denial because of language barrier

[jim_julian]

My then wife got a visa (12/06) despite her not speaking a word of English. She is a very charming and self-confident woman (and, unfortunately, a green card chasing scam artist) and our communication was never an issue. Self-confidence and attitude during the interview do have an impact on the decision, I am sure.

 

Also, I was struck by your comment ". . . we are working on her English skills . . ." Yes, I know Chinese is a very challenging language, but my feelings, at least, are that "communication", by its very nature, is a two-way street. "Talking" and "communication" are not the same.

 

I happen to be "good" at learning languages, and my current wife and I speak only Mandarin together (I am learning a lot of Chongqing-hua, too!). I know she will get to learn English when we are together in the US, and learning it here is so hard (i.e., it is so easy to fall back on Chinese). But our communication is excellent because my Mandarin is pretty good, and she is a patient teacher and tone-forgiving person.

 

My point is perhaps your trying to also learn Mandarin might count big in the "communication" department. You don't have to be fluent or even "good"; just a sincere effort may pay off big time, both in the interview and in your lives later on. She is making a huge effort and perhaps you would do well to do the same.

 

I await the tirade of disagreeing members!

 

 

 

 

I was reading another persons post and his wife or fiancee was denied at her interview because she could not speak english. I am worried now for the same reason. Yulan and I have to use a translator to communicate and we are working on her English skills but I am worried that she to will get denied because she can not speak English fluently. We have not received our NOA2 so what should we do to prepare her for the interview.

 

I agree with the concept that it is valuable for your life together however I also think it will have little or no impact on the interview in most cases.

 

Fan de hen!! ·³µÃºÜ£¡£¡

[jim_julian]

Make sure she has enough English and is rehearsed to open the interview in English. She can always fall back on, "I can do the interview in English but if questions are complex I might have better understanding and may give more detailed answers in Mandarin" (or whatever).

 

Others will point out that many have passed the interview in 100% Chinese but, in my opinion, impressions count for a lot and starting the interview in English will make the right impression.

 

 

Geez,This post has got me worried.I mean,I sent my wife to english school,which frustrated her,because they were teaching more about grammar instead of basic english,so now her and i teach each other on yahoo chat,webcam and yahoo voice.She is actually picking it up very well now.But at the interview"opening the interview in english"what should she rehearse and what should she say in english?Wont this give them the impression she can speak english well and start asking her questions in english,and she will probably not be able to answer many of the questions in english.i mean we have to be realistic,she will have to answer most questions in Chinese.Yes?

 

jimi

 

Interview script:

 

Lao Po: "Good morning! How are you?" (Big smile)

 

VO: "You speak English?"

 

Lao Po: "A little and I am learning fast. My fiance is a good teacher!" (Smile continues and she takes out picture of fiance and her)

 

VO: (Asks some question she can't understand)

 

Lao Po: "I'm afraid you speak a lot better than I do! Maybe you could repeat the question and I could answer you in Potonghua."

 

She should be able to do that much without a problem ...

[chilton747]

Man I am totally behind this!!! I have been studying Mandarin going on 2 years now. I owe it to my wife to help in any way that I can for us to better understand each other.

I once met a guy in China that only knew "ni hao". He had been living there for 4 years!!! Man I just couldn't do this myself.

Excellent point shyaushu!!!

 

My then wife got a visa (12/06) despite her not speaking a word of English. She is a very charming and self-confident woman (and, unfortunately, a green card chasing scam artist) and our communication was never an issue. Self-confidence and attitude during the interview do have an impact on the decision, I am sure.

 

Also, I was struck by your comment ". . . we are working on her English skills . . ." Yes, I know Chinese is a very challenging language, but my feelings, at least, are that "communication", by its very nature, is a two-way street. "Talking" and "communication" are not the same.

 

I happen to be "good" at learning languages, and my current wife and I speak only Mandarin together (I am learning a lot of Chongqing-hua, too!). I know she will get to learn English when we are together in the US, and learning it here is so hard (i.e., it is so easy to fall back on Chinese). But our communication is excellent because my Mandarin is pretty good, and she is a patient teacher and tone-forgiving person.

 

My point is perhaps your trying to also learn Mandarin might count big in the "communication" department. You don't have to be fluent or even "good"; just a sincere effort may pay off big time, both in the interview and in your lives later on. She is making a huge effort and perhaps you would do well to do the same.

