A Former Consular Officer Speaks Out

[heyjimi]

Why make it a "pink guys" vs "blue and white guys" thing? Of course those of us who got pink can't feel what the blue and white folks feel, but we can still empathize and offer our opinions based on accumulated knowledge we've gained here. We read the same stories and debriefs that everyone else reads. We know potential red flags when we see 'em, whether we had them or not.

 

As for it all being a matter of luck? I'll grant there's luck involved when it comes to whether or not someone gets one of the "bad" VOs or gets one who happens to be in a bad mood that day. But it's not all just luck. When someone says that they thought passing USICS was getting the visa or that making it to GUZ made the visa a foregone conclusion it's clear that preparation CAN have something to do with getting a visa or not.

 

It's a damn shame that people in that position didn't find Candle sooner. But they didn't and now they're dealing with what to do next. And I think the more information offered here, the better to help not only them, but others who come along who may be in a position to avoid some of the issues that may have caused others' problems. Whether it's from someone who got pink, blue or white seems immaterial IMHO.

 

 

Dave, it wasn't my point to make it us against them, that was the reason I had edited my post to include the word...."some" pink slippers..... It is about a family here, yet we do have some that are sorta smug about their success, and he posted in this very thread.

 

The thing really is, it's the Chinese workers behind the scenes that come up with the redflags which the VO's quickly go over and make their minds up. Those VO's beat up the women that the Chinese workers said had red flags for whatever. A Chinese woman would have to REALLY blow her interview to have her denial not planned out ahead of time.

 

Those clowns called VO's have no time to properly look over a case, they just get fed speculation and conjecture from someone we'll never see and the VO plays into the dastardly lil' game and arrogantly forks over blues and whites.

 

Our VO was a total bitch to my woman and her 11 year old son from the time they both walked up to her window and with smiles said, "Hello...Good morning"..now, just HOW could those words have pissed off anyone enough to act like a total ass?

 

Any single man on here could have just as easily have gotten blue or white...BAR NONE.

 

I say GUZ is luck..fueled by speculation, arrogance, and conjecture. Many pink slippers on here just were lucky that the Chinese workers didn't pop a red flag on their case, where as the Chinese worker beside of them did to someone else.

 

I'm certainly not jealous off anyone who got pink, and most of my posts have been congratulating them. Hell, I'm getting to go live a few months in China...on Uncle Scam's dollar, then like most everyone else, we'll get our visas in early 2011. We'll come back to america, as a couple who have been married two years and known each other almost 5 years, and get to see it with the same eyes, as I'm sure she's gonna have some changes...mother america, that is.

 

Peace all you bubbas, I'm laughing all the way to Chinertucky to start excitin' adventures.

 

tsap seui

 

I agree with you Tsap,

i been on this forum,before i went to see my now wife.We prepared very well,and i still feel,everyone on here,helped me,and led me on the right direction....without everyone on here i would have been lost.

i Feel luck plays a lot into this game.And if you end up with a bitch for a "vo" like we had....dude....you are done.My wife did not have a prayer to stand on.This black woman"M" .was plain nasty to my wife.I don't care if a person is a citizen or not...you treat everyone like a human being.period.!!!!!...no ifs ands or buts !!!!!!

My wife and I prepared very well,,,,unfortunetly,none of the 11 lbs of evidence my wife carried onto a airplane to bring to Guz was examined......and ok,if there was a red flag.......

let the women present their case.....i mean my wifes "vo" harped on my wife about a photo of my step daughter who god bless her,is 21,but looks like a 15 year old......hell no secret,we know chinese woman easily look 10 years younger....anyway....would the "vo"take a birth certificate to prove the daughters age....NO!!!!!! I mean come on folks lets get real here.You can prepare all you want,and still get a 'f/n" red,white and blue boot up your ass. I grew up in the 70s with long hair,i know what its like to be judged wrongly" he has long hair he has to be a "druggie".......

