paperwork required for return visit

[philb]

Yun, her son LiJIng and I are planning on returning to Nanning late April. I have my visa in place and purchased the RT tickets. Yun and LiJing both have their 2-year conditional green cards and SSNs.

IS there any paperwork (red tape) involved with their return through LAX?

Thanks,

Phil, Yun & LiJIng

[Sebastian]

No, none at all.

 

They'll need their China Passports and Green Cards.

If your wife has a name change (Change of Last Name) she will be ok as well. I think the SSCard is overkill, but others might tell you otherwise.

 

Have fun on yer trip !

[jim_julian]

... and they DON'T go through the Visitor's line ... they go through the US Citizens and Permanent Resident's line!

 

 

[warpedbored]

Pretty much all the US is interested in upon re-enty are their green cards.

 

If your wife has taken your last name but not had a notation made in her passport by the Chinese consulate you will need to book the ticket for her in her maiden name. If the name on the passport doesn't match the ticket the airline won't let her board the plane.

[IllinoisDave]

... and they DON'T go through the Visitor's line ... they go through the US Citizens and Permanent Resident's line!

 

 

What about when they go TO China? They still go through the citizen's line right?

[yuehan123]

I've always found we go through whichever line is shortest. That is, unless there is one of those rope barriers with a worker directing traffic.

[jim_julian]

... and they DON'T go through the Visitor's line ... they go through the US Citizens and Permanent Resident's line!

 

 

What about when they go TO China? They still go through the citizen's line right?

Sure ... into and out of China as they are Chinese citizens with Chinese passports ... I do the Laowei lines.

[IllinoisDave]

... and they DON'T go through the Visitor's line ... they go through the US Citizens and Permanent Resident's line!

 

 

What about when they go TO China? They still go through the citizen's line right?

Sure ... into and out of China as they are Chinese citizens with Chinese passports ... I do the Laowei lines.

Thought so. Thanks Jim.

[tucsonjim]

Pretty much all the US is interested in upon re-enty are their green cards.

 

If your wife has taken your last name but not had a notation made in her passport by the Chinese consulate you will need to book the ticket for her in her maiden name. If the name on the passport doesn't match the ticket the airline won't let her board the plane.

 

We recently returned from 5 weeks in Nanning. When my wife Qing went through Chinese customs in Guangzhou coming home, the officer wanted to see both her green card and passport. He really gave her/us a hard time because her name on the green card didn't match the passport name and there was no notation in the passport. He said US customs may not let her enter the US.... he really had us both worried the whole trip home! When we went through customs in LA, I saw the US agent looking through the pages where the notation is normally made, but he didn't say anything about it. We all went through together and he could see her last name and mine were the same so I think that is why he didn't mention it. Needless to say we were very relieved!!! I had booked the tickets in her maiden name to match her Chinese passport so there was no problem going over using just her passport.

 

I plan to send Qing's passport and a certified copy of our marriage certif off to a Chinese embassy to get the name change notation entered in her passport so we don't have that problem in the future.

 

When we got home and I reviewed our hold mail, I learned that Qing's biometric appointment for removal of conditions was scheduled for the morning of the day we were flying home from Nanning.... more stress after a long trip home!!! Her daughters biometric appointment was the following week so Qing went along and I asked if they could process her reschedule at the same time. I had sent the reschedule letter with an explanation why we missed her apptmt the previous week. They went back to an office and found the letter and went ahead and processed her at the same time. Major relief once again!! The biometric appointment letter says if you don't show up they consider your application abandoned.... that was not what I needed to see at 2am after 30 hrs of travel...

 

Hopefully we are just in wait mode now and the 10 yr green cards will show up in a few months.

 

It's been a long time since I've visited here so I hope you are all doing well.

 

Cheers,

Jim

[jim_julian]

Jim ... when we got the "also known as" notation in my wife and daughter's passports all the LA Chinese consulate wanted to see was their green cards ... which had different names than their Chinese passports.

 

You may want to send a copy of the GC with your application for the AKA note ... although it's supposedly prohibited to copy the GC.

[tucsonjim]

Jim ... when we got the "also known as" notation in my wife and daughter's passports all the LA Chinese consulate wanted to see was their green cards ... which had different names than their Chinese passports.

 

You may want to send a copy of the GC with your application for the AKA note ... although it's supposedly prohibited to copy the GC.

 

Thanks for that info Jim, I'll definitely include a copy of her GC when I send in her passport.