi all. I hope everyone is doing well. My wife and I are wanting her elderly parents to come to the U.S. to visit us from China. Could someone point us to the steps required for us and for them? I know there is an invite letter we have to put together along with sponsorship? Any help you could give would be much appreciated as we really aren't sure where to start. Thanks all!! :-)

Hi, Hope all is well with everyone! My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a few days ago. Meet with the surgeon in a few days to see what plan they have. Problem. I'm still working and we need to get her sister (Chinese national) over here ASAP to help with post op care. Does a letter from the surgeon/hospital showing the reason for the visa is not just to tour around the country, cause them to expedite the visa process? Trying to figure out how long it might be/take before she can be over here. I totally understand the process and how it can take varying amounts of time, but with it being important that she's here ASAP to help her sister? Any experience? All help would be appreciated!! THANKS!! Rosie and Marc

My father-in-law arrived yesterday from China for a three month stay. He speaks no English so it appears his discussion with the Border Officer was limited. This is his third visit and second visit on his present 10 year visa. He had a copy of his itinerary so I would guess the Officer looked at it to see his return flight. (late June) Here is my question while they stamped his passport the officer did not write down how long he was admitted for, he just initialed it. So the question is how long is my father-in-law admitted for? If no date does it mean six months? Is there a way to look it up online? Or some other way? Or am I safe to assume it is six months? Unless something unforeseen happens, he will be leaving in three months but I just want to make sure he does not overstay. Any advice?

So, my wife and I have been living in China for nearly 2 years, and I have been working here nearly the entire time. We have not petitioned or started any sort of immigration proceedings whatsoever, but are planning to in the near future. In the meantime, I have several business trips I need to take to the United States, and there is one coming up this next month that I'd like my wife to come along with. She has had a US visa in the past, and I was wondering what sort of implications or issues we might run into if we apply for a tourist visa and going to the US (2-3 weeks only). I want to reiterate that this is strictly for business and that we will have return plane tickets on hand for the interview when it comes to that time. We both have full time jobs here in China. Thanks, Nathan

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! We have 4 relatives that do not have US visas but want to come to visit for a tour of our western states and see the sites. I was going to write a letter to the consulate as I have for our parents to explain the trip but was wondering if I should list all 4 relatives in one letter or is it better to write a letter for each relative? If one wouldn't get the visa the others probably wouldn't make the trip as it's a father, mother, daughter and the father's mother. They would then accompany our parents as they're 87 and 78 years old and unable to make the trip on their own. They own a number of homes, have good jobs and all their family and friends of course are in China so no 'threat' of them staying in the USA. Any suggestions and what are their chances of being approved for all of them to get their visas. THANKS!!!

I guess I need a letter to invite wife's family to visit. I was hoping they get the visa. Two sisters and two brothers all at once. Kinda looking forward to it and kinda not. Wife's English is not great and of course it is my fault. She has almost got the word president down after a few months. Her family speaks zero English. Anyway, can someone point me to a form letter or place to learn what I need to write? I would think I need to write an invite letter for each. Hoping someone has experience in this. I think three are from Zhanjian and one from Guangzhou.

Hi All, Wow, can't believe how long it's been since we got married in the USA (over 12 years). CFL was a HUGE help, thought I would reach out for any helpful ideas again. She's Chinese, we were married in the USA and her 10 year visa will expire next year in Oct. Our kids are grown and settled here and we will semi retire in China next year. So... what to do about her USA immigration status. We are not going to come back here twice a year to keep her permanent status, maybe once ever 1 or 1-1/2 years. Should we just get her a travel visa each time? Can she have a green card and stay outside the USA more than 6 months. Any ideas? Thanks!

Hi, My wife's mother and father are coming to visit again in December for Christmas. They had 4 year visas but want to get the 10 year visa plus the 4 year is about to expire. Do we need invitation letters and all that we submitted for the prior visa? Or because they had the previous one the 10 year will be approved. Father is 87 and Mother is 78. Thanks! Rosie and Marc

Hi, I need to know what options may be available for getting my 22-year-old stepson here on any type of visa. My wife is here with me on a greencard. She heard that it is impossible for my stepson to get a visitor's visa. I have no idea if that is true. We have already applied for him to get a greencard, but we want him to be able to visit us. The greencard application was made a year ago. Thank you, Kevin Nelson

Thanks in advance all My wifes mom came to visit us last September 12th and stayed until March 5th (almost 6 months). Q - How long does she need to stay in China before she can come visit us again? Matt and Lili

