Interview evidence

[jameschun321]

Hi all,

 

My fiancee has her interview next month and all this talk about the interview evidence is making me nervous. I am not going to make it for her interview and that is starting to worry me. I am going to tell her to bring everything.

 

Photos: I have been to China 3 times and over 150 pictures including the studio wedding ones

 

Phone: Like ChinaDave I use phone cards so that will have to do

 

Letters: I wrote alot of letters to her in English but very few emails.

 

I have given her all the original boarding passes and copies of the pages of my passport with the visa and stamps on them.

 

My fiancee's English is very limited. She can read it alright but hearing or speaking is another story. We communicate using Cantonese (but I am unable to read or write it) so I hope the interviewer believes that. I have mailed my fiancee a sealed letter to give to the interviewer stating that I can speak Cantonese.

 

I have a feeling that would be the hardest part and also if the interviewer asks the questions in English then it will be tougher. My fiancee knows everything about me and my family but comprehening the questions is the big thing.

 

Let's hope all that is enough

 

JC

[tonyuab]

After reading what SleepingDragon wrote, i am so scared...

 

Now, i really wish i could be there with her.. but we received the interview date only 2 weeks prior interview... and now only 6 days left till...

 

what happens next if not passed the interview...??? (don't want that to happen..., but....can't stop thinking about it)

[tparrent]

Go! Just get there! Isn't it worth whatever hassle, expense, etc you might encounter?

 

Maybe I am being too strong. Perhaps going would cost you your job. Short of that, I find it hard to see why anyone would not go if they had the ability.

 

Also, I would think that a fiancee who does not speak English would have a far tougher time than one who does. Perhaps you can send a recording or videotape of the two of you talking Chinese.

 

I understand everyone's concern about this final step. I am sure most interviews go fine but I'm not taking any chances. Ling is carrying my passport into the interview. They will KNOW I am outside waiting. Fortunately, her English is excellent.

[Guest R2D2]

Hi all,

 

As far as evidence goes, it really depends on who does the interviewing. 0„2My fiance had her interview during March and I thought there was enough evidence, but she was denied and was asked for additional evidence. 0„2Calling cards are not accepted as proof of evidence and I tried getting logs for it with no luck whatsoever from those calling card companies. 0„2I'm now using bigzoo and pincity and every now and then call direct to get detail phone logs... 0„2

 

As for pictures, they asked me for more... 0„2Guess 20-30 wasn't enough... 0„2Arghh.. 0„2went back during March but got same results when I went into the consulate. 0„2Not sure what I can do now other than to write to my congressman or something... 0„2

 

The officer was a Black lady who refused to look at any other additional documents such as me wiring her money on a regular basis... 0„2Talk about luck eh? 0„2My cousin's husband's interview with some White male went smoothly. 0„2Asked to see phone bills and there was nothing on the phone bill except just a payment, however he accepted it. 0„2Pictures, didn't even look at them except 1. 0„2So it really depends on who it is doing the interviewing. 0„2

 

Anyways, just sharing what bad luck and experiences I had... 0„2And that's one of the reason why I haven't been back on this site till recently. 0„2Just wasn't in the mood to even think about the fiasco and problems I had to go through.

 

I notice that the lady seems to stress the importance of pictures, phone bills with detail logs, and letters that we write each other. 0„2That's a bit impossible for letters. 0„2I can only write in English and my fiance in Chinese. 0„2Arghh!

I am really sorry to hear that you encountered such a problem at the interview.

 

The "black lady" used to be a regular interviewer at GZ and was infamous in the Chinese community for denying petitions. I am told that she has a really bad attitude problem. Supposedly, according to the street rumours, there were so many complaints filed against her, including charges of racial discrimination, that she was removed from interviewing. Apparently, with the overload of cases, she is back. Shenyang has a "black man" who is equally infamous and who denied our daughter's petition for a tourist visa this summer. She was well prepared also including understanding that she must return to China so that she could later apply for her permanent immigration status and become a citizen in the future.

 

Generally, the interview goes quite smoothly if you have reasonable proof of a relationship. What concerns me is that I have heard of a number of denials lately and I am wondering if the current mood of Congress is having an effect on how easy it is to pass an interview?

It does make one wonder!

[tonado]

Hi all,

 

My fiancee has her interview next month and all this talk about the interview evidence is making me nervous.  I am not going to make it for her interview and that is starting to worry me.  I am going to tell her to bring everything.

 

Photos:  I have been to China 3 times and over 150 pictures including the studio wedding ones

 

Phone:  Like ChinaDave I use phone cards so that will have to do

 

Letters:  I wrote alot of letters to her in English but very few emails.

 

I have given her all the original boarding passes and copies of the pages of my passport with the visa and stamps on them.

 

My fiancee's English is very limited.  She can read it alright but hearing or speaking is another story.  We communicate using Cantonese (but I am unable to read or write it) so I hope the interviewer believes that.  I have mailed my fiancee a sealed letter to give to the interviewer stating that I can speak Cantonese.

 

I have a feeling that would be the hardest part and also if the interviewer asks the questions in English then it will be tougher.  My fiancee knows everything about me and my family but comprehening the questions is the big thing.

