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The saga continues.. We were told our visa could not be processed because they needed additional documentation about my husband's nickname. We sent documents last week. I emailed the embassy yesterday to see if they had received them, they said yes and that the case was under review. Literally 2 minutes later my inbox dinged, an email from Citic bank telling us the passport is ready for pickup!? My husband rushes to the bank, looks and behold the passport with the visa, and huge envelope of documents is there. I can't believe it! But upon taking a closer look, it definitely looks like someone has already opened the brown envelope. We have not touched it at all, but I can see the red embassy stamps on the flap don't line up. It's 100% obvious someone has opened it. But when we picked it up from the bank, it was inside a plastic envelope with an untorn sticker, so it definitely wasn't bank staff or delivery personnel. So has anyone encountered something like this? I'm worried that they opened the envelope looking for additional name documents, didn't find them, then sent us the email about needing them. But then maybe someone saw it sitting around, figured it was done, and sent it off. The most frustrating is the lack of phone number to call. The email they sent this morning was clearly automated, and didn't reflect true information. Is there anything I can do besides just emailing again?

My wife (not Chinese) will have her interview in Guangzhou on Monday. She's has to fly back to Beijing so we'll take her passport and then mail it back to GZ via CITIC as others have mentioned. Then they'll mail it back to her via CITIC as well. But something just dawned on me: How will she be able to pick up her passport from the CITIC Bank without a passport to identify herself to the bank? Does the GZ Embassy give you some sort of paper to use to identify yourself to CITIC to retrieve your passport? Just worried about winding up in a catch-22 situation here. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks.

I was pick up my issued IR1 immigrant visa packet yesterday.I found out the PHOTO in immigrant data summary is NOT me! But the passport is good. Will it be a big problem when i at the POE over the wrong photo? Can i bring the visa packet to U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou in person? I dont like to mailing it back by mail. Thank you.

Hi, IV issued (thank God) but now with a pressing administrative issue. My wife's immigrant visa was issued in late Dec and I went to pick it up a few days ago at the local CITIC. Both the bank staff and I immediately noticed that the 'visa packet yellow envelop' was badly broken (one long side was completely ripped most likely during transit - our document submission to the USCIS was 800 pages thick, and the consulate apparently used a large (but not large enough) paper envelop to bag it but unfortunately it was broken before I saw them. I have decided not to sign for/pick up any of the family's passports and packages, and wrote a statement in Chinese and English and had the bank staff provide their corporate chop to verify that I did not temper with the package. Now I'm very torn - I know the safest way is to send it back to GUZ for repackaging, but we do have a confirmed ticket to leave for the US in less than 15 days as I have a series of scheduled business meetings there. Checked with both the consulate and CITIC and it usually takes 2-3 weeks for the package to travel to GUZ, be repackaged and shipped back from GUZ to my home city. I called one of the CBP customer service hotline stating the situation and they said they would normally send us to Secondary Processing for review but it is not a major issue. Our US immi attorneys said the same thing. However, the consular Chinese staff with utter certainty told me that we will be denied entry with a broken envelop. GUZ is also not allowing us to personally carry the packages back to GUZ for repackaging (this way we would have better control over lead time in transit). Any similar experience? Any advice? thanks! Joe

Hi, IV issued (thank God) but now with a pressing administrative issue. My wife's immigrant visa was issued in late Dec and I went to pick it up a few days ago at the local CITIC. Both the bank staff and I immediately noticed that the 'visa packet yellow envelop' was badly broken (one long side was completely ripped most likely during transit - our document submission to the USCIS was 800 pages thick, and the consulate apparently used a large (but not large enough) paper envelop to bag it but unfortunately it was broken before I saw them. I have decided not to sign for/pick up any of the family's passports and packages, and wrote a statement in Chinese and English and had the bank staff provide their corporate chop to verify that I did not temper with the package. Now I'm very torn - I know the safest way is to send it back to GUZ for repackaging, but we do have a confirmed ticket to leave for the US in less than 15 days as I have a series of scheduled business meetings there. Checked with both the consulate and CITIC and it usually takes 2-3 weeks for the package to travel to GUZ, be repackaged and shipped back from GUZ to my home city. I called one of the CBP customer service hotline stating the situation and they said they would normally send us to Secondary Processing for review but it is not a major issue. Our US immi attorneys said the same thing. However, the consular Chinese staff with utter certainty told me that we will be denied entry with a broken envelop. GUZ is also not allowing us to personally carry the packages back to GUZ for repackaging (this way we would have better control over lead time in transit). Any similar experience? Any advice? thanks! Joe

We just got my fiancee's passport/visa package from the Consulate ... well, it went through a couple hands first. We didn't stay in Guangzhou to pick it up and they don't deliver to where we're at so I had it sent to a friend in Guangzhou who then sent it here. I got it today and found that the brown sealed envelope is missing a big piece out of the corner. Is that normal? It was clearly done purposefully and carefully and I'm assuming it was done by someone at the post office to make sure my friend wasn't sending any contraband. Has that happened to anyone and more importantly, should that be any problem at the POE? Again, the envelope is still sealed shut and the hole is not really large enough to take papers out of but big enough to see what documents are in there.

