In order to HELP us ALL

[joray]

Hi, all

 

My SO talked to someone from the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs today, a Public Affairs rep. She told him that she didn't believe that K-1 visas could take AS LONG AS 6 months to obtain (once the packet arrives in Guangzhou). (those idiots in the government department deciding our destiny!)

 

She quoted "29 days" from the website as if she thought that was the whole time. My so explained the average wait times and asked her if they were percieved as a problem or concern by the Bureau. The answer was no. Ryan suggested to her that understaffing at Guangzhou might be the problem. She didn't agree.

 

It seems that some people in the State Department are defensive, but that many are simply unaware of what a scandal Guangzhou is. Others may be turning a blind eye, but I sure some people would be moved if they knew the truth.

 

Many of you have your particular grievances, but we all share the problem of long wait times. There is really no justification for seperating fiancees or spouses for a year while a file sits in a cabinet untouched for most of that time. The inhumanity of that has to resonate with someone in power, someone for whom it really isn't a big deal to say "Hey, Guangzhou, why so damn slow?"

 

It will take mental toughness and thick skin, but I think it is important for us to simply call the State Department and ask for improvement. Start with the lower offices and work your way up. Be reasonable and polite, but persistant. If they say it's someone else's job, ask who and call that person. If that person won't help you or you already talked to him, call the first person again and tell him you aren't being helped by the other person. If they say it's purely a visa concern, tell them no it's not; this adversely affects U.S. China relations, the rights of American Citizens, and is the worst kind of diplomacy for our country.

 

We must tell them our problem if we want them to help us.

 

Everyone, please call a few people a day, give your specific dates and wait times and ask what they will do to speed the process. If you are in contact with (i.e., sent an email to) your congressmen, mention that. Be prepared for angry, defensive, apathetic, but occasionally interested people. If they won't help you, go up the ladder. If enough of us do this, complaints will get back down to them from their superiors. And that is the only thing that will make them act!

 

Here are the numbers, folks. They come from a Federal directory. Print and call. Share your feedback! If absolutely no one will help you, you will have names and numbers to report to your representatives in Congress.

 

1.

 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services

 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services

Deputy Assistant Secretary Janice Jacobs

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6811, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-9584

Managing Director Stephen A. Edson

Columbia Plaza Office Building, 2401 E Street, NW, Room L703-H, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 663-1153

Senior Advisor Diane R. Bean

Harry S. Truman Building, 2401 E Street, NW, Room L703-G, Washington, DC 20520

Career: Country Officer (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore), Office of Philippine, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, United States Department of State; Country Officer, Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan), United States Department of State

(202) 663-1155

 

2.

 

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520

Fax: (202) 647-0341

Assistant Secretary Maura Ann Harty

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6811, Washington, DC 20748

Education: Georgetown BA

(202) 647-9576

Personal Assistant Bridget Kissinger

(202) 647-9576

Special Assistant Debra Heien

Career: Consul General, Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, U.S. Embassies and Foreign Service Posts

(202) 647-7408

Staff Assistant Stuart Fleishman

(202) 647-7948

Staff Assistant Phillip Slattery

Career: Vice Consul, Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, U.S. Embassies and Foreign Service Posts

(202) 647-7948

Staff Assistant Nicole Theriot

(202) 647-7948

 

3.

 

Office of Public Diplomacy:

 

China, People’s Republic of (Beijing)

Country Officer (American Institute of Taiwan-Taipei, China, Hong Kong) Robert Palladino

(202) 647-7059

Internal Affairs/Human Rights Officer Michael Hale

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 4318, Washington, DC 20520

Career: Internal Affairs/Human Rights, Office for Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, United States Department of State

(202) 647-6774

 

 

4.

 

Office of Regional Affairs

East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Bysfield

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 7418, Washington, DC 20520

Career: Consular Officer, Shenyang Consulate General, Office of the U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, U.S. Embassies and Foreign Service Posts

(202) 647-8729

 

 

5.

 

Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau

Christopher R. Hill

Presidential Appointment Requiring Senate Confirmation

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6205, Washington, DC 20520

Education: Bowdoin 1974 BA; Naval War 1994 MA

Career: Volunteer, United States Peace Corps; Senior Country Officer for Poland, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Director, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State; U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia and Special Envoy for Kosovo, United States Embassy in Macedonia, United States Department of State, William J. Clinton Administration; Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Southeast European Affairs, National Security Council, Executive Office of the President; U.S. Ambassador to Poland, United States Embassy in Poland, United States Department of State (2000-2004); U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Embassy of the United States, George W. Bush Administration (2004-2005)

(202) 647-9596

Special Assistant Marc D. Koehler

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6205, Washington, DC 20520

Career: Internal Affairs/Human Rights Officer, China, People’s Republic of (Beijing), United States Department of State

(202) 647-4161

Staff Assistant Nolan Barkhouse

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6205, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-6921

Staff Assistant Shaana Tolson Day

E-mail: dayst@state.gov

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6205, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-6916

Staff Assistant Thomas Hines

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 6205, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-6921

 

 

7.