in the end...i think all who got pink,could have easily gotten a white or blue....i of course do not wish this on even my worst enemies.Sure us people with "white" have learned we will have to wait....and we've learned in the end the visa is only a piece of paper...we have found our love for each other is greater.....but i tell you all.....the feeling of getting the white...having your dreams crushed.....denied by a country,you thought was the greatest nation in the world,a country welcoming in all people,the so called "melting pot"only to find "to catch one bad guy,its willing to hang 10 out to dry" the ill treatment towards my wife,,that is suppose to be an interview,but was more like a trial,where she wasnt even given the desency to defend herself......the insinuation that my wife is guilty of visa fraud.Where in my wifes own country prides herself of being a well behaved, law abiding citizen.The lack of concern of my government representatives,to get to the bottom of this crap,going in in Guz..... the secrecy,lack of rights,not knowing what you or your wife is guily of,the feelings of loneliness,deppression,over this longer seperation, caused by one asshole that determined we were a non bonafide relationship.This from a country that prides itself of the greatest legal system in the world......where one is innocent until proven guilty....

i mean i can't even find the words for the feeling over all this.....

i really can't.....i was raised men don't cry,and jesus i can't even remember...the last time i cried......but sometimes i cry like a f**kin baby.....the feeling of being powerless......i mean it is incredible,,,but i tell you....the worse in my book...is how they treated my wife....its unexcuseable.....if i sinned,they can come over here and cut off one of my fingers but jesus......treat my wife like a human being.....innocent until proven guilty.

so yes,you can be well prepared and get a white,and yes,some have come on here on this board, all snug saying how well they prepared ,and got the pink and my wife and i (and others who got the white)must have done something wrong to recieve the white....ah yes.......don't get me wrong ....they meant well....but one must really consider the forces at work here,sometimes all your preperations go out the window, and you are left facing the devil in the dark.

 

jimi

[georgeandli]

Just a couple of thoughts. Is this "former" consular officer writing a book? How much of a stink did he raise about the issue when he was getting paid with our tax dollars? Most important[at least to me] what percent of the visa applications are indeed fraud? IMHO until the government gets serious about the illegals already here, trying to focus on potential future subjective acts by people following the rules means nothing. The red flags like age difference, money even common language wouldn't mean anything if people were already here. For that matter if we go to China and marry there, the same should apply. Either no visas at all or accept the fact that human nature says a certain percent of people will scam the system for monetary gain and focus on them. Here's a thought, how about bringing back home visits after arrival? Too expensive, we'll just slow down or deny petitions in the first place that will weed out frauds. This isn't about pink versus blues or whites. It's about info. Read and take what you will from it. Some of the nicest people I know are pink

[heyjimi]

Just a couple of thoughts. Is this "former" consular officer writing a book? How much of a stink did he raise about the issue when he was getting paid with our tax dollars? Most important[at least to me] what percent of the visa applications are indeed fraud? IMHO until the government gets serious about the illegals already here, trying to focus on potential future subjective acts by people following the rules means nothing. The red flags like age difference, money even common language wouldn't mean anything if people were already here. For that matter if we go to China and marry there, the same should apply. Either no visas at all or accept the fact that human nature says a certain percent of people will scam the system for monetary gain and focus on them. Here's a thought, how about bringing back home visits after arrival? Too expensive, we'll just slow down or deny petitions in the first place that will weed out frauds. This isn't about pink versus blues or whites. It's about info. Read and take what you will from it. Some of the nicest people I know are pink

 

Good question, what percent of the visa applications are fraud"? it seems the technique they are using these days is "lets let 10 hang out to dry(blue slips,white slips) and see how many go away(those only in it for the green card). imagine this line of thinking,to catch murderers,"we will pull people off the street that look like murderers,throw them in prison.(forget a trial) and see if they crack and confess a crime.

and Godddddddddd don't get me started. I mean all this misery given to people who are trying to do it all legally,do it by the book,and yet,this government,does nothing.....ok....lets put it this way,does very little to stop the people illegally crossing the border each and every night(although the economy as bad as it is,the numbers are decreaseing).... but,i get so fuming mad.they worry about one that maybe scamming the system,while a hundred walk pass them,right under their noses.And nothing is done about that.Doesn't this seem strange ? inconsistant?

Look,i am all for catching the bad guys....my thought is....you want to come here to America....come here legally.....

but I also wish immigrations would make damn sure they are catching bad guys ,and not just swatting at flies blindfolded.

 

Jimi

[georgeandli]

I hear ya, jimi. I knew somebody would get my point. If you try you can find scammers everywhere. Okay, I'll admit I'm biased because of the time wasted for the wife and I but show me the numbers of success in the way the system is now. Is the divorce rate higher then the general population? I would guess lower.

[Eric739]

Forgive the length but it's part therapy for me and I am not pleased with this article. It perpetuates too many myths.

