Single Certificate

[tsap seui]

Guys and gals, please be gentle with me and treat this like it's my FIRST post as I'ma startin' from scratch here.

The FAQ's, mainly from posts in 2005, say I can get a Single Certificate from the consulate in Shenyang, so I can marry in China, and I'll need...

Divorce Decrees
Passport
*Note from my mother, or appropriate adult, if deceased

1) Anything else I need to take or understand?
2) Can I still get this single certificate at the consulate in Shenyang ... no changes?

The FAQ's say I'll need to get the single certificate translated into Mandarin.

3) Can I do this close to the consulate?


Of course the next step will be to get married in China...

4) In China, I'm a bit unclear: Do we need to get married in Shenyang (the capital city of her province), and then register the marriage in her nearby home of residence city? Or can we just get married in her nearby city and that's it?

I'd like to get the single certificate, get it translated and notorized, and then get married the SAME DAY...in Shenyang if that's the rule, and later register the marriage in her home city.

Thanks for any help and advice from anyone who has recently gone through this.

Next...study up on a much later DCF application

tsap seui

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

This is what I recieved from a CFL member Credzba. He was right on the money with it.

 

1) create your own Affidavit of single status (text on houston page) print it out. Sign it in front of a notary. Send it to the ohio secretary of state and have them certify the notary. Send it to china consulate with Authentication Application Form (G1), photocopy of your passport, original Affidavit (with all stamps) and a copy of the affidavit(and all stamps etc.) and fee.

 

2) Have your divorce decree notarized, ohio secretary of state certified, and send with g1, copy of passport, and copy of notorized/certified/dicorce decree to china consulate in new york.

 

3) Then you go to China and take the 2 certified etc. documents from above, your passport, your fiancee, and she will know what she needs, I think it is registration, and maybe houku not sure.

 

viola, your married.

 

Also here is links on the China Embassy here in New York and Houston.

 

http://www.nyconsulate.prchina.org/eng/

 

Read the houston page here:

http://houston.china-consulate.org/eng/vp/fhjh/t53298.htm

Edited May 28, 2008 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Thanks very much Tony, both for your reply and for your heartfelt PM last week.

 

I was trying to just go to the consulate and get'r done there as unless I misread it, it looked like I needed to marry in the capitol city of her province and register the marriage in her city....stupid as that sounds.

 

Chawles told me about obtaining it in america and it looks like that's what you did too. It's amazingly easy to get it at a consulate, but the less I have to deal with USCIS and DOS americans in China...the BETTER!!

 

You just got married over yonder, did you have to go to the capitol city of your wife's province? Or do I need to get a better set of readin' glasses for when I do this research?

 

How did you go about your marriage?

 

Thanks,

 

tsap seui

[Sebastian]

I got mine done in BeiJing, I did not NEED all of the divorce paperwork that I brought.

 

The Vice Consul SWORE ME (not at me, but you know) , then I got my letter. You can review one of my topics here, look for 'married in wuhan' .

 

Good Luck.

[Guest Rob & Jin]

From my understanding TS if you have your docs, her docs you can marry anywhere, even in HK.

 

Good luck to you buddy

 

We look forward to visiting you

[tsap seui]

From my understanding TS if you have your docs, her docs you can marry anywhere, even in HK.

 

Good luck to you buddy

 

We look forward to visiting you

 

When the lil' Chinatucky Belle woke up I axed her about gettin' married in her city or if we had to go to Shenyang and she laughed at me...yep, color me stupid.

 

So it looks like the half ton of fireworks will go off for a couple of hours on the sidewalk in her city and not Shending...er..ah...yang.

 

Rob, you and Jin will be welcome anytime, jest let us know, we'll put some extra prawns, locusts, and fish heads on the ol' barbie, mate.

 

I hope your homecoming with Jin is going well. That must be one great feeling!!! I'm really happy for you guys.

 

tsap seui

[Tom and Ling]

Hi tsap seui,

 

Ling and I just got married in March 2008 in Lings City of residence. The Chinese government use to require that the Chinese citizen marry or register their marriage in the capitol city of the province where they live which would have been Nanning rather than Yulin City.

But in Nov. 2007 the Chinese government allowed registration in the City of residence.

