DS-156; Chinese nationals must fill out in both English and Chinese

[JustFred 0]

OK, I just spent an hour reading through old posts and can not believe I could not find an answer to this question:

From P4 K1 Instructions sent by Guangzhou:

Two copies of the DS-156 form in English with original signatures. Chinese nationals must also fill out Items 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 18, 20 in both English and Chinese and must provide the telegraph code for their Chinese surnames and given names while filling out Items 6 & 7, which can be found at most Chinese post offices. This form can be downloaded at http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_1342.html.

This is an online form and when you follow these instructions you get the following error: You can only enter characters A-Z no accents, symbols or numbers are allowed.

Now I would think you just print the form and hand fill it in, but am I missing something? Why would I hand print in a form if they insist that you fill it out online, thus having a form at the interview that does not match what they have from the online form.

Help!

[Darnell 8,478]

'online' is specious.

it's not online. it's download-able, instead.

It's a fillable portable document format (pdf) form,

not an online form..

if'n you are _using_ it as an online form - i will ask - WHY?

encapsulating a pdf reader inside of a web browser is one of the worst ways to 'get r done' ..

shift a bit, download the form, instead but

note that the 'rules' built in to the form are really f'ing stupid

and

is best to simply print out the form after filing in the romanish letters.

Go Get Em, and Good Luck !

[online forms suck, don't do it ! ]

Edited July 6, 2013 by Darnell

[JustFred 0]

The instructions send us here:

http://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp

DO NOT PRINT THIS PAGE. You must click the "Continue" button below and then print the form to complete the process. Please do not click the "Continue" button more than once. Your answers must be in English and must use English characters.

Clicking on the "Generate Family Duplicate" button will copy some of the values into a new online DS-156 application form. Please click

<a generate="" family="" duplicate\"="" button="" located="" at="" the="" bottom="" of="" ds-156="" application="" form.="" you="" have="" completed="" and="" printed="" your="" form,="" click="" \"back\"="" browser="" to="" return="" form="" then="" \"generate="" copy="" values="" into="" a="" new="" form.')"="">

<a generate="" family="" duplicate\"="" button="" located="" at="" the="" bottom="" of="" ds-156="" application="" form.="" you="" have="" completed="" and="" printed="" your="" form,="" click="" \"back\"="" browser="" to="" return="" form="" then="" \"generate="" copy="" values="" into="" a="" new="" form.')"="">

It is a .asp file (I am a computer programmer/Project manager) - this is an online app that then fills in the PDF from already printed with the barcode.

I could be wrong, go to the site and let me know.

[Darnell 8,478]

ah - that beastie.

apologies - i tend to forget that there's new stuff.

yer on the cutting edge there... i apologize, bow in the dust whilst backing away.

However.

any leniency when using the 'other' character sets in the browser settings?

[JustFred 0]

No worries you are always so helpful. So the program is checking if there are any characters it doesn't like and sending the error message. Guangzhou just needs to update there instructions since they have gone to the new form. I am sure it is on someone's todo list and they have so much todo that it will take some time to catch up. I'll print it and hand-write it in. Just wanted to check.

Would love to hear from some of you VJers that just went though the interview, anyone out there!

[Darnell 8,478]

if you don't care about the barcode -

get the form here .

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/108128.pdf

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/108128.pdf

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/108128.pdf

[bigdog 376]

Great information, forwarded it to my buddy just starting at GZ.

[Makiyo 2]

what I did was to fill in everything in English online, generate the form, then handwrote the Chinese characters.

I went through the interview and no problem.

[Q&R 1]

From what I know, and I haven't filled it out yet however my fiancee and I will be doing it soon, is you CANT really print the form with nothing on it. You need to fill it out online first, make sure everything is in order, than hit the submit (or whatever button it is) at the bottom of the page. From there you can print it, but I guess, supposedly, it saves your information and you can't change it (or so I am told).

But, like someone just said, you can make changes to the printed copy by handwriting as well. Whether its adding stuff or editing (like say if someone moved in the meantime from originally fililng it out).

And I believe there really isn't any pdf format for this form. (I really know nothing about if this barcode business has any influence....the ones that Darnell posted....but I am pretty sure you can't just fill out those non-barcode forms by hand and use them at the interview. I would say best do it the 'right' way).

Again, I haven't done it myself, but I will soon

Good luck

Edited July 6, 2013 by Q&R

[JustFred 0]

what I did was to fill in everything in English online, generate the form, then handwrote the Chinese characters.

I went through the interview and no problem.

Thanks for weighing in on this. That's what I planned on doing, just wanted confirmation of someone who has been through it.