What we learned at GZ

[AngryTexan]

Mick,

I'm VERY sorry to hear about the accident. Hope you feel better soon, and thanks for all of your help. I know that it was a major hassle for you and Owen, and I know that I speak for all of us when I tell you how much I appreciate it.

[Guest agl88]

Thank you, Mick and Owen.

 

It is not bad if GZ can constantly receive 1200 clearances every TWO weeks. But I don't know if that is the case.

 

Also, does anyone know if it will take same time to process resubmitted cases as the brand new cases?

 

Probably it makes sense to call DoS to see if clearance is received and entered by GZ. Not the clearance is done by DoS since people in the information line does not know unless GZ entered the cleared cases in the system.

 

I see some people got clearance news from DOS. However, that news may come the source other than the information line people.

[Charlotte]

Thank you Mick and Owen for your tireless effort to help everyone! Mick, I hope you feel better soon. You have to believe in a well-known Chinese saying: If you can survive the big misfortune (your accident), good fortune will come in time later (Da Nan Bu Si, Bi You Hou Fu)! Good luck and good recovery. Regardless of what we have to go through in this visa mess, health is still number one priority in our life. Take care, Mick.

Owen, please rest well and come back to write again. I am thinking about writing some cultural differences I observed in the US during my years here, both at home and in the social environment, provided if I have time to kill.

Thank you both again for your effort. Hope your trip will soon pay off.

[fw1010]

Thanks Owen and Mick for your efforts. The info. you provided gives us a ray of hope that something is being done to end the "perpetual" waiting for the visas.

[Ying&Vin]

Owen and Mick,

What can I say beside thank you? Thank you so much for your effor! I am sure, it will pay off! Mick, Just like cxi11 said, good fortune will come to you soon. I believe in that! Hope that we can share your good fortune though! Owen, just relax yourself, I know how you feel! Thanks!

[Ana]

You guys, ala Moses and Joshua, went up to Pharoah and said, "Let my people go!" and he said, "I will, but only 1200 of them."

 

Thanks guys, and recover!

[JonInDenver]

i really think this visit will make a difference in the processing time with GZ. you have their ear now, and are probably more likely to get an e-mail or phone response from them in the future.

 

owen, any news about YOUR case? the foul-up with the namecheck submission? any hope?

 

mick, i always thought of travel in china as an adventure - i didn't realize it was an EXTREME adventure!

 

thanks to both of you, good luck and good healing!

[Eric&Yuhui]

Yes. Thanks guys.. Great job...

Mick. I hope you're OK after that bus thing.. Sorry to hear that.

[AZwolfman]

Mick and Owen, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your efforts in GZ. Mick, I'm sorry you had to risk your life for the cause, but I am glad you were lucky and survived. Take care and get well.

[Guest A&A]

owen, also greatly appreciate for your help. I wish all of delayed people will get the visas soon

[Eric&Yuhui]

Mick and Owen, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your efforts in GZ.  Mick, I'm sorry you had to risk your life for the cause, but I am glad you were lucky and survived.  Take care and get well.    

I will second that.... And no Mick.... No roses for you on 2/14 OK??? I'm not that much desperate and a freak :-) Actually, I did send my sweetie flowers today :-)

[Mick]

I'll get back on later today and answer more questions. A few important points right now.

 

Adams did say that they have up-graded their system to where they can now, in a pinch, print and process up to 1000 visas a day. He has told DOS that they can do somewhere around 600-800 a day sustainably. He also said that they will continue to devote their time entirely to processing cleared names anytime they anticipate getting a large number of clearances in a short time. Thus it is important for DOS and DOJ to keep him notified as to when to expect these large batches. Apparently FBI tends to process large batches at once.

 

As for my wife's case: It was royally messed up. He looked her case up because I kept insisting that DOS said no submission had been made in the process and he kept insisting that it had to have been submitted. He determined that she had passed her security clearance back in November of 2000. That is no typo folks. He also did not try to avoid GZ's error in telling us that we would have to file a new case and start over when they wrongly scheduled our daughter as the fiancee. He said that it was really an unforgivable error since they could have shown up on the day of the interview and gotten the problem straightend out. I immediately responded with, "Good! If she has passed the security check, then what are we waiting for? Issue a visa!" He then spent some time trying to explain his way out of that one, but he kept backing himself into a corner and I kept saying, "Then just issue a visa!" He finally had his staff do a specific search for the cable to Washington in July for the submission of her name and to see if her name was on the disk that went to the FBI. They could not come up with the cable number for July, but produced a computer print out of names and case numbers that supposedly proved it went to DOS. I told him that regardless, DOS did not have the name. The search to see if she was on the computer disk that went to the FBI went a little better. Her name was on it. Therefore, her first submission was effectively on January 10th. Again, her name might be in the list they had just started to process.

 

More later.

 

Owen

[Guest R2D2]

Owen,

 

That is an incredable foul up again!!!!

[tonado]

I'll get back on later today and answer more questions.  A few important points right now. 

 

Adams did say that they have up-graded their system to where they can now, in a pinch, print and process up to 1000 visas a day.  He has told DOS that they can do somewhere around 600-800 a day sustainably.  He also said that they will continue to devote their time entirely to processing cleared names anytime they anticipate getting a large number of clearances in a short time.  Thus it is important for DOS and DOJ to keep him notified as to when to expect these large batches.  Apparently FBI tends to process large batches at once.

 

As for my wife's case:  It was royally messed up.  He looked her case up because I kept insisting that DOS said no submission had been made in the process and he kept insisting that it had to have been submitted.  He determined that she had passed her security clearance back in November of 2000.  That is no typo folks.  He also did not try to avoid GZ's error in telling us that we would have to file a new case and start over when they wrongly scheduled our daughter as the fiancee.  He said that it was really an unforgivable error since they could have shown up on the day of the interview and gotten the problem straightend out.  I immediately responded with, "Good!  If she has passed the security check, then what are we waiting for?  Issue a visa!"  He then spent some time trying to explain his way out of that one, but he kept backing himself into a corner and I kept saying, "Then just issue a visa!"  He finally had his staff do a specific search for the cable to Washington in July for the submission of her name and to see if her name was on the disk that went to the FBI.  They could not come up with the cable number for July, but produced a computer print out of names and case numbers that supposedly proved it went to DOS.  I told him that regardless, DOS did not have the name. The search to see if she was on the computer disk that went to the FBI went a little better.  Her name was on it.  Therefore, her first submission was effectively on January 10th.  Again, her name might be in the list they had just started to process. 

 

More later.

 

Owen

I thought you are Mick. How come you signed "Owen"? You must be tired.

[jasonzzzz]

I think that I was Owen. Owen was using Mick's computer, got the Mick's cookie, and automatically signed in.