DCF: I-130 Filing and Paying Fees

[jwdoetsch]

Hey all,

 

I've been researching all night but haven't been able to successfully able to put the pieces together regarding paying fees at the time of filing the I-130 in Guangzhou. I also need to go to Beijing to notarize a Marriageability Affidavit so this question is probably also relevant to that as well.

 

The Guangzhou Consulate website says that payments must be made at the time of filing either by cash or credit card. Is there like a cashier in the Consulate? Where do you go to pay? I've read about CITIC, but I'm confused as to what its purpose is in payment processing.

 

Thanks for your help, all, you're all amazing. It's great how you've all been through the process already but stick around to answer naive questions from all us newbies.

 

Peace,

Jake

[Randy W]

Hey all,

 

I've been researching all night but haven't been able to successfully able to put the pieces together regarding paying fees at the time of filing the I-130 in Guangzhou. I also need to go to Beijing to notarize a Marriageability Affidavit so this question is probably also relevant to that as well.

 

The Guangzhou Consulate website says that payments must be made at the time of filing either by cash or credit card. Is there like a cashier in the Consulate? Where do you go to pay? I've read about CITIC, but I'm confused as to what its purpose is in payment processing.

 

Thanks for your help, all, you're all amazing. It's great how you've all been through the process already but stick around to answer naive questions from all us newbies.

 

Peace,

Jake

 

 

Yes - right over to the left at Window # n. You then bring the receipt back to the filing window to complete your filing, after waiting your turn (they are processing multiple customers at different stages at the same time and will call your number when they are ready to process you - not necessarily in order).

 

The petition is filed with the USCIS, which does NOT have a connection with CGI Stanley, or the CITIC Bank. After the petition is approved, it will be forwarded to the Dept. of State to allow your wife to submit her visa application. It is at THIS stage that CGI Stanley and the CITIC Bank come into play.

 

But if you are going to Beijing for your Marriageability Affidavit, you will probably go there to file your I-130 petition, NOT to Guangzhou. the USCIS has offices at both Beijing and Guangzhou - you go to the one with jurisdiction over your residence.

 

 

You file the I-130 petition with the USCIS office with jurisdiction over your residence - your wife's visa application will be filed with the Dept. of State in Guangzhou.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Randy W (see edit history)

[dnoblett]

DCF Guangzhou will be filed here: http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/china-guangzhou-field-office

 

DCF Beijing will be filed here: http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/china-beijing-field-office

[jwdoetsch]

Thanks for your info guys, based on the links you provided and the embassy sites themselves, we'll have to use the Guangzhou Field Office. It's a bummer though because Beijing is a 3 hour G-train ride and Guangzhou is 7-hours. The cost difference is tremendous.

 

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

The Guangzhou Field Office is an overseas component of USCIS. We have jurisdiction over the following regions within China:

Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shandong, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Tibet (Xizang), Xiamen, Yunnan and Zhejiang.

 

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/uscis.html :

The Beijing Field Office is an overseas component of USCIS. We have jurisdiction over the following regions within China:

Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Shanghai, Shanxi, Tianjin. Please note that the USCIS Guangzhou Field Office has jurisdiction over the remainder of China

 

Edited December 28, 2014 by jwdoetsch (see edit history)

[Randy W]

 

Thanks for your info guys, based on the links you provided and the embassy sites themselves, we'll have to use the Guangzhou Field Office. It's a bummer though because Beijing is a 3 hour G-train ride and Guangzhou is 7-hours. The cost difference is tremendous.

 

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

The Guangzhou Field Office is an overseas component of USCIS. We have jurisdiction over the following regions within China:

Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shandong, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Tibet (Xizang), Xiamen, Yunnan and Zhejiang.

 

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/uscis.html :

The Beijing Field Office is an overseas component of USCIS. We have jurisdiction over the following regions within China:

Beijing, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Shanghai, Shanxi, Tianjin. Please note that the USCIS Guangzhou Field Office has jurisdiction over the remainder of China

 

 

 

 

You might check with the Shanghai consulate - http://shanghai.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas/immigrant-visa.html. I see that their web site says

 

Unfortunately, the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit in Shanghai cannot collect petitioners’ Form I-130 or filing fee. However, American citizens residing in Shanghai’s consular district for six months or longer can pay the filing fee and submit their petition to the USCIS field office in Beijing on the day of their appointment.

USCIS Beijing

Americans living in China but outside Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, and Guangxi provinces should contact the USCIS field office in Beijing to schedule an appointment:

 

 

 

I think this page is out of date, but some of the other consulates can accept your fee payment and forward your petition to the appropriate USCIS office. Since the areas of jurisdiction have changed, perhaps Shanghai might have changed its policy about whether they can accept your payment and/or forward the petition for you.

 

You should be able to make an appointment for your Marriageability Affidavit at the Shanghai consulate, if that is easier for you.

[KevinNelson]

I have a related question: I was told that the marriage documents had to be noterized, which I understand how to do. However, all translations have to be "certified." The Guangzhou office has been most unhelpful in helping me to understand what on earth constitutes certification and what precise legal language needs to be included in that certification. The last think I want to do is file my I-130 and I-864 and find out that the "certification" was unacceptable.