So I did two things, since I had to go to Washington DC and the Chinese embassy anyways...I wrote out my own Single status affidavit and had it notarized in North Carolina ,had it certified by the the State of North Carolina and finally by the Department of State. If you have the Chinese embassy certify this affidavit you have to have all three done, check out the information about marriage in China on the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC.

So, I had the affidaivt from the Chinese Embassy, but it wasn't translated in to Chinese, but I did not have it translated.

I had also contacted the US Embassy in Guangzhou citizen services and they said they would do an affidavit too....So when I arrived in China I had an affidavit done at the US Embassy. And the reason I used this affidavit was that they said that allot of times the Chinese will accept the affidavit without translation.

So what I need to provide was a filled out affidavit, birth certificate, my divorce decree (an here is where the US Embassy will accept a notary from county where you live), and my passport. My future wife just had to provide her national ID number plus other information on her part of the affidavit and since they would not let her into the American service area, I just had to provide her ID number along with information about her. Got the affidavit with the Consulate blessing, I decided to use this affidavit because I think they would keep all the information on record about the affidavit.

 

Marriage in china is very simple, you just go and register your marriage and you are married.

For registration of the marriage, I just need the affidavit, passport, divorce decree (although I forget whether they took this), and Ling need her National ID, certificate of her husbands death.

An we had to get a marriage picture taken (we got 10 copies) they need one for each marriage book (little red book) and in about 20 minutes you are married.

 

Tom and Ling

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Thanks very much Tony, both for your reply and for your heartfelt PM last week.

 

I was trying to just go to the consulate and get'r done there as unless I misread it, it looked like I needed to marry in the capitol city of her province and register the marriage in her city....stupid as that sounds.

 

Chawles told me about obtaining it in america and it looks like that's what you did too. It's amazingly easy to get it at a consulate, but the less I have to deal with USCIS and DOS americans in China...the BETTER!!

 

You just got married over yonder, did you have to go to the capitol city of your wife's province? Or do I need to get a better set of readin' glasses for when I do this research?

 

How did you go about your marriage?

 

Thanks,

 

tsap seui

We had to go to Guangzhou to get the blessing from the US State Dept. We where fighting the time factor here in the States. No big deal just take the necessary forms to the consulate and take an oath and boom you have it certified by Uncle Sam plus $30 fee. Then we where married in Nanning which is the capital of Guangxi Province. We had a blast on or return trip from GZ to Nanning on the train. I had my dinner stolen by some guy. He took it right out of my wife's hand and played the Road Runner. Gone! Not even a Beep Beep from him. It was probably the language barrier gig!. Never mind we had old reliable Peanut butter. My SO thinks of everything. I taught my SO how to play the card game UNO and we in turn showed our fellow travelers how to play. I thought I was giving out $20 bill there. We had one hell of an audience. Everyone wanted to learn how to play UNO. We had all had good time hard seat and all.

Good luck to you and your new wife my American Compatriot.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[NewDay2006]

TS, I wish you the best of good fortune. I know how difficult this has been for you. I wish you the very best. You and your "little rabbit" have endured a lot, and you deserve to be together. Good Luck.

[tsap seui]

Hi tsap seui,

 

Ling and I just got married in March 2008 in Lings City of residence. The Chinese government use to require that the Chinese citizen marry or register their marriage in the capitol city of the province where they live which would have been Nanning rather than Yulin City.

But in Nov. 2007 the Chinese government allowed registration in the City of residence.

So I did two things, since I had to go to Washington DC and the Chinese embassy anyways...I wrote out my own Single status affidavit and had it notarized in North Carolina ,had it certified by the the State of North Carolina and finally by the Department of State. If you have the Chinese embassy certify this affidavit you have to have all three done, check out the information about marriage in China on the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC.

So, I had the affidaivt from the Chinese Embassy, but it wasn't translated in to Chinese, but I did not have it translated.

I had also contacted the US Embassy in Guangzhou citizen services and they said they would do an affidavit too....So when I arrived in China I had an affidavit done at the US Embassy. And the reason I used this affidavit was that they said that allot of times the Chinese will accept the affidavit without translation.

