China Customs: 2-3 months or is it unclogged ?!?!?

[Mike and Yan 0]

I was saying they batch them out to GUZ not to all. There were 3 packages in excess of 100 pounds in the Tracking numbers NVC gave us to watch our package.

We were in a 96lb package of diplomatic documents sent to GUZ. You can view my timeline to see how long it took.

What happens is it first gets to a clearance point from shipping to the warehouse.

Once that clears it remains in clearance in the DHL Warehouse until GUZ is ready to recieve that package.

So if you were part of a 1lb package and happened to arrive the same day as they are ready to go pick some up then you would complete faster than others. The 300lb package took almost 2 weeks longer to clear than the 1 15 and 96lb package.

According to the GUZ email I got it seems that it took that long for them to clear the backlog. It also depends on your status. Conditional Immigrant or UnConditional immigrant.

Just what i have been told. We all know different emails say different things. All i know is we got an interview for june 08 on may 18th. our case completed around march 17th. It arrived at the consulate on May 5th. So we actually are moving pretty quick. Others with a similar timeline have not even been recieved yet. They are part of that last package that just cleared recently.

Eric&Meijiao

Can you expand a little regarding the email GUZ sent, specificaly on the status issue.

Conditional Immigrant or UnConditional immigrant are different?

much appreciated

[steveltx 0]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

[Dan & Juan 12]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

Steve!!!!

I have not called DOS yet but you give me incentive!

keep us informed

[Dan & Juan 12]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

I called the DOS this morning and the guy was very pleasant, and helpful in his own way, unfortunately he was quite confused. I said that I was waiting to hear about an interview date and if the package has arrived yet. He said the package has arrived April 30. I said this is not possible it physically didn't leave nvc until may 6. he said oh wait these fields are all messed up and disregard what he said. So then he gave me a standard spiel that Chinese customs was holding up the package and until they released it it was stuck there blah blah blah like there is this giant Chinese government conspiracy to check every package and make the poor US bureaucrats made to wait. I cried a little. but bottom line is nothing to report no news stuck in clearance etc.

[steveltx 0]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

I called the DOS this morning and the guy was very pleasant, and helpful in his own way, unfortunately he was quite confused. I said that I was waiting to hear about an interview date and if the package has arrived yet. He said the package has arrived April 30. I said this is not possible it physically didn't leave nvc until may 6. he said oh wait these fields are all messed up and disregard what he said. So then he gave me a standard spiel that Chinese customs was holding up the package and until they released it it was stuck there blah blah blah like there is this giant Chinese government conspiracy to check every package and make the poor US bureaucrats made to wait. I cried a little. but bottom line is nothing to report no news stuck in clearance etc.

When you call DOS, make sure you are talking to the right person.

There was one male operator. When I asked him if the paper file is out of the custom.

He said YES. I wanted to make sure so I called him the second time, he still said YES.

My question was very clear. " Is the paper file of my case out of the custom and the consulate

has recieved it?"

Today I called them again today. The lady told me the paper file is still in custom.

When talking to them, make sure that they know what they are talking.

Avoid that male operator.

Sorry, false alarm. Guys!

Steve

[pushbrk 12,765]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

I called the DOS this morning and the guy was very pleasant, and helpful in his own way, unfortunately he was quite confused. I said that I was waiting to hear about an interview date and if the package has arrived yet. He said the package has arrived April 30. I said this is not possible it physically didn't leave nvc until may 6. he said oh wait these fields are all messed up and disregard what he said. So then he gave me a standard spiel that Chinese customs was holding up the package and until they released it it was stuck there blah blah blah like there is this giant Chinese government conspiracy to check every package and make the poor US bureaucrats made to wait. I cried a little. but bottom line is nothing to report no news stuck in clearance etc.

When you call DOS, make sure you are talking to the right person.

There was one male operator. When I asked him if the paper file is out of the custom.

He said YES. I wanted to make sure so I called him the second time, he still said YES.

My question was very clear. " Is the paper file of my case out of the custom and the consulate

has recieved it?"

Today I called them again today. The lady told me the paper file is still in custom.

When talking to them, make sure that they know what they are talking.

Avoid that male operator.

Sorry, false alarm. Guys!

Steve

If you want the right answer, ask the right question. GUZ is far different than all other Consulates, so many operators will simply get it wrong. In their own terms, what you want to know is if the case status is "loaded" or "open". "Open" is what you're looking for as good news. "Loaded" simply means the electronic file is there. "Open" means they have the package inside the Consulate.

Chinese customs is not the cause of any delay. Look back in this thread for the explanation of the delay and "Open" / "Loaded".