 

I await the tirade of disagreeing members!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was reading another persons post and his wife or fiancee was denied at her interview because she could not speak english. I am worried now for the same reason. Yulan and I have to use a translator to communicate and we are working on her English skills but I am worried that she to will get denied because she can not speak English fluently. We have not received our NOA2 so what should we do to prepare her for the interview.

Edited March 31, 2008 by chilton747 (see edit history)

[heyjimi]

Make sure she has enough English and is rehearsed to open the interview in English. She can always fall back on, "I can do the interview in English but if questions are complex I might have better understanding and may give more detailed answers in Mandarin" (or whatever).

 

Others will point out that many have passed the interview in 100% Chinese but, in my opinion, impressions count for a lot and starting the interview in English will make the right impression.

 

 

Geez,This post has got me worried.I mean,I sent my wife to english school,which frustrated her,because they were teaching more about grammar instead of basic english,so now her and i teach each other on yahoo chat,webcam and yahoo voice.She is actually picking it up very well now.But at the interview"opening the interview in english"what should she rehearse and what should she say in english?Wont this give them the impression she can speak english well and start asking her questions in english,and she will probably not be able to answer many of the questions in english.i mean we have to be realistic,she will have to answer most questions in Chinese.Yes?

 

jimi

 

Interview script:

 

Lao Po: "Good morning! How are you?" (Big smile)

 

VO: "You speak English?"

 

Lao Po: "A little and I am learning fast. My fiance is a good teacher!" (Smile continues and she takes out picture of fiance and her)

 

VO: (Asks some question she can't understand)

 

Lao Po: "I'm afraid you speak a lot better than I do! Maybe you could repeat the question and I could answer you in Potonghua."

 

She should be able to do that much without a problem ...

 

 

Jim thanks,

nice script,yeah she will have no problem with this

[shyaushu]

Most of the time I, myself, don't know what is "important" for the interview for the USCIS people stationed in Guangzhou and I am not sure anyone else knows that. It seems to change from week-to-week and from visa official to visa official.

 

But the long term deal is a lifetime together and that, certainly, is a give-and-take proposition. All of our Chinese partners (most, but not all of whom are woman), are making this incredibly radical change in their lives. They are usually leaving their native country and their loved ones, sometimes even minor children, and making a new life in a completely new place with a different language, culture, history, values, and whatever.

 

Meanwhile back at the farm, most of us (most of whom are men) are awaiting our spouses and anticipating the day when they "learn English" and they "adjust " to life in the US.

 

What I am asking is "what about our commitment?" Not the financial commitment forced on us by the I-864, but the commitment of language, culture, values, etc. Their sacrifice seems so much greater than ours. We all seem mostly passive in this process, other than the very active exercise of sponsoring them and paying fees and committing our financial lives to them for many years. But what about the personal stuff?

 

My point is everyone can learn to carry on a simple conversation in Mandarin or Guangdong-Hua, and at the very least it will give all of us who do a much greater appreciation for the effort (and usually remarkable success) our spouses have made when they actually learn English well. And at best it will help all of us in our communication together. If nothing else, now I know how hard it is to communicate some intensely personal things to my wife and lover in Chinese and I will remember that when she tries to tell me something too subtle for her level of English.

 

 

 

 

My then wife got a visa (12/06) despite her not speaking a word of English. She is a very charming and self-confident woman (and, unfortunately, a green card chasing scam artist) and our communication was never an issue. Self-confidence and attitude during the interview do have an impact on the decision, I am sure.

 

Also, I was struck by your comment ". . . we are working on her English skills . . ." Yes, I know Chinese is a very challenging language, but my feelings, at least, are that "communication", by its very nature, is a two-way street. "Talking" and "communication" are not the same.

 

I happen to be "good" at learning languages, and my current wife and I speak only Mandarin together (I am learning a lot of Chongqing-hua, too!). I know she will get to learn English when we are together in the US, and learning it here is so hard (i.e., it is so easy to fall back on Chinese). But our communication is excellent because my Mandarin is pretty good, and she is a patient teacher and tone-forgiving person.

