DCF Guangzhou, China w/USCIS e-mails

[Leigh&Gigi 2]

Sept 06, 2013: I filed a DCF I-130 for an IR-1 at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China.

Oct 11, 2013: I received a request from the USCIS Field Office Guangzhou for additional evidence.

Oct 14, 2013: I e-mail the requested additional evidence to the USCIS Field Office in Guangzhou.

Oct 18, 2013: I e-mailed Brian Spalter Field Office Director USCIS Guangzhou for confirmation of their receipt of my e-mail with the additional supporting evidence.

Oct 21, 2013: received confirmation from USCIS, DHS Guangzhou that they had received the additional supporting evidence.

Dec 17, 2013: I e-mailed USCIS DHS Guangzhou asking for an update of the status of my I-130 petition.

Dec 19, 2013: Received e-mail from USCIS DHS Guangzhou:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your inquiry to the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Office in Guangzhou, China. Our office has received your response to our Request For Evidence. These cases are currently still being processed. No additional evidence or documentation is required at this time. Upon rendering a decision, we will notify you.

Sincerely,

USCIS Guangzhou

Department of Homeland Security

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dec 27, 2013: received e-mail from USCIS:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Applicant, Petitioner, or Agent of record:

The U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou has received your application information and will begin the next phase of processing your visa. Please follow the instructions to submit the items listed below along with this letter to the Consulate. Do NOT submit other documents to the Consulate at this time, as they will be destroyed. You will receive further instructions after you submit these items. If you have questions, contact us through our email web-form at http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn//immigrant-visa-unit-question.html.

□ COMPLETE FORM DS-260(Online Immigrant Visa Application & Registration). Starting September 1, 2013 immigrant visa applicants are required to complete form DS-260. Please complete this form at https://ceac.state.gov/IV. *Please note that you should enter your date of birth as your Invoice ID Number at the sign-in page. Once you have completed the form, print the confirmation page and submit it along with other requested items in this notice. *For instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on completing the DS-260, please visit http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_5164.html.

□ COPY OF THE PERSONAL INFORMATION PAGE OF YOUR PASSPORT: A copy of the personal information page of your current passport. (Each applicant must have a current passport that will be valid for travel to the United States for at least 8 months beyond the visa issuance date.)

□ PHOTOGRAPHS: Two 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) un-mounted full-face color photographs with a white background. All applicants must submit photos, regardless of age.

Sincerely,

Chief, Immigrant Visa Unit

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dec 29, 2013: Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application Form (DS-260) submitted.

Dec 30, 2013: Received e-mail confirmation:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR CONFIRMATION PAGE IS ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL IN A PDF FILE!

You must follow the instructions on the confirmation page in order for the U.S. Department of State to continue processing your visa application.

How to print your Confirmation Page:

1. DOUBLE CLICK on the attached file.

2. From within Adobe Reader, go to FILE and select PRINT

Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application Confirmation

Thank You

Your Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application (DS-260) was sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for review. Please allow up to 30 business days for the NVC to complete the review.

Next Steps

All applicants must:

1. Obtain and submit required supporting civil documents.

2. Obtain and submit photographs that meet the Department of States visa requirements.

3. Review the information specific to U.S. Embassy/Consulate General where your visa interview will occur.

If you have not already collected and submitted the required documents to the National Visa Center then you should do so at this time. If the documentation you have submitted is either insufficient or incomplete you will be notified by the NVC. Your visa interview cannot be scheduled until your supporting documentation is complete and

correct.

Note: During the interview with a consular officer, you will be required to sign your application by providing a biometric signature, i.e. your fingerprint. By providing this biometric signature, you are certifying under penalty of perjury that you have read and understood the questions in your immigrant visa application and that all statements that appear in your immigrant visa application have been made by you and are true and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief. Furthermore, at the time of your interview, you will be required to certify under penalty of perjury that all statements in your application and those made during your interview are true and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief.

This confirms the submission of the Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration application

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 10, 2014: Received appointment e-mail:

________________________________________________________________

Dear Applicant, Petitioner, or Agent of record:

This office is ready to begin final processing of the immigrant visa applicant(s) named above in this case. Please follow these steps to schedule and prepare for your visa interview:

1. Once you receive this notice, please visit http://ustraveldocs.com and register a document pick-up location by selecting the Select Document Delivery Address option in the Immigrant Visas section of the website. If you have already registered, you do not need to register again. Failure to register prior to your visa interview will result in delay of your visa application.