Edited June 12, 2009 by pushbrk

[steveltx 0]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

I called the DOS this morning and the guy was very pleasant, and helpful in his own way, unfortunately he was quite confused. I said that I was waiting to hear about an interview date and if the package has arrived yet. He said the package has arrived April 30. I said this is not possible it physically didn't leave nvc until may 6. he said oh wait these fields are all messed up and disregard what he said. So then he gave me a standard spiel that Chinese customs was holding up the package and until they released it it was stuck there blah blah blah like there is this giant Chinese government conspiracy to check every package and make the poor US bureaucrats made to wait. I cried a little. but bottom line is nothing to report no news stuck in clearance etc.

When you call DOS, make sure you are talking to the right person.

There was one male operator. When I asked him if the paper file is out of the custom.

He said YES. I wanted to make sure so I called him the second time, he still said YES.

My question was very clear. " Is the paper file of my case out of the custom and the consulate

has recieved it?"

Today I called them again today. The lady told me the paper file is still in custom.

When talking to them, make sure that they know what they are talking.

Avoid that male operator.

Sorry, false alarm. Guys!

Steve

If you want the right answer, ask the right question. GUZ is far different than all other Consulates, so many operators will simply get it wrong. In their own terms, what you want to know is if the case status is "loaded" or "open". "Open" is what you're looking for as good news. "Loaded" simply means the electronic file is there. "Open" means they have the package inside the Consulate.

Chinese customs is not the cause of any delay. Look back in this thread for the explanation of the delay and "Open" / "Loaded".

Hi Pushbrk,

Thanks for clearing this out.

I still have a question. If the Chinese customs is not the cause of the delay and the US consulate chooses to

receive the package when they are ready to work on it, then why the case that goes through the new electronic processing is able to

get the interview date from Guangzhou so fast?

Does this mean Guangzhou is willing to receive it and process it if it could get the case sooner

and the Chinese custom is the one to slow it down?

We have seen a few cases from "candle love" that went through the new electronic processing and the interview date was set

almost immediately after the case was out of NVC.

This makes me think that Guangzhou is willing to OPEN cases as long as it receives the information they need.

What do you think?

Steve

[pushbrk 12,765]

Just an update to our case.

Called DOS, the paper files left Guangzhou custom and was

received by the consulate today on June 8.

It took about a month inside Chinese custom for clearing. The file left NVC on May 6.

Steve

I called the DOS this morning and the guy was very pleasant, and helpful in his own way, unfortunately he was quite confused. I said that I was waiting to hear about an interview date and if the package has arrived yet. He said the package has arrived April 30. I said this is not possible it physically didn't leave nvc until may 6. he said oh wait these fields are all messed up and disregard what he said. So then he gave me a standard spiel that Chinese customs was holding up the package and until they released it it was stuck there blah blah blah like there is this giant Chinese government conspiracy to check every package and make the poor US bureaucrats made to wait. I cried a little. but bottom line is nothing to report no news stuck in clearance etc.

When you call DOS, make sure you are talking to the right person.

There was one male operator. When I asked him if the paper file is out of the custom.

He said YES. I wanted to make sure so I called him the second time, he still said YES.

My question was very clear. " Is the paper file of my case out of the custom and the consulate

has recieved it?"

Today I called them again today. The lady told me the paper file is still in custom.

When talking to them, make sure that they know what they are talking.

Avoid that male operator.

Sorry, false alarm. Guys!

Steve

If you want the right answer, ask the right question. GUZ is far different than all other Consulates, so many operators will simply get it wrong. In their own terms, what you want to know is if the case status is "loaded" or "open". "Open" is what you're looking for as good news. "Loaded" simply means the electronic file is there. "Open" means they have the package inside the Consulate.

Chinese customs is not the cause of any delay. Look back in this thread for the explanation of the delay and "Open" / "Loaded".

Hi Pushbrk,

Thanks for clearing this out.

I still have a question. If the Chinese customs is not the cause of the delay and the US consulate chooses to

receive the package when they are ready to work on it, then why the case that goes through the new electronic processing is able to

get the interview date from Guangzhou so fast?

Does this mean Guangzhou is willing to receive it and process it if it could get the case sooner

and the Chinese custom is the one to slow it down?

We have seen a few cases from "candle love" that went through the new electronic processing and the interview date was set

almost immediately after the case was out of NVC.

This makes me think that Guangzhou is willing to OPEN cases as long as it receives the information they need.

What do you think?