So what I need to provide was a filled out affidavit, birth certificate, my divorce decree (an here is where the US Embassy will accept a notary from county where you live), and my passport. My future wife just had to provide her national ID number plus other information on her part of the affidavit and since they would not let her into the American service area, I just had to provide her ID number along with information about her. Got the affidavit with the Consulate blessing, I decided to use this affidavit because I think they would keep all the information on record about the affidavit.

 

Marriage in china is very simple, you just go and register your marriage and you are married.

For registration of the marriage, I just need the affidavit, passport, divorce decree (although I forget whether they took this), and Ling need her National ID, certificate of her husbands death.

An we had to get a marriage picture taken (we got 10 copies) they need one for each marriage book (little red book) and in about 20 minutes you are married.

 

Tom and Ling

 

 

Tom, thanks much for your detailed responce. Ya know, most all of the info I researched was taken from 2005 posts in the FAQ's. Reading your words of the change in 2007 allows me to erase some of the stupid off my face....however short lived that may proven to be. That's why I asked if there had been any changes about the capitol city thingy. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

By the way, I was born in Charlotte, lived in Guilford College for the first 12 years, then Cary for 2 more years before getting drug, kickin' and screamin', up to Maryland. I understand Tarhill tawk. My brother went back after dental school in Maryland and has a practice in Greensboro..

 

tsap seui

[tsap seui]

New Day, ol' buddy...you are one of the ones ol' Chawls and I laugh about as the "lucky ones" who gets to REALLY understand his woman in GREAT DETAIL before she arrives in america. I truly hope your ordeal finally comes to a successful...beginning.

 

Tony, looks like I need to re-learn UNO. Thanks for ALL the advice.

 

And thanks Darnell, you've gotten to understand this visa game about as well as anyone.

 

Best of luck to you guys in those upcoming interviews. Your wimmin should do just fine when their number gets called on that 5th floor.

 

I was laughing with cuzin' Charles the other day and I told him, my K-1 application was fully loaded, but this new application is gonna be about a foot tall and get delivered in an orange crate to the consulate. Not knowing why we failed, and all the rebuttals to what we can only guess at what was wrong is shore gonna give them ol' USCIS boys plenty of readin' about what a REAL bona fide relationship is, along with that I-130. We'll see what Marc Ellis suggests.

 

tsap seui

[Sebastian]

Hey there Tsap -

 

Here's the fun bit that I paid attention to, very closely -

 

1. You have some time, so suggest your lass get to her local 'Translation and Notary Office', that bit that handles Chinese to English Translations and Notary - She'll need to get there to have her police records, birth certificate, divorce decree (if any of hers) and yer wedding books (I recommend both, some folk get by with just one) translated from Chinese into English, and that translations set notarized. BUT - if she goes in early, makes some friends with the workers there, she'll find that the turn-around time is LESS than if she just walked in off the street. She can get all of her stuff done there prior to you showing up - it may be she's done it all already for the I-129F - but you'll need to get yet another police certificate for her, suggest she gets it a week before you get married (though it ain't required to GET married in China).

 

2. There's a marriage office in most towns - lets assume you gonna get married in the same town where she has her hukou book - so have her go there before you show up, and ASK where an 'official' English to Chinese Translation Office is, which office is 'certified' to handle those translations for the marriage office. When the two of you show up together, get there in the morning before 9:30, file as much as you can, then get to the translation office quickly before lunch. Then get yer english to chinese translation of yer 'affadavit of single paperwork (and certified, same office) after lunch, then get to the marriage office around 2:30 to 3:00 PM, and 'do the deed' .

 

3. Once you have your marriage books, and before you drop em off to be translated, go to the local PSB with your new wife and get a temporary residency permit. I can't recall if this one needs to be translated, as in some cities it IS a bilingual form (English and Chinese together). You'll need this to file yer DCF-ed I-130.

 

4. Filing the I-130 at a Consulate via DCF. I've read a lot here, asked some questions of others as well, and it seems that 'local living time' requirement varies by Consulate. Several ppl recently have simply gotten the temp residence permit (which trumps a Z visa, btw) and without waiting 6 months - have filed for the I-130 without waiting the 6 months 'residency' time. If I was in yer shoes, I'd push to file asap, without waiting for that 6 month residency time.

