Search the Community

I filed my husband's petition in the US, but at the time he was still in China (he's in the US now on a tourist visa, but will be going back for his interview, etc). We received a notice that his interview has been scheduled for July 8, but we'll be in the middle of traveling at that point and we have a small child (neither me or my child have current visas for China at the moment), so we want to reschedule his interview appointment. I wrote to the Guangzhou consulate and received a form letter back saying that we'll be able to reschedule after our original scheduled appointment. Everything I've read seems to imply that we should just not show up for our interview -- but that seems wrong to me. Is there no way to cancel and reschedule in advance? Will pulling a no-show impact my husband's immigrant visa in any way? Thank you!

So I have a question for people who can remember the time they were scheduling the interview in Guangzhou - I'm looking at the calendar right now and see quite a few open dates for December. However I'm still waiting on getting an I-864 sent over here from a relative in America, and this calendar is a bit worrisome. Basically, it has a lot of days for December open but January and February say "unavailable" and are un-clickable. I"m not sure if this is just because those dates haven't opened yet, if the website is just coded very poorly, or if the office is closed during that time, or all the appointments were taken or what. When you were scheduling, were future months available/ clickable on this interface? Does it appear that January and February are all booked? Here's an attachment for what I am seeing just for reference: http://imageshack.com/a/img924/5120/NKIoxg.jpg

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

Hello again. I last posted in June 2016 after going to China and being denied IV on I-601a at the interview. My wife remains in China while I am in US. Good news is 3 weeks ago we got I-601 approved. My lawyer says a second interview is not required but she has been wrong before. such as the 601a denial. We went to GUZ May5, 2016 for the original interview. approval of new 601 was 6/29/2017. that is more than one year. From what I read, on FB and Candle, a new interview is needed. Is that true? And #2 question: can I set up the date or must I wait for US Consulate to assign date? Furthermore I expect if an Interview is required then I also need: Medical, Police report, Biometrics, Photos. Affidavit of Support and also what? all supporting documents from first interview? My wife is nervous, ( like an alligator in a belt factory) to face another interview, after the dreaded denial last year. I say, our case has been 'adjudicated' approved and inadmissibility Waived, there is nothing to worry about. Background info: there was unlawful presence and entry. the I-601a apparently covered "unlawful presence" but not entry. it was a single entry by 'wave through' in 2003. It should have been included. That is in the past for us, however others may be helped to know it. the I-601A, must clearly address everything. My previous story, post, is: " Visa denied at interview with 601a" I can tell others that I-601 approvals now take 1 year, it used to be 4-6 months, but they slowed way down. also "expedited processing" is a no go. they get so many requests that they do not even bother to say No. just assume you did not get it. it appears that only very extreme medical issues will get it. in Sum my questions are interview required? can I set-up interview? medical? will I need whole file & docs, again? Is adjudication on I-601 final or are we at risk? Any idea if I-601 follows same typical timeline to complete? thank you so much. This is a wonderful site and service, it is a blessing to us lost souls. God bless Carl. Tom

Hi All, The US spouse doesn't need to attend the interview right? My wife probably will be on her vocation at that time. Just need to double check about that before she finally book the tickets. So only the applicant need to show up there with all the documents. I don't need her passport and she doesn't need to be there right? Another question is I won't need to pay the fee during the interview if I pay on the cgi website right? Thanks, Jeff

Hello everyone! We are still waiting for approving our i-130 petition, but i am already planning my documents for the interview. And i was thinking about one thing - couple years ago i had my documents (birth certificate and so on) translated (into English) and notirised in Russia. Will it be enough for the Embassy or shall i make additional translation in China? Kind regards, Natalia

My fiancee, who is in China, and I are almost at the interview stage. I am self employed completing my 2016 Tax Return. I understand that the financial number the Consulate Officer will look at is Line Number 22 on the 1040, Total Income. I show $27,000 which is sufficient above the poverty guideline. However, the tax I owe is $7,000 which shows on the next page. Will the Officer only consider Line 22 or will he/she subtract the $7,000 tax in their head? I have never seen a post about this but we wouldn't be living on the $27,000 but on the amount left over after taxes are paid. It is very confusing when self employed. Thank you!