 

Marriage to an American citizen remains the most common path to U.S. residency and/or citizenship for foreign nationals, with more than 2.3 million foreign nationals gaining lawful permanent resident (LPR) status in this manner between 1998 and 2007.

How many of them are K1/2's? The author conveniently does not say.

 

More than 25 percent of all green cards issued in 2007 were to the spouses of American citizens.

(Male or female? What was the length of their stay in the US before the issuance? Were they legal/illegal before this issuance? And so what?)

 

In 2006 and 2007 there were nearly twice as many green cards issued to the spouses of American citizens than were issued for all employment-based immigration categories combined. The number of foreign nationals obtaining green cards based on marriage to an American has more than doubled since 1985, and has quintupled since 1970.

Again, so what? Is he implying that just because more Green cards are issued to spouses of Americans, that there is more fraud than in any other means of getting a visa? Nor does he go into how easy it is to get a normal visa into the US? Just look at the number of immigrants coming over sponsored by religious institutions such as the Catholic church. There are fewer restrictions on these visas than on a K1/2.

 

Despite these statistics, marriage fraud for the purpose of immigration gets very little notice or debate in the public arena and the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have nowhere near the resources needed to combat the problem. Attention to fraud is not just for the integrity of the legal immigration system, but also for security reasons. If small-time con artists and Third-World gold-diggers can obtain green cards with so little resistance, then surely terrorists can do (and have done) the same.

Again, he has not established the basic premise that marriages with foreign nationals intrinsically causes fraud in the establishment of a Green card. And the possibility of a terrorist getting ANY visa is as great, even greater using another visa such as the H1 or L1. Just walk through any major corporation's back office and you will see how easy those visas are to get. And with little or no screening.

 

An overwhelming percentage of all petitions to bring foreign spouses or fianc¨¦s to the United States illegally (or to help them adjust visa status if they are already in the United States on non-immigrant visas) are approved ¡ª even in cases where the couple may only have met over the Internet, and may not even share a common language

.

 

How does he know how many visas are fraudulent if they are not caught? Is there some hidden number of follow up statistics that he is not willing to publish? Of course, not. They don't exist. And what numbers does he have of couples that never met other than the Internet? He can't be talking about an K1/2 because they must have met to even got through the process. A first time meeting over the Internet does not intrinsically imply a fraudulent relationship. The author needs to apply his faulty logic to relationships that are advertised as successful in the US, such as eHarmony or Match.com. He has been out of the US too long. And only 5 years? That is not a qualification for being any kind of expert on immigration.

Again, so what about language? Has the author looked into how many marriages occurred in the mid to late 1800's (never mind our earlier migrations) where families married between countries coming here and had no common language other than they wanted out of a dismal life? These people and the migrations before them made America the great country it is now.

 

Marriage to an American is the clearest pathway to citizenship for an illegal alien. A substantial number of illegal aliens ordered removed (many of whom have criminal records) later resurface as marriage-based green card applicants. Waivers granted to those marrying U.S. citizens can eliminate ineligibilities for green cards, including the 3/10-year bar on entry for those with long periods of illegal presence.

 

An issue for law enforcement since the premise starts with "ordered removed." It has nothing to do with identifying illegal and fraudulent applications from the start.

 

The decision-making authority for green card applications lies with USCIS officials who rely almost exclusively on documents, records, and photographs, with little opportunity for interviews or investigations. Consular officers reviewing cases overseas do live interviews and can initiate local investigations, but may only approve petitions, not deny them.

You are kidding, right? A VO kills a petition just by saying the words: "You do not have a bona fide relationship." USCIS then sits on the petition and it dies a lonesome death.

 

 

I don't think this guy is as experienced as he claims. Five years is not long enough to claim the "expert" category. I agree with a lot of points he makes, especially having the couple together for the interview, but I think he has the prejudice that most VO's have that comes from their own distorted view of what a successful marriage is or the pre-conditions necessary for abuse.

 

The facts are that very few K1/2 visas lead to abuse when compared to abuse in the rest of America.

 

Citing an array of cooked statistics the authors and proponents of the International Marriage Broker Act of 2005 attempted to portray an abuse rate of ¡°over 50%¡±. Further examination of the facts revealed it was a telephone survey of 175 agencies dedicated towards providing Spousal Abuse services where over 50% have offered (a key term) services to foreign women who entered the United States through a K-1 or K-3 visa.