Steve

Sounds like they are in the process of beta testing a new system. As a result, some people are getting lucky. Until the backlog is cleared, I wouldn't expect any widespread drastic timeline improvements from NVC to "Open". That's not going to happen until the number of cases decreases.

[RandyW 149]

I-130 cases may opt for the electronic processing, in which the case is maintained entirely electronically.

DOS - Electronic Processing Participation - http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_4410.html

If you sign up for the electronic processing, you will receive an email containing something like the following:

The new case number starts with GZO (instead of GUZ) and is followed by a new set of ten numbers. This change was made to identify the case for both the NVC and the Consulate in Guangzhou as participating in electronic processing.

Your GUZ number is replaced with a different GZO case #. Remember that you will need to supply hard copies at the interview of all documents submitted electronically

GUZ - Electronic Filing- http://travel.state.gov/pdf/electronic/GUZ...L-0003-0904.pdf

[steveltx 0]

I-130 cases may opt for the electronic processing, in which the case is maintained entirely electronically.

DOS - Electronic Processing Participation - http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_4410.html

If you sign up for the electronic processing, you will receive an email containing something like the following:

The new case number starts with GZO (instead of GUZ) and is followed by a new set of ten numbers. This change was made to identify the case for both the NVC and the Consulate in Guangzhou as participating in electronic processing.

Your GUZ number is replaced with a different GZO case #. Remember that you will need to supply hard copies at the interview of all documents submitted electronically

GUZ - Electronic Filing- http://travel.state.gov/pdf/electronic/GUZ...L-0003-0904.pdf

Just confirmed with DHL. The package is out of Chinese custom and is ready for delivery. 47 days in Chinese custom.

Steve

[Mike and Yan 0]

if you are not electronic . . ...sucks to be me and similar! here are some details for us

...............In...out...in......|...DOS.....#4...interview

.........I130..NVC..NVC..Conslt...|.confirm...R’cd....date

Eric.....1/20..2/2..3/17..5/5.....|..5/19.....5/20....6/8

SteveM...1/29..2/4..5/6...6/24....|...7/8.....7/9.....7/21

Dan......2/17..3/5..5/6...6/24....|...7/8.....7/9.....7/21

Mike.....4/12..4/20.5/19..7/7.....|...7/21....7/22....8/10

David....7/28.......6/3...7/22....|...8/5.....8/6.....8/26

SteveX...3/17..4/9..???

..........................Out........in...............in...

..........................NVC.......Conslt...........Conslt...

+wk.......................+7......|...+2..............+5....

I could be out to lunch BUT I think the projections may be good. Time will tell.

Eric is my guide!!

Edited June 26, 2009 by Mike and Yan

[steveltx 0]

if you are not electronic . . ...sucks to be me and similar! here are some details for us

...............In...out...in......|...DOS.....#4...interview

.........I130..NVC..NVC..Conslt...|.confirm...R’cd....date

Eric.....1/20..2/2..3/17..5/5.....|..5/19.....5/20....6/8

SteveM...1/29..2/4..5/6...6/24....|...7/8.....7/9.....7/21

Dan......2/17..3/5..5/6...6/24....|...7/8.....7/9.....7/21

Mike.....4/12..4/20.5/19..7/7.....|...7/21....7/22....8/10

David....7/28.......6/3...7/22....|...8/5.....8/6.....8/26

SteveX...3/17..4/9..???

..........................Out........in...............in...

..........................NVC.......Conslt...........Conslt...

+wk.......................+7......|...+2..............+5....

I could be out to lunch BUT I think the projections may be good. Time will tell.

Eric is my guide!!

Hi Mike,

Hang in there. It will be soon for all of us.

I hope we will all be in Guangzhou the same week. That should be fun.

It's coming!!!!!!

Steve

[Dan & Juan 12]

I could be out to lunch BUT I think the projections may be good. Time will tell.

Eric is my guide!!

Hi Mike,

Hang in there. It will be soon for all of us.

I hope we will all be in Guangzhou the same week. That should be fun.

It's coming!!!!!!

Steve

I hope we can be "out to lunch " together

My wifee maybe was too excited last week she's asking "any news today" "how about now" so I hate to disappoint her

[steveltx 0]

Dan,

Yes, let's have lunch. We could also have a cup of coffee in the near by Ikea cafeteria while waiting for wifee coming

out with a big smile.

Let's be positive.

Steve

[Mike and Yan 0]

DHL delivers the documents, DHL site: Signed by stamp

(we think it’s our document because the dates match the NVC date)

(I can now begin to call our friends at DOS!!!)

DOS say the documents are not there.

Does anyone have experience with this time lag? How long until GUZ admits they have the documents??