Good day, My interview day is coming up soon and there are couple things i am not sure about, so please tell me if i understood everything correctly: 1) Security regulations says that its not allowed to bring your mobile phone with you, but if my memory is fine, i remember that at the entrance of the Consulate there are some lockers where i could leave my phone and bag, can anyone confirm if i am right? 2) if i understood correctly, i do not have to pay anything at the Consulate on the day of the interview, but later, when the visa is in the pasport( but i am not yet at the USA) i must pay the USCIS immigrant fee, is that correct? Thank you for your help, Natalia

Hi Sorry if this topic has been addressed before! Does the applicant need to bring a white book copy of his family hukou to the GUZ interview? And, Does the applicant need police record check certificates for each city he has lived in in China? Or just from his hometown? We have a white book translated official certificate that was issued for him in his home city, but he's also lived in 3 other cities in China - does he need anything from there? He's been living in Shanghai for the last 2 years, does he need one from here? (please God, no) Our Interview is in one week... Last Question: We didn't get an email confirming our interview time, but we have a screenshot of the confirmation page after we made the appointment on the website...can we just print this out?? Or should we print something from UStraveldocs.com? Thanks guys!

Hi All, I read in one of the older threads where the applicant was a foreigner who was also working/living in Beijing and had to travel to Guangzhou for interview. Since that was an older thread, writing a separate one as I have few other questions. Thread/comment link for your reference: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/46570-need-help-with-the-ds-260-workeducationtraining-section/page-2?do=findComment&comment=611143 He mentioned that after the visa was approved for him, he brought back passport with him to travel back to Beijing first and then from Beijing he sent his passport back to GUZ for the further processing. This was really good information for me(foreigner - living/working in Beijing), since I had been looking for such information as well (Being a foreigner adds up extra complications like this one...) However, my questions still remain unanswered..I really hope someone can help me on this one. 1. So if it was possible to bring back the passport after the interview, where should the passport pickup location be in CGI Stanley website - which we have to actually submit before the interview. My dilemma is, at this moment, I DO NOT know if I will also be able to get to bring back my passport and then sent to GUZ for the visa stamping process..I will most probably have to work it out with the VO on the day of the interview?! So, which pickup location do I select in this case before the interview, Beijing or Guangzhou..? 2. I called CGI Stanley if it will be possible to change the delivery address after interview in such case like mine. And they said it is NOT possible to change the delivery address after the interview... (OK! I know they can't but I was trying to explain if in such situation if the Consulate agrees to find me the solution, can I change then...and she almost got mad at me for asking such question..) !! Anyway, please let me know if anyone can help me on this. Thanks a lot in advance!

This seems like a simple question, but I can't find the answer anywhere. In the DCF process, who sets the interview date? Do I request a date, or do the Guangzhou folks tell me the date, or do we mutually agree somehow? We want to enter the US in September 2017. So, as I understand it (6 month rule), we have to receive our visa after March 2017. Is that correct? So our interview (assuming success) should also be after March 2017.

I just filed the I-130 in Beijing this week. When I was submitting everything, I also submitted all the evidence of bonafide marriage: Affidavits From Family, Shared Financials Evidence, Translated Rental Contracts showing living together past few years, Photos of Us together and with family and Letter of Evolution Letter. My question is this: Since I have already submitted these things at the time of filing, do I need to bring another copy of these at the time of the interview? Thanks for your help! -Flash

