Interview Preparation

[sailorboy]

So there I have gone and printed out all of our emails....folks...we're talking a ream of paper here. Next I am printing out our chat logs....easy TWO reams of paper. It is really necessary (yeah, yeah...I've seen the kitchen sink approach)? Once done, my poor wife will be toting 30 lbs it seems. Please say it isn't so....

 

 

Dave

[cosmiclobster]

So there I have gone and printed out all of our emails....folks...we're talking a ream of paper here.  Next I am printing out our chat logs....easy TWO reams of paper.  It is really necessary (yeah, yeah...I've seen the kitchen sink approach)?  Once done, my poor wife will be toting 30 lbs it seems. Please say it isn't so....

 

 

Dave

150295[/snapback]

I would have to say that most of us who passed the first time through did do the kitchen sink approach!

Instead of printing out a whole ream of paper, I just printed the first page of our chat each day and whole pages of memorable days like P1 P2 P3 and P4!

E mails are good to bring but phone records don't seem to be that important.

Take plenty of pictures of the two of you together in many places and pictures of the two of you with her relatives. This is something most of the VO's want to see.

 

Good Luck!

[Steve and Qingqing]

My SO has 2 reams of messages from our talks, just in case she gets the dreaded slip...shes also packing about 200 photos and 40 pages of phone records along with 20 emails. She needs a pack mule but that wasnt allowed through customs B)

[HanLi]

Dave,

 

I could just say ditto....

 

one item that may be important is with the photos, if there are other people from your family in the photos, be sure she can easily identify them for the VO at the interview..

 

better to have and not need some of this stuff, than to need it and not have it!!!

 

best wishes always,

Hank

[david_dawei]

Maybe just to break out two issues here:

 

1) What is probably needed/asked for the interview

2) What is probably needed/asked for overcome evidence

 

The kitchen sink approach is an attempt to fulfill both at the same time... so no scrambling to collect papers back in the US or off the computer is needed.

 

If they want to see correspondence during an interview, they will expect to look at just a few exchanges and could ask for a specific period (ie: early correspondence).

 

If they want to see correspondence as overcome evidence, then a more thorough supply of exchanges serves as the basis of your proof that you talk consistently...

 

For the interview, prepare for the small version of everything. Have any extra stuff aside for pulling out in the chance of an unexpected question or for overcome.

[david_dawei]

Just got done with my printing... here is what I did:

 

1) Early correspondence of emails:

 

Printed off about four emails from each of us, which established our early communication and interest for each other, etc. (8 pages)

 

2) Sampling of emails:

 

A sample of emails that cover the one year from our first contact to present. (15 pages)

 

3) Skype calls:

 

Print out of listing of all skype calls. This started after my second trip, so covers last five months. (4 pages)

 

Realized I only printed calls to her computer; now printing calls to her cell...

 

4) IM Chatting:

 

Printed off the most recent talk we had in one day (so two chats), both of which was a very long conversations. This happened to be Skype chat. (6 pages)

 

5) All the rest:

I put all rest of the correspondence into MS Word files (covering hundreds of pages). Can print out if needed.

 

 

Put paging numbering on all as well...

Edited August 28, 2005 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

It is not necessary to print out and take every email you ever have written to one another to the interview. Your poor SO will be weighted down with paper. Instead choose one per week that you think really shows your commitment to one another. Same with transcripts. I would take all the snail mails and a good portion of photos but 200 may be too many. Keep all the rest of the stuff in the hotel for backup incase of a denial. If you have a video keep it as back up as well since the VO won't review it on the spot anyway if they ask for one. A positive attitude goes a long way as well.

Good luck.

[wulongtea]

I am now here in China, getting ready for the final preparations for our interview. I can tell you what I've done to be prepared.

 

Each month leading up to now, I have printed out the following:

 

- most of our emails (easily 100-200+ pages per month)

- phone logs each month

- bank statements each month

- credit card statements each month( blocking out my card number, but showing that i purchased the phone card amounts and plane tickets amounts)

 

In attition to these we will also have:

- photos, easily several hundred from my previous 3 visits here, maybe we will take a few more now that i am here and include those.

- my resume

- my house appraisal (it was just appraised last summer when i refinanced)

- complete tax returns for the past 4 years, along with tax transcripts from the IRS for the past 4 years

- other financial/investiment papers showing 401K etc.

- video of us talking together in english, talking about my previous 3 trips to see her in china.

- my diary/journal of our love, and the trips I took to china to see her.

- printout of the poems i wrote for her since we first met.

- letter from her father, along with my reply to his letter

- notarized letter from my mother, talking about how they have talked via webcam and the phone, and how she is looking forward to meeting my fiancee in person soon

 

 

this is in addition to the bank's letter, my company letter and my letter of intent to marry within 90 days.

 

These are all going to be placed into 2 "flexible folders" that i found at Wal-mart, along with all the rest of the visa papers and forms that we have completed.

 

I expect in total it will easily way 20-40lbs, we will bring them to the consulate in our suitcases with wheels, and then she will need to carry them into the consulate for the interview.

 

oh, did i forget to mention the kitchen sink, it is in there too

Edited August 29, 2005 by wulongtea (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

Wulongtea,

 

I think you are well prepared... did you bring a toothbrush ?

[wulongtea]

I didn't need to worry about the toothbrush, my fiancee has always had a new one waiting here for me

 

I did bring one for the plane though:D, i have found that is always a good idea after such a long trip. Total time from leaving my house to arriving at "our home" here was about 28hrs!

[david_dawei]

My flight was delayed five hours.. then sat another spell on the runway Somehow for once, I slept most of the flight and it actually all seemed to go quite quickly. Got to her apt before midnight and we went out for a quick bite.

 

It is clearly a time warp all around... I don't feel like we were ever apart and like I never left Baoding now...

[BuffaloPaul]

My flight was delayed five hours.. then sat another spell on the runway    Somehow for once, I slept most of the flight and it actually all seemed to go quite quickly.    Got to her apt before midnight and we went out for a quick bite.

 

It is clearly a time warp all around... I don't feel like we were ever apart and like I never left Baoding now...

151337[/snapback]

Great to hear David. See you soon