More DCF news

[shyaushu]

Well, my wife and I are in Shenzhen waiting to head for Guangzhou for the interview on the 20th. We called the "Yang's" (the "helpful folks" who have a hotel near the Consulate) and they could not offer us anything cheaper than 200 RMB a night at their place. We can't spend that much because we will be in Guangzhou for almost 9 days, so we checked elsewhere and found another nearby hotel for 100 RMB, with the same promise of their going over our paperwork and assisting us in the medical tests.

 

So, there seem to be plenty of places there, some more expensive than others.

 

This brings up one of the other issues involved in filing directly from China: the potential lack of money. I currently teach at a school in Henan Province, and, while my salary is excellent by Chinese standards, it is a lot less than enough to give us a "comfortable" life here. We have been on vacation for three weeks (at least we can do that here) but we must be very careful with our money. We have been staying at hotels or renting apartments for a week at a time and we generally pay between 50 and 75 RMB per day. But for that price we had an ocean view apartment in Beihai ~ a wonderful city!

 

So, unless you have a really high-paying job here in China, or some other source of reliable income while you are here, those of you thinking of coming here to file directly should consider the economic costs, too. That $380 visa fee (per beneficiary!) looms ominously for us.

 

But it is quick, and the "success rate" has been 100%. How we hope and pray we will not be an exception to that record.

 

We'll keep you posted.

Edited February 12, 2008 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[Corbin]

Well, my wife and I are in Shenzhen waiting to head for Guangzhou for the interview on the 20th. We called the "Yang's" (the "helpful folks" who have a hotel near the Consulate) and they could not offer us anything cheaper than 200 RMB a night at their place. We can't spend that much because we will be in Guangzhou for almost 9 days, so we checked elsewhere and found another nearby hotel for 100 RMB, with the same promise of their going over our paperwork and assisting us in the medical tests.

 

So, there seem to be plenty of places there, some more expensive than others.

 

This brings up one of the other issues involved in filing directly from China: the potential lack of money. I currently teach at a school in Henan Province, and, while my salary is excellent by Chinese standards, it is a lot less than enough to give us a "comfortable" life here. We have been on vacation for three weeks (at least we can do that here) but we must be very careful with our money. We have been staying at hotels or renting apartments for a week at a time and we generally pay between 50 and 75 RMB per day. But for that price we had an ocean view apartment in Beihai ~ a wonderful city!

 

So, unless you have a really high-paying job here in China, or some other source of reliable income while you are here, those of you thinking of coming here to file directly should consider the economic costs, too. That $380 visa fee (per beneficiary!) looms ominously for us.

 

But it is quick, and the "success rate" has been 100%. How we hope and pray we will not be an exception to that record.

 

We'll keep you posted.

think PINK all the way...........

 

good luck you will do just fine.

[shyaushu]

Thanks, Corbin, and thanks to all the others who have been silently wishing the Chongqing Hillbillies luck.

 

An update on matters is that we found extraordinarily excellent accommodations and assistance at a different hotel in Guangzhou. (Not the Yang's. (They were too expensive for us ~ 200 RMB minimum, and they really did not seem to care much about us or our visa). The place we went to is called Mei Guo Ling Shi Guan Lou Shang Gong Yu and their accommodations are located in the actual building where the US Consulate is. Their tel. number is 020-33484858 (cell: 13178820186). It is a five minute walk from the east Guangzhou train station.

 

Accommodations there cost us 120 RMB a night and consisted of a large living room, a large master bedroom, a smaller bedroom, a lovely bathroom, clothes washer, kitchen, etc. It was not a hotel room, but an actual apartment. The furnishings in it were worthy of being in our home back in the US. They met us at the train station and familiarized us with the consulate and the immediate area.

 

They immediately went over our paper work and pronounced everything in order, except that I had no copies of our e-mails (stupid me!) and certain critical documents were copies, and not originals. So, stupid me had to high-tail it back to Luoyang to get those things. Train tickets from Guangzhou were unavailable, of course (360 RMB to Luoyang) but a plane ticket cost only 510 RMB!

 

The best air fare we could get on our own was 860 RMB, but the people at the "MeiGuo" said "that's way too high", and got on the horn and got us the 510 RMB fare. We also used all our money for my return to Henan, and they have been allowing Daoqun to stay ther for free until I return (with more money!). Do people get more helpful than that? I heartily recommend them!

 

I am returning Monday to Guangzhou to be with Daoqun for the interview on Wednesday.

 

Dispite the well-intended (and probably justified) optimism of many fellow Candleforlove folks, the fact that I previously married a Chinese woman and that we were divorced after a very short (18 month) marriage looms as a real problem for us. I can understand why a visa official would be suspicious about my fairly quick marriage to Daoqun only three months after my first marriage ended.

 

Therefore, I wrote a fairly detailed letter to him/her explaining what happened with my first wife (she was mentally unstable and tried to kill me), and I encouraged him/her to undertand that my first marriage was a big mistake, and to judge my relationship with Daoqun on its own merits. The fact that we have now lived together in China (very happily) for seven months must count for something.