Hello Everyone, My wife passed her IR1 interview!! We celebrated by booking an earlier flight back to Shanghai. Firstly, I want to say how much I want to thank this forum and everyone’s effort in sharing their experience and expertise. Because of your generosity and warm-heartedness, you’ve helped a lot of people out there desperately need of assistance. THANK YOU!! I want to share my experience with the rest of you out there putting all your effort into bringing your love ones closer to you. Just a quick background introduction of myself, I’m a Chinese American in Shanghai. I moved to Shanghai five years ago and met my lovely wife (from Sichuan). We registered and got our marriage certificate back in 2010. And after our summer trip to the U.S. in 2012, we decided that it is better to start a family in the states. TIMELINE: -Jan. 2010, got married in China -Summer 2012, took a trip to the states for our wedding celebration -Sept.27th 2012, started the DCF in Beijing -Oct. 18th 2012, our case file was forwarded to GZ for further processing -Nov. 21st 2012, received PACKET 3 (NOA #3) -Dec. 12th 2012, received visa appointment confirmation email -Jan. 22nd 2012, document in-take and finger printing -Jan. 23rd 2012, interview DOCUMENT IN-TAKE DAY: -Scheduled for 12:30 p.m. -We got there at 11 and there were already tons of people. -Make sure you get into the right queue (there are queues for non-immigration visas, immigration visas, submitting additional documents, etc.) -They started letting people in at around noon and you must show them your passport (beneficiary) and the appointment letter. -They check off your name on the list and give you a plastic card -Take the escalator up to the third floor, that’s your first security check (they take away your plastic card, so I guess if u don't have the card, you'll have to go back in line to get one. Also, they'll take away any food or water from you) -Go up to the fifth floor, this is the second security check. (they'll take away all electronics and store them for you till you leave) -And then they'll give you a ticket number (do NOT lose this number, they'll ask for it when you go to the window) -Then you sit and wait till they call your number (they will NOT call the numbers in order, but most likely by the type of visa you are applying for) -Document submissions are different for different people. Just give them what they ask for. (some people after submitting their documents will be asked to pay a fee) -After you submit your documents, stay put and wait for finger printing (they will call the same number again) INTERVIEW DAY: -Scheduled for 7:30 a.m. -We arrived at 6:30 a.m. and there were already several lines (for different visa applicants) -By 7:30, make your way up to the fifth floor and get ready to wait again. -Before they begin interviewing, all the applicants are required to take an oath to answer all questions truthfully. -They'll call your number (same number from yesterday) -Make sure you bring along all the documents, even though they may not have asked for them yesterday. -If you didn't pass, you can go to a window to request for details regarding what you need to re-submit. COUPLE THINGS TO NOTE: -Document submissions are done by local Chinese -Actual interviews are done by foreigners who can speak insanely good Chinese OUR CHECKLIST: 1. Appointment Letter 2. Beneficiary passport bio page 3. U.S. Visa Photos x6 4. Notarized birth certificate 5. Nortarized marriage certificate 6. Nortarized police records 7. Evidence of financial Support (I-864 form) I-864 one for the petitioner A letter explaining why I did not file for tax return 8. I-864 from joint sponsor Tax returns from joint sponsor (W2 and 1080) Proof of employment from employer Joint sponsor's passport bio-page 9. Proof of domcile U.S. Credit card statements U.S. driver's license Student loan statement U.S. Bank statements (with both my name and my wife's name) 10. 50 photos of us, with family and friends (from 2008 - 2012) 11. Medical exmination packet (sealed envelope) and x-ray film

So I've looked around the forums, and I see that it is possible to directly go in for the medical, you don't even need an appointment, though it is recommended, and do the medical. My question is as to this process. My wife has absolutely no records of any vaccines or anything. Will they be able to do the blood work and give her everything she needs to pass the interview right then and there? Like, will it be one visit, we pay for every vaccine and test, then get the results a day or two later then take them to the interview? I saw that part of the blood test is to check for cumunicable deseses, It says if they have it but show something from a doctor that says it has been healed or tho medication has been started it will be fine. However I'm worried about false positives as it is something she contracted years ago but received medication for and doesn't have. Sometimes it still shows up in the blood work because the antibodies remain. What should we do about this? We plan on going to a local hospital first, getting a test. If it shows up, we plan on starting the medication and getting a note saying she did. But what should it say? Would any hospital and doctors note work for this? I just haven't found much information on this subject. We plan on going in for the medical on Monday or Tuesday morning, and have her interview scheduled for Thursday. I think this should be enough time right? Also, what kind of questions should my wife prepare to be asked in the interview? It can be done in Mandarin right? Our language of communication is Mandarin, but she has some basic English. I'm afraid she won't be able to pass any of the questions or understand, especially if she is nervous, if they use English. This should be it for questions. I can't believe everything has been so quick! Paperwork submitted on April 12, interview on May 19...we have been blessed! Hoping our luck doesn't run out!

