News from gZ

[king]

Two items of some importance:

1. There is a new temporarty IV unit chief. Randy Townsend, who moves in from the NIV unit. Michael Yen left unannouced, due, as I was told, because he had been out of the US continously for too long, so he had to go back. A new permanent IV unit chief is supposed to come in in the Summer.

2. The whole Visa Section itself will move this Summer to the Tianhe area of Guangzhou. That also includes the CIS office and adoptions I am told. The new office will be close to (3 or 4 blocks) the East Railroad Station (the rail link to Hong Kong). There are a variety of hotels close by too.

[Luo_Bin_&_Jialu]

Thank you for your "heads up" on these matters King. I am always happy to read your posts.

 

Does it seem like things will be improving, staying the same, or going to get worse in the very near future--as in the next three months?

 

Respectfully,

 

 

Rob

[jtaylo69]

Cool, Hopefully this will help to speed things up if just a little

[John & Hai Yan]

Thanks for the info King.

 

My guess is that there will be some degree of interuption of services. Hopefully, it will only be a short interuption for a few days, while they physically make the transition. A larger space and additional staff which they have been advertizing for, should lead to faster processing. Let's all hope for the best. Personally it won't matter for me since we have our appointment in three days.

 

I hope the change in leadership leads to good things.

[ptcrusier333rph]

wonder if this had anything to do with the meeting with our star" pregnant with twin" CFL reporter interview

 

 

lol

 

robert

[beijingjenny]

wonder if this had anything to do with the meeting with our star" pregnant with twin"  CFL  reporter interview

 

 

lol

 

robert

Haha, I wish. Just glad it happens for whatever reason it does. Thanks for the info King.

[cosmiclobster]

Thanks for the info King.

 

My guess is that there will be some degree of interuption of services. Hopefully, it will only be a short interuption for a few days, while they physically make the transition. A larger space and additional staff which they have been advertizing for, should lead to faster processing. Let's all hope for the best. Personally it won't matter for me since we have our appointment in three days.

 

I hope the change in leadership leads to good things.

John: I'm very glad to hear that you will get your interview before the transition!!

 

As for your optomistic prediction about a few days interruption, I think a few month interruption is a lot more realistic.

Not only do they have to move all of their equipment (hardware and an untold number of files, records and cases) to a new location and set up enough security checkpoints and remotely locked doors to make it resemble a prison, they have to move all of their IT functions. I think this will be the biggest time consumer in the process. Setting up secured links to DOS, wiring up their entire new location, the biometric scanners which took a month or two last time.

 

Personally, I think a 2 or 3 month delay is in order when they finally decide to move. If our govt was run like an efficient business, they would buy new equipment and make all of the connections before the move. Then they would have time to test the system abnd work out the bugs. But you can bet your rear end that they will take all of their old stuff to the new location, then connect it all and then try to make it work right. I really hope for the people that will follow me that it will only take a 3 month adjustment time but I would not bet on it!!

[king]

I think the IV unit will try to maintain the staus quo as long as possible before the move, but unless it brings in new people for the move it will most likely have to devote some officers to the move. Like death and taxes, I think disruption for some cases is a sure bet.

 

My guess is the Consulate will buy new equipment. The space was a shell and the Consulate is building it out from bare interior walls, hvac and all.

[BobandNicole]

I've heard that the Chinese Government has given the US space for new consulate in Guanzhou and Embassy in Beijing. However, there's only funding from the US governement to build the embassy in Beijing at the moment, so the new consulate in Guangzou will have to wait until the new embassy is bult.

 

Probably a long wait.

 

Bob

[John & Hai Yan]

Thanks for the info King.

 

My guess is that there will be some degree of interuption of services. Hopefully, it will only be a short interuption for a few days, while they physically make the transition. A larger space and additional staff which they have been advertizing for, should lead to faster processing. Let's all hope for the best. Personally it won't matter for me since we have our appointment in three days.

 

I hope the change in leadership leads to good things.

John: I'm very glad to hear that you will get your interview before the transition!!

 

As for your optomistic prediction about a few days interruption, I think a few month interruption is a lot more realistic.

Not only do they have to move all of their equipment (hardware and an untold number of files, records and cases) to a new location and set up enough security checkpoints and remotely locked doors to make it resemble a prison, they have to move all of their IT functions. I think this will be the biggest time consumer in the process. Setting up secured links to DOS, wiring up their entire new location, the biometric scanners which took a month or two last time.

 

Personally, I think a 2 or 3 month delay is in order when they finally decide to move. If our govt was run like an efficient business, they would buy new equipment and make all of the connections before the move. Then they would have time to test the system abnd work out the bugs. But you can bet your rear end that they will take all of their old stuff to the new location, then connect it all and then try to make it work right. I really hope for the people that will follow me that it will only take a 3 month adjustment time but I would not bet on it!!

Hey Steve with that prediction, you make me very happy we are having the interview in 30 hours!

[Cody]

Does anyone know when this move is really supposed to occur? The GUZ website doesn't say anything about it, and I haven't seen any news on the DOS website.

[BobandNicole]

Probably GUZ, or even the contractors doing the remodel/contrsruction on the building can't even predict accurately. They might have a competion target date from the contstruction company doing the work, but usually they are off by 2 months, or even more depending on the complexity of the project.

 

This I know from decoratiing 2 apartments here from bare wall shells. TIC.

Bob

[beijingjenny]

Would be nice if the new BJ embassy would accomodate an IV unit...

[hypoclear]

Two items of some importance:

1. There is a new temporarty IV unit chief. Randy Townsend, who moves in from the NIV unit. Michael Yen left unannouced, due, as I was told, because he had been out of the US continously for too long, so he had to go back. A new permanent IV unit chief is supposed to come in in the Summer.

2. The whole Visa Section itself will move this Summer to the Tianhe area of Guangzhou. That also includes the CIS office and adoptions I am told. The new office will be close to (3 or 4 blocks) the East Railroad Station (the rail link to Hong Kong). There are a variety of hotels close by too.

Great Info King and part 1.. while those in polite society would accept this explaination. It seems I can remember just a number of months back when there was to be a "New kid on the block.. who was going to show us who's who's and what's what's.

 

hmm something seems a little shakey by this early departure. Are we shielding someone, ducking before the fan exits the excreatment? or is this just another example of .. who me? you know I can't read.. coz if I could I wouldn't hire you with just 3 months left to go.

 

Is it possible the rumblings of the group are having an effect some wheres up the chain?

 

Or was this person a trouble shooter who just couldn't in the end shoot?

 

The larger facialaties sounds great and hopefully they will have more staff.

 

Here is one I have heard from a friend who heard it from a source in the American Services Unit.. "Job number 1 is to keep people out over at the NIV unit."

 

Do you think there is any substance to this?

 

Mark and Bea and Elizabeth

 

I certainly will be polite and not mention the emperor has no cloths, but I'll be darned if I'm going to stand here looking at his sorry assed butt!

[king]

This news is from Bill Martin straight to me. He said he is hoping to move to the new quarters by July 1st, but somethings have to be done first. Of course. Two months before the move the Visa section has to get approval from Wash. DC and the inspection team is due here in April. We will see. I'm not going to hold my breath.