I'm newly married (just as of yesterday to be exact). There's been no wedding, just the registration part. Next week my husband and I will prepare a date for the wedding that will probably be around October or November. I haven't been back to the states in almost two years. My husband has never been. He and I have been together for two years and we were going to wait a few more months (and closer to a wedding date) to register, but then I, thinking it would be easier to do it this way, wanted to at least register and be husband and wife legally so maybe it would be easier for him to go America to visit my family before the actual wedding. We've been looking into getting a tourist visa for over a year now. I've been assured that he would never get into America on his own because he doesn't own property in China and doesn't have enough money in his bank account. So this is what made us make the decision to marry a few months earlier than we expected to. I desperately need some advice as I navigate this visa process and if anyone thinks we are getting the wrong visa, please let me know. I need to say we have no wish to immigrate. we want to stay in China. I've just accepted a new job, he is working as a real estate agent. His family his here. Our live is here. In the future, MAYBE, but not now, not any time soon. What steps should I be taking now? What will help me? What won't? Any advice will be greatly appreciated and if I didn't explain myself clearly I'll be happy to explain myself more clearly. KGS

my wife told me yesterday that she wants her mother to visit even if she is on temporary green card status . i told her sure . what are the step need to be taken? is it the same as if i went to china ? i know she will need an invitation letter. thanks

Hi, My wife and I filed an I-130 last summer for our 21-year-old stepson. He is now under the F2B process. Question is this: Can he visit us in the States while we are awaiting the current seven-year wait time? What kinds of visas would he be eligible for? Any catches to beware of? TIA, Kevin

...so my second wife and I were married in the United States. It was on a tourist visa, which she got a few months before our planned summer vacation back to California. We live in China. About a month before we go, we find out that we're expecting. Looking at the marriage requirements for China, we just got married in my hometown because it was hella easier. (I also know from experience --my ex-wife is also Chinese -- that getting married in China has a lot of bureaucracy that I really wasn't interested in.) So we get married in California. Then we went back to China. About a month ago, my second son was born. My wife's tourist visa is good for 10 years. I want to apply for his passport but I have concerns about how it will affect my wife's tourist visa. She has no interest in immigration, but would like to visit in the summers. Will applying for our son's American passport affect her tourist visa? Looking at the instructions it says they need to see both parent's passport and marriage certificate. Thanks for the advice. maybe I'm being paranoid.

I am US citizen and my wife just got her Green Card. We currently living in Shanghai but moving permanently to the US in July. We would like my father-in-law to come visit us for 5-6 months to help my wife get adjusted to life in the US. My mother-in-law does not want to fly, so it would be only my father-in-law coming at this time. His is currently visiting us in Shanghai so all of his documents are at his home 12 hours away. Would it be a mistake to proceed with a visitor visa interview with only a invitation letter and his ID card? Other documents that he could obtain if we delay the interview are his marriage license, Huko book and a document showing his retirement income. Is there anything else that would he helpful that we are overlooking? I would greatly appreciate any advice and guidance I could get to help prepare him for the interview. He speaks Chinese only. We are hoping for a 10 year visa to keep the doors open to come see us again in the future when we are not living in China and able to help, especially since his home is far from a US Consulate.