 

RE: Abandoning yer I-129F. There's some DOS process that I know nothing about, maybe it's as simple as sending off a letter to some office, or is as complicated as filling out a form and paying a fee. Regardless of what's going on there, when you write up a cover letter for the I-130, be sure to include a statement ,"I am abandoing the petition previously filed under (________________A number) with GUZ Case Number (GUZ______________).

 

OK MON - there ya go. Best Wishes to You !!! Keep us updated with construction techniques as yer flipping houses, ya ?

 

Warmest Regards...

Edited May 29, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)

[shyaushu]

from your time line

Unbeknownest to the uncaring and very disregarding DOS Goobers in Guangzhou work force, our bona fide relationship has only gotten stronger during the debacle they drug us through for 10 months.

 

Trap - there are hundreds of CFL'ers out there hoping and praying that you and the l'il rabbit get treated like human beings one of these days. You both have done everything possible to satisfy the powers that be, yet, for some reason, it has fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes. After all this time and so many LONG trips to China how can they say "not a bona fide relationship?

 

Some of us get more chances than others (like me!) and who the heck can tell why? My wife and I will never really be happy in the US (we are headed back in mid-August) until you and your wife are there, too.

[tsap seui]

DAMYUMMM Darnell, that was some great info. I've just started readin' up on DCF and your post is loaded with some great ideas. SO GOOD, I printed it off. Thank you very much!!!!

 

As far as dropping the K-1, and not being in a hurry with it's potential for a devastating result, I'll tell ya, I'm waiting for a responce from Marc Ellis on how to proceed.

 

The only thing I am in a hurry to do right now is to get that time of marriage clock ticking. And I really like your idea of getting that temporary resident card the day of the wedding. Good thinking buddy, and I need good thinking for every shred of evidence like that that I can get.

 

One thing I'm not sure of is if I can file the 1-130, etc., in Shenyang. My reading is in the FAQ's and most of the posts of DCF'ers is from 2005, hence my confusion with marrying in capitol city of province, as well as I see on the current consulate website I need to file in Beijing instead of what the 2005 guys could do then with filing in Shenyang.

 

Do you see that that is definately the case?

 

It seems like back then they could file in Shenyang, yet the website says Liaoning Province filers must file in Beijing. Yep, I need a PM to Erika about this as she's up north and I'm pretty sure she filed in Beijing, when Shenyang would have been easier.

 

Anyhow, I'm heading over and marrying in June, buying a place for us to live, talking to some schools, and heading back in a month...too damn many ends to clear up here for 2 or 3 months. Then back to Chinatucky with my precious wifey and son.

 

The pressure is FINALLY off and now that the debacle has ended, I'm letting the smoke clear and taking Marc Ellis's advice on the what and whens.

 

The only silver lining in 10 months of eternally waiting is that we have a documented 10 more months of knowing each other for a new filing and man, you REALLY get to know yer lil' lass when the shit has hit the fan and the "pressure cooker" of extreme stress is going full blast. This definately wasn't no romantic meeting, 1 year of waiting for a visa and she's at home with you. We KNOW how each other will act when the pressure is on....no gettin' her here and gettin' a rude awakening with each other. Oh Gawd, we KNOW!!!!! And we're soon to learn a ton more.

 

Personally, I want the 2 year marriage before she gets here and the 10 year card...so I can show 2 years of marriage...er...ah...bona fide relationship and then deal with the USCIS and the DOS as TEENY ETTY BITTY LITTLE SMALL MIRCOSCOPIC AS POSSIBLE!!!!

 

It looks like YOU could probably hop over and get a visa in 5 or 6 months with your thinking and a little luck.

 

Good luck to all of yaw,

 

tsap seui

Edited May 29, 2008 by tsap seui (see edit history)

[Sebastian]

RE: where to get married and where to file.

 

They are two seperate places. Get married in the city where she has her hukou book.

 

FILE at some us consulate. HECK - EVERYTHING gets sent to Guangzhou anyway - at this point, rightly or wrongly, I'd suggest you do the FILING directly at GUZ. But if ya dont wanna do that, just remember wherever you file, they gonna look at that residency permit. I'll edit this in a mo with the name of another DCF'er.

 

OK - look up 'Sadie' here on CFL.

 

Review her topics, read what she's done.

 

IF you can't find her or her posts, let me know, I'll post the instructions.

 

Be Well, and well rested !!

Edited May 29, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)