they should use more than 1 consulate

[Linstun&Shuang]

With so many applicants. I think it is ridiculous that only 1 consulate is handling all of these files/cases. The one in GZ. I think that the US consulate in SHanghai, and Beijing should take some of these tasks. To relieve some of those ppl in the US GZ consulate. It would speed things up. Thats foresure...

[tonado]

The Embassy in Beijing only processes nonimmigrant visas for travel to the United States. I am sure the volume for those visa is huge too.

[CR1togo]

I heard a rumour that the Chinese recently offered us two sites- one in Beijing and the expansion site in Guangzhou. The US Gov. supposedly had the funds allocated for the Guangzhou site only. acw

[Guest fhtb]

With so many applicants. I think it is ridiculous that only 1 consulate is handling all of these files/cases. The one in GZ. I think that the US consulate in SHanghai, and Beijing should take some of these tasks. To relieve some of those ppl in the US GZ consulate. It would speed things up. Thats foresure...

 

Gee, if they had immigration in Beijing and Shanghai as well as Guangzhou, it would be much more convenient and we wouldn't have to waste lots of money on hotels and flights and etc.

 

Couldn't have that...

[bubbafred10]

Maybe in GZ because they can find translators who can speck both Cantonese and Mandarin. In Shanghai and Beijing, most speak only Mandarin.

 

A better way is to have GZ start the background and name check from the beginning, at the start of I-130 processing at NVC or even at CIS petition. By the time CR1, K1, and K3 petitions arrive in GZ, the name and background checks would be completed or near completion. NVC should give petitioners this "accelerated" option for additional fee.

 

As is, there is a big disconnect between NVC and GZ.

 

After all , I much rather spend my money in US rather than going back and forth to China every three months. Plus spend more money to go to GZ when spouses are elsewhere in China. It's better for US economy if I can save those costs and spend it here in US. I guess the State Dept cannot see the economics side of things.

[beijingjenny]

This is hardly a new idea, and one I asked Maura Harty. Her explanation was the difficulty finding the bilingual staff.... I don't buy it though - they can find plenty of staff to handle the non-imm visas pretty quickly.

[NY-Viking]

This is hardly a new idea, and one I asked Maura Harty. Her explanation was the difficulty finding the bilingual staff.... I don't buy it though - they can find plenty of staff to handle the non-imm visas pretty quickly.

What problem with bilingual staff? Not enough Cantonese speakers? Heck, my mother inlaw (well inlaw to be I guess .. but you know) has pretty rough Mandarin. Do they have Shanghainese translators on hand down there? That explanation just doesn't hold water.

 

News flash to the uninformed: There are more than two Chinese languages (a/k/a dialects).

 

One time when my fiancee was visiting me and we were visiting California some guy (I think he was hitting on her) asked her if she spoke Cantonese or Mandarin. She told him Mandarin. About 20 minutes later when we were at Disney she said "oh, I forgot to tell him I speak Shanghainese too."

[bubbafred10]

Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawl and local accent, and a few colloquialism. It's basically very Mandarin. Them Shanghainese likes to say they speak Shanghainese because there is a special connotation for being a Shanghainese, kind of to distinguish themselves above the others who are not Shanghainese. Likewise with the Beijingese (?) who think they speak the perfect Mandarin.

 

It's like the difference between Bostonian vs Brooklynese vs Georgia/Tennessee vs Texas vs mid USA vs western US, etc. There is quite a bit more difference between Cantonese and Mandarin - the spoken languages can be unintelligible to each other.

 

I read about one guy from HongKong who learned to speak perfect Mandarin, and his Chinese business associates could not tell he is from HK. That fellow was able to get plenty of business deals because he is considered fellow countryman or local guy. He probably can revert back to his Cantonese whenever he has to deal in southern China. Some people just have the knack for languages.

[david_dawei]

Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawl and local accent, and a few colloquialism.  It's basically very Mandarin.  Them Shanghainese likes to say they speak Shanghainese because there is a special connotation for being a Shanghainese, kind of to distinguish themselves above the others who are not Shanghainese.  Likewise with the Beijingese (?) who think they speak the perfect Mandarin. 

 

It's like the difference between Bostonian vs Brooklynese vs Georgia/Tennessee vs Texas vs mid USA vs western US, etc.  There is quite a bit more difference between Cantonese and Mandarin - the spoken languages can be unintelligible to each other.

 

I read about one guy from HongKong who learned to speak perfect Mandarin, and his Chinese business associates could not tell he is from HK.  That fellow was able to get plenty of business deals because he is considered fellow countryman or local guy.  He probably can revert back to his Cantonese whenever he has to deal in southern China. Some people just have the knack for languages.

In Italy, it was common for someone to say, "Are you Italian".. and get a reply , "No, I'm a Lombard".

 

Dante held his town in such low esteem he referred to them as "vile florentines".

 

Or as the mafia folk were often referred to: "They are not Italians, they are sicilians"...

[Guest fhtb]

Maybe in GZ because they can find translators who can speck both Cantonese and Mandarin.  In Shanghai and Beijing, most speak only Mandarin.

