Why do you think US citizens can't attend the interview?

[C4Racer]

I seriously doubt it has anything to do with space. Remember, they just finished moving the visa section less than four years ago. They could have easily made it larger with enough room to allow spouses to attend the interview. They prposely kept it smaller.

My guess is they are going under the age old adage of divide and conquer. They believe by separating the couple they can break the couples who aren't true. The only problems is many innocent couples get caught in the spider web as well.

[C4Racer]

I've been wondering why they don't open another consulate or two for K visa interviews? Anyone know? It would surely lighten the load at GUZ, and make everything go faster. And people who live far from Guangzhou wouldn't have to travel so far only to be treated like a criminal. Why does Canada (pop. 33.6 million) get two consulates, and China (pop. 1346 million) only get one?

 

China has one of the highest visa fraud rates with several marriage fraud rings busted in the last few years. This way they can train their VO's to be specialists at trying to deny the ones who are fraudulent. The only problem is that some innocent ones get denial as well.

 

The fraudulent ones tend to just go away, the bonafide ones are pissed and want to duke it out with GUZ. This is why when they are in doubt, they will issue white and see what happens.

[Kevin&Leilei]

 

China has one of the highest visa fraud rates with several marriage fraud rings busted in the last few years. This way they can train their VO's to be specialists at trying to deny the ones who are fraudulent. The only problem is that some innocent ones get denial as well.

 

The fraudulent ones tend to just go away, the bonafide ones are pissed and want to duke it out with GUZ. This is why when they are in doubt, they will issue white and see what happens.

 

Seems to me like they'd be able to do a far better job, and get fewer genuine relationships denied as well, if they devoted more consulates and manpower to the process.

 

But then, I guess that makes too much sense.

[LeeFisher3]

I'm wondering just how big is the interview room, is it a broom closet, that policy would use it as an excuse for not having someone with the beneficiary at the interview, and screaming petitioners, causing lock-downs another good reason good grief..

I'm sure you wouldn't have lost it when a white slip was issued based on your cool, calm and objective view of the process.

 

If you think the reasons given are wrong just go into any government office and get loud and upset with anyone in the room, much less a government employee. If your lucky you will only be shown the door.

[kodokanron]

I've been wondering why they don't open another consulate or two for K visa interviews? Anyone know? It would surely lighten the load at GUZ, and make everything go faster. And people who live far from Guangzhou wouldn't have to travel so far only to be treated like a criminal. Why does Canada (pop. 33.6 million) get two consulates, and China (pop. 1346 million) only get one?

 

 

Good point Kevin!

My wife lives in Shenyang and there is a Consulate General of United

States in Shenyang. It seems inane to me that she will have to travel

to Guangzhou for her interview, and as you stated only one consulate in China to conduct interviews.

[LeeFisher3]

I've been wondering why they don't open another consulate or two for K visa interviews? Anyone know? It would surely lighten the load at GUZ, and make everything go faster. And people who live far from Guangzhou wouldn't have to travel so far only to be treated like a criminal. Why does Canada (pop. 33.6 million) get two consulates, and China (pop. 1346 million) only get one?

 

 

Good point Kevin!

My wife lives in Shenyang and there is a Consulate General of United

States in Shenyang. It seems inane to me that she will have to travel

to Guangzhou for her interview, and as you stated only one consulate in China to conduct interviews.

I know it all too well, I took the train from Shenyang to Guangzhou with my wife and then again when we took our son for his visa interview.

 

The sad part is that this is dictated by DOS and Congress and the amount of funds generated by the visa process are not distributed based on where they are collected. Unfortunately the consulates with the heaviest case loads get only a percentage of the the fees collected. The same is true in Mexico, the Philippines and Russia.

[whome?]

I've been wondering why they don't open another consulate or two for K visa interviews? Anyone know? It would surely lighten the load at GUZ, and make everything go faster. And people who live far from Guangzhou wouldn't have to travel so far only to be treated like a criminal. Why does Canada (pop. 33.6 million) get two consulates, and China (pop. 1346 million) only get one?

 

Agreed. At a minimal having IV interviews in Beijing and Guangzhou would be good so people living in North China do not have to go all the way to South China and would double the number of Visa interviews available.