 

Let's hope all that is enough

 

JC

James,

 

Since you and your fiancee are Chinese and you can communicate in Cantonese, the interview should be easy. If the fiancee only speak Chinese and the fiance only speak English, then it is very hard to prove a relationship. My fiancee's interviewee was a Chinese lady.

[wisetiger]

Lori will be bringing our wedding album to the interview. The mere fact that I agreed to spend most of a day at a photo studio having our picture taken (in traditional Chinese clothing as well!) is irrefutable proof that we are in love. Actually, the pictures turned out very nice and I'm happy we did it. Lori's english is also very good so that should make the interview go easier as well.

-Dave

[tonado]

Lori will be bringing our wedding album to the interview.  The mere fact that I agreed to spend most of a day at a photo studio having our picture taken (in traditional Chinese clothing as well!) is irrefutable proof that we are in love.   Actually, the pictures turned out very nice and I'm happy we did it.    Lori's english is also very good so that should make the interview go easier as well.

-Dave

I read somewhere that they don't like photos done at professional studio. They rather see photos that are not staged.

[wisetiger]

We also have photos of us together with her family. As well as together in Beijing, the Great Wall, Suzhou, Shanghai and most recently LiJiang!

-Dave

[owenkrout]

My fiancee's English is very limited.  She can read it alright but hearing or speaking is another story.  We communicate using Cantonese (but I am unable to read or write it) so I hope the interviewer believes that.  I have mailed my fiancee a sealed letter to give to the interviewer stating that I can speak Cantonese.

 

I have a feeling that would be the hardest part and also if the interviewer asks the questions in English then it will be tougher.  My fiancee knows everything about me and my family but comprehening the questions is the big thing.

This is a very common situtation in China. When we first started writing to each other, my wife could read and write English well enough to be understood, but could not speak it at all. I currently have the job of taking the freshmen students who also can often read and write English, but have no clue when it comes to speaking and listening and get them to where they can at least manage to minimally communicate. We have professors of English here that cannot communicate orally in English. Unfortunately, some of the interviewers assume that if the person can't speak English, that means that they cannot read or write either.

[tonado]

In most cases, the interview is very easy. So don't worry too much. They have translator if the fiance/fiancee can't speak English.

[AZwolfman]

In most cases, the interview is very easy.  So don't worry too much.  They have translator if the fiance/fiancee can't speak English.

In most cases, I think we sweat the interview too much. This is natural. Basically it seems they want you to show that you are a couple in love and intend to get married and live together.

 

We showed about a dozen pictures, 2 emails, some evidences that I had been to China such as plane tickets, hotel room bill, tickets from Great Wall, etc.

 

Don't worry so much. You will be fine. If possible, take some pics with you and her whole family.

[warpedbored]

I keep hearing that we should be there waiting outside during the interview. I am convinced. I plan to be there and have her take my passport in with her, but just what are our options if I am there and they turn her down? I can't imagine they would let me in to have a fit.

Carl

[Guest R2D2]

You go back in with her to contest the decision that very afternoon.

[chinadave2001]

Lori will be bringing our wedding album to the interview.  The mere fact that I agreed to spend most of a day at a photo studio having our picture taken (in traditional Chinese clothing as well!) is irrefutable proof that we are in love.  Actually, the pictures turned out very nice and I'm happy we did it.    Lori's english is also very good so that should make the interview go easier as well.

-Dave

You are so right. If there is any "test" of one's love, it has got to be those pictures. Like yours, our also took about 8 hours. The temperature was about 35 degrees inside the building. There was extensive periods of waiting/doing nothing as they were overbooked for the day and we were not at the top of their priority list. (We didn't opt for the outdoor pictures so we then had to wait while the others went and did them.)

Finally, after along day of being cold, not eating and a million jokes about being fat, we finished and went to my favorite place for dinner. Again, there was no heat. But at least the soup was good. Anyone who has had to survive the wedding picture gauntlet ought to get an expedited visa! Maybe I'll post those traditional ones someday - they are really quite funny!

Dave

[tonado]

Lori will be bringing our wedding album to the interview.  The mere fact that I agreed to spend most of a day at a photo studio having our picture taken (in traditional Chinese clothing as well!) is irrefutable proof that we are in love.  Actually, the pictures turned out very nice and I'm happy we did it.    Lori's english is also very good so that should make the interview go easier as well.

-Dave

You are so right. If there is any "test" of one's love, it has got to be those pictures. Like yours, our also took about 8 hours. The temperature was about 35 degrees inside the building. There was extensive periods of waiting/doing nothing as they were overbooked for the day and we were not at the top of their priority list. (We didn't opt for the outdoor pictures so we then had to wait while the others went and did them.)

Finally, after along day of being cold, not eating and a million jokes about being fat, we finished and went to my favorite place for dinner. Again, there was no heat. But at least the soup was good. Anyone who has had to survive the wedding picture gauntlet ought to get an expedited visa! Maybe I'll post those traditional ones someday - they are really quite funny!

Dave

Like I said earlier, they don't like pictures that are done by professional. They view them as unrealistic and just make-believe because the professional shows you how to pose and what to wear. They want to see photos without any acting (natural and come from the heart) that show true love. It is good to have photos with her parents and other family members.

 

The interview took only about 5 minutes. So don't sweat it. I think 95% wil pass the interview.