 

I also wrote about the things that happened here during those seven months: illnesses I had, and the loving care Daoqun gave me; the two wool sweaters she knit for me after my second cold here, etc., etc.

 

I also pointed out that I wanted to live with Daoqun so that I was certain we were both committed to each other and that I had made a big sacrifice, myself, in coming to live in China because I left a wonderful job teaching at a university back in the US. I am hoping, of course, the visa official will understand that everyone makes mistakes: my first marriage was definitely a big mistake; this one is not.

 

Daoqun and I will live here in China if they do not grant us the visa on Wednesday. That will be a huge sacrifice for both of us since we have a lovely farm back in West Virginia, and a 20 year old daughter in college there. That is where we should make our lives.

 

One more thing about filing directly with the embassy or consulate in China. Those of us who take that route are usually living in the Chinese economy. We have a job here and receive RMB for our work. If (when!) the visa is granted on the 20th, we will face the problem of getting the airfare together for the two of us. We have not been able to save much thusfar (we have two daughters in college ~ one in the US and one in China) so I will have to work here for several more months to have enough money to return.

 

So we may struggle to get back by the six-month window for the visa. That could be a problem for others, as well.

 

But generally I heartily recommend a so-called "DCF" filing, if you have the means to do it. Of course, the I-864 and proof of a US residence are the usual stumbling blocks. But in our case it has been a couple of other things.

 

I will write more later if it seems there are people on the CANDLE who think the saga of the Chongqing Hillbillies is interesting or informative.

 

We will know the result in four days.

 

 

 

Well, my wife and I are in Shenzhen waiting to head for Guangzhou for the interview on the 20th. We called the "Yang's" (the "helpful folks" who have a hotel near the Consulate) and they could not offer us anything cheaper than 200 RMB a night at their place. We can't spend that much because we will be in Guangzhou for almost 9 days, so we checked elsewhere and found another nearby hotel for 100 RMB, with the same promise of their going over our paperwork and assisting us in the medical tests.

 

So, there seem to be plenty of places there, some more expensive than others.

 

This brings up one of the other issues involved in filing directly from China: the potential lack of money. I currently teach at a school in Henan Province, and, while my salary is excellent by Chinese standards, it is a lot less than enough to give us a "comfortable" life here. We have been on vacation for three weeks (at least we can do that here) but we must be very careful with our money. We have been staying at hotels or renting apartments for a week at a time and we generally pay between 50 and 75 RMB per day. But for that price we had an ocean view apartment in Beihai ~ a wonderful city!

 

So, unless you have a really high-paying job here in China, or some other source of reliable income while you are here, those of you thinking of coming here to file directly should consider the economic costs, too. That $380 visa fee (per beneficiary!) looms ominously for us.

 

But it is quick, and the "success rate" has been 100%. How we hope and pray we will not be an exception to that record.

 

We'll keep you posted.

think PINK all the way...........

 

good luck you will do just fine.

Edited February 16, 2008 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[Corbin]

Yes please keep us informed as we want to know of the out come. Still think pink all the way...........

[N&J]

Good luck

 

Keep warm

 

[shyaushu]

Here's an update on our visa.

 

Daoqun got the blue slip today: they want some more information about my 1st Chinese wife, how Daoqun and I met (they already know this) and some photos of us in front of our apartment in China. No problem for us to do any of this, really. They want my letter to be handwritten and "Certified". What does that mean in China? Do I have to go to an American Consulate and have that done?

 

Some tears were shed but there are upsides. Our I-864 was obviously OK, my US domicile is also aceptable and there were no questions about our communication, since Daoqun doesn't speekie English. They just want a handwritten letter explaining those matters. (I included one I wrote on the computer).

 

Can anyone help us with the "certification" part? They did not say "notarial certification" or anything: just to certify the letter".

 

We should have that minor stuff to them in a week or so.

 

Sorry for ending the 100% success for DCF Filings.

Edited February 20, 2008 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

Take it to the consulate and have it notarized. I don't think you can get much more certified than that in China.

[IllinoisDave]

Sorry to hear about the blue. But like you said, not a real surprise given the circumstances. Give what they ask for and you should be ok.

Best of luck with the overcome.

[credzba]

I have a question for you experienced folks.

 

Why do they want it hand written?

 

I wrote one on the computer, and signed it, and sent it to my wife "just in case".

 

If I need to, I can re-write it by hand, and have it notarized with my signature. Seems odd though, so if you guys have any explanation I'd appreciate the info.

[shyaushu]

Taking it to the consulate might be easier said than done. There is no consulate near Henan Province. Another trip to Guangzhou will be pretty expensive, too, especially just for a "certification" stamp.

 

The upside to all this is that they accepted my I-864 and they did not find that our marriage is "not bona fide". That would be some difficult stuff. They are obviously yanking our chains ~ all they want is the same letter, hand written and some photos. They apparently don't believe that I actually am living in China or something. They could look at my passport, of course. I have the entry stamp into China and no exit stamp. Or they could see me pacing in front of the Consulate for three hours.

 

It's sad they do things like this but what the heck. We should get it all to them next week and perhaps they will ask my wife back to get her visa soon after that.