2. Once registered, visit http://ustraveldocs.com and select Schedule My Appointment in the Immigrant Visas section of the website to schedule your visa interview appointment.

3. Once you have scheduled your appointment, download the Immigrant Visa Instruction Packet (or K visa Instruction Packet for K visa applicants) and follow the instructions inside it to prepare the necessary documents for your visa interview. Instruction packets can be found by selecting Prepare Documents in the Immigrant Visas section of http://ustraveldocs.com.

4. All applicants, regardless of age, must complete a medical exam and vaccination(s) with one of our designated panel physicians prior to the visa interview. (Please refer to the detailed instructions in the instruction packet.) Applicants must bring a copy of this letter with them to their medical exam.

5. On the scheduled date and time, the applicant(s) should come to the Consulate with all required documents and a copy of this letter. Applicants who do not bring a copy of this letter may not be allowed into the consulate for their interview.

You must now register and schedule an appointment through CGI Stanley. Failure to follow these instructions will result in delay of your visa application.

Please do not reply to this email. Any replies sent will not be received. If you have any questions, please use the following web site to contact us: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/immigrant-visa-unit-question.html.When communicating with our office about your case, please provide your name and case number exactly as shown in this letter.

Sincerely,

Chief, Immigrant Visa Unit

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 10, 2014: Scheduled appointment online for Jan 29, 2014 08:45 AM

Jan 24, 2014: We went to Guangzhou early because needed to go for her IV medical exam and vaccinations, she went on the morning of Jan 26, 2014, it took about 2 ½ hrs. and she was told to return for the medical exam results and IV medical certificate packet on Jan 28, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Jan 29, 2014: My wife and I arrived at US Consulate at 08:30 AM, she checked in for appointment and was admitted for document review and immigration visa interview at 08:45 she was asked the usual questions she said the VO was nice to her the VO told her she was approved for her visa and it would take 2 to 3 week to process and delivery to CITIC Bank in Changsha.

Feb 07, 2014: Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery.

[GregnJing 0]

Hi Leigh and Gigi

Congratulations!

My wife, son and I are going through the same thing right now.

We live in Wuhan and filed in Guangzhou. I have a question for you.

Here is our time line:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 14, 2014 Filed x2 I-130 petitions via USCIS in Guangzhou. One for my wife and one for my son.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 15, 2014 Recieved two emails saying our petitions were approved.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 22, 2014 Recieved two notices of approval from USCIS via mail.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan 27, 2014 Recieved the following notice:

Dear Applicant, Petitioner, or Agent of record:

The U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou has received your application information and will begin the next phase of processing your visa. Please follow the instructions to submit the items listed below along with this letter to the Consulate. Do NOT submit other documents to the Consulate at this time, as they will be destroyed. You will receive further instructions after you submit these items. If you have questions, contact us through our email web-form at http://guangzhou.use...t-question.html.

□ COMPLETE FORM DS-260(Online Immigrant Visa Application & Registration). Starting September 1, 2013 immigrant visa applicants are required to complete form DS-260. Please complete this form at https://ceac.state.gov/IV. *Please note that you should enter your date of birth as your Invoice ID Number at the sign-in page. Once you have completed the form, print the confirmation page and submit it along with other requested items in this notice. *For instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on completing the DS-260, please visit http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_5164.html.

□ COPY OF THE PERSONAL INFORMATION PAGE OF YOUR PASSPORT: A copy of the personal information page of your current passport. (Each applicant must have a current passport that will be valid for travel to the United States for at least 8 months beyond the visa issuance date.)

□ PHOTOGRAPHS: Two 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) un-mounted full-face color photographs with a white background. All applicants must submit photos, regardless of age.

Sincerely,

Chief, Immigrant Visa Unit

At the bottom of this email it says:

How to Submit Required Materials 如何提交必须的材料：

1. You must register a location for document pick-up by selecting the “Select Document Delivery Address” option in the Immigrant Visa Section of http://ustraveldocs.com.你必须登入签证申请服务网站http://ustraveldocs.com在移民签证信息页面上点击“选择文件送达地址”进行信息登记并选择一个文件送达地址。
2. Please print the “Document Submission Letter” at http://ustraveldocs.com/cn/DocumentSubmissionLetter_IV.pdf . Complete and submit the Document Submission Letter along with the above requested items at the nearest CITIC Bank. Failure to take the requested action within one year will result in your application being terminated.网上登记完成后，请打印“文件材料提交表”(该表格可以从网页http://ustraveldocs.com/cn/DocumentSubmissionLetter_IV.pdf 下载)。填写好“文件材料提交表”后带同上述的必要材料前往就近的中信银行办事处提交材料。如果申请人在一年之内没有按要求采取相应的行动, 移民申请将会被终止。

