SHE'S HERE!!!!!!

[Jim - Portland, USA]

I'm very happy to tell all of you know that my sweetheart passed her interview, and we are finally together here now in Portland, a dream come true!!! And I also feel like the luckiest and happiest guy in the world, she's so great!!!!!! :D She is truly the love of my life and then some. :wub: I could write a book about how great she is and about how much I love her, and about how lucky I feel to have found her , but for this post I'll concentrate on how things went for the interview and immigration ...

 

The interview was on 10/21. She arrived in GZ on 10/15 PM and went in for the medical exam on 10/16 and paid the extra 100 RMB for rush results. Got the (successful) results on 10/19.

 

Showed up at the consulate at about 7:30 am on 10/21. I don't know how things were before, but now there are three lines to stand in before getting into the consulate. The pre-pre-line starts next to a little yellow building with a blue roof, some translation company. By 7:30 am there were about 12 people before her. About 7:45 am she was let into the pre-line where she shows her interview letter. A little after 8:00 am she was allowed to stand in line to get into the consulate. At about 8:15 am she went inside.

 

I handled things fairly well while waiting. Oddly enough, I had no idea when she might come out. I was thinking not until after 1:00 pm or so. For the next couple of hours, I saw other people come out, most with white slips in their hands and smiles on their faces. I also saw a few people with orange sheets of paper, I don't know what those were. I saw two people come out with a blue sheet of paper, assumingly the infamous "blue slips". I guess now the "slips" have turned into full sized sheets of paper.

 

At about 10:15 am I saw a girl come out who had been standing in front of Juxin in the pre-pre-line. I was shocked she came out so early. A stroy about her ... I thought for sure she was going to get a blue slip. Juxin and I talked to her a bit while standing in the pre-pre-line. She was CR-1. She had a big fake adidas handbag filled with cosmetics and hair-care products, and a thin envelope with a few papers inside. Assumingly her interview documents. I would say the weight of her handbag was triple that of the papers she was carrying. As it turned out, this girl was surprised to learn that she had to pay the application fee *before* the interview. She didn't remember doing that, and she wasn't able to find any such receipt. Moral of the story - she seemed pretty darn unprepared to me. She seemed like an air-head and didn't have much of a clue as to what the interview entailed. Well, at 10:15 she came walking out with her white slip and a big smile on her face, she got approved. Maybe the paper requirements for CR-1 are different, and I was shocked she made it, but she did. She was happy, and so was I.

 

So by this time I thought for sure my honey would come out soon. Well, about 1/2 hour later, at 10:45 am, my sweetheart came walking out, similar to so many before her ... with a smile on her face and a white slip in her hand. I kept asking, "Did you get it, did you get it?" She said yes and as soon as she got past the barriers I grabbed her with both arms, picked her up in the air, twirled her around, and gave her a big kiss! :D This provided much amusement from the crowd of others still waiting.

 

Here is what my honey told me about the interview ...

 

She was called up to the window with "the" big fat guy. Apparently he is the only big fat male VO?? I think we got a lucky break by getting this big fat guy. Juxin said he was very nice. He started off with the usual questions. The first of which ... "Who is your petitioner?". I like that question, so easy! Then ...

 

How did you meet him?

What does he do for a living?

How many times has he come to see you?

 

Juxin said "Three times, and he is waiting outside for me now". Oh, for those of you who don't know, Juxin speaks English very well. To answer the "How many times" question, Juxin mentioned that the first time we met in person was in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia (Juxin went to college in Malaysia for nearly four years to get her Bachelor's degree). He then wanted to see Juxin's passport that has the Malaysia entry/exit stamps. Those stamps were in Juxin's *expired* passport, which unfortunately, Juxin had left behind in the hotel room. it was her fault for leaving it behind, it was my fault for not checking with her that she had it with her. Nonetheless, the big fat guy wanted to see her expired passport and my honey couldn't comply. She said she left it in the hotel room, at that moment he was flipping through some paperwork and happen to come to the Malaysia police report. It seems that he wasn't able to fully comprehend what it was, so my honey told him that was the Malaysia police report, and apparently that was enough of a topic-nudger to get his mind off the subject of seeing her expired passport. He then started asking her more questions about the time she lived in Malaysia ...

 

How long did you live there?

What did you study there?

Is that where you learned your english?

 

He then started looking at our photographs. We gave him about 15 photos and I think he glanced at all of them. They were photos of Juxin and I together as well as us with her family. The last photo was of me and my mom holding up a sign saying "We love you Juxin. Come home soon". At that point he reached for the white slip and said "Your visa has been approved, come back tomorrow after 4:00 pm to pick it up".

 

He didn't look at any of the other paperwork that was available. No phone records, no emails, no copies of previous travel related documents (my trips to see Juxin), none of my original ID documents, I think he glanced at the Affidavit of Support documents.