 

Many tanks to all for your encouragement and support!

[BrokenHeart]

I had the same thing happen. They wanted hand written and notorized. I did that on several items they wanted and had a Judge in the court system here put his seal of approval on it and they still blew me out of the water. So that was my denial, almost same situation as you I think.

Now we are married and I did the I-130 and now just wait.

Good luck to you. Sounds like the same people in Guz that did us first time around.

[shyaushu]

Well, that's sort of depressing. I never considered their asking for additional material was just a ruse to issue a second denial.

 

Since we are still here in Guangzhou I asked at the Citizen's Service place and they said the Consulate itself, "certified" documents. So I went back to the apartment and wrote the two pages of explanation they asked me for and limited me to and had the Consulate here certify it. It was all about what happened in my first marriage and why I am living in China.

 

According to their Blue slip (it is really a blue piece of cardboard: the "white slip" is actually a white piece of paper) now only "a photo of us in front of our apartment" remains. I suppose they can always say they didn't like the photo.

 

If they want more from us it will soon be a lot easier. I have accepted a new job teaching at a university in Guangzhou so we can take a 4 Yuan bus ride to the Consulate instead of a 900 mile train ride.

 

Am I a cockeyed optimist to believe they will read the statements they asked me to write, approve them as a reasonable explanation of why my first wife and I get divorced (she tried to kill me twice!) and that I am living here in China to be with my wife to allow our relationship to develop as it should: in person, and not from 12,000 miles away? I hope I am not.

 

Any advice or whatever is welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

I had the same thing happen. They wanted hand written and notorized. I did that on several items they wanted and had a Judge in the court system here put his seal of approval on it and they still blew me out of the water. So that was my denial, almost same situation as you I think.

Now we are married and I did the I-130 and now just wait.

Good luck to you. Sounds like the same people in Guz that did us first time around.

[shyaushu]

This is a fairly old "thread", but it is the same ole-same-ole for me and my wife. Here's an update.

 

Our last words on the situation with the blue card thing they gave us was they wanted a hand-written statement regarding my previous (Chinese) wife and how I met & married my present wife and how I came to live in China. And a couple of photos of us in front of our apartment. They wanted these statements to be "certified", with no suggestion as to what that meant.

 

Fortunately, the Citizen Services Section of the Consulate is next door and they do that certification for free. It's an interesting exercise in bureauocracy, as you have to give them your passport, go somewhere else ("window 16"), and get a receipt that says you did not give them any money, then return, show them you did not pay any money, then raise your right hand and swear everything you wrote is true. Then they put on embossed stamps and such.

 

We wrote the statements and then moved to Guangzhou for a new job teaching at a university there. Boy, did that help things. I just went to the Embassy one afternoon on the bus and got it all done. We mailed it all off (you can't give it to them, even though you are actually in the Embassy!), and now we are just sitting pretty here, teaching business English and playing tennis. A good way to wait for a Blue card overturn!

 

Not everyone can do this, of course, and we really didn't plan it this way, but we are very happy, of course, that we now live so close to the action. We have every expectation (i.e., we really, really hope, of course) that Daoqun will be called back to pick up her visa in a couple of weeks and now that, too will be a snap. I will let the forum know as soon as we have any news, one way or another. We hated to be the ones to destroy the 100% success rate for "DCF" filings, but a blue card is not a denial, yet.

 

Guangzhou, incidentally, is one heck of a nice place to live (except for the 20 billion people who live here) and the weather and the food are great. It was a really good move for us. I shipped my bicycle here from Henan on the train (50 RMB) but they did a good job of damaging it. Nothing a hammer and a pair of vice grips couldn't fix, though.

 

 

 

I have a question for you experienced folks.

 

Why do they want it hand written?

 

I wrote one on the computer, and signed it, and sent it to my wife "just in case".

 

If I need to, I can re-write it by hand, and have it notarized with my signature. Seems odd though, so if you guys have any explanation I'd appreciate the info.

Edited March 7, 2008 by shyaushu (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

I have a question for you experienced folks.

 

Why do they want it hand written?

 

I wrote one on the computer, and signed it, and sent it to my wife "just in case".

 

If I need to, I can re-write it by hand, and have it notarized with my signature. Seems odd though, so if you guys have any explanation I'd appreciate the info.

I think the request makes sense.... how do you know that the person who signs a computer document is truly the writer of it..unless you can compare their handwriting throughout [to the signature].

 

May seem a bit anal or maybe they are just old fashioned

[Corbin]

I have a question for you experienced folks.

 

Why do they want it hand written?

 

I wrote one on the computer, and signed it, and sent it to my wife "just in case".

 

If I need to, I can re-write it by hand, and have it notarized with my signature. Seems odd though, so if you guys have any explanation I'd appreciate the info.

I think the request makes sense.... how do you know that the person who signs a computer document is truly the writer of it..unless you can compare their handwriting throughout [to the signature].

 

May seem a bit anal or maybe they are just old fashioned

Well this wouldn't hold water for me because I print everything I write and my signature is chicken scratch. Nothing to compare.