ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long it takes from NVC to Guangzhou Consulate?
There has been a lot of talk about case files being held in China customs for lengthy periods of time. I'm sure that this doesn't happen for most cases, but a few will probably get caught up in it. NVC doesn't use diplomatic mail, so case files are suspect to customs holds.

Having lived in China for a while, I personally think that China customs does this on occasion just to rattle the chains of the US government. But that's beside the point, and ultimately it is something we can't control.

We received our NVC letter on 9/16, so keep checking our timeline to see if it goes through quickly.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-17 21:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionvisa DENIED
Sorry for sounding critical, but I highly doubt that he was given this kind of interrogative interview unless there was some factor that directly lead to the visa agent suspecting fraud.

I agree with William33 that there could have been something regarding your previous marriages. Are you sure that you supplied accurate information about your past marriages?

Are you sure that you supplied all neccesary proof of relationship evidence during the interview?

Again, sorry for sounding critical, but I personally believe that this scenario would not happen without just cause.

Edited by heathius, 17 September 2006 - 10:08 PM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-17 22:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionW2 missing on Tax Return
Takes about 7-10 days to get the transcripts. You shouldn't need the actual W-2, you just need the transcript that shows a summary of your taxes, and proves that you paid your taxes.

There are two kinds of transcripts, one is a simplifed free version. The other costs money, but includes more information. The free one will work just fine. I asked my lawyer about this when we first started the process, and she said to get the free ones.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-17 23:01:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionW2 missing on Tax Return
You should be able to use the free transcripts available from the IRS. Unless there was a law change, the free transcripts will work just fine.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-17 22:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionIRS transcript or tax return
You should not need the W2 form. The transcript without the W2 will work just fine.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-20 22:52:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionaffidavit of support
I would still recommend having your father as co-sponsor. They may take the loan into consideration, but it really doesn't count as "income". What they are really looking for is wage income from a job. Anything else is in supplement to your actual job earnings.

If you don't have a job and a steady paycheck that exceeds the 125% of poverty level, you should get a co-sponsor.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-25 03:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionChina: P2 to Interview averages 6 months
Thanks for the info! We are counting on 6 months as well.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-25 03:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionNo Pay Stubs
You don't really need actual pay check stubs if you can't get them. But, you should provide some record of payment that shows he is getting paid regularly.

His company's HR or finance department should be able to provide record of salary payments, even if they use direct deposit. Just have them print out those records, and then have the HR/finance person sign and date them.

That will be good enough as long as you supply the employment letter along with it.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-28 01:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionI recieved PAKET 3 or 4??? HELP!!!
I think this is strange, but I'm not that familiar with K-3 so I can't say whether this is entirely out of the ordinary.

If it has an interview date enclosed, then it should be packet 4. I would just follow whatever instructions they provided with the packet. If it says to come to the interview and bring these papers, then just do that.

Wow! Exceeding expectations. Didn't know they were capable of that. :innocent:
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-28 00:26:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionK-1 Visa is Approved!!!!!
Well deserved!! You care about everyone here and have tirelessly offered your advice and support to us all. Cheers to you! Thanks for your help. Congrats!
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-25 22:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDocuments Validity: Do I need to renew all of them?
The birth certificate will never expire.

I don't know about the cenomar or nbi clearance.

The police reports will depend on the consulate. Some consulates say that police reports are good for one year, while others say they are only good for 6 months (unless it has a specific expiry date printed on it). Not sure about Manila. Couldn't find this information on their site. You will probably have to get your Thailand police report again since it would be over 1 year old at the time of your interview.

Somebody else going through Manila wanna chime in here....
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-09-27 04:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionNon-chinese K-1 NVC through Guangzhou?
Relatively new here, so sorry if this has been covered before.

I live in China with my German fiancee. Since we live in China, we are required to have our K-1 NVC filed in Guangzhou, China, even though my fiancee is not Chinese.

Is there anyone out there that has had their NVC through Guangzhou, where their fiance(e) was not Chinese?

Looking for some insight on how this was handled, and whether there were any special processing steps or considerations given that the applicants are not Chinese. Have yet to find any other couples in this situation.

NVC is coming soon. Does anyone know about this?

Thanks!
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-08-04 01:53:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionVisa in hand!!!!!!
Wunderbar!! Congratulations!
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-05 02:36:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionpolice report...
Didn't you ask this already on a bunch of different threads??