 

Given the rate of over 4000 marriages per year since the early 90s, that translates into a rate of 0.22% or 154 times less likely then the average American woman to be abused. Given the number of persons perpetrating immigration fraud each year claiming abuse, that number should have been higher. What is not revealed in their report is that during that same period of time over 4000 persons have engaged in defrauding the American government and unsuspecting US citizens.

 

Proponents of the new laws readily claim the ¡°abuse victims¡± come from poor, economically depressed economies. What they don¡¯t wish to acknowledge is that desperate people often take drastic measures and immigration fraud is one of them. The more desperate the conditions in the country, the more you will have such visa requests.

 

 

But looking further into our own observations of our own relationships, what are some of the questions that would help a VO not knowing what to ask?

 

I would suggest asking what the beneficiary's life is like now and what events led to the interest in leaving the country. And then, listen as if it were the Art that listening Is.

 

I am finding in this guys' article, no interest in knowing the cultural differences and conditions in the country that led to that interest to leave. I think those motivations are key to understanding why someone would want to be a beneficiary, much less a petitioner. But it's a job to him. It's only a passion after he gets out and tries to sell himself as an expert.

 

The social and economic conditions in Guangzhou today compared to what they are elsewhere in China are remarkable to understand what the VO sees in his/her everyday life.

 

I know your fianc¨¦es come from many parts of China but let's see if we ring a familiar chord.

 

GZ is just a step up from Hong Kong and in some ways is quite similar. I am sure most if not all VO's in GZ, take a trip to HK regularly. HK is not China. It is one, if not THE, most prosperous cities in China. When my fianc¨¦ went to GZ for her interview, she was struck by the prosperity there. She was also stuck by the manner in which she was treated in general, not that she is a celebrity where she comes from. And the prevalent language is different in GZ. (Former name: Canton.)

 

Some people may not know, that when the Tiananmen Square massacre occurred in 1989, the reason why the Chinese government delayed removing the students by violence was not just because they tried to avoid violence (the Politburo had already been debating its use), but because they spoke Mandarin, the same language as the troops then occupying the square. For days, there was little violence between the troops and the students because they spoke the same language and the students entreated the troops not to fire on their own people. The students put flowers in the barrels of the soldiers rifles. Some soldiers were pictured with arms around the students in the square.

 

The Tank Man of Tiananmen Square would have been killed straightaway had he been speaking to a Cantonese squad of tanks. That tank shown in the pictures was commanded by a Mandarin speaking driver. (The leader of the tank group was related to Deng Zhao Ping.)

 

So the Chinese government brought in troops from the south, near Shanghai and the more Southern areas, where Cantonese was spoken. Those troops did not understand the students and were told that they were rabble and needed to be removed. As a result, over 3,000 students (and some local non-students) were murdered on June 4.

 

(See China Wakes by Nickolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn or Red China Blues by Ann Fong.)

 

 

Most of the people today applying for a visa have lived either under the Cultural Revolution in China and their parents lived under the Great Leap Forward, otherwise known as the Great Famine. Even though things in China are much better, there are still strong memories of those events. (Interesting that teenagers in China when asked what happened on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen Square said they do not know. My fianc¨¦ had no idea either. That¡®s how good the Chinese government is at censorship.)

 

In childhood, poverty is especially remembered. My fianc¨¦ remembers many days when there was nothing to eat. They had few clothes, maybe one change of clothes at all to wear. She lost her father in the Revolution, and her mother reared three daughters (after losing two older siblings to famine), one of whom was a Red Guard. That had to have been challenging, to say the least.

 

By most accounts and despite China¡¯s prosperity today, 80-85% of China lives in poverty. Minimum, that¡¯s over a billion people. And the Chinese government even lies about that, witness:

 

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/10/c...w-poverty-rate/

 

And why is it women that want to come to America? Obviously some men do too, but let¡¯s face it, women predominate.

 

It¡¯s easy to understand when you consider women are still being sold like cattle or pigs in China today, some under the most incredible circumstances.

 

http://www.stopvaw.org/U_S_Second_Circuit_...cial_Group.html

 

http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2007/...n_sold_as_g.php

 

Those are the conditions, and there are more. My fianc¨¦s ex-husband was a drunk, a gambler, and had several concubines and girl friends. When her mother was in her death bed, she told my fianc¨¦ to find an American man who was polite and treated her with respect.

 

I do so happily, every day.

