Received call in letter finally!

[smalltoe]

My son received call in letter yesterday but his med exam was done in March (so it expired?)

The call in letter requires a new med exam report along with his passport being sent to GZ. My questions are:

1. Does a "call in letter" always mean an immigration visa has been approved?

2. Does my son have to go to GZ personally to get the visa package? or is it ok that my father (his grandfather) goes to GZ to turn in required passport and exam report as authorized by my son (notarized). My concern is if there is any situation that needs my son's presence in GZ before he can finally get his visa.

3. Is there anybody in GZ that we can authorize to turn in passport and med exam report and get the visa package for my son? How does that work?

I'm so excited that the call in letter finally came. I need to make sure everything will be taken care of and avoid any mistakes. Any advice please!

[dnoblett]

Medical exam is valid for one year.

 

1. Call in is so that they can apply visa to passport.

 

2. I have yet to see a post where someone other that the beneficiary was allowed to respond to the call in.

 

3. See #2

 

2. My visa was refused, and the officer asked for more documents. When and where can I submit documents to overcome this refusal? If I cannot come personally, is it possible for my relative or someone else to submit documents on my behalf? If you were refused a visa at your interview and the Consular Officer requested that you provide further information, you should follow the instructions on your blue refusal sheet and mail the documents directly to the Consulate. Please make sure that you include in your submission all the original refusal sheets that were given to you at the interview.

 

Please note that this is the only method by which the Consulate can accept further documentation. The Consulate cannot accept documents provided by other means, unless you are specifically requested to do so. In addition, the Consulate does not accept documents at the American Citizen Services office.

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/iv_faqs.html#A2 (Not exactly clear)

 

You can email the consulate and ask. http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/immigrant-visa-unit-question.html

 

 

 

 

 

[warpedbored]

The call in letter requires a new med exam report along with his passport being sent to GZ.

Medical exams are supposed to be good for a year but if they specifically asked for a new one with the call in letter I wouldn't take a chance. Rule of thumb when dealing with GUZ. Give them whatever they ask for. I would also make sure the child goes in person to the consulate.

[hugazebra]

My wife's call-in letter indicated that once she turned in her passport, her immigrant visa would only be valid until 2011-Jan. The medical exam was done in 2010-Jul, police reports in 2010-May, so assuming round number expirations like 6-mo or 1-yr, I'm assuming the medical exam may be limiting factor with a presumed 6-month validity.

 

Since we want to travel to US in 2011-Feb, we're planning to get another medical exam before going back in with the call-in letter and passport.

 

Our callback letter also indicates that we can use a notarized power of attorney to authorize someone else to deliver the passport to GUZ, but we're not sure what path we will try simply because there are lots of cheap flights to Guangzhou coming up, and medical exam plus followup vaccinations are much cheaper in Guangzhou than in Shanghai.

[dnoblett]

My wife's call-in letter indicated that once she turned in her passport, her immigrant visa would only be valid until 2011-Jan. The medical exam was done in 2010-Jul, police reports in 2010-May, so assuming round number expirations like 6-mo or 1-yr, I'm assuming the medical exam may be limiting factor with a presumed 6-month validity.

 

Since we want to travel to US in 2011-Feb, we're planning to get another medical exam before going back in with the call-in letter and passport.

 

Our callback letter also indicates that we can use a notarized power of attorney to authorize someone else to deliver the passport to GUZ, but we're not sure what path we will try simply because there are lots of cheap flights to Guangzhou coming up, and medical exam plus followup vaccinations are much cheaper in Guangzhou than in Shanghai.

Again medical is not the limiting factor, med is valid for one year acording to immigrations USCIS the exam info is turned into USCIS at the POE in the immigrations packet Brown Envelope.

 

Typically consulate sets expiration for 90 days or 6 months.

[smalltoe]

My wife's call-in letter indicated that once she turned in her passport, her immigrant visa would only be valid until 2011-Jan. The medical exam was done in 2010-Jul, police reports in 2010-May, so assuming round number expirations like 6-mo or 1-yr, I'm assuming the medical exam may be limiting factor with a presumed 6-month validity.

 

Since we want to travel to US in 2011-Feb, we're planning to get another medical exam before going back in with the call-in letter and passport.

 

Our callback letter also indicates that we can use a notarized power of attorney to authorize someone else to deliver the passport to GUZ, but we're not sure what path we will try simply because there are lots of cheap flights to Guangzhou coming up, and medical exam plus followup vaccinations are much cheaper in Guangzhou than in Shanghai.

Again medical is not the limiting factor, med is valid for one year acording to immigrations USCIS the exam info is turned into USCIS at the POE in the immigrations packet Brown Envelope.

 

Typically consulate sets expiration for 90 days or 6 months.

Thanks so much for all your advice.

Our plan is to get my son here in mid Dec.Then he will have 3 weeks to adapt to his new life before school starts in Jan.

11/12, Redo Med exam.