I submitted the financial and supporting documents to NVC through Elecronic Processing (EP) and have received a new 'GZO' case number. I also received email notifications from the NVC that they received files from me and to allow 30 days for them to review the documents. I'm hoping there are no problems or checklists and that I get a Case Complete soon. I'm wondering how long it typically takes the NVC to review the submitted documents. I've read timeframes ranging from 2-3 months to just one week (EP case for MTL). Does EP make a difference in the time it take to review the case? Please kindly share here how long it took your case to get to case complete after submitting all documents, if you encountered any problems and if you did EP or mail processing. Also, how long after the case complete date were your interviews scheduled for. Thanks.

Happy CNY everyone, my wife just finished her interview on Feb 2. She told me that she had a very nice VO. It went very smoothly. However, the VO requested to get Kenya police report as she worked in Kenya for a few years. Background: My wife worked in Kenya for a few years. It was around 2009. She left Kenya in 2013. She first went there as an volunteer to teach Chinese language there. After she finished her volunteer work, she got a job there. She never stayed in Kenya for more than 12 months consequtively. Problem: VO gave us AP after the interview, requesting police report/clearance from Kenya. To make it short, the Kenya police report is very difficult to get under the current situation. Question: The worse sitionatioin would be going to Kenya to get the report. Because it is a very corrupted country and the system is very inefficient, it might be impossible to get it even we go there in person. Is there anyway we could do other than obtaining the police report from Kenya? Do I need to consult with a lawyer now? Thank you!