Following the submission of the above documents to the Consulate, please refer to the “Immigrant Visa Instructions” packet for instructions on how to prepare the necessary documents for your upcoming visa interview. Instruction packets can be found by selecting the “Prepare Documents” option in the Immigrant Visas section of the visa application service website http://ustraveldocs.com. The Consulate will send you further instructions on how to schedule your visa interview. 你将上述材料提交到领事馆后,你可以参考签证申请网站http://ustraveldocs.com上的“移民签证申请说明”包裹，以便你可以按照指引准备将来的签证面谈所需材料。签证说明包裹可从网站http://ustraveldocs.com移民签证信息页面部分的“准备资料”链接中下载。领事馆会发信通知你如何安排签证面谈时间。

此致，

美国驻广州总领事馆移民部

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Feb 6, 2014 Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application Form (DS-260) submitted.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Feb 7, 2014 Received e-mail confirmation:

YOUR CONFIRMATION PAGE IS ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL IN A PDF FILE!

You must follow the instructions on the confirmation page in order for the U.S. Department of State to continue processing your visa application.

How to print your Confirmation Page:
1. DOUBLE CLICK on the attached file.
2. From within Adobe Reader, go to FILE and select PRINT


Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application Confirmation
Thank You
Your Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application (DS-260) was sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for review. Please allow up to 30 business days for the NVC to complete the review.
Next Steps
All applicants must:
1. Obtain and submit required supporting civil documents.
2. Obtain and submit photographs that meet the Department of States visa requirements.
3. Review the information specific to U.S. Embassy/Consulate General where your visa interview will occur.
If you have not already collected and submitted the required documents to the National Visa Center then you should do so at this time. If the documentation you have submitted is either insufficient or incomplete you will be notified by the NVC. Your visa interview cannot be scheduled until your supporting documentation is complete and
correct.
Note: During the interview with a consular officer, you will be required to sign your application by providing a biometric signature, i.e. your fingerprint. By providing this biometric signature, you are certifying under penalty of perjury that you have read and understood the questions in your immigrant visa application and that all statements that appear in your immigrant visa application have been made by you and are true and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief. Furthermore, at the time of your interview, you will be required to certify under penalty of perjury that all statements in your application and those made during your interview are true and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief.
This confirms the submission of the Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration application.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Feb 7, 2014 This is where we are confused.

Per these instructions:

How to Submit Required Materials 如何提交必须的材料：

1. You must register a location for document pick-up by selecting the “Select Document Delivery Address” option in the Immigrant Visa Section of http://ustraveldocs.com.你必须登入签证申请服务网站http://ustraveldocs.com在移民签证信息页面上点击“选择文件送达地址”进行信息登记并选择一个文件送达地址。
2. Please print the “Document Submission Letter” at http://ustraveldocs.com/cn/DocumentSubmissionLetter_IV.pdf . Complete and submit the Document Submission Letter along with the above requested items at the nearest CITIC Bank. Failure to take the requested action within one year will result in your application being terminated.网上登记完成后，请打印“文件材料提交表”(该表格可以从网页http://ustraveldocs.com/cn/DocumentSubmissionLetter_IV.pdf 下载)。填写好“文件材料提交表”后带同上述的必要材料前往就近的中信银行办事处提交材料。如果申请人在一年之内没有按要求采取相应的行动, 移民申请将会被终止。

Following the submission of the above documents to the Consulate, please refer to the “Immigrant Visa Instructions” packet for instructions on how to prepare the necessary documents for your upcoming visa interview. Instruction packets can be found by selecting the “Prepare Documents” option in the Immigrant Visas section of the visa application service website http://ustraveldocs.com. The Consulate will send you further instructions on how to schedule your visa interview. 你将上述材料提交到领事馆后,你可以参考签证申请网站http://ustraveldocs.com上的“移民签证申请说明”包裹，以便你可以按照指引准备将来的签证面谈所需材料。签证说明包裹可从网站http://ustraveldocs.com移民签证信息页面部分的“准备资料”链接中下载。领事馆会发信通知你如何安排签证面谈时间。

此致，

美国驻广州总领事馆移民部

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yesterday, we printed out the DS-260 confirmation letters, took more passport pictures, copied their info pages from their passports, filled out the CGI Document Submition - IV

We registered a local CITIC Bank location for document pick up.

