|
|
| Guangzhou, China |  Review on March 27, 2010: |
paul&lisui
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
The Guangzhou Interview Experience
Every Monday from 1:30pm to 3:00pm US citizens can go to the consulate to ask questions. I would highly recommend this. I went. You'll need your passport and can bring your questions and documentation (if you want). There were about 40 people there to wanting to ask questions. We lined up out in front of the bldg. About 1:45p we were allowed upstairs to the 5th floor. Then we went thru the security check. They'll direct you to the waiting area. We lined up in front of one of the windows and waited for about 15 minutes. There was only 1 window to ask your questions. The guy basically triages the questions so you have about 1-2 minutes with him. He'll only answer fairly simple questions. If you have more questions or need more detail (I had more questions), he'll give you a number and a form to fill out. You go, sit & wait. After about 45 minutes, more windows were opened and staffed (about 10). They call you up. I went to ask my questions about the forms (state dept and Guangzhou forms are slightly different) and about an email question exchange with Guangzhou that my fiancé had a few months prior. The lady was pleasant and helpful. She pulled up our case updated our case notes on the computer. I felt it was beneficial and would recommend taking the time to attend.
Tuesday we spent all day reviewing our many documents making sure we knew where everything was. The lawyer I used put together a packet with the forms and such. I added additional documentation such as employment letter, tax returns, and references to the other supporting documentation (telephone, email, Skype logs, receipts, photos and such, 6kg of stuff!). I had a cover sheet and index to the tabs. Guangzhou gives a checklist of what is needed. In the evening we walked about, went to mall, and tried to relax. We had our plan, if she gets the visa, great. If she gets rejected, we'd travel to her home town, Wuhan and get married and file a CR1 (I had a Chinese immigration attorney in San Francisco prepare the affidavit of single person, notarized, signed by the California secretary of state, submitted to the Chinese embassy for approval. it was expensive, but I didn't have the time, nor knew the process how to get everything prepared ahead of time, if you have time, you can get same thing done at the US consulate). At the Monday consulate meeting the lady told me of the 3rd possibility, blue paper, administrative review. We really had no plan for that option.
Wednesday morning, we arrived at the front of consulate about 6:55am. There about 350 people lined up in 4 lines. About 7:20am started letting people in. They check passport and appointment letter and send you upstairs. On the 4th floor you line up again. Consulate personnel check the papers again. At this point, I had to stay behind as they go up to the 5th floor for the interview. On the 4th floor there is a coffee shop/lounge where you can wait. You have to buy something if you want to sit and wait. Prices range from 49-60rmb. Really expensive. I had a can of coke for 49rmb. The 2nd can was 5rmb. It beats standing up or sitting on the stairs in front. The lounge has a benefit that everybody leaving the consulate has to walk by the lounge area.
I waited a long time. My Fiancé came out about 12 noon. I couldn't tell from her face what the outcome was. She sat down and said she was approved. Great news. I asked the details.
She said it was a lot of waiting. She was watching to see which interview officer she was going to get. The visa officer was a younger man. She waked to the window and said good morning. She handed him the forms. He looked over the forms, asked when we met. Then asked when we first met. He wanted to see the I-134. He asked her if I was with her. She gave him my passport. (He could see my 2 china visas and entry/exit stamps of my 4 trips) She told him she and her sons met me at the airport. She showed him the photo we took of the 2 of us and her 2 sons. He asked how we talked. She said via the internet, Skype. She showed him a Skype video screenshot of us talking to my parents from Monday. The officer commented on my father's US Marine Corp Veteran hat. She said yes he was in the military. She asked if he needed to see the email, or telephone logs. He said no. He asked where I lived. She responded with my address. She told him she was afraid that her English wasn't good enough. She told him that I could understand her. The officer said she spoke fine. The majority of the interview was in Chinese. The officer told her he would send her passport with the visa in a couple days. He handed her my passport and said don't loose it. He directed her to the next station to handle the sending of the visa packet. She told him to have a nice day. The whole interview was a couple minutes. She said she was very lucky to get the guy. He was really nice to the people he was interviewing.
She was told the visa would be ready in 2 days. We kept looking at the EMS tracking website for a status. There was nothing. We began to worry that there was something wrong. Finally on Friday evening the consulate sent the envelope (visa envelope & her passport). It arrived in Shenzhen on Saturday. And there was much rejoicing!
(updated on March 27, 2010)
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #5846