Anyway, I don't think you will need to get a police report from Korea because they are only available in-person. You cannot obtain them from outside of Korea.

Refer to this site for more info:
http://travel.state....Korea_South.htm
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-06 03:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionABOUT DS-156 AND 157
I agree with tamara. You should read the guides and get familiar with the K-1 process first.

Once you have read the guides, then you should use the search functionality to search the forums for information that may be unclear/unusual about your case. If you still can't find an answer after all of that, then start a new thread and ask someone else.

Just trying to save you some time and headaches.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-06 04:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionABOUT DS-156 AND 157
This thread will be useful to you...

http://www.visajourn...h...c=34297&hl=
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-06 04:10:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionpacket 3
The papers will vary somewhat depending on the country. I suggest you try searching for this is the forum postings. This question has been asked and answered many times here already.

Edited by heathius, 06 October 2006 - 03:31 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-06 03:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionObtaining a police certificate Mumbai India
Although I am not familiar with the process in India, I would bet that this is BS. We have a similar thing going on here in China. Either the police are too lazy to do it, or they are hinting at a "fee".

In China we need an employer letter in order to get the police report. We are having a hard time getting the employer letter because many businesses skirt tax laws (or other laws) and are afraid of being exposed, so they refuse to get involved. Or, they are just too lazy to do it and want some money in exchange. :whistle:

As kpathak says, sometimes there are agencies that need clearance quickly (like travel and visa agencies). For a fee, they might be willing to use their connections to help you.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-13 02:30:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionCalling everyone going thru the Guangzhou Embassy
Good luck to you!!

Some friends of mine had their interview recently in Guangzhou. Just so you are prepared, everyone's interview is scheduled for 7:15am. She will have to go into a big waiting room at 7:15 with everyone else that has an interview that day. Then they will begin calling names. She will just have to wait until her name is called. It could be a while. It took our friend over 4 hours for her name to be called.

Hopefully it will be faster for you. Cheers!!
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-16 01:10:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionP3 & Lawyer
It will be sent to her in Taiwan. However, this is an oppotunity to put your lawyer to work.

Have your lawyer complete all of the P3 forms ahead of time, so that you will have everything ready to send when you receive P3. Since the forms are fillable PDFs, the lawyer can complete them and then email the I-134 to you, and all other forms to your fiancee. You just need to get the I-134 notarized and then send it to your fiancee. As soon as P3 arrives, you will then have everything ready.

Saves some hassle. Might as well get your money's worth.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-16 00:31:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHelp! Seoul Consulate Police Cert Q.
Agree with YuAndDan. Although rules differ from country to country, the general rule is any place that she has lived for 6 months or longer since age 16.

I would get all of them just to be on the safe side.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-19 03:19:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussioncan I take him to the interview?
Not allowed in China either.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-19 03:14:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionif u guys help me out.. i appreciate :)
If your dad will sponsor, you will both need to complete an I-134 form and supply the needed evidence for income.

The evidence they need will be the following:
1.) Pay stubs from the last six months
2.) A transcript copy (free copy) of the most recent tax return from the IRS.
3.) Letter from an employer stating the particulars of employment (date started, position, salary, etc).

You can get the pay stubs from your employer when you request the employment letter.
The IRS tax transcript is available for free. You just need to call the IRS and order it. It takes about 10 days (within the US) to receive it.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-13 01:48:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionINFO: China Police Certificate for Foreigners
Also, you should pray that your chinese employer/school does not skirt tax laws (as dodging taxes is common practice in China). If they do, you may find it very difficult to get the employer/school letter needed for the police cert request. The employer/school will be very reluctant to provide any letter for fear of getting in trouble with the police.

Ah, the joys of living in China! :wacko:
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-07 03:48:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionINFO: China Police Certificate for Foreigners
There is no link. We got this information by trying to obtain a police cert at the Beijing PSB office. I doubt that this information will be posted anytime soon.

Edited by heathius, 07 November 2006 - 03:06 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-07 03:03:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionINFO: China Police Certificate for Foreigners
Some new regulations went into effect earlier this year that will come into play if you are a foreigner trying to obtain a Chinese police certificate. Chinese people can still obtain full police certificates with no change (as far as we know).

The following restrictions have gone into effect for foreigners:

1.) Police certificates can only be obtained for time periods in which you are in China on a Z or X visa (work or student). You cannot obtain police certificates for the time that you were in China on L or F visas (tourist or extended stay).