[Kevin&Leilei]

Lots of Shenyangers (Shenyangians?) in this thread. My fiancee also lives there.

 

I know it all too well, I took the train from Shenyang to Guangzhou with my wife and then again when we took our son for his visa interview.

 

Wow. How long does it take by train from Shenyang to Guangzhou? I think I'll just spend a little more and fly there when our time comes.

 

When I was still a newb to all this visa BS, I thought every consulate processed every type of visa. I didn't know my fiancee would even have to leave Shenyang for the interview.

Edited February 16, 2009 by Kevin&Leilei (see edit history)

[weiaijiayou]

Lots of Shenyangers (Shenyangians?) in this thread. My fiancee also lives there.

 

I know it all too well, I took the train from Shenyang to Guangzhou with my wife and then again when we took our son for his visa interview.

 

Wow. How long does it take by train from Shenyang to Guangzhou? I think I'll just spend a little more and fly there when our time comes.

 

When I was still a newb to all this visa BS, I thought every consulate processed every type of visa. I didn't know my fiancee would even have to leave Shenyang for the interview.

 

my fiancee and i just recently debated train vs. plane -- that is, until we found out there were cheap flights priced the same as train tickets. when the time comes, have your fiancee look up flights on chinese websites.

 

i'm as big a fan as anyone of taking trains in china, in spite of our last 6pm - 6am trip to dalian in hard seat (i.e., NOT hard bed -- i don't recommend it for those with skinny butts! haha) But for the trip to guangzhou, i think it's probably worth the saved time and stress to just fly down, even if it were slightly more expensive.

[MikeXiao]

The theory is:

 

If they keep the petitioner out, the VO can say anything and not get too much of an argument. Plus, the interview would go on forever if the petitioner were in there, contesting every point the VO brought out. The number of white and blue slips would probably drop too, and that wouldn't look good for them. I still think they work on the quota system. The VO's get more points for blue and white slips.

[LeeFisher3]

The theory is:

 

If they keep the petitioner out, the VO can say anything and not get too much of an argument. Plus, the interview would go on forever if the petitioner were in there, contesting every point the VO brought out. The number of white and blue slips would probably drop too, and that wouldn't look good for them. I still think they work on the quota system. The VO's get more points for blue and white slips.

I can see it now, 64 cases processed per day and all pink.

[LeeFisher3]

Lots of Shenyangers (Shenyangians?) in this thread. My fiancee also lives there.

 

I know it all too well, I took the train from Shenyang to Guangzhou with my wife and then again when we took our son for his visa interview.

 

Wow. How long does it take by train from Shenyang to Guangzhou? I think I'll just spend a little more and fly there when our time comes.

 

When I was still a newb to all this visa BS, I thought every consulate processed every type of visa. I didn't know my fiancee would even have to leave Shenyang for the interview.

 

my fiancee and i just recently debated train vs. plane -- that is, until we found out there were cheap flights priced the same as train tickets. when the time comes, have your fiancee look up flights on chinese websites.

 

i'm as big a fan as anyone of taking trains in china, in spite of our last 6pm - 6am trip to dalian in hard seat (i.e., NOT hard bed -- i don't recommend it for those with skinny butts! haha) But for the trip to guangzhou, i think it's probably worth the saved time and stress to just fly down, even if it were slightly more expensive.

It's about 4 hours from Shenyang to Beijing on the new bullet trains and I'd imagine Beijing to Guangzhou would be about 7 hours.

 

Taking the train is a pretty good option if you can make the connections properly in Beijing.

 

When we made the trip we booked the soft sleepers and had a really great time.

[david_dawei]

When we made the trip we booked the soft sleepers and had a really great time.

geez... we took the train from BJ to GUZ and I think it was close to 20-30 hours

 

But we did get sleepers... but we only used one of them

[Guest jin979]

Beijing, Guangzhou really no difference from Yunnan. so how about a consute thats in the west

 

kunming to Gz 26 hours

Edited February 17, 2009 by jin979 (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

I personally don't like the idea of more than one US Consulate in China doing interviews... talk about exponential unpredictability