 

So here are the questions and answers, Mister ex-VO-expert-on-immigration-issues. And by the way, love, a human right and the basis for the issuance of this visa, something you do not understand, has a lot to do with it.

 

Now give me my pink slip, and I will go about the business of making her happy.

[defendo]

Forgive the length but it's part therapy for me and I am not pleased with this article. It perpetuates too many myths.

 

Marriage to an American citizen remains the most common path to U.S. residency and/or citizenship for foreign nationals, with more than 2.3 million foreign nationals gaining lawful permanent resident (LPR) status in this manner between 1998 and 2007.

How many of them are K1/2's? The author conveniently does not say.

 

More than 25 percent of all green cards issued in 2007 were to the spouses of American citizens.

(Male or female? What was the length of their stay in the US before the issuance? Were they legal/illegal before this issuance? And so what?)

 

In 2006 and 2007 there were nearly twice as many green cards issued to the spouses of American citizens than were issued for all employment-based immigration categories combined. The number of foreign nationals obtaining green cards based on marriage to an American has more than doubled since 1985, and has quintupled since 1970.

Again, so what? Is he implying that just because more Green cards are issued to spouses of Americans, that there is more fraud than in any other means of getting a visa? Nor does he go into how easy it is to get a normal visa into the US? Just look at the number of immigrants coming over sponsored by religious institutions such as the Catholic church. There are fewer restrictions on these visas than on a K1/2.

 

Despite these statistics, marriage fraud for the purpose of immigration gets very little notice or debate in the public arena and the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have nowhere near the resources needed to combat the problem. Attention to fraud is not just for the integrity of the legal immigration system, but also for security reasons. If small-time con artists and Third-World gold-diggers can obtain green cards with so little resistance, then surely terrorists can do (and have done) the same.

Again, he has not established the basic premise that marriages with foreign nationals intrinsically causes fraud in the establishment of a Green card. And the possibility of a terrorist getting ANY visa is as great, even greater using another visa such as the H1 or L1. Just walk through any major corporation's back office and you will see how easy those visas are to get. And with little or no screening.

 

An overwhelming percentage of all petitions to bring foreign spouses or fianc¨¦s to the United States illegally (or to help them adjust visa status if they are already in the United States on non-immigrant visas) are approved ¡ª even in cases where the couple may only have met over the Internet, and may not even share a common language

.

 

How does he know how many visas are fraudulent if they are not caught? Is there some hidden number of follow up statistics that he is not willing to publish? Of course, not. They don't exist. And what numbers does he have of couples that never met other than the Internet? He can't be talking about an K1/2 because they must have met to even got through the process. A first time meeting over the Internet does not intrinsically imply a fraudulent relationship. The author needs to apply his faulty logic to relationships that are advertised as successful in the US, such as eHarmony or Match.com. He has been out of the US too long. And only 5 years? That is not a qualification for being any kind of expert on immigration.

Again, so what about language? Has the author looked into how many marriages occurred in the mid to late 1800's (never mind our earlier migrations) where families married between countries coming here and had no common language other than they wanted out of a dismal life? These people and the migrations before them made America the great country it is now.

 

Marriage to an American is the clearest pathway to citizenship for an illegal alien. A substantial number of illegal aliens ordered removed (many of whom have criminal records) later resurface as marriage-based green card applicants. Waivers granted to those marrying U.S. citizens can eliminate ineligibilities for green cards, including the 3/10-year bar on entry for those with long periods of illegal presence.

 

An issue for law enforcement since the premise starts with "ordered removed." It has nothing to do with identifying illegal and fraudulent applications from the start.

 

The decision-making authority for green card applications lies with USCIS officials who rely almost exclusively on documents, records, and photographs, with little opportunity for interviews or investigations. Consular officers reviewing cases overseas do live interviews and can initiate local investigations, but may only approve petitions, not deny them.

You are kidding, right? A VO kills a petition just by saying the words: "You do not have a bona fide relationship." USCIS then sits on the petition and it dies a lonesome death.

 

 

I don't think this guy is as experienced as he claims. Five years is not long enough to claim the "expert" category. I agree with a lot of points he makes, especially having the couple together for the interview, but I think he has the prejudice that most VO's have that comes from their own distorted view of what a successful marriage is or the pre-conditions necessary for abuse.

 

The facts are that very few K1/2 visas lead to abuse when compared to abuse in the rest of America.