 

The fact that China has regional dialects only argues more strongly that they should have regional centers!

 

If you keep people close to home, chances are much greater that they will speak the dialect of their local region. In Beijing, you can hire 90% Mandarin translators because over 90% of the people who come to the interview will speak Mandarin. Hiring said translaters will be easy because there are lots of people in that area who speak Mandarin and English.

 

In a Cantonese-dominated region of the country, you hire mostly Cantonese speakers, to deal with the people who come in speaking Cantonese. Which again is easy because there are lots of people in that area who speak Cantonese and English.

 

Adding more centers would make it easier to hire people, not more difficult!!

 

(note to bubbafred: my frustration is aimed at US State Dept, not you.).

[hlin]

Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawl and local accent, and a few colloquialism.  It's basically very Mandarin.  Them Shanghainese likes to say they speak Shanghainese because there is a special connotation for being a Shanghainese, kind of to distinguish themselves above the others who are not Shanghainese.  Likewise with the Beijingese (?) who think they speak the perfect Mandarin. 

 

It's like the difference between Bostonian vs Brooklynese vs Georgia/Tennessee vs Texas vs mid USA vs western US, etc.  There is quite a bit more difference between Cantonese and Mandarin - the spoken languages can be unintelligible to each other.

 

I read about one guy from HongKong who learned to speak perfect Mandarin, and his Chinese business associates could not tell he is from HK.  That fellow was able to get plenty of business deals because he is considered fellow countryman or local guy.  He probably can revert back to his Cantonese whenever he has to deal in southern China. Some people just have the knack for languages.

Let's not get accents and dialets confused now. Have you ever heard what Shanghainese sounds like? Although some words are simliar to mandarin, the dialet is completely different from mandarin. Unless you grew up in Shanghai or spent some time learning it, I doubt you will be able to speak or understand it, regardless of how much mandarin you know. And the locals there speak it so fast!! You cannot make the same comparison to the different accents here in the US based on region.

[NY-Viking]

Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawl and local accent, and a few colloquialism.  It's basically very Mandarin.  Them Shanghainese likes to say they speak Shanghainese because there is a special connotation for being a Shanghainese, kind of to distinguish themselves above the others who are not Shanghainese.  Likewise with the Beijingese (?) who think they speak the perfect Mandarin.  

 

It's like the difference between Bostonian vs Brooklynese vs Georgia/Tennessee vs Texas vs mid USA vs western US, etc.  There is quite a bit more difference between Cantonese and Mandarin - the spoken languages can be unintelligible to each other.

 

I read about one guy from HongKong who learned to speak perfect Mandarin, and his Chinese business associates could not tell he is from HK.  That fellow was able to get plenty of business deals because he is considered fellow countryman or local guy.  He probably can revert back to his Cantonese whenever he has to deal in southern China.   Some people just have the knack for languages.

Let's not get accents and dialets confused now. Have you ever heard what Shanghainese sounds like? Although some words are simliar to mandarin, the dialet is completely different from mandarin. Unless you grew up in Shanghai or spent some time learning it, I doubt you will be able to speak or understand it, regardless of how much mandarin you know. And the locals there speak it so fast!! You cannot make the same comparison to the different accents here in the US based on region.

Seriously. I think it's pretty funny that Spanish, Italian and Portuguese get to be seperate languages, not to mention Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, but "Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawal and local accent, and a few colloquialisms." It's a different language. It's similar, and if you spend time there you'll pick it up, but it's not like Brooklynese vs. Bostonian vs. California valley.

[david_dawei]

Shanghainese is Mandarin

Mandarin is the official dialect.. and other 'local' dialects exist ...

[hlin]

Seriously.  I think it's pretty funny that Spanish, Italian and Portuguese get to be seperate languages, not to mention Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, but "Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawal and local accent, and a few colloquialisms."  It's a different language.  It's similar, and if you spend time there you'll pick it up, but it's not like Brooklynese vs. Bostonian vs. California valley.

So is that based on your experience that you can pick up Shanghainese by spending some time there? I have spent about 5 weeks there total, and have listened to it so many times, but I can't make out what most people are saying. I guess I'm not a language person

 

I can pick up only a few words that sound simliar to Mandarin, and it's still hard. Maybe they're talking too fast for me.

[david_dawei]

Seriously.  I think it's pretty funny that Spanish, Italian and Portuguese get to be seperate languages, not to mention Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, but "Shanghainese is Mandarin with special drawal and local accent, and a few colloquialisms."  It's a different language.  It's similar, and if you spend time there you'll pick it up, but it's not like Brooklynese vs. Bostonian vs. California valley.

So is that based on your experience that you can pick up Shanghainese by spending some time there? I have spent about 5 weeks there total, and have listened to it so many times, but I can't make out what most people are saying. I guess I'm not a language person

 

I can pick up only a few words that sound simliar to Mandarin, and it's still hard. Maybe they're talking too fast for me.

I've read how feelings of 'prestige' or 'superiority' get the better of Shanghai... and the fast speech may be a subconscious (or conscious!) attempt to display that.. if you don't understand, it's 'your' problem..