Date of visa? Approval or when placed in passport?

[Zesty]

Hi gang!

 

Still waiting and hoping for the Administrative Processing to be completed shortly (has been 94 days at this writing, but who's counting).

 

I am still living in Changsha, but had hoped that this summer we would be able to return to America. But the timing is horrible.

 

At the end of June my resident permit expires, along with my apartment lease. I am thinking about signing a six month contract to stay in China while we wait out the AP. So that would take me to end of next winter semester - probably the end of the semester would be mid-January 2013.

 

I am worried that I sign a contract on July 1 obligating me to stay until mid January, then we get a visa indicating that we must arrive in America before the end of December 2012.

 

My thought is that I could wait a week or so in sending my wife's passport to Guz for them to place the visa in it, thereby ensuring that we have sufficient time to arrive in America.

 

But my fear is that the visa will have an date assigned from the end of Administrative Processing, making my clever plan...not so clever.

 

This may all be moot as I may receive the EMS letter at any time, and if we do before the end of June, we will be back in the US this summer. But I am scrambling to ensure my back-up plan is well thought out.

 

Thoughts? Advice? Amusing anecdotes?

[cjr818]

Congratulations. I believe it is the date of approval. Perhaps someone who has gone through it themselves can confirm it for you.

[dnoblett]

Option #3 US Citizen returns to the USA when residency permit and apartment lease expires, and then start preparing in the USA for their spouse or fiancee to follow.

[Beachey]

If I read your question right you are still waiting for the approval. That the consulate does not have your wife's passport and you are waiting on an additional background check due to Communist Party membership or possibly some other less common reason?

 

My wife's approval was delayed three months due to her party membership and friends of our close to six months.

 

Two things are going to drive when your wife's visa expires: her medical report and her police certificate.

 

The medical expires 180 days after it is done (note this is not quite six months). When you get the approval, they will indicate you can have the medical done again and reset your 180 day clock. For this reason, I believe the approval notice indicates you have six months (it might be a year) to send in the passport.

 

However, the police certificate expires 1 year from issue so depending on how long the approval takes that date might come into play as well. The visa will expire on that 1 year date even I the 180 day medical window is beyon that date.

[Zesty]

Thanks for the replies. We are still waiting for approval, so thank you for the congratulations, I will hold off until a little later before celebrating, though!

 

Have considered Dan's option number 3. Still in the running, but a dark horse at this point.

 

Appreciate the information, Beachey. Police Cert was from Feb 2012, medical was from March 2012.

 

Talk to y'all soon, I am sure!

 

Z

[Randy W]

You don't say that you're married, but assuming you are (probably a good assumption) -

 

Option # 4 - go to the PSB and get your residence permit renewed (no work permit is needed for a family permit). Either an L visa, or a residence permit would do the trick.