 

Citing an array of cooked statistics the authors and proponents of the International Marriage Broker Act of 2005 attempted to portray an abuse rate of ¡°over 50%¡±. Further examination of the facts revealed it was a telephone survey of 175 agencies dedicated towards providing Spousal Abuse services where over 50% have offered (a key term) services to foreign women who entered the United States through a K-1 or K-3 visa.

 

Given the rate of over 4000 marriages per year since the early 90s, that translates into a rate of 0.22% or 154 times less likely then the average American woman to be abused. Given the number of persons perpetrating immigration fraud each year claiming abuse, that number should have been higher. What is not revealed in their report is that during that same period of time over 4000 persons have engaged in defrauding the American government and unsuspecting US citizens.

 

Proponents of the new laws readily claim the ¡°abuse victims¡± come from poor, economically depressed economies. What they don¡¯t wish to acknowledge is that desperate people often take drastic measures and immigration fraud is one of them. The more desperate the conditions in the country, the more you will have such visa requests.

 

 

But looking further into our own observations of our own relationships, what are some of the questions that would help a VO not knowing what to ask?

 

I would suggest asking what the beneficiary's life is like now and what events led to the interest in leaving the country. And then, listen as if it were the Art that listening Is.

 

I am finding in this guys' article, no interest in knowing the cultural differences and conditions in the country that led to that interest to leave. I think those motivations are key to understanding why someone would want to be a beneficiary, much less a petitioner. But it's a job to him. It's only a passion after he gets out and tries to sell himself as an expert.

 

The social and economic conditions in Guangzhou today compared to what they are elsewhere in China are remarkable to understand what the VO sees in his/her everyday life.

 

I know your fianc¨¦es come from many parts of China but let's see if we ring a familiar chord.

 

GZ is just a step up from Hong Kong and in some ways is quite similar. I am sure most if not all VO's in GZ, take a trip to HK regularly. HK is not China. It is one, if not THE, most prosperous cities in China. When my fianc¨¦ went to GZ for her interview, she was struck by the prosperity there. She was also stuck by the manner in which she was treated in general, not that she is a celebrity where she comes from. And the prevalent language is different in GZ. (Former name: Canton.)

 

Some people may not know, that when the Tiananmen Square massacre occurred in 1989, the reason why the Chinese government delayed removing the students by violence was not just because they tried to avoid violence (the Politburo had already been debating its use), but because they spoke Mandarin, the same language as the troops then occupying the square. For days, there was little violence between the troops and the students because they spoke the same language and the students entreated the troops not to fire on their own people. The students put flowers in the barrels of the soldiers rifles. Some soldiers were pictured with arms around the students in the square.

 

The Tank Man of Tiananmen Square would have been killed straightaway had he been speaking to a Cantonese squad of tanks. That tank shown in the pictures was commanded by a Mandarin speaking driver. (The leader of the tank group was related to Deng Zhao Ping.)

 

So the Chinese government brought in troops from the south, near Shanghai and the more Southern areas, where Cantonese was spoken. Those troops did not understand the students and were told that they were rabble and needed to be removed. As a result, over 3,000 students (and some local non-students) were murdered on June 4.

 

(See China Wakes by Nickolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn or Red China Blues by Ann Fong.)

 

 

Most of the people today applying for a visa have lived either under the Cultural Revolution in China and their parents lived under the Great Leap Forward, otherwise known as the Great Famine. Even though things in China are much better, there are still strong memories of those events. (Interesting that teenagers in China when asked what happened on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen Square said they do not know. My fianc¨¦ had no idea either. That¡®s how good the Chinese government is at censorship.)

 

In childhood, poverty is especially remembered. My fianc¨¦ remembers many days when there was nothing to eat. They had few clothes, maybe one change of clothes at all to wear. She lost her father in the Revolution, and her mother reared three daughters (after losing two older siblings to famine), one of whom was a Red Guard. That had to have been challenging, to say the least.

 

By most accounts and despite China¡¯s prosperity today, 80-85% of China lives in poverty. Minimum, that¡¯s over a billion people. And the Chinese government even lies about that, witness:

 

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2007/11/10/c...w-poverty-rate/

 

And why is it women that want to come to America? Obviously some men do too, but let¡¯s face it, women predominate.

 

It¡¯s easy to understand when you consider women are still being sold like cattle or pigs in China today, some under the most incredible circumstances.