 

My point is perhaps your trying to also learn Mandarin might count big in the "communication" department. You don't have to be fluent or even "good"; just a sincere effort may pay off big time, both in the interview and in your lives later on. She is making a huge effort and perhaps you would do well to do the same.

 

I await the tirade of disagreeing members!

 

 

 

 

I was reading another persons post and his wife or fiancee was denied at her interview because she could not speak english. I am worried now for the same reason. Yulan and I have to use a translator to communicate and we are working on her English skills but I am worried that she to will get denied because she can not speak English fluently. We have not received our NOA2 so what should we do to prepare her for the interview.

 

I agree with the concept that it is valuable for your life together however I also think it will have little or no impact on the interview in most cases.

 

Fan de hen!! ·³µÃºÜ£¡£¡

[credzba]

 

I await the tirade of disagreeing members!

 

 

No one disagreed with you after all

 

I am NOT good with languages, I speak english poorly, and it is my primary language.

However I agree with you 100% on each person working toward the other in terms of learning our spouses native language.

 

Not everyone is interested in doing this, and for their relationship, it must not be important.

Before we got married I wanted to learn mandarin, and when she gets here, I will speak mandarin as often as I can.

 

One important benefit, that you pointed out, is the ability to say words that touch her heart. I don't know if everyone knows this, and only I am slow to learn, but I found that words in a foreign language have no emotion.

By that I mean I can say <really bad chinese word> in front of my wife, strangers, anyone. It doesn't bother me at all because it has no emotional tie to me. If I try to say the same thing translated into english (even in china where they probably wouldn't even know what I was saying) I wouldn't do it. I can not say something terrible in front of my wife or strangers.

 

This concept of words having an emotional tie goes with saying loving things too. My inability to tell my wife she is special, using words that touch her heart is a deficiency I need to solve.

 

And so I study, It isn't easy for me, and I am stupid and forget often. But when I understand her, she is so cute and loving to me for it, that it makes my work worthwhile.

 

My latest idea (for those interested) is I have white stickers all over my house. I labeled the ice box, table, chairs, sugar, thermostat .. etc with the pinyin for those items. Then each time I use one of them I think of the chinese word for that item.

 

Nothing says "I love you" like doing something to prove it (IMO).

[shyaushu]

That was a very touching comment. And you certainly managed to say some warm and emotional things in English. Chinese is a very different language, of course, but it is not THAT different. You'll manage to say warm, meaningful things in it: it's just a matter of time.

 

Oh, there will be dissagreers, but that's the reason for this forum.

 

In China you can buy posters with the pictures of common animals, household items and whatever for 1 or 2 RMB. They have the Chinese characters and Pinyin and also the tone indicator. I supposed they were intended for kids so they could learn but they are great for those of us who want to learn Mandarin. You might be able to lay your hands on some.

 

There's a lot exciting about learning a language like Chinese. We often sit around with other teachers here (I teach at a university) and the only common language between us is Mandarin. We all get along fine. It's very inspiring to communicate with so many different nationalities in a language like Chinese. English is not the only language in the world. The beer helps, too.

 

 

 

I await the tirade of disagreeing members!

 

 

No one disagreed with you after all

 

I am NOT good with languages, I speak english poorly, and it is my primary language.

However I agree with you 100% on each person working toward the other in terms of learning our spouses native language.

 

Not everyone is interested in doing this, and for their relationship, it must not be important.

Before we got married I wanted to learn mandarin, and when she gets here, I will speak mandarin as often as I can.

 

One important benefit, that you pointed out, is the ability to say words that touch her heart. I don't know if everyone knows this, and only I am slow to learn, but I found that words in a foreign language have no emotion.

By that I mean I can say <really bad chinese word> in front of my wife, strangers, anyone. It doesn't bother me at all because it has no emotional tie to me. If I try to say the same thing translated into english (even in china where they probably wouldn't even know what I was saying) I wouldn't do it. I can not say something terrible in front of my wife or strangers.

 

This concept of words having an emotional tie goes with saying loving things too. My inability to tell my wife she is special, using words that touch her heart is a deficiency I need to solve.

 

And so I study, It isn't easy for me, and I am stupid and forget often. But when I understand her, she is so cute and loving to me for it, that it makes my work worthwhile.

 

My latest idea (for those interested) is I have white stickers all over my house. I labeled the ice box, table, chairs, sugar, thermostat .. etc with the pinyin for those items. Then each time I use one of them I think of the chinese word for that item.