Hey everyone! We just got back from Guangzhou so I figured I'd share our experience over the past few days to help those going through the process now... The perfect hotel for us We decided to stay at the Leeden Hotel just off of Huasui road. When I booked it I figured the walk would be 20-30 minutes to the medical exam center, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was actually less than 10 minutes, with the consulate under 15! I guess I'm just used to the huge city blocks of Shenyang... Anyway, the hotel was very nice with my only complaint being the daily room cleaner ignoring our "do not disturb" sign twice while we were out. I drew a map of the correct hotel, medical exam, and consulate locations since none of the map services I used got them all right: http://imgur.com/b21Dw09- The medical exam office is located on the 5th floor of the "Poly building" which is right on Huali Road. The left door goes to a Guangzhou tax office while the right leads to a variety of businesses including the medical exam location. Here's a Tripadvisor link for the hotel for anyone interested: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g298555-d1459913-Reviews-Leeden_Hotel-Guangzhou_Guangdong.html Medical exam The day before my wife's medical exam we gave the Guangdong International Travel Healthcare Center a call to do a last minute check/verification of the process. During the call we were notified that there was a new system in place for setting an appointment for the exam. You can read my play-by-play here: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/46807-guide-to-ir-1-dcf/page-2?do=findComment&comment=621321- Long story short, we had to fill out and email a one page document to the center then call them to verify it was received. Be sure to bring a printed copy as well. On the day of the exam we arrived a little after 7AM and five women were already there and waiting. Over the next half an hour the fifth floor lobby slowly increased to maximum capacity until the center finally let us in to get tickets. Here's where having submitted the above mentioned document seemed to expedite things: Those who didn't email the document had to go to the side and fill it out on their own before they could get a queue number. My wife was #3, we got in at around 7:45, and we were out of there by 9:20. The exam consisted of an X-ray, blood test, eye/ENT exam, and vaccinations (MMR, Varicella, and Influenza). Even though we set the appointment, arrived early, and got an "expedite" stamp on her file, they still told us to come back the next day at 8AM to pick it up. If you've scheduled your visa interview for before 10AM I highly recommend you plan the exam two days in advance just in case of delays! IR-1 Interview We got up bright and early again and walked through light rain to the Poly building only to find 2 of the 3 elevators out of service. We decided to take the stairs to the fifth floor where we got my wife's exam documents after a ten minute wait. We were able to catch the elevator down and walked to the consulate for her 10:20 appointment. As you can see in the thread here: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/47726-ir-1-interview-final-checklist-and-questions/- I made sure my wife had everything I could possibly provide. This turned out to be overkill in our case. The Chinese document intake worker straight up refused to take any of our relationship stuff and only took one white book (the "Marriage" one) and all of the support/financial documents. Next she paid the fee and waited for her interview. She was called up by a middle-aged guy who was very friendly to her. The interview went something like this: Interviewer: So tell me why you married your husband? Wife: (Tells him my positive traits and explains how our relationship started) Interviewer: You should tell him I gave you a hard time. Wife: I can say that you denied me... Interviewer: Don't do that, you'll give him a heart attack! And that was pretty much it! All in all, just 2-3 minutes of light conversation. At the end he even gave the photo album we provided in July's I-130 application back. My wife came out and showed me the paper he gave her which says "Congratulations! Your visa has been approved." Surprisingly, it's just a standard white piece of paper. My wife said she didn't see anyone receive anything blue/pink so perhaps they've scrapped that system? We celebrated for the rest of the day/night and flew back the following morning (today). Closing thoughts 1. Stay somewhere close by. Being able to walk from our hotel to the consulate in under 15 minutes was just so convenient! 2. Schedule the medical exam appointment. You don't want to be #50 and have to spend more time waiting for your turn than the actual exam. 3. Bring all of your relevant documents. Whether the consulate wants them or not, it's always better to be safe than sorry in this journey. Finally, I want to give a big thanks to the fine folks who have helped me so much over the past year! Especially Randy and Dan, you guys deserve recognition for the countless people you've helped through this difficult process. It takes a special group of people to devote so much time to selflessly helping others Let me know if you have any questions or want more details!

I am a foreign national currently living and working in Beijing. I am currently waiting for the further process from NVC. but my immigrant visa interview will be held in Guangzhou. In order to plan my trip to Guangzhou for my visa interview as I cannot travel out of Guangzhou without my passport, I'd appreciate if anybody could share some information on the following: 1. When the application is approved, normally, how long does the process take in Guangzhou before returning the passport and visa to the selected pick-up location/CITIC bank of the same city? 2. Is there express delivery/process so that I can get my passport and visa earlier? 3. Could it be possible that we get the passport back on the same day of the interview and the visa packet should be picked up later from the pick-up location? Please do share your experience. I'd really appreciate. Thanks in advance!

My wife came here on K-1 visa and we just had our AOS interview at USCIS Seattle field office ($7 cash only for parking so bring $$). It was rather quick and easy. Appointment was at 10 AM but didn't get called in until 11 AM. The officer was a nice lady in her 30's. First we swore in, then she asked for both passports and official marriage license. She then went through some questions from our application, the part about have you ever been a communist party member, have you ever killed anyone, have you done human trafficking, are you a spy, etc. Those are the questions they HAVE to ask. For evidence showing bona fide marriage, the stuff I brought were Quit Claim Deed for my house (put her name on the deed officially), joint checking account, her being my life insurance and retirement beneficiary, both driver licenses showing same address, I'm her credit card co-signer, etc. Next we showed our recent photos -- we brought about 20 photos and about half way she smiled and said that's good enough she didn't wanna be too nosy. The officer did not take copies of anything, simple took notes of what she saw. The experience was pleasant and painless, maybe 15 minutes? The officer apologized a few times about asking weird questions from above and having us wait an hour, etc. She did not ask for my affidavit of support or most recent tax return, even though the appointment letter specifically asked to bring those. My wife did not have to show *anything* e.g. her SSN, employment authorization card, advanced parole, etc. Basically, we only showed our passport and marriage license to the officer. The only bump in my experience was the vaccination record was incomplete by the civil surgeon. We have to go back to the surgeon and send the completed form back. Again, the officer was apologetic and sympathetic that she couldn't approve us right away. Maybe I was lucky to have had such a nice and easy officer? I think overall just relax and answer truthfully and you will be fine. The officer went through your files thoroughly beforehand and probably have a pretty good idea if the marriage is real or not -- if they suspect something, they will then drill hard with questions. Good luck to all! John