2.) You must submit a letter from your employer/school that corresponds to the Z or X visa in your passport. The letter will be submitted to the PSB when you apply for the police cert. The letter should be in Chinese and it should state the specifics of your work/study. It should also contain a statement declaring that you have committed no crimes while working/studying there. The PSB can provide a template for this letter.

3.) The police cert that you receive will only cover the time period for the particular Z or X visa that you submitted a letter for. If you have held several jobs or studied at several schools while in China, you will have to try to obtain mutiple police certs, one for each of the Z or X visas that you have had. (We are lucky because my fiancee has only worked for one company. I'm not sure how helpful the PSB will be if you try to apply for multiple police certs.)

We have not yet been able to verify what affect this will have on our K-1 process, since the K-1 instructions clearly state that police certs should cover the entire length of stay in the country. Since we entered initially on L visas and then had F visas for a while, we cannot obtain a police cert for that time period.

After arguing with the PSB, they finally gave us a statement that proves the above information to be true, which we can submit to the Guangzhou consulate as proof that it is indeed unobtainable. But, they have refused to chop this statement to make it official, so we're not sure if the consulate will accept it.

Not sure if the consulate knows any of this info. Anybody else have a similar experience?

Edited by heathius, 07 November 2006 - 01:53 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-07 01:52:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDs 230
I don't think you have to enter the A number unless she traveled to the US after her A number was issued by the USCIS.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-07 05:06:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionilegal in germany.. :help:
From my understanding, he would not be able to get a police report from Germany unless he was a registered resident there.

The police report for Germany is usually obtained at the local municipal office where the person lives/lived. He obviously wasn't registered, so I don't think they will provide it. Maybe, if you show-up in person at the local municipal office where he lived and present the court letter and explain the situation in detail. If they're nice about, then maybe they will give it to you if you provide fingerprints, etc.

Typically, countries aren't that nice about helping out people that were in their country illegaly, so you may be up against a wall. If they don't help, you may just have to roll the dice and hope that the court letter is enough. Staying illegaly might raise a red flag on your application.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-07 05:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionCo-sponsor Debt and the I-134
BTW, be happy that your fiancee is Chinese. Living in China with a foreign fiancee (like our situation) is a total nightmare. Getting paperwork from China (police certificates, employment letters, etc) is a battle of galactic proportions. Stretching guanxi to it's max! ;)

Edited by heathius, 16 November 2006 - 01:28 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-16 01:27:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionCo-sponsor Debt and the I-134
I am in a similar situation.

The only way that you can be the sponsor for the I-134 is if you can secure a job ahead of time in the US. Ahead of time, meaning before you need to have all of your packet 3 stuff completed. If you can secure a job in the US before then, simply have your US company write an employment letter stating the details of the job. Then provide that letter along with all of the other evidence from your China job (pay stubs, employment letter, tax return). That will show that you had qualifying employment in China, and that you will have acceptable income once you go to the US.

I think that you will be fine with your mother as the co-sponsor. The main thing that they are looking for is the income. As long as she has steady income that is easily over the poverty level, the rest of the details don't matter much. Even if she has some debt, her salary more than makes up for it.

Edited by heathius, 16 November 2006 - 01:17 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-16 01:15:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionCase Number
Maybe they can identify it by name, but I wouldn't rely on that.

If this were my situation, I would resend the forms. Just write a letter stating what happened and your reason for resending. Include that letter with the new forms. This method has worked well for others.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-17 04:15:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionGathering evidence before the interview
The more evidence, the better. If either of you can manage to travel, that would be the best, but I think that your phone calls, emails, etc will be enough to show ongoing relationship. Make sure to save all of it, and make sure it is up to date.

Edited by heathius, 16 November 2006 - 01:35 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-16 01:34:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionReceived Packet 4 in one week....through Guangzhou!
Today we were absolutely caught off guard! We received Packet 4 from Guangzhou only 8 days after mailing the OF-169 checklist back to the consulate. And the interview is scheduled for 12/15, less than a month from now.

This seems like uncharted territory for the Guangzhou consulate. I'm not sure how or why our case got processed that quickly. Maybe it has something to do with the priority date (March 9). But, others have had similar priority dates and their processing took a lot more time. :wacko:

Anyway, we're hoping some of this good luck rubs off on the other Guangzhou-ites!
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-17 10:56:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionPolice report
A lot depends on the country (infrastructure) and how in-depth the report needs to be. If you need to supply fingerprints along with your request, then it may take a bit longer to process. Most countries don't take more than 2-3 weeks. I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine it taking more than 1-2 weeks in Ireland.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-16 01:39:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionIs this doctor ripping me off?
I concur. Medicals in China are US$ 130. Don't risk getting botched results over a small pay dispute.