Went to the bank and was told this is only for non-immigrant visas. They would not accept our documents!

Did you guys do any of this bank stuff?

Did you just wait the 30 business days to hear from them?

Anyway, I hope you are able to help me with this next step.

Thanks in advance,

Greg, Jing and Max

[Leigh&Gigi 2]

Yes we had to pick and use a local CITIC Bank for document sending and delivery from their list of CITIC Banks. The list is on http://ustraveldocs.com web site. (You have to registered and fill out all your wife's information on the http://ustraveldocs.com web site to get to the part where you pick a CITIC Bank for document delivery) Tell your wife to speak to the CITIC Bank manager there...or the person my wife talked to at Citic Bank here in Changsha was Wang Xie and his phone number is 0731-59965942 in Changsha... He seemed knowledgeable... your wife can try and call him and ask...

Good Luck

Leigh & Gigi

Edited February 8, 2014 by Leigh&Gigi

[GregnJing 0]

Thank you so much!

Yesterday, we gathered all the documents requested in this email:

_______________________________________________________________________

Dear Applicant, Petitioner, or Agent of record:

The U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou has received your application information and will begin the next phase of processing your visa. Please follow the instructions to submit the items listed below along with this letter to the Consulate. Do NOT submit other documents to the Consulate at this time, as they will be destroyed. You will receive further instructions after you submit these items. If you have questions, contact us through our email web-form at http://guangzhou.use...t-question.html.

□ COMPLETE FORM DS-260(Online Immigrant Visa Application & Registration). Starting September 1, 2013 immigrant visa applicants are required to complete form DS-260. Please complete this form at https://ceac.state.gov/IV. *Please note that you should enter your date of birth as your Invoice ID Number at the sign-in page. Once you have completed the form, print the confirmation page and submit it along with other requested items in this notice. *For instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on completing the DS-260, please visit http://www.travel.st.../info_5164.html.

□ COPY OF THE PERSONAL INFORMATION PAGE OF YOUR PASSPORT: A copy of the personal information page of your current passport. (Each applicant must have a current passport that will be valid for travel to the United States for at least 8 months beyond the visa issuance date.)

□ PHOTOGRAPHS: Two 2 inches square (roughly 50 mm square) un-mounted full-face color photographs with a white background. All applicants must submit photos, regardless of age.

Sincerely,

Chief, Immigrant Visa Unit

_______________________________________________________________________

We then went to http://ustraveldocs.com web site.

We got her registered and picked a local CITIC Bank and set it up online.

We printed out a submition letter, and a .pdf file that that site provided. (Cantains all our info and a UID barcode.

This is where I'm stuck...

We went to the selected CITIC Bank.

We were told they don't do that anymore. We asked to speak to the bank manager. He told us they same thing.

From the lobby of the bank we called the biggest CITIC BANK in Wuhan, again was only told they deal with passports for non-immigrat visas.

So, you guys took the two her passport pictures, a copy of her passport page, copy of DS-260 confirmation page to CITIC Bank and submitted them?

Also, When did you guys pay the AOS and IV fees? Did you just pay them at the interview?

Thank for your help!

Jing and I are stressing out these last few days.

[Leigh&Gigi 2]

Yes we paid at US Consulate right before the interview. (1403.00 RMB DS-260 IV fee per person) And yes we took my wife's passport pictures, a copy of her passport page, copy of DS-260 confirmation page to CITIC Bank for delivery to Guangzhou. There's all so a " CGI - Request Documentation Submission - IV" form filled out by hand, it says on it, that you must bring it to the courier. (CITIC Bank). Also there's a delivery info document you need... and it's printed off from the cgifederal web site. The form has...

Applicant's Name:

Passport Number:

UID: bar code and number

US Consulate General: Guangzhou

Trip Purpose: Registration

Visa Class: IR1

Document Delivery Type:

Location Name:

Address 1:

Address 2:

City:

State:

Postal Code:

Hope this helps you some...

[Leigh&Gigi 2]

Feb 11, 2014: Got a call at 2PM from CITIC Bank in Changsha and they told my wife her passport was there and ready for pick-up.. Yes Yes Yes finally.... But on CGI's Track & Retrieve My Passport web site page it still says: "Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery"

Note: Her interview appointment in Guangzhou was on Jan 29, 2014... so it was 2 weeks, even with the Chinese New Year's holiday...