Breakfast with Maura

[hypoclear]

This quote from the news article reinforces what I have said about DOS priorities:

 

"Harty said the US government was doing everything it could to improve the visa application process so that more Chinese students were able to study in the US instead of going elsewhere."

 

There is no mention of immigrant visas, because that is not a priority.  We are at the bottom of the stack, and will only get buried deeper as they try to make things more efficient for "students" and business people. 

 

We need to start writing letters.

M O N E Y..

 

I think Lyle Lovett did the song and it seems this is the first law of any and everything.

 

Our universities and other institutes of higher education are losing it, as the end of the boomers babies wander off to the world of work.

 

Business?.. well the Business of Business is Business.. which spells M O N E Y..

 

The second law of M O N E Y is, .... if you ain't got it you ain't.

 

We can not compete on that ground, exposure and public sentiment.. emotional stories may put pressure on the pols... as the third law states P O W E R equals M O N E Y and if your constituants are not happy with you no power.

 

Jenny great work!

 

I'll bet it feels better to be in control rather than controlled.. and just think.. everyone else there had to eat that sucky breakfest too!! hehehe Equality

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

[hypoclear]

Just out News article http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2...tent_421352.htm

 

(CRI)

Updated: 2005-03-03 09:43

 

 

In the face of growing criticism over the difficulties faced by Chinese people getting visas for the US since the September 11 attacks, US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affair, Maura Harty, visited Beijing on Wednesday to assure Chinese people that the US was still "an open and welcoming society".

 

"America is open for travel. Americans welcome travellers to the United States. We want to make sure that everyone, both American citizens and travellers in any kind of visa category, have a safe and secure visit to the United States and that the visa process is as efficient as it possibly can be."

 

The US embassy in Beijing started to fingerprint visa applicants a year ago, a measure which it says is aimed at boosting security.

 

In her visit to Beijing, Harty defended the fingerprinting requirement for applicants, saying it was necessary and was a quick and efficient process that took less than a minute.

 

However, many Chinese applicants consider the measure discriminatory, as applicants in some other countries don't have to have their finger prints taken.

 

The United States issues about 180,000 non-immigrant visas to Chinese citizens each year, and currently there are more than 60,000 Chinese students studying in the United States.

 

Harty said the US government was doing everything it could to improve the visa application process so that more Chinese students were able to study in the US instead of going elsewhere.

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

I'd be more than willing to write a letter once my wife and I are back in the States. My case was expedited due to ShuPing's pregnancy so I can't cry too loudly, but I have been waiting 10 months for this day, much less than others, but still a considerable time when we were just waiting for some paperwork to get completed.

 

Irregardless, I have watched others suffer through this wait and felt the pain in their words. Sure, the children are important, but I agree with the others who question the priority. Adoption can't be any more important than uniting a family that's already established.

 

The issue that seems the easiest to correct and effected me the greatest is that GZ is the only consulate that does this. It would've saved me and my wife a load of trouble and money if she could've gone to one of the northern consulates.

 

Dear Mata... er um, Maura,

 

There are lots of ways to streamline the current processes and also increase immigration in the ways you want. Log on to CFL for lots of ideas.

 

Sincerely,

 

(My actual letter will be bigger, I promise.)

[beijingjenny]

The problem with domestic adoption is that it will never work under the one child policy. People want their own.

 

The whole fact that immigrants weren't even mentioned was one reason I wanted to raise the question in front of everyone. But then it was AmCham sponsored so it's natural she would focus on business. And I guess I didn't look like a businessman. Perhaps we should have tried to organize her to talk to all the IV applicants in China!

 

Yes, I wish I had stressed better the inefficiency aspect. I gave a bit more detail on these thigns in the letter I handed her though. I was wary though of even giving too much detail on our own case before the interview for fear of ending up on some list... I did mention CFL for the stats, so who know if someone will start looking now. Not sure if that would be a good or bad thing...

 

I still can kind of see the language thing. They want people working for the state department doing it - i.e. that have gone through all the training/indoctrination. And finding people willing to do that who also speak Chinese would be difficult!

 

At any rate, I'm looking forward to that breakfast ..... The prob with everyone else suffering the same breakfast is that they likely didn't pay for it... benefits of being businesspeople. Actually it's a good networking thing I prob should have been doing more of.

 

And I'm glad we're all becoming activists these days. Keep it up. Strength in numbers.

[Robert S.]

Let's write a followup letter from CFL where we thank her for talking to you and give her an extensive list of all the complaints we have. We can also inform her about how we are trying to help by each of us writing letters to our senators and congresspersons and requesting more money be spent out of the monstrous federal budget on better facilities and staffing for the Chinese embassies.

[Robert S.]

Is everyone just going to ignore this opportunity?

[hank]

I agree with Robert. Our issue needs to be heard, so let's get the letters going... especially when this topic is fresh in Mrs. Harty's mind... thanks to Jenny.

 

Another IMPORTANT issue that occured to me this morning. Unlike adoptions, these visa problems could also cause backdoor deportations of American Citizens. I know that this sounds crazy, but bear with me.

 

If my visa was denied, like those of several of our CFL members in the black hole, I would be left with no choice but to leave the United States and move to China. This scenario does not exist with adoption issues.

 

But how many of us can walk away from our so? If we can't, then we are forced to leave the U.S. In other words, this is a round-about way of deporting American Citizens. That is why our issue is so crucial, and outweighs adoptions by far. We need to be heard.

 

Please Please Please Write an email or registered letter. Especially if you are one of those who have passed through this gauntlet. The rest of us need your help.