 

Nothing says "I love you" like doing something to prove it (IMO).

[lostinblue]

For some people starting out and have time before you file in GUZ it would be a good idea to take a Chinese course . Get a reciept showing you signed up for it and at least attended the classes. It would show your intended that you are trying to meet her half way. At least an attempt to do so. The electronic devices out there today are more functional than 10 years ago so maybe GUZ is a bit more forgiving when there is a "language barrier" as there seems to be less blue slips in the last few years for this problem. (at least on candle)

Guz is looking for fraud and scammers. The "language barrier" is good for an excuse to make you jump through hoops. Maybe they suspect something but cannot put a finger on it so a blue slip is thrown out using this as "the" excuse. If someone is being paid to bring someone to the US they are unlikely to advance their chinese skills through some classes.

Years ago 60 minutes had a story on immigration and they talked to some officers in NY City.Most people were refugees and the like . The story that the officer mentioned was he was not looking for reasons to let someone stay. He was looking for reasons to send someone back. This may be the case in GUZ at times. They look for reasons not to give you pink slips. Who knows what goes on inside there. Maybe the VO has to handle so many cases per day and a "blue slip " speeds things along.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

What I have heard is that GUZ is not so much interested in language barrier as the validity of the relationship. Are they scammers? Or are they for real?

If they are scammers I would hate to see this but if they are you will be so much better off if GUZ catches them in the interview then you find out here in the USA after it is too late and you could be damaged financially as well as emotionally.

[tsap seui]

What I have heard is that GUZ is not so much interested in language barrier as the validity of the relationship. Are they scammers? Or are they for real?

If they are scammers I would hate to see this but if they are you will be so much better off if GUZ catches them in the interview then you find out here in the USA after it is too late and you could be damaged financially as well as emotionally.

 

Tony, if they deny my fiancee, I'll try to think about how some genius in the american consulate saved me from a "scammer" as I move from america to live with her in China. Should I send the kind folks in GUZ a thank you letter?. After all one of them spent a whole 10 minutes getting to know my fiancee, threw away most of the evidence she turned in, and I spent 3 months in China, over 4 trips, with her everyday getting to know her.

 

Not bustin' your chops Tony, I just hope you don't get caught up with GUZ pointing a "scammer" finger at your girlfriend. It could happen to anyone.

 

tsap seui

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

What I have heard is that GUZ is not so much interested in language barrier as the validity of the relationship. Are they scammers? Or are they for real?

If they are scammers I would hate to see this but if they are you will be so much better off if GUZ catches them in the interview then you find out here in the USA after it is too late and you could be damaged financially as well as emotionally.

 

Tony, if they deny my fiancee, I'll try to think about how some genius in the american consulate saved me from a "scammer" as I move from america to live with her in China. Should I send the kind folks in GUZ a thank you letter?. After all one of them spent a whole 10 minutes getting to know my fiancee, threw away most of the evidence she turned in, and I spent 3 months in China, over 4 trips, with her everyday getting to know her.

 

Not bustin' your chops Tony, I just hope you don't get caught up with GUZ pointing a "scammer" finger at your girlfriend. It could happen to anyone.

 

tsap seui

Your point is well taken Tsap Seui. I think alot of the problems many of face with our new SOs is that we are a little paranoid of the thought of something going wrong.

You have to use some of your own God given smarts when you are courting your SO and she should do the same with you.

Some issues you should be aware of are:

 

1. Do you have anything in common?

2. What kind of backround does she have?

3. What kind of family life did she have when she was growning up?

4. What do/did her parents do for a living?

5. If she has siblings what are they like?

6. Is she educated?

7. How does she treat other people in your presence?

8. What are the common goals you wish to achieve together?

9. Is there a warm family feeling from her towards her immediate family and is it reciporcated?

10. What are her friends like?

11. What about our children (if this applies)?

 

There are a dozens more I could add but this is an idea of what to look for.

[Guest HAMPSTERW]

What I have heard is that GUZ is not so much interested in language barrier as the validity of the relationship. Are they scammers? Or are they for real?

If they are scammers I would hate to see this but if they are you will be so much better off if GUZ catches them in the interview then you find out here in the USA after it is too late and you could be damaged financially as well as emotionally.

