Should I delay my trip to China??

[RJZ+JCW]

Hi guys, I am looking for experienced opinion. I work for a Chinese-American company, and in the past 4 years I have travelled quite frequently to China, but I just received our NOA1 only 2 weeks ago, and I do not want to be out of town when other notices arrive from USCIS. If there is some trouble, I especially want to be here, I do not want to delay the already long Visa process.

 

My main question is, when would be "safe" for me to go to China for work?? Is it OK to go after NOA2?? I just don't want to miss anything!!!

 

TIA

[kfman]

Cant you just send in a change of address? Then your paperwork will be forwarded... seems easy to me. I guess I would envy you some, I would love the opportunity to work in china.. but I dont remember there being any federal prisons there.. hahahahah at least for us...

 

Good luck in your decision

 

[RJZ+JCW]

Also, I can not do a change of address because I don't stay in China for any set time,

 

 

But, I can request to stay home until a NOA2 comes, or something...my question is, after I receive which form is it OK for me to not be around to check my mail??

[kfman]

Actually I was thinking change of address at NVC with your paperwork. You can notify them that you are moving, and if you do, you should let them know that anyway, for interview purposes.... just my thought.

 

[Jim - Portland, USA]

RJZ+JCW,

 

Which service center did you file through? That's makes a huge difference. If you went through Vermont (fastest), you should be getting your NOA2 any day now (go check your mailbox!). If you went through Nebraska (slowest) it may not come for another 5 months. The other service centers are somewhere in between.

 

There is a fair chance you may get an RFE sometime between NOA1 and NOA2. If so, you really should jump on it ASAP.

 

After you have received NOA2, your job is finished. There is nothing more for you to do until P4, many months away. You may *want* to babysit your case after NOA2 (track packages, send endless emails to GZ, etc), but from experience I can tell you that any amount of babysitting between NOA2 and P3 is fruitless. That means you don't *need* to babysit your case after NOA2. Just sit back and enjoy the (long) ride Even after P3, the only thing you have to worry about is did she get P3? You can ask her yourself from China!

 

My advice ... go to China after NOA2, then ... why do I have to tell you this?? Go enjoy your sweetie!!! Go to China and see your sweetie as much as possible. Spend your time in China nurturing and developing your relationship. Duh You'll be in for a long wait, and most people would love love love to be stuck in China, all the more nearer to their dearer ones.

[perryf]

You can check the status thru the UCSIS website. However, I was in China when we were expecting our NOA2. I tried checking the UCSIS website via a computer in our hotel room, but could not log on. I was able to log on during the return trip, by logging on thru a terminal in HK airport.

 

After, when I was talking to Fanny and she was asking how I knew we were approved, I told her about the UCSIS website and gave her my logon info. She was able to view our info I think thru a UCSIS link on the 001 website.

 

PF

[hank]

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!

 

The notices that you will receive from the USCIS and NVC are merely notices... these are not forms that need to be returned. Basically, they are just "for your information".

 

Besides, you can always get this information by calling the USCIS and NVC by phone. So you will lose absolutely nothing by being in China. And trying to get a change of address may even complicate things more. Just have a neighbor collect your mail for you.

 

In fact, being in China may be a good thing. This process is incredibly long, and the more time that you can spend with your so the better. I wish that I could spend time in China.

 

If your company ever has any overseas openings and could use a well educated guy that speaks Cantonese, please let me know. I would love to work in China.

[warpedbored]

You guys have missed the obvious. If he is sent to China to work then he could do a DCF and go to the head of the line. Just go to China and get married.

[RJZ+JCW]

I am not worried about missing a NOA2, actually I am worried if before the NOA2 I may need to provide more info. Is that possible??

 

Hank, my company deals in Mandarin, and trust me, working for my company is no fun at all. Thanks for the opinions, I would also like to go see my SO, but we are both busy for our jobs.

[Mengxin]

I know exactly what your saying. My last trip cost me 4 weeks delay. That sucks, but on the other hand my company did flip the bill for the plane tix to see Lao Po also.

 

Are you working in Shanghai or Beijing? It's easier to get around Shanghai, but both are fun places to be as long as you have a co-worker or your wife with you. If you are alone, go to where the westerners hangout. It helps to socialize a little.

 

There isn't going to be a safe time to go when it comes to timing. Especially 2 to 3 months. It would also depend if you are K1 or K3 visa. The paperwork is handled differently. The timelines so far, have been pretty consistant. You should always know what paperwork to expect next.

 

You have a couple months to go now before you need anything out of your file cabnet at home. If you have a friend or somebody you can trust to check your mail for you, you should be all right. When the paperwork arrives have them scan it to pdf and e-mail it to you. Save some time that way.

 

Your boss sounds like mine. You are not alone in that department. Don't let yourself get too down either. You'll just make yourself more miserable and depressed, unless you can talk yourself out of it. You haven't left yet and your already bumbed out. not good. Try to keep it light.

 

Good luck.

[Jim - Portland, USA]

I am not worried about missing a NOA2, actually I am worried if before the NOA2 I may need to provide more info. Is that possible??

Read my post. Your case could possibly turn to dust if you fail to respond to a RFE in a timely manner. Lots of people get RFEs. You could be one of them.

[RJZ+JCW]

Thx guys. For a RFE, will I get a email for that?? I am subscribed to the USCIS email system. I will have someone check my mail every 2 days, and I will return to the US immediately if I get a RFE or some other issue.

 

Yeah, address changes are BAD....especially since USPS apparently hires illiterate people.

 

I appreciate all the good points. THX!

[warpedbored]

Just read about a 12 day NOA2 from Nebraska for a K-1. Curious, hey?

 

It depends a bit on what kind of petition you filed - I-130 or an I-129F Fiancee. Either could get a RFE as Jim suggested and it's far better to be here to handle it.

 

As far as trying an address change - DON'T. I've seen way too many people get screwed up by changing addresses somewhere in the process.

When Bing and I were going through our 186 day wait for NOA-2 through NSC every now and then a NOA-2 with a 3 to 15 day timeline would pop up. No one was ever able to figure out why. One of the guys who got a 3 day approval posted on visa delays and he didn't have a clue as to why either but he wasn't complaining. One of the popular theorys was they take the new guy back to show where the applications come in, grab one off the top of the stack and show them how to process it.

[Mengxin]

Thx guys. For a RFE, will I get a email for that?? I am subscribed to the USCIS email system.  I will have someone check my mail every 2 days, and I will return to the US immediately if I get a RFE or some other issue.

 

Yeah, address changes are BAD....especially since USPS apparently hires illiterate people.

 

I appreciate all the good points. THX!

Yes, You will be notified by e-mail that an RFE is coming. In my case, I received the letter in the snail mail, two days after getting the e-mail. The e-mail only said the RFE was coming. Nothing else. I called USCIS right away to see if they could tell me over the phone. The lady could not even tell me what was wrong over the phone. I had to wait for the letter.

 

When the letter came, it said I didn't prove that I was an American citizen . (Long story) A long with that, I found other mistakes my lawyer had made, that USCIS didn't ask me to correct. I wrote them a detailed letter of the other descrepancies I saw, and submitted suporting docs along with it.

 

Fortunately, The problems were easily corrected. I got my NOA2, only a few weeks later.

You may not need to come home, if you got somebody you can trust to cover your mail. Have them send it over e-mail. Tell them where to get what they need.