 

http://www.stopvaw.org/U_S_Second_Circuit_...cial_Group.html

 

http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2007/...n_sold_as_g.php

 

Those are the conditions, and there are more. My fianc¨¦s ex-husband was a drunk, a gambler, and had several concubines and girl friends. When her mother was in her death bed, she told my fianc¨¦ to find an American man who was polite and treated her with respect.

 

I do so happily, every day.

 

So here are the questions and answers, Mister ex-VO-expert-on-immigration-issues. And by the way, love, a human right and the basis for the issuance of this visa, something you do not understand, has a lot to do with it.

 

Now give me my pink slip, and I will go about the business of making her happy.

 

 

RIGHT ON!!!! TELL IT LIKE IT IS!

[splinterman]

Just a couple of thoughts. Is this "former" consular officer writing a book? How much of a stink did he raise about the issue when he was getting paid with our tax dollars? Most important[at least to me] what percent of the visa applications are indeed fraud? IMHO until the government gets serious about the illegals already here, trying to focus on potential future subjective acts by people following the rules means nothing. The red flags like age difference, money even common language wouldn't mean anything if people were already here. For that matter if we go to China and marry there, the same should apply. Either no visas at all or accept the fact that human nature says a certain percent of people will scam the system for monetary gain and focus on them. Here's a thought, how about bringing back home visits after arrival? Too expensive, we'll just slow down or deny petitions in the first place that will weed out frauds. This isn't about pink versus blues or whites. It's about info. Read and take what you will from it. Some of the nicest people I know are pink

 

Good question, what percent of the visa applications are fraud"? it seems the technique they are using these days is "lets let 10 hang out to dry(blue slips,white slips) and see how many go away(those only in it for the green card). imagine this line of thinking,to catch murderers,"we will pull people off the street that look like murderers,throw them in prison.(forget a trial) and see if they crack and confess a crime.

and Godddddddddd don't get me started. I mean all this misery given to people who are trying to do it all legally,do it by the book,and yet,this government,does nothing.....ok....lets put it this way,does very little to stop the people illegally crossing the border each and every night(although the economy as bad as it is,the numbers are decreaseing).... but,i get so fuming mad.they worry about one that maybe scamming the system,while a hundred walk pass them,right under their noses.And nothing is done about that.Doesn't this seem strange ? inconsistant?

Look,i am all for catching the bad guys....my thought is....you want to come here to America....come here legally.....

but I also wish immigrations would make damn sure they are catching bad guys ,and not just swatting at flies blindfolded.

 

Jimi

 

 

Jimi,

 

I am so GODDAMNED proud to be an American, I got tears in my eyes!!!

 

Someone pinch me...

[AstronomerDave]

After reading the article, I came away with the impression that the so called Consular wanted to be a law unto himself, and that he though he could single-handedly divine the thoughts or motives of everyone who walked through his doors.

 

I thought the USA was supposed to be a country of laws, not a dictatorship where the dictators whims decides life or death. Reading the Consular's article, It sound like he sees himself as a dictator.

 

I am still fairly early in the process, but honestly, looking at what is happening in the USA, with the current President & Congress, and the financial system and all of the financial fraud, I am starting to ask myself if I really want to live in the USA if it continues down its current path, let alone bring my fiance here? Given the current path the country is taking, 5 years from now, China might look like a pretty nice place to live, and it really saddens me to be saying this.

Edited March 5, 2009 by AstronomerDave (see edit history)

[splinterman]

After reading the article, I came away with the impression that the so called Consular wanted to be a law unto himself, and that he though he could single-handedly divine the thoughts or motives of everyone who walked through his doors.

 

I thought the USA was supposed to be a country of laws, not a dictatorship where the dictators whims decides life or death. Reading the Consular's article, It sound like he sees himself as a dictator.

 

I am still fairly early in the process, but honestly, looking at what is happening in the USA, with the current President & Congress, and the financial system and all of the financial fraud, I am starting to ask myself if I really want to live in the USA if it continues down its current path, let alone bring my fiance here? Given the current path the country is taking, 5 years from now, China might look like a pretty nice place to live, and it really saddens me to be saying this.

 

 

The guy is roundaboutly telling us that he is acting like a typical VO, who they all think they ARE gods and have the right to make subjective decisions and not stick to the law.

 

My intention when I posted this article was to confirm what everyone here discusses from time to time: how the VOs make decisions about people that they are NOT supposed or allowed by law to make, and how they are so cocksure of themselves that they tailor a regulated process to reflect their own thoughts and feelings, and not what the laws says they can do.

