HELPFUL TIP! P3 to P4

[Nikikita 3]

Hello,

I already posted this in another board but want to share just so that no one has to go through this when you are so close to the end game!

TIP!!!

Hi everyone, some of you may know that I have been having some issues with moving on from P3 to P4...

Essentially, Fiance mailed P3 5/20 but up until yesterday (more than a month later), we still had not heard back from the embassy. (and from what I understand P3 to P4 should be relatively quick.)

Fiance mailed through a courier and unfortunately did not add tracking (he thought buying insurance included tracking), so after waiting impatiently for the first three weeks, I started posting on these boards to see if anyone had any idea what was going on. I received sympathetic responses to not so sympathetic responses doubting whether or not P3 was actually sent in...

Now, after emailing multiple people at the embassy and Fiance running around China for over 6 hours yesterday, we know what happened and can continue!!!

The embassy never received our information, even though the courier service says they delivered it!

So what happened?

The courier service unfortunately delivered to the security office instead of the reception desk. Security had no idea what the package was and put it aside on an office desk somewhere, assuming that someone would pick it up eventually....

MORAL OF THE STORY-- Make sure to make it very clear to your courier service that they need to deliver your documents to the reception desk!! (Save yourself the stress and extra month of un-needed waiting!)

If my Fiance didn't happen to live in Guangzhou where the embassy was located, I don't know if we ever would have figured this out. Sure, we could have sent another copy to the embassy, but I still would have been uneasy about our information floating out there somewhere, and still would have wanted to know what happened.

He spent over two hours with the courier service insisting that they find the signed slip and give him a copy, then travelled another 1.5 hours to the embassy where reception told him Sorry, but they never received the packet because they would have stamped the slip, and goodbye. Thankfully, him knowing me very well, (and that I would have a very hard time accepting this answer) pushed on and after more than an hour, they figured out whose signature was on the slip (security) and our P3 is finally being processed!

This is all on top of frustrating emails, phone calls to the embassy (where we were just told that they will contact us when things are approved but cannot say if they received it or not) and occasional arguments...

I only hope that from my experience, no one else will have to experience this again!

[Darnell 8,478]

i thought you had to generate a document delivery coverpage for delivery to Guangzhou in the ustraveldocs.com/cn web portal - and drop off things with the CITIC Bank office in your city,

then the CITIC Bank courier delivers directly to Guangzhou IV Mailroom.

Sorry you're having problems, but if you not do it 'that' way - it's a mess.

[frontgear 194]

Thanks for sharing. I really hope this won't happen to my petition when it lands in Vietnam.

[Darnell 8,478]

why would a china procedure be similar?

Guangzhou IV is unique - no other IV Unit handles stuff in the same process, fashion or manner

as Guangzhou IV.

I hope you not adopt the Guangzhou process for Vietnam...

[CowBoE 429]

Hello,

I already posted this in another board but want to share just so that no one has to go through this when you are so close to the end game!

TIP!!!

Hi everyone, some of you may know that I have been having some issues with moving on from P3 to P4...

Essentially, Fiance mailed P3 5/20 but up until yesterday (more than a month later), we still had not heard back from the embassy. (and from what I understand P3 to P4 should be relatively quick.)

Fiance mailed through a courier and unfortunately did not add tracking (he thought buying insurance included tracking), so after waiting impatiently for the first three weeks, I started posting on these boards to see if anyone had any idea what was going on. I received sympathetic responses to not so sympathetic responses doubting whether or not P3 was actually sent in...

Now, after emailing multiple people at the embassy and Fiance running around China for over 6 hours yesterday, we know what happened and can continue!!!

The embassy never received our information, even though the courier service says they delivered it!

So what happened?

The courier service unfortunately delivered to the security office instead of the reception desk. Security had no idea what the package was and put it aside on an office desk somewhere, assuming that someone would pick it up eventually....

MORAL OF THE STORY-- Make sure to make it very clear to your courier service that they need to deliver your documents to the reception desk!! (Save yourself the stress and extra month of un-needed waiting!)

If my Fiance didn't happen to live in Guangzhou where the embassy was located, I don't know if we ever would have figured this out. Sure, we could have sent another copy to the embassy, but I still would have been uneasy about our information floating out there somewhere, and still would have wanted to know what happened.

He spent over two hours with the courier service insisting that they find the signed slip and give him a copy, then travelled another 1.5 hours to the embassy where reception told him Sorry, but they never received the packet because they would have stamped the slip, and goodbye. Thankfully, him knowing me very well, (and that I would have a very hard time accepting this answer) pushed on and after more than an hour, they figured out whose signature was on the slip (security) and our P3 is finally being processed!

This is all on top of frustrating emails, phone calls to the embassy (where we were just told that they will contact us when things are approved but cannot say if they received it or not) and occasional arguments...

I only hope that from my experience, no one else will have to experience this again!

What a disaster!!! Thanks for sharing the story.

They should have a proper address labeling so that

it says something like "Re: K1 Visa" or something.

I hope things go smooth from here.

We just sent our P3 response back before reading this,

so I have my fingers crossed.

Edited June 26, 2014 by johnim

[Nikikita 3]

i thought you had to generate a document delivery coverpage for delivery to Guangzhou in the ustraveldocs.com/cn web portal - and drop off things with the CITIC Bank office in your city,

then the CITIC Bank courier delivers directly to Guangzhou IV Mailroom.

Sorry you're having problems, but if you not do it 'that' way - it's a mess.

He lives in Guangzhou (not sure if this makes a difference) but the packet he received just said to mail the specified documents back to the consulate for Packet 3.

Maybe for the interview-- he will need a cover letter delivered to Citic Bank?

[Nikikita 3]

Thanks for sharing. I really hope this won't happen to my petition when it lands in Vietnam.

What a disaster!!! Thanks for sharing the story.

They should have a proper address labeling so that

it says something like "Re: K1 Visa" or something.

I hope things go smooth from here.

We just sent our P3 response back before reading this,

so I have my fingers crossed.

@frontgear-- Definitely make sure to follow your country's instructions... but to me, delivering to the actual consulate office vs. security seems like such an easy mistake to avoid, it's worth the extra sentence to the delivery service to say-- make sure it goes to the reception office!

@johnim-- Fiance did everything correctly as instructed by the consulate, but relying on others is the problem... Even with the address copied from the instructions, delivery man just decided as long as it's at the address, everything should be fine... Hopefully, everything goes smoothly for you and that you don't waste an extra month on this silliness. But I would definitely check in after week 2 and make sure that the consulate has received your packet! If not, then double check to make sure it was delivered to the right department and not just sitting in an office!

[curt19 2]

Yeah. you think you got it covered. Addressed delivered and courier service... handed to security and the security just sets it aside. ARGH!!!! thanks for the heads up.