We'll First I apologize if this is not the correct place to post this question. 2nd, sorry if this has been answered but my search criteria returned no results. Therefore, I am going to ask here.. The Mysterious "Brown Sealed Envelope". Does this contain financials? Medical Information? or ???? Addtionally, why does GUZ and other Consulates "Seal" this Envelope? Wife will Be arrving Saturday, as long as there are no weather issues in Guangzhou. I've also heard that some go through very long "interviews" at the POE, what is really expected? I would like to say thank you to those on this forum for their knowledge and assitance. There is a lot of very good information here, information that only the experience of going through the process can provide. Thank You Again Dan Seattle

My SO recieved the visa today but she is saying it is sealed and is not to be opened. I am not understanding what she means by this! I need to know how long the visa is good for and what day it will exspire.

I remember doing some reading several months back about the sealed brown envelope being opened when you hit the POE. I asked Manyun where hers was, and she said that the VO took it during her non-interview last Thursday. As we were blue slipped, will this envelope be returned to Mayun when we get off of this merry-go-round called "Overcome", or should the VO have handed it back to her before she left the window? I leave for the US Friday, I will not be here to help her with this, so I want to know if there is something I need to do before we hit the Thursday evening Nanning-to-GUZ sleeper-bus Express. Hell, we can't even get an overcome date yet. Thanks

Our journey from China to the USA on November 29th was fairly uneventful. Shenzhen : We wake at 6:30am. Van from a local hotel. I always use a bus from HK airport to the China border at Shenzhen when I arrive to China. However, I pay the extra money for a van to take the return trip since it is faster and I do not have leave the van at HK customs at the Chinese border. Chinese Customs at Shenzhen Border : Kelly has paper tickets for her airline flight. No problems at the immigrations booth. Hong Kong Customs at Shenzhen Border : Drive through booth (like turnpike booth in USA) Again, no problems. Hong Kong Airport : The airline employee at the luggage check-in counter check Kelly's passport, looks at the Visa, notices the immigrant visa (CR1) and asks to see her sealed brown envelope. He checks the visa information on the attached stapled page on the envelope with the information on the actual visa. We did not realize the airlines were cognizant of the process. He tells her she must carry this on the airplane with her. So there is no way someone can mess-up here. He also tells her an airline employee will again ask to see the sealed package at the gate before we enter the plane. HK Customs at the Airport : Again, no problem. Gate at HK Airport : The airline employee checks Kellys visa information on her passport with the sealed package. Hey, we knew this was going to occur !!! Immigrations at Newark Airport : I ask an immigrations officer (IO) directing the passengers to the proper lines, either US Citizen/LPR to the right set of lines or l others to the left set of lines, if I can accompany my wife to the left set of lines. She says no problem. At the immigrations booth, the IO checks Kelly's passport, notices this is her first entry into the USA and asks for the brown sealed envelope. Kelly also gives him the completed I-94 form, but he says this is not required, what ??? He does nothing at his booth, and then takes us to the adjoining set of rooms for Immigrations. The IO delivers her passport and envelope, tells us to take a seat (there are about 30 seats for people to wait), and then returns to his booth. Along with the rooms and seats, there are restrooms (thank you !!!). The is an open area at the front of the room where IOs talk to foreigners about there visas. As I find out shortly, this is for non-immigrant visa people (tourist, student, business). We beginning to get nervous, many other people entering after us, are getting called up and questioned by the IOs. We do not see her stuff in any of the stacks at the front desk. Finally, after 30 minutes an IO comes from one of the back offices and calls Kelly up to an adjoining desk. The process takes less than two minutes; he takes hard copy fingerprints (black ink) and she signs two documents. No questions asked. Then the IO tell her the visa is a temporary green card, she can work, obtain a SSN, etc. and should receive her actual green card shortly. The IO is very positive and enthusiastic when talking to Kelly and congratulating her. Again, I ask the IO about the I-94. He states this is not required. I am thinking maybe for a CR1 this is not applicable, but I did not ask him. A pleasant experience after the long wait. The non-immigrant visa people were questioned much more extensively than Kelly, not sure why ??? Remainder of stay at Newark Airport : No problems, all-right !!!! One exception, a 2.5 hour delay on our connecting flight due to the storms on the east coast that day, this was difficult for both of us. Overall, the entire journey was easier than I expected, with the exception of the 30 minute wait, with no indication what would occur next. However, I do have four questions : I-94 : With all the talk on CFL about making sure you must have the I-94 stamped at immigrations upon first entry into the USA, what is scoop on this ??? Is CR1/IR1 different than K1/K3 ??? I asked two different IOs this question two times each, and they both emphatically said this is not required. A-number : Much talk on CFL about this. On the attached stapled info sheet to the sealed brown envelope, the A-number is identified, an 8-digit number ending in with a 9. On the actual visa this corresponding 8-digit number is identified as the Registration Number, a black 8-digit number, the same as found on the attached information page to the sealed envelope. There is a red 8-digit number, on the lower right of the visa, but is not the same 8-digit number identified as the A-number on the attached information page to the sealed envelope. I think I have this correct, any CR1/IR1 out there agree with this ??? One other puzzling item, other CFL members have stated that the A-number can be found on the NOA2 (I-797C I think) from USCIS. I cannot find this on Kelly's NOA2, is this because of CR1/IR1 versus K1/K3 ??? Green Card : How long until she actually received the green card ??? SSN : Even though we checked the boxes on the DS-230 Part II for the SSN, what should we actually do to obtain a SSN quickly ??? I need this to add Kelly to my health insurance at work. Thanks for the help. Kelly & Mark

