GUZ RAT FINKS GIVE US BLUE BOOHOO

[baobeizhu]

So the good news is...it's not white. But then it basically ends there. Well other than the fact if this drags out I can apply for the IR type...and if it really drags out then the heck with it, I'm gettin back out of the US before it just collapses in on itself anyway.

 

Apparently there is a whole laundry list of items they are demanding including an EOR and even my college transcripts! My hubby is going to mail me this crazy arse list soon. More details will be forthcoming...

 

Ok, now I need to book a ticket for me...not him...funny how one day can bring about a 180 degree turn.

 

Whatever, I'm taking it all in stride. I actually knew it was going to be bad when I calculated the time difference and he didn't get out until 12pm. Apparently he was the very last one interviewed. Guz does save the messy ones for last. I just feel bad for him having to jump through so many hoops and spending 20 hrs on a train each way (He's never flown before and wants to save money ) only to be put through such an ordeal. They're the government, they need what they need. I can give it to them, I just hope we don't get thrown into a RFE blackhole though!

Edited August 24, 2009 by baobeizhu (see edit history)

[squirty]

Sorry to hear. Hope it doesn't take too long from the RFE. If I may ask, what were they requesting? And why did they need college transcripts?

Edited August 24, 2009 by squirty (see edit history)

[baobeizhu]

Sorry to hear. Hope it doesn't take too long from the RFE. If I may ask, what were they requesting? And why did they need college transcripts?

 

My SO doesn't speak English. I have a 2nd degree in Chinese though and just gave copies of my diplomas for when he interviewed. I guess they want to see I actually passed my classes . Lucky for them/me I just happen to have official sealed transcripts here PLUS a stoopid ACTFL OPI proficiency certificate from a government scholarship I received to study the language years ago as well.

 

Also they want more proof of addresses and work history and even more photos.

[kodokanron]

Sorry to hear this I am confident you will resolve this

issue quickly

Best wishes,

Ron & Jing

[Randy W]

His not speaking English can be a red flag for some idiot VO's who don't seem to realize that some of the meguoren actually speak Chinese.

 

Be sure and hit them over the head with that fact when you make your submission

 

That laundry list does sound like a lot of hoops to jump through - hopefully, they'll come to their senses.

[Batmaniac]

If there is no EOR they get increasingly anal about other stuff. We've seen it before. College transcripts is a new one to me though.

[Mike and Yan]

If there is no EOR they get increasingly anal about other stuff. We've seen it before. College transcripts is a new one to me though.

very interesting...I thought for sure we were due for a blue on somewhat similar issues...

 

I sent the EOR and my transcripts of language ahead of time anticipating the bonafide relationship and language barrier things, resp.

 

I'm not exactly sure what worked but I still think it was close call, because they asked her about some chinese I had written. I am far from proficient and her interview details are still sketchy.

 

best wishes for blue to pink

[baobeizhu]

If there is no EOR they get increasingly anal about other stuff. We've seen it before. College transcripts is a new one to me though.

very interesting...I thought for sure we were due for a blue on somewhat similar issues...

 

I sent the EOR and my transcripts of language ahead of time anticipating the bonafide relationship and language barrier things, resp.

 

I'm not exactly sure what worked but I still think it was close call, because they asked her about some chinese I had written. I am far from proficient and her interview details are still sketchy.

 

best wishes for blue to pink

 

Thank you all for your kind wishes! We will indeed try our best to overcome this hurdle.

 

So, I guess, trying to make the most of all of this, here are a few of my lessons learned that perhaps other members can benefit from:

 

Future kitchen sink lists may want to include official college (or other transcripts) of any language training you have. Copies of diplomas and such do not hold much weight.

 

Another note: if you live abroad for extended periods of time, register at the consulate or embassy.

 

I think in my case, some other things are going on too. Here I just thought I'd encounter security clearance problems at work since I never registered (but really since I have a foreign spouse, that was a no go anyway, so I wasn't overly concerened)...Now I think I've come to realize the US gov gets nervous if you stay off their radar for too long.....*sigh*...(this is also obvious if you've come back into the US after several months, or year+ abroad and get a brief interrogation as you go through customs...)

 

Still optimistic...for now~

[Mick]

The transcript thingie is a load of crapola.

 

Used to be they would sometimes ask for a video of you speaking Chinese or the two of you together having a conversation. Bottom line, it boils down to the fact that these folks can pretty much ask for whatever they want and stop everything in its tracks until they get it. It's a shame, but it has always been that way.

 

Best of luck and you should be able to overcome this quickly.

[Guest Wuhan4me]

Randy's right - here's the 'but' -

 

The communication issue 'allowed' a VO to open up a can of worms.

