This is so messed up...

[Q&R 1]

What address did you send yours to? May be better just to send it that way.

Late August??? Jeez.... then it may be sometime in September for us.....

Here is the address

邮寄地址： 广州市沙面南街1号 510133

But, like you were saying, bc they are moving I don't know if they will receive it at this address. But this is what was on my form.

[Daveykins 17]

I meant all the DS-15x series forms, as x being a placeholder for all the different forms, so you have the DS-156, DS-157 and DS-156K.

Sorry for the confusion!

[PandaMaker 24]

Hi Rob

Did you figure this out? We just received the same exact instructions as you regarding CITIC for our P3.

[Darnell 8,478]

here's a packet 3 for Guangzhou

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guangzhou/47024/IV/K1%20Instruction%20GSS%202013.pdf

[Darnell 8,478]

So Rachel received the P3, and what we were expecting was something like this:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guangzhou/47024/IV/K1%20Instruction%20GSS%202013.pdf

But what she got was much different:

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

They aren't asking for the 156 and 157 forms, and they said it gets mailed through the CITIC bank?

Here's the rub - CITIC says they aren't doing immigration visas anymore as of Feb. this year (not sure if it's just that branch or all of them, they said it was all)

So they can't send anything out, only process the payments.

The link for the citic locations on the form doesn't work anymore either

Anyone else get this?

This is so insane, I'm at a loss for words...

I'll be calling ustraveldocs in the morning, but I expect that I'll get a runaround.

apologies - i am rereading your post again.

so that letter is asking for a DS-230 Part I to be sent in. along with a copy of the bio page of the passport and 2 passport photos. It smells like things stop till the IV unit has received this.

This is very similar to 'what worked before' - so that's a plus.

Still, is rather weird...

Maybe things will normalize for August ..

[Darnell 8,478]

i say 'normalize'

as

this process has had some flux in it since ustraveldocs / cgi stanley got involved.

grrr.

[Rob & Rachel 24]

Hi Rob

Did you figure this out? We just received the same exact instructions as you regarding CITIC for our P3.

Well, we sent it to the old mailing address (on Shamein) by EMS, so it got there the next day and it was signed for. But Rachel is in Shenzhen, so it's not far away. I don't know where you are sending from.

It was signed for, but that was also before the move. That address might still work. but you should check with your local CITIC bank first, just in case the mailing address is moving as well.

China seems like you can always get different answers at different places.

You should post what you find out, though, I think there are going to be a lot of questions like this in the days to come.

[PandaMaker 24]

Thanks, Rob.

I'm on my mobile device, but basically, my fiancée is about a 4-5 hour drive from the nearest CITIC. she lives in Shantou. She called the customer service line first.

The girl told her not to submit documents with CITIC. She said they only accept the visa payments. She called CGI. They told her she must submit the documents through CITIC as per the instructions in the P3, even after telling the rep what CITIC said. She called CITIC back and got a different person who insists that she not submit documents to them. There was some other confusing stuff, but I'm not going to worry about that right now.

Today, I will submit an inquiry to the consulate via their website.

I will keep you updated.

[Rob & Rachel 24]

Rachel got her P4 packet today!

So it looks like everything went fine sending it to the old mailing address.

[PandaMaker 24]

Good to hear!

Really tempted to go that route...

[Rob & Rachel 24]

Good to hear!

Really tempted to go that route...

That's a tough call...considering that you won't know for sure if it worked until the consulate opens back up.

Suggestion - I would make a duplicate P3 if you can, and send one of them to the old address on Shamein by EMS with tracking and a signature.

Then you can at least know if it arrives successfully. Then if it doesn't work, you still have a duplicate to send in when you get a response back if it doesn't work to send it there.

Also, if you haven't already done so, get your $240 fee paid now, and get on the ustraveldocs site to get your appointment set. It may take awhile to get one, so don't wait!

Rob

[stevie b 141]

Rachel got her P4 packet today!

So it looks like everything went fine sending it to the old mailing address.

congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rob & Rachel 24]

darn.. false alarm...was a different package...

[PandaMaker 24]

Was it something else from the Consulate?

We tried to pay the visa fee, but anytime she tries to do anything on the website, it asks her to fill in her profile, which she already did twice. Another roadblock...but we will get through it.

[Rob & Rachel 24]

Was it something else from the Consulate?

We tried to pay the visa fee, but anytime she tries to do anything on the website, it asks her to fill in her profile, which she already did twice. Another roadblock...but we will get through it.

Something else entirely...Had our hopes up...

I noticed some similar behavior on the website. Rachel ended up going to the local CITIC bank to make the payment in person. It's cheaper that way as well, because there isn't the ~50RMB transaction fee.