My wife and I used digital photos which were printed on to paper for the i-130 petition. I've heard a million times to bring original copies of everything for the interview, but I'm wondering if I need to print out all of the photos we used again. I also (stupidly, I know) wrote on the back of each page the approximate month and location each photo was taken without making copies of the backside where I wrote that info. Anyway, just wondering what advice anyone may have. Separate question from the photos... should I basically re-create the entire i-130 package to bring along to the interview? Like absolutely everything- table of contents, affidavits, forms, etc... Thanks

Hi all. So my wife's interview is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8:30 am. We live in Shenzhen and my thought was for us to go to Guangzhou on Monday to complete the medical exam. Now I'm wondering if we would have the results in time for the interview. I've read that if you get to the medical office first thing in the morning you can get the results the same day, but since we're travelling from Shenzhen I was wondering if we were to get there later in the day would it still be possible to get the results before the interview the next morning? Thanks!

Hi, As you can see I've filed in documents and case officer has reviewed them at guangzhou consulate and they accepted it. Case Creation Date: 05-Nov-2014 Then on January Status Updated Date: 28-Jan-2015 Your visa case is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks. Please follow any instructions provided by the Consular Officer at the time of your interview. If further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved, it will be processed and mailed or available within two business days. Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Immigrant Visas for "Diversity Visas" cannot be issued after September 30th of the year in which you were selected to apply for a Diversity Visa. For example, entrants into the Diversity Visa Program in Fall of 2011 were selected for Diversity Visa 2012 Program, and selectees MUST apply and receive their visa prior to September 30, 2012 otherwise they lose eligibility to receive a Diversity Immigrant Visa, regardless of additional administrative processing.In addition, please note that some immigrant visas may not be able to be issued if the annual numerical limit for that category has been reached. I was thinking that we'll receive an actual letter from them because of the address being given to them on i864 form, but so far after 2 weeks from the date of Jan of 28th we have received no letter and I am getting a little bit worried if the case has been stalled or something is wrong and I have no idea to find out any information about it. Please assist me. http://imgur.com/qEDOMVAis a link for the photo for the status of the documents after i864 were sent via local bank as requested. http://i.imgur.com/qEDOMVA.png

While I've got all of the documents ready for my wife's interview (including last 3 tax returns for myself and the co-sponsors), I was wondering if I should include my 2014 return (not filed yet) as well? The co-sponsor's income is above and beyond the requirements for financial support ($100k+/year), but my last 3 returns are kind of shaky as I've been building a business (online) and living off of savings while in China. Either way, I'm planning on including a summary of the financials/evidence for my company showing monthly growth since June and even my personal daily income since November. Off topic: I've also been wondering if it's possible for me to go into the consulate with my wife to provide support and help during document intake? She speaks fluent English but I know it's going to be a stressful day and it would be great if I could be there to help.