 

The next day (10/22), we went back to the consulate and got back in line at the same place at about 3:30 pm. One (sad) story to tell about another couple. They were K-3 I think, and had started the process in August 2001. They were essentially still recovering from the black hole days. They finally had been scheduled for an interview (on Wednesday 10/20/04). He flew to GZ to be there for her interview. Amazingly, they waited until Monday 10/18 to do the medical exam. She mentioned that earlier that year she received false-positive results for TB. This sent the doctors into a tizzy which prompted them to do more tests. End result ... her medical results were not done in time for the interview. The medical hospital ended up calling the consulate and cancelled their interview!! So the couple didn't go, yet as it turns out, the consulate would have preferred she go in for her interview even if the medical results weren't finished yet, at least so they could re-schedule a second interview. But this couple didn't do that and they were in a world of hurt trying to contact the consulate to re-schedule such an interview. They had no one to contact and were standing in line with us trying to get up to window to talk to somebody. i don't know what happened to that couple. The lesson here is ... schedule that medical exam well in advance! The results are good for 6 months anyway, so why not do it as early as possible?

 

Anyway, back to our story. We got back in line at the same place at about 3:30 pm on 10/22. Eventually she was let into the courtyard area across that little street in front of the consulate windows. From a loudspeaker they called each person individually by name. Of about 100 or so people, Juxin was about the 80th to be called (a little nerve racking). But eventually they called her name and picked up her passport and came back over to me. We opened up her passport and then I saw such a beautiful sight ... her K-1 visa!!! Needless to say, we were both very happy :D

 

Later that week we caught our flight back to Portland. Uneventful all the way (whew) . We flew on a direct Northwest flight from Tokyo straight to Portland, OR. We stood in line for the "non-citizens". But there were way more non-citizens than citizens, so as soon as all the citizens were cleared, they opened up all the lines for everybody. One of the TSA ladies helping the crowd realized that I was an American citizen, and she whisked Juxin and I to the front on the line (ahead of about 10 other people). We went up to the immigration dude together. He asked *me* just a few basic questions:

 

How was your trip?

How long were you gone?

What do you do?

What is the name of your company?

Where are they located?

When is your marriage date?

 

I think he asked a few other basic questions but I really can't remember what. I don't remember him asking Juxin anything. He took the brown medical packet and all it's contents and kept them, yet not the x-ray tube (which the GZ consulate instructions say to pack in your carry-on luggage). After about 3 minutes of this, he said everything was fine and we were free to go. And away went went!!!! End of story!!!!

 

We still have all the AOS stuff ahead of us, but we really have very little interest in that stuff because we don't plan on her becoming a citizen and for now there are no plans for her to work. So we'll do the minimum paperwork to keep her lawfully in the country, but as far as we are concerned, the government can take its own sweet time prcoessing whatever paperwork there is ahead of us. They can take as long as they like now, because we are DONE waiting for them, finally, YES!!! We are together now and that is all that matters to us!!!!

 

That wraps up out interview report. I've waited so long to say that!!! Please feel free to ask any questions you have, I'll do my best to answer them.

 

Signing off as a very very happy guy, who feels like the luckiest guy in the world, together with the love of my life , like a dream come true .....

 

Jim & Juxin

 

[Guest Long_strider]

Thanks great news Jim and Juxin. Welcome to Portland!!!!

 

long_strider aka Mike and Yuqing

[turtle]

Hey, very cool, congrats. It does seem like the white slips were flowing pretty freely that week, hope this keeps up!

[yuanfen42]

Congratulations! Live happily ever after.

 

A quick question, what's the brown medical packet? Is that from the

medical exam? Also i thought you have to wait for p4 (including

medical exam forms) to do th exam, right?

 

Thanks,

wade

[bobmal99]

Just remember whether she wants to become a citizen or not, you have to file the AOS in the required time if you want to keep everything legal.

 

You should also apply for the EAD even if she does not plan on working, she will need that also as another form of ID..

 

Anyway best of luck and congratulations!!!

[warpedbored]

Hurray for you Jim!!!!!!!!! I'm happy to hear the interview was successful. Methinks it must be time to schedule another Oregon get together to welcome your finace and Ray's wife. Since she just got here she will need some time to settle in. When would be a good time for you guys?

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Congrats Jim & Juxin!

 

Very happy things went smoothly for you two, now you can really begin to realize your dreams together.

 

Thanks for the elaborate story too, that gives everyone good insight to the entire interview/ pick up the visa process.

 

Good luck!

 

California

[Jason+Joanna]

!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Would like to know how you arranged the flight back. Did you plan ahead for this, or have travel agency there help with that ?

[yave20b]

Congratulations Jim!!! One long ordeal finally over with. And thanks for the extremely valuable insight into the inner workings of the interview process. Again, Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mikem]

You should try to be a little more Happy!! I know how you feel.. CONGRATS

[ndjarrett]

Finally done with this part. CONGRATS!

[eeyore]

Congratulations, the hard part is now over!!!!

 

Best of luck.

 

Thomas.

[tonymasiello]

Congrats Jim and Juxin!!!

 

You two waited a long time for this day, and I am glad it has finally arrived for you. I wish you much happiness in your journey together!

[wolffjw]

Congratulations Jim & Juxin.

 

That is such wonderful news. Fantastic!!! Your story was so touching! It actually brought tears to my eyes. I suppose I was so moved because I know our day is coming soon too.

 

Best of luck to you both. You've earned it and you deserve it.

 

Have a wonderful new beginning and a long and prosperous happy life together.

 

-jim and Ningning

[resp]

Congratulations to Jim & Juxin

great news.

We wish you both a wonderful life together.

Terrence & Linda