Hello Everyone. I'm new - though I feel I've been part of you for a while. . I want to first thank all of you for your invaluable help in my visits to CFL - particularly the "older" "timers" - who have graciously and sincerely given so much for a long time - Frank, Warpedboard, Don, Nooneufo, Trigg, David, and others. Your sense of "family" and selflessness reaching world-wide is remarkable. For me and my fiancee it's been and is, quite a journey, as is for the members and visitors to CFL. When I figure out how to post the timeline, I will do so. My fiancee and daughter were granted K1 and K2 visas June 28, 2005. A handful of easy questions. I will go again to China, 6th time, September 25, to accompany my fiancee to Philadelphia, via JFK, October 2. But because I understood that since my fiancee will come without her daughter (soon to be 19) at this time, it was necessary to have the Consulate separate their sealed "brown envelope" documents. Consequently she and daughter recently went to Guangzhou. I emailed Guangzhou asking them to facilitate the meeting with my fiancee. They answered me in 6 hours. (my 3rd email in 13 months). This is their complete reply. "Please be advised that if K2 applicant will go later than K1 applicant, K2 applicant can enter the port of entry of the U.S. with the visa and without the visa packet." So - it seems things have changed. Although the 13.5 hour one way train ride to Guangzhou from Guilin was needless, their reply was very much welcomed. Perhaps this information will help others. Thank you Frank for the good advice to make sure my fiancee's daughter has a copy of the emails for the Immigration Officer, just in case. I will bring the emails for our return trip October 2 as well. (again "just in case" the Immigration Officer gets confused seeing the brown envelope with both K1 & K2 documents.) Good wishes to you all for countless joys, Vincent

I just talked to my SO and she got her medical results. Everything turned out fined of course, but the doctor said that she needed to get another notary paper that says that she is single and able to marry. We had thought that all she needed was her notarized divorce papers but apparently she needs both. Also she has to get another supplimentary paper that proves that she has no disease even though she has the medical results on hand. Has anyone ever heard of these things? She is of course going to get them. Does she need to go back to the hospital to have everything sealed in the infamous brown envelope? Will the VO only look at the paperwork if it is sealed? Thanks for anyone's input.

I was really impressed by the story that told about the wrong envelope. I was wondering how the last big envelope look like? Some of the couples here have already carried it through the US customs. Does any of you know if in most cases, there is always a name or a casenumber on it? or there is no information at all? I was curious how the officer in GZ managed to tell the difference of 2 same envelopes that had no indications on them and gave them to 2 different persons? However, it sounds good there was an angle where you could see through with the help of a torch. I hope mine will have it too.

Hi everyone, I am a CR-1 applicant. I got my immigrant visa ( a big sealed envelope ) from GZ eventually, and it is supposed not to be opened by yourself according to the instructions on the envelope. Unfortunately it was accidentally opened. Does anyone know what would be the consequence ? Should I contact GZ to get a new visa envelope or should I take chance just ignoring it ? I remembered that someone on the candle website opened their envelopes and found mistakes, but I am not sure if theirs were the same kind of visa as mine and if theirs had the same instruction. Any help would be appreciated. Rabbit on fire

A buddy of mine was in Guangzhou when his fiancee got her visa. They handed her the passport with the visa and it was all right but the mysterious brown envelope WAS NOT SEALED. It is horrifying to think what could have happened if they had got to the POE like this. Luckily he was there and they went back inside the embassy and he raised enough uproar until they called a consular officer who came out of the office and took care of the situation. He told me to post this story so everyone can make very sure that everything is right before leaving the embassy. Make sure the names are spelled right in the visa. And make sure the brown envelope is sealed.