 

(I was burned in the States by the Chinese consolate in San Francisco wanting noterization... but the only form of noterization they would accept was illegal to produce in the State of California. In other words, they didn't tell me to go to the noterary public office in San Jose that was on the dole, but willing to break California laws to meet their standards. I ended up on Beijing to get my singles certificate, at a much greater expense in the long run.)

[Randy W]

I have a related question: I was told that the marriage documents had to be noterized, which I understand how to do. However, all translations have to be "certified." The Guangzhou office has been most unhelpful in helping me to understand what on earth constitutes certification and what precise legal language needs to be included in that certification. The last think I want to do is file my I-130 and I-864 and find out that the "certification" was unacceptable.

 

(I was burned in the States by the Chinese consolate in San Francisco wanting noterization... but the only form of noterization they would accept was illegal to produce in the State of California. In other words, they didn't tell me to go to the noterary public office in San Jose that was on the dole, but willing to break California laws to meet their standards. I ended up on Beijing to get my singles certificate, at a much greater expense in the long run.)

 

 

Notarized American documents for use in China must be certified by the Secretary of State, and THAT certification certified by the Chinese consulate. THAT is the type of certification that you need for use of the document in China. For the single certification, they can be easily produced and certified by the American consulates, as you found out.

 

The notarization called for for Chinese documentation, including your marriage certification, to be used in your visa process (or for later use in the states) is known as the "white book format" or a Chinese Notarial Document.

 

This is done to an International Standard which the Consulate will recognize and accept.

 

Chinese Notarial Documents - see DOS China Reciprocity Schedule

 

 

NOTE:Try http://travel.state..../fees_3272.html or go to http://travel.state.gov/ and search for "Reciprocity by Country" (they seem to change this periodically)

 

Most of the documents needed can be obtained from one of China's Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu). All Chinese documentation to be used abroad is processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of notarial certificates. Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats

 

The documents required are the GongZhengShu 公证书

 

Sample application for documents (your province or hukou may vary):

http://www.bnpo.gov....72115331419.doc

 

http://www.bnpo.gov....ide/detail1.asp

A discussion of the huji (or hukou 户口) system can be found at Hukou System. Chinese residents should go to their hukou for all notarial documents (birth, divorce, and/or single certificate, and police records). For the police record, one obtained at the hukou will cover all of China.

 

A notarial document will be in the standard white notarial booklet, have an official red seal, an English translation, and an attestation to the true translation.

 

Note that police records and single certificates are valid for one year from the date of notarization. Others are valid indefinitely.

 

Marriage certification for I-130 or K-3 must be in the same format.

[Randy W]

From the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco

 

Marriage Registration in China

 

The applicant who will go to China for marriage registration shall apply for a single/non-marital status certificate. Legal marriage age in China is 22 or older for male and 20 or older for female.

Procedure for obtaining a single/non-marital status certificate

(1)

Affidavit of Single Status

, signed before a notary public.

(2) Certified by the Secretary of the State Office of the state where the document is executed.

*Some states require the notarized document to be sent to the notary public's county clerk for verification before presenting to the Office of Secretary of State. Please contact Secretary of State Office of the state where your document is executed for details.

(3) Certified by the relevant

Consulate General

. You must apply to the correct

Consulate General

which holds consular jurisdiction over your area of residence. The Consular District of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco covers:

Northern California, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington

. Only documents certified by the Secretaries of State Office of the above listed 5 states (

Click Here for Their Contact Information

)

can

be certified by the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. You may come to the relevant Embassy or Consulate Generals for application, or send a representative to apply for you. No appointment is required.Mailed applications are also acceptable. Make sure you read the

Mail Application Instructions

.

 

The documentation authentication link on their page is broken.

[KevinNelson]

RW: This and another repeat of your earlier post were deleted. Seems like our board software is causing some confusion today for some reason (probably not your fault).

Edited December 28, 2014 by Randy W (see edit history)

[KevinNelson]

I have a related question: I was told that the marriage documents had to be noterized, which I understand how to do. However, all translations have to be "certified." The Guangzhou office has been most unhelpful in helping me to understand what on earth constitutes certification and what precise legal language needs to be included in that certification. The last think I want to do is file my I-130 and I-864 and find out that the "certification" was unacceptable: The expenses of a failed application and two round-trips to Guangzhou would eat up two-months salary here in China for me, not counting the stress on my marriage.

 

(I was burned in the States by the Chinese consolate in San Francisco wanting noterization... but the only form of noterization they would accept was illegal to produce in the State of California. In other words, they didn't tell me to go to the noterary public office in San Jose that was on the dole, but willing to break California laws to meet their standards. I ended up on Beijing to get my singles certificate, at a much greater expense in the long run.)

[dnoblett]

What they mean by Certified Translation is the person who does the translation "Certifying" it by making a note on the translation.

 

USCIS:

 

Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.

 

The certification format should include the certifier's name, signature, address, and date of certification.

A suggested format is:

 

Certification by Translator

 

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________
Date Typed Name
Address

http://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing

 

Note all chinese documents from Notary office should be translated at the same notary office, they "certify" it and attach it to the document bound is a white book.

 

Note, this is a common question tagged "Translation"

http://candleforlove.com/forums/tags/forums/Translation/

[KevinNelson]

Ah, thank you. That is the information I needed.