 

maura harty : hartyma@state.gov

 

Her address:

2201 C Street NW

Room 6811

Washington DC 20520

202-647-9576

[beijingjenny]

I agree that a group letter is also a good idea (maybe even complete with case numbers for those that are willing to share with the letter writer) - I just don't have much energy left for this for the next month.

[hank]

Thanks donahso,

 

I would gladly volunteer to draft and organize the group letter. Before doing so, it would be helpful to get suggestions from CFL members.

 

1) What issues should we bring to the table.

2) What is the best way to approach this issue.

3) Which members would like to sign the petition.

 

In addition, I want to strongly state that this will be a positive petition. We want to enlist the help of our government representatives, so we need to ask in a polite way. This does not mean that we cannot address important issues, but we need to approach it from the right angle.

 

What do you all think? Should we do it?

[oregonknl]

Carl: "I think husbands/wife, children of US citizens and fiancee's should have at least as high a priority as adopted babies..."

 

Dan: "I guess the problem is why is the government so interested in providing the avenue for adopting Chinese babies rather than helping adults unite to form a household?"

 

RMark: "Sure, the children are important, but I agree with the others who question the priority. Adoption can't be any more important than uniting a family thats already established."

 

Hit a nerve here folks, but I am going to bite my lip, and try to be rational... The ship is sinking... who do we put in the life boat first??

 

Someone once said: "Justice delayed, is justice denied" ... Wish some of the Social Science majors ----- (them wid' the advanced degrees) would step up to the plate here...

 

Because one of the Big motivating factors of those of us who adopt in China is this:

 

"DEVELOPMENT (EARLY CHILDHOOD) DELAYED IS DEVELOPMENT DENIED!"

 

... And folks, I can tell you, from first hand experience --- children close to me, and Jet's orphanage sisters ---- THIS IS A FACT OF LIFE... if the abandoned girls of China don't get parents in the very formative first years, the are damamged for life!

 

... So lets not clamber so much to be the first into the life boat of America, shall we?

 

...... None of these kids becomes a burden on the American taxpayer, all of them are given a chance to be much more than they probably could become if they stayed in the orphanges of China...

[warpedbored]

Kim I do feel great sympathy for the discarded children of China and Yes I know their formative years are important. There are children all over the world including america who need the same chance. We can't possibly take them all in. But what about the toll on existing familys? The mother who is now a naturalized citizen worried sick about the child who had to be left behind? The husband or wife who hasn't lived with his wife and step children in a very long time who certainly need their father to contribute to their develpment? How do we keep these familys together during these prolonged absences. I remember reading on story about during the black hole days. This man's company sent him to Thailand where he met and married his wife and had children. He expected to stay in Thailand for many years until his company unexpectedly sent him back to the states. After 3 years of trying to get his wife and children to the US she finally got tired of waiting and divorced him. Those children need thier father too. Countless examples could be dug up and I know it is a sore spot with you but I still hold my ground that family visas are as important as adoption visas and should have the same priority.

[oregonknl]

Carl,

 

Yeah, as we all know, particularly in America --- "divorce happens" but that is nothing compared to what happens in the orphanages in China ....

 

The example you use is a sitution where the child still has family connections...

 

In the orphanages of China, there are whole rooms of infants in push around infant donuts with wheels --- we all know these... but the infants only get basic care --- they don't (ususally) get the necessary attention for normal develement....

 

Its a huge wase of humanity, and I for one, am willing to put them at the head of the line, if it means they will be united with a family in America that will give them the attention they need before it is too late. (No cost to the US tax payer..)

[warpedbored]

Bottom line is they are all important and should be processed in a timely manner. Even a 6 month start to finish timeline is too long. There is no reason why it couldn't be done in 3-4 months if they would just do it.

[lele]

The facts in this case are obvious:

 

the numbers of infants who are dying prematurely due to hunger, pollution, and preventable disease are huge. the numbers are staggering. they make me so sad. and hence, this is a problem which we should address.

 

the numbers are even more staggering when a lack of development is considered.

 

however, the numbers from china, and from the us are roughly on par with each other. hence, adoption in the two countries, should be encouraged equally. i do not see this being the case in the us.

 

and if it were merely concern for the kids, then the us would refocus its efforts to encourage adoptions from many of the central and east african nations, the south east Asian nations, and from the Caribbean nations and high population density regions in the us.

 

but, i do not see this happening.

 

there are *so* many easy solutions...but politics prevent them. here are a few i have recently thought of:

 

1. close the 'visa issuing point' in taiwan. have all people from taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong interview for all visas in Hong Kong (which is one of the least worked staffs in the world). reshift all of these Chinese speaking staff to the mainland and use them to form a second mainland IV unit as well as more people to process NIV too.

 

2. have all people with their hukou in Guangdong interview at the HK consulate for IV visas (since they speak the same dialect anyway, and can all get a 7-day pass to HK). This would free up resources.

 

3. open a consulate in mongolia, and shift all Mongolian passport and north Korean passport visa applicants to this consulate (ie: not to mainland china anymore).

 

4. shift some of the staff that speak mandarin out of the singaporean embassy and into the mainland consulates (Singapore is another of the most underworked consulates that the US has in Asia). If this causes a problem, add some more English speaking people from the too many consulates that the US has in England or Canada to Singapore.

 

These are all so easy to accomplish that they do not require a congressional law or bill to be passed, merely administrative prerogative. They are easy and fast to set-up. And they would make the system far more efficient, at least as far as East Asia and Singapore are concerned.

[ptcrusier333rph]

why not just open a office that deal with adoption only, completely away from other visa.

 

1 consulate for adoption

1 consulate for travel and student visa

1 consulate for K1 and K3 etc

 

 

very simple,

 

robert