 

Tony, if they deny my fiancee, I'll try to think about how some genius in the american consulate saved me from a "scammer" as I move from america to live with her in China. Should I send the kind folks in GUZ a thank you letter?. After all one of them spent a whole 10 minutes getting to know my fiancee, threw away most of the evidence she turned in, and I spent 3 months in China, over 4 trips, with her everyday getting to know her.

 

Not bustin' your chops Tony, I just hope you don't get caught up with GUZ pointing a "scammer" finger at your girlfriend. It could happen to anyone.

 

tsap seui

Your point is well taken Tsap Seui. I think alot of the problems many of face with our new SOs is that we are a little paranoid of the thought of something going wrong.

You have to use some of your own God given smarts when you are courting your SO and she should do the same with you.

Some issues you should be aware of are:

 

1. Do you have anything in common?

2. What kind of backround does she have?

3. What kind of family life did she have when she was growning up?

4. What do/did her parents do for a living?

5. If she has siblings what are they like?

6. Is she educated?

7. How does she treat other people in your presence?

8. What are the common goals you wish to achieve together?

9. Is there a warm family feeling from her towards her immediate family and is it reciporcated?

10. What are her friends like?

11. What about our children (if this applies)?

 

There are a dozens more I could add but this is an idea of what to look for.

I agree, one must take a very 'realistic" approach to the whole deal, IMHO there is no room for "rose colored glasses", and dreamers are going to get burned.

[chilton747]

What I have heard is that GUZ is not so much interested in language barrier as the validity of the relationship. Are they scammers? Or are they for real?

If they are scammers I would hate to see this but if they are you will be so much better off if GUZ catches them in the interview then you find out here in the USA after it is too late and you could be damaged financially as well as emotionally.

 

Tony, if they deny my fiancee, I'll try to think about how some genius in the american consulate saved me from a "scammer" as I move from america to live with her in China. Should I send the kind folks in GUZ a thank you letter?. After all one of them spent a whole 10 minutes getting to know my fiancee, threw away most of the evidence she turned in, and I spent 3 months in China, over 4 trips, with her everyday getting to know her.

 

Not bustin' your chops Tony, I just hope you don't get caught up with GUZ pointing a "scammer" finger at your girlfriend. It could happen to anyone.

 

tsap seui

Your point is well taken Tsap Seui. I think alot of the problems many of face with our new SOs is that we are a little paranoid of the thought of something going wrong.

You have to use some of your own God given smarts when you are courting your SO and she should do the same with you.

Some issues you should be aware of are:

 

1. Do you have anything in common?

2. What kind of backround does she have?

3. What kind of family life did she have when she was growning up?

4. What do/did her parents do for a living?

5. If she has siblings what are they like?

6. Is she educated?

7. How does she treat other people in your presence?

8. What are the common goals you wish to achieve together?

9. Is there a warm family feeling from her towards her immediate family and is it reciporcated?

10. What are her friends like?

11. What about our children (if this applies)?

 

There are a dozens more I could add but this is an idea of what to look for.

 

Tony with all due respect, one can't judge the character of our SOs with these types of questions. Many of our SOs here grew up during the Cultural Revolution. Until we (the Americans) fully understand this time period and what our SOs had to endure then the typical questions that you posted seem more like for our American women counterparts.

[Robert S.]

Lots of kissing pictures of eachother? Email and chat logs? Financial support evidence? Large family reunion-type photos of you and your fiance, maybe even bring other members of your own family from the US for a visit? A very nice (noticable, not obvious) engangement ring? These kind of things should sufice.

Nobody ever mentions this, but I believe lots of romantic cards and letters, actual snail mail, people, shows evidence of time and feeling put into the relationship. Before my wife went for her interview I sent back to her all the collected snail mail that she had sent to me and she took that bundle with her along with what I had sent to her. This kind of thing makes it really look like love, along with the photos and phone logs, etc.

 

If I were a VO there would be a heck of a lot of denials issued by me, I guarantee you that. There have been many ladies over time who present themselves at the window and forget their fiance's name!!!! She should have memorized a lot of information about you, don't forget that.

[egolessvegan]

My wife received her visa and spoke very little English.

 

If your evidence of relationship is strong and all the paper work is done error free, the visa should be awarded.

 

Kang Ning Sun