 

Office of the Executive Director

China, Hong Kong, Mongolia Post Management Officer Roberto Brady

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 4313A, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-6222

 

 

8.

 

State Department Chief of Staff Brian F. Gunderson

Non-Career Senior Executive Service (SES) Appointment

E-mail: gundersonb@state.gov

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 7234A, Washington, DC 20520

Education: Marquette 1985 BA

Career: Chief of Staff, Office of the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, George W. Bush Administration

(202) 647-5548

Deputy Chief of Staff Ruth ElliottSchedule C Appointment

E-mail: elliottre@state.gov

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 7226, Washington, DC 20520

Education: Stanford 1988 BA

Career: Special Assistant for Scheduling and Advance, Executive Secretary, National Security Council, Executive Office of the President

(202) 647-5106

 

Extra (9).

 

For those of you who want to pursue a human rights argument:

 

Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau (Acting)

Michael G. Kozak

Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C Street, NW, Room 7802, Washington, DC 20520

(202) 647-2570

 

thanks for the attention and let's find out what we can achieve if we all take ten minutes to do the phone call!

[joray]

And Ryanryan, I think the name list might be too long for some people. Can you shorten the list to one or two people, the most significant in our process! And we just focus on them insteading spreading our forces.

[Orrin]

Joray,

 

You obviously spent a good deal of time and research preparing your post, and I, as well as many others here, appreciate your effort. The reality of the situation is, however, that SIX MONTHS IS VERY QUICK compared to what it was a year ago. A year to 18 months ago the average processing time for a K1 visa, from P1 to P4 WAS OVER 1 YEAR. I suggest that you take a look at some of the timelines of some of the more senior members of this board. There, you’ll see that some waited as long as 18 months from P1 to P3, only to have their SO denied the visa at the first interview. Trust me; if you can get it done in six or seven months, you’re way ahead of the power curve. Although K1s are sometimes a bit quicker to obtain than a K3 or other spousal visas, to expect to get a K1 visa processed, from initial petition to visa issuance, in less than one year is being unrealistically naïve.

 

The State Department is about as autonomous as a federal government agency can get, and they operate at their own pace. I’m not sure that you’re aware of the fact that ALL of the K1 visa applications for the whole of China are processed through the GZ consulate. The only thing that will be accomplished by initiating a blizzard of correspondence throughout the seemingly endless levels of the State Department is to really piss off some low-level clerk at the GZ consulate, who will then see to it that your petition goes to the bottom of the pile. Indeed, CFL is a great place to come for moral support, help, and some degree of comfort, but you must understand that, you, I, and all of the other members of this board are but mere fly specks on the Great Wall when it comes to the overall scope of the DOS. Once you understand and accept this fact, and let the process proceed at the pace it no doubt will, you will be relieved of most of the mental anguish and stress that comes from the separation of you from your SO.

 

If you really want to expedite the process, here are a few things that you CAN do;

 

1. Make sure that you fill out ALL of the required documentation EXACTLY as the instructions indicate, including ALL (every scrap, whether you think it’s relevant or not) of the supporting documentation they request. For this task, CFL can be an enormous source of information and help.

 

2. Make at least one additional visit to your SO in China. Make sure that you save every scrap of paper during these trips including: airline ticket stubs, credit card receipts, receipts from any currency exchanges you may complete, date-stamped photos, etc., etc. Any documentation that will prove your multiple visits there will go a long way in helping her through the interview.

 

3. No matter how many trips you make to China, make absolutely sure that you are there with her for her visa interview no matter when it is scheduled. If she is rejected on the first interview, you will be able to speak face-to-face with the interviewing Visa Officer (VO) to find out first hand why she was rejected, and exactly what needs to be done to get the visa issued at the next interview. No matter how well prepared you think you are, there is a 50/50 chance (unless your SO is from Fujian province, in which case the chances are 90/10) that she will be rejected at the first interview.

 

All of this being said, I wish you and your SO the best of luck. I sincerely hope that you can beat the odds and get this whole thing done in a minimum amount of time so that you can enjoy the most time together.