After you get the medical results, it may be benefitial to report this doctor. Maybe someone will investigate.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-24 00:57:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionSecure Mail Services
For which country? For some countries, secure mail is not available at all.

Example... China. They will only deliver visas within Guangdong province. If you live in any other province, you have to go to Guangzhou and pick it up in person (or remain in Guangzhou after your interview until the visa is ready to be picked-up).
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-12-12 02:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionFiancee visa app. Do I need a job in the states?
The affidavit of support is in fact mandatory. The only question is, will you be the support provider or will you need to get a sponsor?

If you want to be the support provider, you will indeed need a job to be able to show steady income. Without a job that carries a salary over the acceptable levels, you will need a sponsor.

My situation is somewhat similar. I have lived in China with my fiancee for over 2 years now, and have heald a steady job. Logically, if we leave for the US then the job will end. So, in order for me to be the support provider I have to show both a letter from my current employer as well as a letter from my future employer in the US (along with all other evidence needed for the affidavit). That way they can see evidence of past income, and evidence that you will have steady income in the US. Other people may have done other things, but this is they way we are handling our situation.

You will definitely need a job if you want to be the support provider. Best advice is... If you aren't sure about your employment situation, then get a sponsor.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-31 07:04:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionVisa Received! ....
Success!

We received our K-1 visa in Guangzhou on 12/19. Feels good to be done with this part of the process. Entry planned for 1/12 at SFO.

We were a bit surprised with the content of the interview.
They didn't ask any questions about our relationship at all. Perhaps this is because we live together currently, so maybe they figured it was a waste of time. Instead, they chose to key on the tax return.

Since we live in China, I earned a Chinese salary for much of the 2005 tax year, which was below the support guidelines. Early in 2006, my company decided to give me a US level salary which is easily over the support guideline. Since my most recent tax return is for 2005, it shows none of my new salary level. To supplement I also supplied 2 employer letters, pay stubs, and a bank statement with my salary deposits highlighted to show that I make enough to easily satisfy the requirement. One of the employment letters was to show that my company will continue my employment in the US once we move back.

The visa officer pointed out that the tax return showed insufficient funds, but after presenting the remaining support evidence the visa officer was then satisfied with our evidence. However, there was a guy standing behind the visa officer during the entire interview (supervisor perhaps?). From the moment the tax return was presented, the guy repeatedly told the visa officer to deny the visa. Finally there was a deadlock between the visa officer and this guy regarding whether the visa should be granted. The visa officer finally got tired of listening to him yapping, and pulled the guy aside and had a conference with him for about 10-15 minutes. After the conference, the visa officer returned and said that the visa would be granted. The guy was noticably frustrated by her decision to grant the visa.

Not sure what that was all about. We are still kind of amazed that they were this critical of the tax return. Strange series of events.

Anyhow, we are extremely happy that we can put the interview behind us. Just wanted to share our interview experience in hopes that someone will benefit.
heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-12-20 23:03:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionLack of ITR
You will need to submit your most recent transcript (2005 in your case), regardless of what it shows. Unless you have a major delay of your interview, there is not much you can do.

It won't matter too much that your transcript doesn't show your qualified earnings from your new job, as long as you can back it up with pay stubs, employer letter, and bank statements showing a regular pay deposit history.

Edited by heathius, 01 November 2006 - 04:03 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-11-01 04:00:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionK-1,second denial...i am devastated, help plz,
leorc,

All you can really do is supply what they are asking for. The rest will take care of itself. The process scares all of us, it's not just you. Especially scary through Guangzhou! :wacko:

You may be able to use your stepdad as a sponsor. But, if it is going to be a big hassle to prove his income/worth, you may want to consider getting a different sponsor that has a full time job with steady, substantial income.

Just curious... Why does your fiancee have to make 12 hour train trips to Guangzhou? Can't you just mail your items back to the consulate? You should not have to travel to Guangzhou until your interview. I have never heard of this happening.

Edited by heathius, 16 October 2006 - 01:29 AM.

heathiusNot TellingGermany2006-10-16 01:24:00