Does DHL tracking show Chinese customs wait?

[jfrankli512 3]

Hi all,

I didn't understand the benefits of EP, so we're here with a CC awaiting our documents to get sent to Guangzhou so we can have our interview scheduled.

Using the CEAC Status website, I can track things a little bit, and I saw the status change from "At NVC" to "In Transit".

Other topics mentioned waits upwards of 2-6 months to clear Chinese customs, due to a treaty which limits incoming official documents.

I read in another thread how to track the package's progress on the DHL website, and found what I think is my package.

However, on the DHL tracking site, it shows updates which seem to indicate that it's cleared customs and then finally signed and delivered (to what I assume to be the Guangzhou consulate).

I'm basically grasping for any sign of movement to keep me from going crazy...

Below is the details from the DHL site.

Does anybody have an opinion with regards to getting stuck in customs?

Friday, January 16, 2015 Location Time
24 Delivered - Signed for by GUANGZHOU 10:40 AM
23 With delivery courier GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 10:04 AM
22 Arrived at Delivery Facility in GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 9:11 AM
21 Departed Facility in GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 1:23 AM
20 Processed at GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 1:20 AM

Thursday, January 15, 2015 Location Time
19 Clearance processing complete at GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 3:18 PM
18 Customs status updated GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 2:56 PM

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Location Time
17 Clearance event GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 7:53 PM

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 Location Time
16 Clearance event GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 8:04 PM

Monday, January 12, 2015 Location Time
15 Processed for clearance at GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 10:45 PM
14 Clearance event GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 10:45 PM
13 Arrived at Sort Facility GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 10:39 PM
12 Customs status updated GUANGZHOU - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 7:50 PM
11 Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 12:43 PM
10 Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 12:42 PM
9 Clearance processing complete at HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 7:18 AM
8 Arrived at Sort Facility HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 6:44 AM

Sunday, January 11, 2015 Location Time
7 Customs status updated HONG KONG - HONG KONG 9:46 PM

Saturday, January 10, 2015 Location Time
6 Departed Facility in CINCINNATI HUB - USA CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA 5:16 PM
5 Processed at CINCINNATI HUB - USA CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA 6:48 AM
4 Arrived at Sort Facility CINCINNATI HUB - USA CINCINNATI HUB, OH - USA 1:30 AM

Friday, January 09, 2015 Location Time
3 Departed Facility in BOSTON - USA BOSTON, MA - USA 10:52 PM
2 Processed at BOSTON - USA BOSTON, MA - USA 10:09 PM
1 Shipment picked up BOSTON, MA - USA 3:49 PM

[CowBoE 429]

We were doing K1 visa, and after our case left NVC, I think my fiancee at the time,

received packet 3 in about 2 to 3 weeks after. If I recall, I think it took about 5

working days for our case to go from NVC to Guangzhou.

Immigration processing takes some patience, I wouldn't torture yourself with

self-inflicted anxiety while its in normal processing time. So far, it looks good.

[Darnell 8,479]

many K-1 visa chasers don't wait for the casefile release from the China Bonded warehouse,

instead GUZ IV uses the SAFEFILE version of the casefile for K-1 visa chasers, no 2 month waiting

so

try not to rely on reports from K-1 visa folk -

they could not tell you what GUZ IV did or did not do with SAFEFILE and their casefile, at all.

[jfrankli512 3]

Now my status on the CEAC website changed to "Ready".

Does this mean it cleared Chinese customs and is actually at the Guangzhou consulate?

Case Creation Date: 23-Oct-2014 Status Updated Date: 20-Jan-2015

Your case is ready for your interview when scheduled at the U.S. Consular section. If you have already scheduled an appointment for an interview, please prepare your documents as directed in your appointment letter and appear at the consulate on the appointed date and time. Otherwise, please wait until you have been notified of your interview appointment. Additional information about how Immigrant Visa interview appointments are scheduled can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3731.html

[Darnell 8,479]

maybe. suggest to use the webform email interface on the IV website, inquire.

[Darnell 8,479]

also study

http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Supplemental/GUZ%20-%20Guangzhou.pdf

as it contains updated info on what's next.

[jfrankli512 3]

maybe. suggest to use the webform email interface on the IV website, inquire.

Thanks!

I sent them a request, hopefully I can hear something from them tomorrow.

I sent them a question last week and they were pretty quick getting back to me.

[jfrankli512 3]

also study

http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Supplemental/GUZ%20-%20Guangzhou.pdf

as it contains updated info on what's next.

I'm not sure whether to ask here or start a new topic...

I found that PDF and started reading and preparing.

So to begin, I went to USTravelDocs.com to create a new profile.

I figure at least I can sign-up and update my profile while waiting for the interview notice to come.

After putting in my wife's info as the beneficiary, it gave me an error that her info is registered to another e-mail address.

I have a case logged with USTravelDocs to investigate this and figure out what to do about it... talk about scary though.

I think what happened was that last year she had an acquaintance help her apply for a Tourist Visa (and was denied... sigh), and that person used their e-mail address to register her info on the site and schedule her visa interview with the embassy.

Has anybody had to go through the process to remove someone's info from one account on USTravelDocs so that it can be added to another?

I really don't want that acquaintance to be involved in our process (and if I had known that's what they were going to do last time, I would've insisted that I do it instead), and I want to make sure we don't miss any correspondence from the Consulate while trying to get everything sorted out...

[ShadowPic 0]

Since she was denied previously you might want to get an immigration lawyer to help you. Aren't you worried about the prior denial?

[jfrankli512 3]

Since she was denied previously you might want to get an immigration lawyer to help you. Aren't you worried about the prior denial?

I'm not particularly concerned... (although maybe I'm just being naive...)

Her previous denials were for tourist visas, not immigration visas. And she was denied because she lacked strong ties to China and they didn't believe she would return after vacation. I.e., they were worried she would try to immigrate to the US while on her tourist visa. It's a common reason for Chinese, and it happens frequently enough. I think the fact that now she's actually applying legally for an immigrant visa that her previous denials (due to them thinking she wants to immigrate) wouldn't affect this application.

We're not at the interview step yet though, so I can't really say for sure whether it's a real concern or not.

To follow-up on this topic though, I didn't find any correlation between the DHL tracking and when the casefile gets processed and a P4 letter sent...

According to the DHL page, shipments have "customs clearance events" for < 1 week, compared to November 2014 (the earliest history I could find on the DHL page) where the shipments would sit in "customs clearance events" for ~1 month.

However, it's been 3 weeks since my shipment was received in Guangzhou, and no noticeable movement has happened. I think I've read other people mention, and what I believe is happening here, is that after it clears customs it sits in a holding area (some people refer to it as a warehouse, but I'm not sure exactly), and the Immigration Unit of the Consulate infrequently goes to this holding area to pickup a batch of cases to process, instead of processing them realtime as they come in.

Anyway, still frustrated over here without any clear estimates and without getting a straight answer out of the Consulate...