P3: DS-230, OF-169 checklist

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

Hi all,

FF (still FF, not FH yet) from China. We got notice our 129-F was approved at CSC on Oct 14th. Now we are looking ahead to the P3, which I would guess we'll receive in a couple of months. I downloaded donahso's wonderful P3 sample packet, and on the OS-169, it contains the following statement:


PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY

Third: As soon as you have obtained all of the documents that apply to your case, carefully read the statement at the bottom of this form, sign and date it, and send the form to the consular office processing your case, you will not be scheduled for an appointment until you sign and return this checklist.

The documents they are referring to include the I-134, the Birth Certificate, and the Police Certificate.

Question #1 is: when people say "sent P3 to Guangzhou" in their signatures, are you giving the time you return the DS-230 part 1, or the time you send in the OS-169, or both?

Question #2 is: it seems like it usually takes 4 & 1/2 months to get an interview from the time Guangzhou receives "the P3." Does the clock start ticking after they receive the DS-230? Or does it not start ticking until they have received both the DS-230 and the signed OS-169?

Some people here have said that you don't have to get police and birth certificates until around P4 time, but... according to what it says on the OS-169, it doesn't seem like it should be possible to get a P4 until you have gotten the certificates and sent them the OS-169.

The reason I ask these questions is, Fiona is still nervous about asking her work unit for the certificates. She'd like to wait until she passes her probationary period in March, and establishes better relationships with everyone at work. We're thinking we might get the P3 in January. If she waits two months to send in a signed OS-169, will that delay us a couple of months?

Incidentally, we still have a couple of days to decide whether or not to abandon the I-129F and get married. These issue are related. Every time she thinks about going into work and asking for certificates, she thinks she would like to be married first. I hate to abandon an APPROVED I-129F (!) but I understand her point of view. If she has to wait a couple of months to feel "safe" enough to get the certificates from her work unit, maybe there is no advantage in continuing with the I-129F anyway.

I'll be in Beijing until Saturday, so any and all opinions would be gratefully received.

- FF

ps. We looked on 001.com.cn to try to find a way to get the certificates without going through Fiona's work unit at the Ministry of Finance. It doesn't look good. The person at 001 in a position closest to Fiona's used forgeries! We don't want to do that.

[frank1538]

Some people fudge a little in checking off the documents so they can send the OF-169 back as soon as possible. This likely starts the clock on the P4, but that's just a guess. Most people will have already obtained the documents in advance of the P3 but end up getting updated copies because of the time lag.

 

I may be naive, but why would the employer be involved in getting the various documents like the birth certificate and police certificate? Is there some connection between the notarial office and the employer that would be cause for concern?

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

Some people fudge a little in checking off the documents so they can send the OF-169 back as soon as possible.  This likely starts the clock on the P4, but that's just a guess.  Most people will have already obtained the documents in advance of the P3 but end up getting updated copies because of the time lag.

 

I may be naive, but why would the employer be involved in getting the various documents like the birth certificate and police certificate?  Is there some connection between the notarial office and the employer that would be cause for concern?

 

Hi Frank,

 

Fiona's work unit has her "Hu Kou" - residency papers? - which is what is needed to get the certificates, apparently. The Notorial Office told her she needs to apply through her work unit because they have her "hu kou."

 

My understanding is that the "Hu Kou" is what allows her to be in Beijing. Before she went back to school, her Hu Kou was in Shenzhen, her home town. When she went to TsingHua for her masters it was transferred there. When she went to CASS for her PhD the Hu Kou followed her there. Now that she is working at the Ministry of Finance, they have it.

 

If we buy a place in Beijing, I think we can get the Hu Kou transferred there, but that seems like a pretty extreme solution. She's currently trying to find a relative who owns property in Beijing and see if she can get the Hu Kou transferred there.

 

In any case, she's a bit worried about rocking the boat at the Ministry of Finance until she passes her probationary period in March. All of her friends at work have told her to wait until then to ask her work unit for the certificates.

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

Back to the original question, and hopefully making it simpler:

 

For people who sent in their P3's, did you send in your OS-169 right away?

Or did you just send in your DS-230 right away and send in your OS-169 later?

 

.

[Guest Gene]

Fill out both completely and send in together "As Soon As Possible" That is how you get in line. If you send two weeks later you get scheduled for your interview at least two weeks later. You will have at least four or five months to get the documents together that are required on form OF-169

[Guest Gene]

If you decide to abandon your K-1 process Figure on at least a year from when you start all over with the K-3. The I-129 goes through MSC and they are slower than a snail right now and have been for about 6 months

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

If you decide to abandon your K-1  process Figure on at least a year from when you start all over with the K-3. The I-129 goes through MSC and they are slower than a snail right now and have been for about 6 months

 

I think if we get married and start over, we'll forget about the K3 and just go with the CR1. California is approving I-130s amazingly quickly right now. You're right about the K3. MSC is just crawling along. I'm wondering if the USCIS has adopted a strategy of making the K3 superfluous? They seem to be transferring I-130s to CSC from all over the country and throwing a lot of resources there. Nothing seems to be happening at MSC.

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

Fill out both completely and send in together "As Soon As Possible" That is how you get in line. If you send two weeks later you get scheduled for your interview at least two weeks later. You will have at least four or five months to get the documents together that are required on form OF-169

 

It sounds like you are suggesting using Frank's "fudge" strategy. ;-) The thing we are supposed to sign says:

 

"I HAVE in my possession... all the documents."

