Concerning the actual interview...

[m-coon]

I pretty well know how everybody will reply to this - at least I think I know - But I want to ask anyway.

 

Would it be a bad idea for my SO to have notes of some sort - to help her remember family names and things like that - that she could easily draw a blank on when asked?

 

Thanks,

Scott

[david_dawei]

I do not recommend this ... the VOs are looking for her to answer truthfully for sure.. but not from some note card like she is reading a script !

 

Scott.. she'll do fine if she reviews the basic stuff in the Interview FAQ and pay attention to the "top questions" for interviews and the divorce questions (if that's applicable).

 

There is a separate list of questions, which is probably overkill to study, but it exists for those that want to see that much detail..

[shyaushu]

Scott (and others):

 

Since we haven't even had an interview to fail yet, I really have no standing on this issue, but I'm thinking getting ready for an interview in Guangzhou is a lot like preparing for a job interview.

 

Aside from dressing innappropriately, using unsuitable langauge, or engaging in some other glaring, obviously improper behavior, I doubt if many jobs were lost because someone wore the "wrong" color or had high-lighted hair. In other words, I wonder if focusing on a neat, professional appearance and having a courteous, open, confident demeanor is the essence of success in an interview.

 

Perhaps I should be more paranoid, but I know Zhenshu, and her personality and charm will win over anyone (they won me over!). Paranoia and its alter-ego, nervousness and a sense of impending failure, may be the real threats in an interview. (Watch her not pass her interview now!).

 

"Just be yourself" is almost always the best advice. The rest will take care of itself.

Edited October 22, 2005 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[castaway109]

Does anyone really know how crazy this whole process is? I mean really..they expect your SO to know all about your family the same as if she lived near them and could come and visit. If they expect her to "know" all about us then they should allow her to come over and visit. Wouldn't that make sense? I know, I know....nothing about this makes much sense. I just feel that they are punishing us because we found wives out of our own country. So in that spirit....they would look at notes as "cheating" and drop the blue slip.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Does anyone really know how crazy this whole process is?  I mean really..they expect your SO to know all about your family the same as if she lived near them and could come and visit.  If they expect her to "know" all about us then they should allow her to come over and visit.  Wouldn't that make sense?  I know, I know....nothing about this makes much sense.  I just feel that they are punishing us because we found wives out of our own country.  So in that spirit....they would look at notes as "cheating" and drop the blue slip.

162270[/snapback]

I agree with you that the process is crazy and rooted in beauracrazy. The problem is the huge number of scam marriages going on out there create a problem for us all. While it's an inconvenience for all of us to endure the maddening questioning and seemingly ridiculous denials at times, I don't want to see those that are scamming the US system for cash ever allowed in. Also, I would like to see the US citizens that are accepting money for such a thing prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[david_dawei]

For those worrying about knowing names...

 

The average interview is a year from submission.. assuming you've meet prior to that for six months.. that's a year and a half to know your family names. I think that is enough time. Have your SO put them on cards and study them for those 18 months.

[jim_julian]

The process is what it is ... we are not going to change that in the short term.

 

I like the "be yourself" comment. That should always apply.

 

That said, we were rehearsing questions and answers for both my laopo and her/our daughter even before I submitted the 129 petition. Not that we have anything to hide or are doing something wrong but just to make the ladies feel more comfortable.

 

To be successful we need to understand the process and live within it.

Edited October 22, 2005 by jim_julian (see edit history)

[amerchin]

For us we didn't have the problem of remembering family members names. Names are usually short. My initial hurdle was my company's name which was very long. It also explained what my company does in the company name. There was no way she was going to remember something that long and would have to pronunciate the entire name. I decided to cut the company's name down by teaching her the minimal amount of english necessary for the name. The rest of the name describing what the company does I translated to Chinese. She had no problem with the VO on the half english and half chinese company name.

[bubbafred10]

I pretty well know how everybody will reply to this - at least I think I know - But I want to ask anyway.

 

Would it be a bad idea for my SO to have notes of some sort - to help her remember family names and things like that - that she could easily draw a blank on when asked?

 

Thanks,

Scott

162212[/snapback]

My laopo wrote many things in the photo album she brought to show the VO. It was easy to recall names when she saw her own handwritings while the VO was flipping through the first few pages.

 

During the days after she got the P4, she went through the photos many times and also read over the copies of my financial and biographic documents. Now she knows more about me than myself. That's the only drawback. She also know (remember) what I told her about my family (present and past).

[Jeikun]

Jun had a guard flirt with her, and the VO calling her "sweetie". Failing wasn't possible.. lol (though those who were around knew I wasn't nearly so confident at the time).