Hi Candlers, Been a long time. I was last here in 2014, seeking advice on how best to go about securing permanent resident status for my wife. We are now happily living in the U.S. together, her with permanent resident status, and I am very grateful to the Candle community for the assistance they provided during difficult times. Now, I find myself about to embark upon a new visa journey, and anxious for help all over again. While my wife and I have been legally married for nearly two years now, we have never had a wedding ceremony; we wanted to wait until such a time where we would have the best chance to have both our families in attendance. Well, we've set a date: August 20th of this year, here in the U.S.. Now we're sincerely hoping that my in-laws, and my wife's grandmother, will be able to attend. This means that three of my wife's family members will be applying for B-2 visas, and will be giving our wedding as the reason for their visit. Now, most of the documents for this they'll be preparing themselves, but my wife and I will be providing at least two important pieces for their application: 1.) A wedding invitation 2.) A formal invitation letter addressed to the U.S. consulate. As for the latter piece, I've looked at various examples, and I've attempted a first draft of my own—which I'd like to present for the hivemind here to critique as best they can: US CONSULATE XXXXX Visas Section Consulate address RE: Invitation Letter and financial responsibility affidavit for US Visitor’s Visa for: [APLICANTS] To Whom It May Concern: I, [MY NAME], born [MY DOB], am a U.S. citizen. I am legally married to a Chinese citizen, [MY WIFE'S NAME], born [MY WIFE'S DOB]. [MY WIFE'S NAME] lives with me at [OUR ADDRESS] with U.S. permanent resident status. The two of us have not up until this point ever had a wedding ceremony; instead, we decided to wait until we had the best chance of getting both of our families together. Now, we have set a date: Our wedding ceremony will be on August 20, 2016. It will be held at my mother’s house [MY MOTHER'S ADDRESS], as the wedding invitation that is included with this application indicates. As such, we would very much like for the applicants listed above — my in-laws: [APPLICANTS' NAMES AND DOBS] — to be granted B-2 visas so that they may attend our wedding. During their visit, the applicants will be staying at my mother’s place of residence, located at [MY MOTHER'S ADDRESS]. All other expenses during their trip, including but not limited to the expense of travel to and from the United States, will be covered by the applicants themselves. I will, however, insure [APPLICANTS' NAMES] timely return to [APPLICANTS' ADDRESS]. Should you have any further questions for me about this letter or anything else pertaining to [APPLICANTS' NAMES] B-2 visa requests, please do not hesitate to contact me at [MY PHONE NUMBER] by phone or [MY EMAIL] by email. I sign this document in awareness of my legal liability for failure to comply with any of the terms I have stated or in the case that any information given is incorrect. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I appreciate your approval of this application. Sincerely, [MY NAME]

My Wife and I need your help with my Daughters & granddaughters Visitor visa. She lives Near Shenyang . She went today for the interview and was Denied . perhaps it was the way hep application was filled out . The VO did not look at and of the supporting documents . just asked 3 ?'s about her husband is work and if he traveled to an other country . Is anyone willing to talk with our Daughter and help her fill out the Visa Application to get a better chance receiving the Visa? and to tell her what other documents she should have for the Visa . She had a travel agent help her but I think the travel agent messed it up ? Thank you Michael & Ling

The wife would like to invite her Sister to stay with us for a while. I believe I seen a letter posted on the boards somewhere but I can't find the link. If someone could please post the link to the letter I would greatly appreciate it. Bubba

I have known my girlfriend for nearly two months now. Due to some minor orthopedic problem that afforded me time off, I was able to travel to China and meet her in July. After I got to know her in July, we attempted to get her a tourist visa at the Chengdu Consulate in August. No dice. And the letter from me I think actually hurt. She was told to seek a K-1. We hired a visa agent. They told us Guangzhou was a better place to try for the visa but gave us a low chance of success due to folks already knowing she has a boyfriend in the states. I wrote a totally honest letter to the visa officer. She was coached from training with the hired agent but also totally honest. She is very attractive and under 30 years old. She was awarded the 10 year multiple entry tourist visa. I would be happy to provide more details to anyone who wants them including the name of the agent assisting us. I have her QQ. But the purpose of this post is not to plug her business other than to share information if specifically requested. It is to ask folks very experienced with this how things work from here. I realize this is a much better place than some folks who struggle for a year or more to be with a spouse or loved one(s). But I need to know, are we basically golden with six month visits interrupted by visa runs (as we financially could do that) until marriage and DCF or until K-1? I obviously need to know my girlfriend for a longer period of time before marriage, but will there be problems with re-entry if she stays in the states for long periods of time? We essentially promised the visa officer that we were certain she would return "on time," and we intend to keep that promise. There is no reason for us not to. How long do we need to wait for her to revisit the states when she returns? Days/weeks/months? Is this the kind of thing that should be scheduled around something like their Spring Festival? Basically, with a tourist visa, what is the level of scrutiny for re-entry if you leave within the time given you the prior time you entered the states? I am sure someone on this forum knows the answers to these questions. My trips to China seem to get easier each time on the Chinese side as I guess they see I have entered multiple times without causing any trouble. I am not sure if that will happen for her in the states. In terms of a potential K-1, we have only one issue, but it is potentially very much a delay problem. Like other ladies mentioned here, she was a top student in university and rewarded with the honor of being invited to join the Communist Party of China. She has been only a rank and file member with no participation beyond helping talk about how to spend resources to benefit disabled or elderly persons in her local community. If things should progress, what would be the better course of action: K-1 or on a subsequent entry marry in the US and apply for what folks here call DCF with the advantage that she would already be in the states? Would they revoke the tourist visa when such an application is made? She doesn't like the fact that the US taxes citizens on all global income, and I am not so sure how much she wants citizenship or a green card. Any advice from persons here with more wisdom and experience that I have would be much appreciated.