11/15, Notarize the power of attorney.(My husband is strongly against my son's gonna take a week off school to GZ for the visa package. I don't want to argue with him on this. So I need to make sure the POA will be made correctly.)

11/22, My father brings the med exam report, passport, and power of attorney to GZ.

11/26, My father gets the visa package and goes back to beijing. Then we can plan my son's trip to Chicago. My husband will meet my son at O'hare airport.

I'm concerned if there's anything I might have omitted. Please help with any advice. I have made a stupid mistake that screwed up my son's GZ interview in March. I want to make sure he gets visa package this time.

[Lee VD]

Same thing here... our call in letter gave a SIX MONTH date for the expiration on the med exam which they wrote on the call in letter. And to add additional insult, it says to not come to the consulate if your med exam is within 1 month of expiration without a new med exam! So you cannot return for a callin beyond 5 months from med exam! What a bunch of cr*p? I don't know why they are doing that...

Luckily we still had some time left on it.

 

I hate to say it, but I think a new med exam would be needed.

 

Maybe they do that because the visa you get has a 6 month validity so they want to make sure that you enter the U.S. within one year of the med exam????

 

Lee

[dnoblett]

Same thing here... our call in letter gave a SIX MONTH date for the expiration on the med exam which they wrote on the call in letter. And to add additional insult, it says to not come to the consulate if your med exam is within 1 month of expiration without a new med exam! So you cannot return for a callin beyond 5 months from med exam! What a bunch of cr*p? I don't know why they are doing that...

Luckily we still had some time left on it.

 

I hate to say it, but I think a new med exam would be needed.

 

Maybe they do that because the visa you get has a 6 month validity so they want to make sure that you enter the U.S. within one year of the med exam????

 

Lee

Lee, now that makes sense to me. The med is valid 1 year, but if the resulting visa will have an expiration date beyond the validity of med, then new medical time.

 

They could simply set the visa expiration to a date just before the medical becomes expired.

[warpedbored]

Like I said, give them whatever they ask for. They have the power. Regardless of whether or not the med exam is still valid a person would be foolish to not bring a new one if it was asked for.

[smalltoe]

I just remembered that 11/22-11/26 is thanksgiving week. Does anybody know the working days of GZ Counsulate during that week? And the Asian Games' on 11/12 -11/27. What a timing? I guess it'll be hard to find cheap air fare and reasonable lodging.

[Lee VD]

I just remembered that 11/22-11/26 is thanksgiving week. Does anybody know the working days of GZ Counsulate during that week? And the Asian Games' on 11/12 -11/27. What a timing? I guess it'll be hard to find cheap air fare and reasonable lodging.

 

We had the same problem with the trade conference there. She ended up coughing up 550RMB/night for a "cheap" hotel and had to stay 3 nights. Last minute airfares cost her about 2600RMB round trip.

[dnoblett]

I just remembered that 11/22-11/26 is thanksgiving week. Does anybody know the working days of GZ Counsulate during that week? And the Asian Games' on 11/12 -11/27. What a timing? I guess it'll be hard to find cheap air fare and reasonable lodging.

 

Closed on the 25th

 

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/holidays2.html

[smalltoe]

Thanks Dan. We decided to turn the med and passport in in the week of 11/29 after the Games and Thanksgiving. If everything goes well, we should get visa in early dec. I need to make sure the Airline accepts an 11 yr old flying alone from bj to Chicago.

[dnoblett]

Thanks Dan. We decided to turn the med and passport in in the week of 11/29 after the Games and Thanksgiving. If everything goes well, we should get visa in early dec. I need to make sure the Airline accepts an 11 yr old flying alone from bj to Chicago.

BJ to Chicago sounds like United Airlines.

 

United offers unaccompanied minor service for children from 5 to 17 years of age. For the safety of minors traveling alone, unaccompanied minor service is available to ensure that your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and turned over to the appropriate person upon arrival at their final destination.

 

The service is mandatory for unaccompanied children 5 to 11 years old and optional for those 12 to 17 years old. If the child is traveling with unaccompanied minor service, he or she may not travel on the last direct or connecting flight of the day. Please notify us of your child’s unaccompanied minor status at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) when making your reservation, so necessary information can be noted for your child. Be aware that the adult responsible for bringing the child to the airport (whether that person is a parent, a camp counselor or another adult) must remain at the airport until the child boards and the aircraft departs the gate.

 

MORE:

 

http://www.united.co...60,1052,00.html

 

Edited November 8, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[hugazebra]

China domestic airfare from Shanghai to Guangzhou is pretty close to rock bottom for next few weeks, so not sure how busy Guangzhou really is during these Asian Games. I've never heard of the Asian Games before, but then again, I never really heard of World Expos before, and yet 70 million people were willing to queue for hours on end.

 

Plus, this is low season for travel, so at least you don't have to compete with all the students and summer vacationers.

 

Of course, to and from Beijing, there is no such thing as a cheap airplane ticket anymore...