 

Now that it's opened, you have to address EACH AND EVERY item on the list, so that you can empty the can.

 

AN EOR letter might have dissuaded the VO from further pursuit - hard to day for certain, but I'm surprised you didn't have one (hindsight can be painful ) .

 

Anyway - go through the list - and I suggest you have 2 letters prepped -

 

1. a letter covering each item in the blue slip ( see attachment #1..2..3..18, etc ) and

2. The EOR letter. Did they ask for handwritten, btw?

[warpedbored]

The only reasons I can think of why they would want your colege transcripts is because they don't believe you can communicate or they want to verify time frames. You might want to make a 5-10 minute video of you speaking Chinese as extra insurance. The other thing that comes to mind is they may suspect your husband or his family is paying you. Make sure you have clear documentation showing you paid for your own airfair and travel expenses to and from China.

[weiaijiayou]

baobeizhu, you didn't take my advice about writing a relationship letter in chinese! oh well -- it's impossible to say what, if anything, could have been done to result in a different outcome. it's not a transparent process, so all anyone can do is respond to their requests and not look back in regret. good luck turning it around quickly. have fun back in china. [envious in that regard]

[baobeizhu]

baobeizhu, you didn't take my advice about writing a relationship letter in chinese! oh well -- it's impossible to say what, if anything, could have been done to result in a different outcome. it's not a transparent process, so all anyone can do is respond to their requests and not look back in regret. good luck turning it around quickly. have fun back in china. [envious in that regard]

 

haha, yeah I remember your advice, but if I wanted to plays devil's advocate (ie the VO), how can you prove a petitioner actually wrote a letter since he/she has a Chinese spouse?* So I included other things instead that were through my schools~but I guess copies just didn't cut it. Actually the transcripts and even a video sort of do make sense to me to address GUZ's language concern since you can't fake those, so no biggie. Maybe I'll throw a video in for the fun of it too since I usually have to practice recording myself speaking Chinese anyway for exam practice/accent correction anway. I am not to worried about this part of the RFE.

 

(*actually, now that I think about it though, I told my husband to bring my handwritten letters with him, but it's possible he ignored me on this point )

 

 

BUT here is where I get confused. So now they want our text message & email records...which are all in Chinese. So do I need to translate all of these or what? This was the original reason I didn't include them, besides the fact they are fairly personal anyway and I would have to 'sanitize' or block out a portion of each email. Now I don't care what they read, let'em have a ball. But translating them is going to be...interesting to say the least.

 

As far as the EOR letter, actually I considered it, but then decided against it~so I guess I made the wrong bet here. Oops! I tend to belong to the less is more until they really ask for it school of thought...which turns out they really asked for it. So, there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate lesson learned: If you didn't bring it, they will ask for it & if you brought it, they don't wanna see it

 

Yes, I will have fun in China~maybe long term to if things really don't work out with GUZ. So it's ultimately a win-win situation I suppose...it's just how many hassles and how much time apart it's going to take to get to get us back on the same continent!

[2mike&jin]

Baby Pig....

 

I think your perspective on what "they ask for" is correct, in many ways. You are going to be ahead of the game, if you just go right down the list -- and flesh out the "full response".

 

I know that looking back, at not "front loading the language issue" and not writing a descriptive EOR is counterproductive at this moment.

 

When I applied for K1, I was a student at Xiamen University learning (or trying to learn) Mandarin. Regardless, I front loaded the K1 with all the documentation that I had to "prove" that I could in fact read, understand, and speak Mandarin - but also that my fiance was also a student at the University - learning English. I had all the registration, transcripts or proof of attendance/completion with the attendant "Chops" from the officials. I was paranoid about my fiancee getting nervous or missing some subtle english word during the interview.

 

The EOR that most write, should address any "red/pink" areas where you have concerns, and now those concerns are clearly listed in your Blue - easy to address those as you create the story. Don't forget to get this thing "notarized".

 

Having read your description of "emails in hanzi", I guess my approach would be to select out - a number of emails - spanning the entire time you weren't physically together - and then have those "selected emails" taken by your husband to the "GongZhenChu" and have them translated and put in a "White Book". ( I know this will cost money - but it seems a necessary step in the process) This should have a dual purpose, that of being proof of the relationship as well as you're ability to write in "hanzi". (Gosh I wish I could do that well....I don't think I have enough years left to become proficient). I aslo wouldn't take out or "edit out" all the ones that had personal stuff in them....unless it was really ribald!

 

Our best wishes for an easy overcome. I think the only real issue you have is the "logistics" of getting everything together...but remember it's only an administrative logistics issue. Na Xing --- it will work out!

Edited August 26, 2009 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[Yuanyang]

It's a #@&$* delay ... just give'em what they want.

 

Good Luck!