 

Is it a surprise to anyone that this guy thinks he is an expert after only 5 years and makes unfounded assumptions and generalizations? Isn't that what they do in the interview process?

[georgeandli]

That's what I thought when this thread started, splinterman. What is his motive? Did he see so much fraud he got disgusted and quit and want to get it out in the open[whistle blower]?

[BilLing]

possibly doesn't apply here but.....any statistics on current success rates for K visas?

 

reason I ask is I have an acquantance whose wife recently (2 weeks ago) interviewed for K-3 @ GUZ. pink. he says of 150 applicants that day, all K based, only 1 denial.....

 

when Ling interviewed 123008 she saw 200 of 300 shot down....

 

seems like a startling reversal....what are the odds of this group of 150 being so well prepared vs Ling's 300?....

 

sorry for highjacking Splinterman....

[splinterman]

possibly doesn't apply here but.....any statistics on current success rates for K visas?

 

reason I ask is I have an acquantance whose wife recently (2 weeks ago) interviewed for K-3 @ GUZ. pink. he says of 150 applicants that day, all K based, only 1 denial.....

 

when Ling interviewed 123008 she saw 200 of 300 shot down....

 

seems like a startling reversal....what are the odds of this group of 150 being so well prepared vs Ling's 300?....

 

sorry for highjacking Splinterman....

 

BilLing, you didn't hijack so no apology needed. But you DID add an interesting idea-that maybe the trend is starting to reverse itself in GUZ. Could it be that the oppressive policies of the former Administration are beginning to be swept out the door? A 'friendlier' government?

 

I'd sure be damn glad to see that happening...

 

Splinterman

[rogerinca]

possibly doesn't apply here but.....any statistics on current success rates for K visas?

 

reason I ask is I have an acquantance whose wife recently (2 weeks ago) interviewed for K-3 @ GUZ. pink. he says of 150 applicants that day, all K based, only 1 denial.....

 

when Ling interviewed 123008 she saw 200 of 300 shot down....

 

seems like a startling reversal....what are the odds of this group of 150 being so well prepared vs Ling's 300?....

 

sorry for highjacking Splinterman....

 

BilLing, you didn't hijack so no apology needed. But you DID add an interesting idea-that maybe the trend is starting to reverse itself in GUZ. Could it be that the [oppressive policies] of the former Administration are beginning to be swept out the door? A 'friendlier' government?

 

I'd sure be damn glad to see that happening...

 

Splinterman

 

 

 

Nothing 'political' in this post, is there !?

[chilton747]

possibly doesn't apply here but.....any statistics on current success rates for K visas?

 

reason I ask is I have an acquantance whose wife recently (2 weeks ago) interviewed for K-3 @ GUZ. pink. he says of 150 applicants that day, all K based, only 1 denial.....

 

when Ling interviewed 123008 she saw 200 of 300 shot down....

 

seems like a startling reversal....what are the odds of this group of 150 being so well prepared vs Ling's 300?....

 

sorry for highjacking Splinterman....

 

BilLing,

 

So I am to assume your acquaintance says he actually counted 150 people applying for visas that day and after physically seeing all 150 results, there was only 1 denial? Your acquaintance must have been very busy that day!

 

Ling was actually physically able to see 200 visa applicants denied that day?

[rogerinca]

possibly doesn't apply here but.....any statistics on current success rates for K visas?

 

reason I ask is I have an acquantance whose wife recently (2 weeks ago) interviewed for K-3 @ GUZ. pink. he says of 150 applicants that day, all K based, only 1 denial.....

 

when Ling interviewed 123008 she saw 200 of 300 shot down....

 

seems like a startling reversal....what are the odds of this group of 150 being so well prepared vs Ling's 300?....

 

sorry for highjacking Splinterman....

 

BilLing,

 

So I am to assume your acquaintance says he actually counted 150 people applying for visas that day and after physically seeing all 150 results, there was only 1 denial? Your acquaintance must have been very busy that day!

 

Ling was actually physically able to see 200 visa applicants denied that day?

 

 

Now Charles, there you go again !!!!!

 

The facts and the evidence is so clear !!

 

There has been a complete reversal of the M.O. at GUZ !!

 

IMBRA is surely out the window now too !!

 

Thank you President Obama and thank you new Sec of State, Clinton, for addressing this issue in the first 60 days in office !!

 

Oh Charles.....