I promised a longer version for reference. I hope this helps other CFL members that are going through the same process. We were married in 2013 in Harbin and had our first child in 2014. ~2014~ 9/2 DCF beijing 11/2 Emailed Beijing and received a reply that the petition had been approved 10/29 12/1 Received confirmation from Guangzhou that they had received our case. Also instructions to fill out a DS-260 and submit documents to Citic bank. 12/4 Submitted DS-260 12/18 Email from Guangzhuo telling us to schedule interview ~2015~ 1/15 Interview Here is what my wife took with her to the interview: Interview confirmation DS-260 confirmation and letter correcting one mistake we made on the form Copy of every email received from the US government during this process. My I-864 with a copy of my passport, transcripts from last 5 years, letter from employer, and past 6 months of pay stubs. (although I am not sure any of my paperwork meant anything since last 3 years I earned income overseas and filed 2555) My father's I-864 with a copy of his passport, transcripts from the past 3 years and pay stubs showing all of 2014's income. My father included assets even though he is above the income threshold. Taxes proving value of house and copy of most recent bank statement. Notarized Marriage certificate Notarized Birth certificate Notarized Police report Resume, English and Chinese Copy of my valid drivers license Copy of my US bank statement with activity CRBA of our daughter 40 pictures from random life events Email from parents promising a place to stay as long as we need. Everything that we could bring the original of. we also brought along a copy. Here are the questions they asked: Can you speak English? Which state is your husband from? Where did you meet? Do you have a child? How old is she? Have you ever been to America? Any other countries? Who is my father's name? Did your mother-in-law send any papers? He also saw that I am from Ohio and asked if I was happy about the buckeyes winning the national championship. RESULT: White paper requesting a I-864a from my mother. If anyone has any questions about any particular part, I am more than happy to answer!

Hey everyone, my wife's interview is quickly approaching so I wanted to list out all of the items we've prepared as well as ask a few questions just to double-check the information I've already gathered. This post will probably look similar to kdavid3's post (found here: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/46807-guide-to-ir-1-dcf/- thanks a ton, btw!), but since all of our cases are somewhat unique, I hope that my post can be of help to others who have questions and share similar circumstances! Background I've been living in China with my wife for quite a few years and filed our I-130 in Beijing in summer 2014 (DCF). Medical Exam Copy of email titled "Immigrant Visa Instructions" (5 steps for scheduling interview and medical exam) Copy of email titled "Notice For Immigrant Visa Applicants" (instructions for completing DS-260) "Appointment Confirmation" (available at https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/AppointmentConfirmationafter scheduling) 6 2" passport photos (5cm x 5cm in Chinese print shops) Interview "Appointment Confirmation" (same as above) "DS-260 Confirmation Page" "DS-260 Print Application" 6 2" passport photos Copies of all emails received from USCIS/Immigration Wife's resume (Chinese and English) Both of our passports Medical exam documents Chinese "White books": Police ("No criminal sanction") Birth ("Birth") Marriage ("Married", with our pictures) Marriage ("Certificate of Marriage", copy of marriage certificate) ~20 Photos from the 6 years we've been together Originals, copies, and translations of 6 years of shared leases Copies of matching passport stamps from 3 trips to the US My I-864 My 1040 tax returns (2013, 2012, 2011) Letter explaining tax status "single" Copy of my birth certificate Self-employment explanation letter Daily income spreadsheet for past 5 months Monthly income reports for past 8 months Proof of payments to my personal bank account Mom I-864 (co-sponsor) Mom IRS transcripts (2013, 2012, 2011) Mom income proof Copy of mom's birth certificate Dad I-864A Dad IRS transcripts (same as mom's, they file jointly) Dad income proof Copy of dad's birth certificate Latest statement from my personal US bank account Latest statement from two US credit cards Latest IRA statement Documents showing ownership of NY based company Copies of: All "Confirmation" emails/pages Both of our passports Wife's National ID card Questions 1. In kdavid3's post, he mentions including a notarized hukou. My wife did not receive such a thing when she got her white books and it was not asked for when we filed her I-130. Is this something that is required and if so, where do we get it? 2. What are the current total fees paid for the medical exam? 3. For the resume, the IV Instruction pdf says "all educational history". How far back is she supposed to go? Elementary school? I will update this thread with our experiences after the interview!