At the final stage, now asking for "notarized" marriage certificate????

[unsmiley 111]

any movement over there? I'm a hoping so !

Yes, wife excitedly called me up this morning about an email she received from Ustraveldocs (but they did not sent a cc to my email account) about them having collected the passport and documents, and returning them to her. Something about within 15 days is apparently there in Chinese, but not in the English translation.

I assume this means it's a done deal (!), but waiting to make sure. I asked her to forward the email to me.

CEAC status check still shows "AP" (last update date 7/8/14). I was going to reach out to you today, and also try to do a little research on what this email exactly means.

So what to expect now, in what timeframe?

Edited July 8, 2014 by unsmiley

[Darnell 8,478]

it sounds like the IV Unit is finished preparing the visa packet, and has pitched it over to the mailroom area, where cgi/stanley staff are apparently prepping it for citic bank courier pickup.

there IS a passport tracking thingie on ustraveldocs.com/cn website - just enter the passport # and you'll get some status of the passport - usually it'll show:

1. preparation for pickup

2. picked up at consular unit

3. courier in process

4. ready for pickup [at the citic bank]

so maybe you can check that, soonish, nowish. if ceac still shows 'AP' today, then a clerk at the IV unit is not finished up , just yet.

as to final, final timeline -

if cgi/stanley staff have the passport with visa packet, then I think 5 working days to the citic bank location. this pre-supposes the visa packet is actually finished and prepped to go out the door.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Darnell

[unsmiley 111]

^{Passport status checker states "Ready for Pickup" BUT:}

^{CEAC says "AP"}

^Huh?

[Darnell 8,478]

ya - that's weird - suggest your wife check in with CITIC Bank Office in the AM.

look - when cgi/stanley messes it up with a data error - it's all evil, wicked, mean and nasty.

you can call the cgi/stanley help desk, usa number is 703 665 1986

then punch through to arrange for scheduling until a human picks up - then ask for status with that human. The USA Helpdesk is open NOW, you can call NOW.

Telephone: Please contact a customer service representative using one of these telephone numbers:
Callers in Beijing: 56794700 | Callers outside of Beijing: 010-56794700.
Callers in Chengdu: 6273-6100 | Callers outside of Chengdu: 028-6273-6100.
Callers in Shanghai: 5191-5200 | Callers outside of Shanghai: (+86) 021-5191-5200.
Caller in Guangzhou: 83909000 | Callers outside of Guangzhou: 020-83909000.
Callers in Shenyang: 31663400 | Callers outside of Shenyang: 024-31663400.
Callers in the United States: 703 665 1986.
International callers: +1 703 665 1986.

[from http://www.ustraveldocs.com/cn/cn-main-contactus.asp ]

Edited July 8, 2014 by Darnell

[unsmiley 111]

I called ustraveldocs, they agreed there is conflicting information on our case. Could not confirm that the passport is actually ready for pickup at CITIC Bank. They told me they would "escalate" this matter, create some type of case file for it, and get back to us within 48 hours by email.

Do you think it is worth going over to the bank to see what, if anything, is there?

Edited July 8, 2014 by unsmiley

[Darnell 8,478]

ya - it's worth it - if it's not too much of a slog for her. for my wife - the bank was only 1 kilometre away and easy to get to.

but be careful, aye? Them Wuhan women will cut ya, each and every time.

[unsmiley 111]

ya - it's worth it - if it's not too much of a slog for her. for my wife - the bank was only 1 kilometre away and easy to get to.

but be careful, aye? Them Wuhan women will cut ya, each and every time.

Yes it is true about them Wuhan women -- mine was complaining about finding parking at the bank.... But she managed to go there anyway, and all they had for her was our original marriage certificate (I requested they return it and they said they would).

So we continue to wait...

[Darnell 8,478]

tick tock, tick tock - any movement over there?

[unsmiley 111]

tick tock, tick tock - any movement over there?

Still nothing. No status update since July 8.

Wife is extremely anxious... She wonders why they sent back the marriage certificate by itself, and not with the visa packet. (So do I.)

How long do you think we should we wait before another inquiry?

[Darnell 8,478]

wait - did you not specifically ask for it to be returned? I swear you did that, via webform or something.

[unsmiley 111]

wait - did you not specifically ask for it to be returned? I swear you did that, via webform or something.

Yes I did ask for it to be returned.

I am glad they did return it, but I thought it would eventually be included in the visa packet when that was finally approved. Instead they sent it separately. Wife now questions whether I should have asked for the certificate back.