 

We're a bit paranoid about lying on any of these forms, even if it is a small lie. Though we have considered saying later, if we had trouble getting the forms filled out for any reason, that the dog ate them!

 

Is there anybody out there who sent in the DS-230 right away, then gathered all the documents, then sent in the signed OS-169?

[Guest Gene]

I think you guys are reading to much into this. The checklist is for you to have all of those documents to bring to the interview. With the length of time it takes to get the interveiw your police report will be over six months old and Guangzhou has been know to not accept that and your I-134 and the supporting Documents will be to old(last report 45 days) , so you get to do it all over again. By the time you get your interview you will need your 2004 tax file, so do you not send in the 169 until next February?

 

What is Guangzhou going to do? Compare dates of when you got a Document and see that it was given to you after you sent the OF-169? Not impossible but highly unlikely. If the police report is to old, do they send you back to the end of the line and send another P-3 and tell you to start over??????

 

The longer you hold on to that package the longer it will be to the interview.

[Guest Gene]

If you decide to abandon your K-1  process Figure on at least a year from when you start all over with the K-3. The I-129 goes through MSC and they are slower than a snail right now and have been for about 6 months

 

I think if we get married and start over, we'll forget about the K3 and just go with the CR1. California is approving I-130s amazingly quickly right now. You're right about the K3. MSC is just crawling along. I'm wondering if the USCIS has adopted a strategy of making the K3 superfluous? They seem to be transferring I-130s to CSC from all over the country and throwing a lot of resources there. Nothing seems to be happening at MSC.

When I started all of this, January 2003, MSC was moving right along. NSC,TSCand CSC were very slow with the K-1's and the I-130's had processing dates in 2001. With in two months MSC all but stopped and the K-1's every where sped up. In the last three months the I-130's have really taken off. From all of that try to predict what is going to happen in the next three months...........Your guess will be as good as throwing darts at a board.

 

 

Of course through all of it the Vermont Serice center is so consistant you could set your watch by them.

 

I think if you throw away what headway you have made you will be sorry later........of course that is if time is important........If there is no hurry then start over.

 

I am in a mode of not seeing or feeling or smelling or being with my wife for four months now and it is driving me nuts

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

I think you guys are reading to much into this. The checklist is for you to have all of those documents to bring to the interview. With the length of time it takes to get the interveiw your police report will be over six months old and Guangzhou has been know to not accept that and your I-134  and the supporting Documents will be to old(last report 45 days) , so you get to do it all over again. By the time you get your interview you will need your 2004 tax file, so do you not send in the 169 until next February?

 

What is Guangzhou going to do? Compare dates of when you got a Document and see that it was given to you after you sent the OF-169? Not impossible but highly unlikely. If the police report is to old, do they send you back to the end of the line and send another P-3 and tell you to start over??????

 

The longer you hold on to that package the longer it will be to the interview.

 

Your points are all well taken, I just hate to have her sign something saying she has all the stuff when she doesn't have all the stuff. I agree that the odds of our being "caught" are pretty slim. And the form is rendered basically meaningless because they are sooooo slow.

[keelec]

Ok...

 

DS-230. You can download it from the internet and get it filled out whenever you want. K1 uses only Pt. 1. I don't remember who needed Pt. 2. The internet version is just as good as the GZ version. I believe that it "expired" sometime this summer. I don't know if the new version is available yet.

 

OF-169. Check all boxes that apply and return the form. I believe that it may be slightly personalized by GZ.

 

---------------

 

Start collecting the police reports and information that you need for the interview as soon as you return the P3 (BOTH DS-230 and OF-169). Some of the forms like police reports and medical exams expire after 6 months or a year, I forgot which. No need to start too early. Yes, some members have gotten blue slips for using dated police certs.

 

However, if you look at timelines, the can vary considerably. I believe that delays for sending out the P3 or P4 can be as short as a few weeks, or as long as several months.

 

ANY TIMELINE THAT YOU MAKE AT THIS POINT IS LIKELY PURE FANTASY. IT CAN EASILY BE MUCH SHORTER, OR MUCH LONGER THAN EXPECTED.

 

---- CK -----

[Guest Fionas_Fiance]

I think if you throw away what headway you have made you will be sorry later........of course that is if time is important........If there is no hurry then start over.

 

I am in a mode of not seeing or feeling or smelling or being with my wife for four months now and it is driving me nuts

 

I can relate. In fact, this is the first thing I brought up when Fiona said she wanted to get married sooner than later. The K1 is long enough, why make the process any longer? Plus I worked so hard on that darned I-129F! If we leave things untouched, we can (naively?) hope for April-Mayish. If we start over... even if the CSC continues to process I-130s in a month, it's more likely August-September-WhoKnowsIsh. I'd rather not mess around with something that seems to be going pretty well already.

 

Today (as of lunch) she seems more comfortable with sticking with the K1. Mostly because I've done a lot of homework to convince her it's going to add long delays during which time I won't be able to visit her. During my 'homework' process, I came across this P3 issue. It sounds from everything I've heard so far that it is important to turn in the OS-169 as soon as possible. It also sounds like most people don't wait to get all the stuff to send it in, because the wait is so !*(@(!&(!! long.