ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
ChinaBring Chinese wife to the USA post interview process
My wife was interviewed on Feb 1st and I sent the final supporting documents on Feb 21st (docs with blue paper) about 10 days ago. This is for a IR1 visa for her to immigrate to the USA with me. We married more than 2 years ago.

How long should I expect to wait if all the paperwork is perfect and no issues?
I heard about 2 to 3 weeks after they receive the paperwork, they should contact us and ask for passport.
Is this time fram correct?
There have been no hoildays since Feb 21st except for the Sunday Lantern Festival.
I am emailing once a week to follow up. My last email was on Feb 27, no response to that email, so I am not even sure if they opened the mail yet and looked at our documents.

Any insights from someone elses experience would be most appreciated.

Regards.
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-05 05:00:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMARRIGAE CERTIFICATE
Thanks A&B !
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 20:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMARRIGAE CERTIFICATE
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

I was married FEB 15, 2011 in CHANGCHUN, JILIN. Government office of the Jilin Province.
I was given the little red marriage book, and a white paper packet of documents related to the book. One says MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, in Chinese and English translations, then there is NOTARY CERTIFICATE of the document and the translation.

My lawyer was confused and said "this is not the marriage certificate" it is "the marriage book certificate."
Does someone know if these documents are exactly the same, different but serve the same purpose and are effectively the same, or is there any important difference among the two?

I do not believe Changchun gives any other "marriage certificates" then what I described.

Thank you very much.
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 18:16:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresProcessing time to stamp attach VISA to Passport
Darnell, Update today

Received an email from the consulate today with this message:

"Thank you for your email.
The visa has been issued and is under final processing before passing to china post for delivery in the next few days."

I believe I can interpret this as within a few days they will hand the passport and visa docs to EMS and thus I should an extra day or two for the EMS deliver, which means I am looking at a delivery Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday next week.

Does that make sense.

Thanks again for your very useful help!

- Yanji
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-27 01:46:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresProcessing time to stamp attach VISA to Passport
Darnell thanks. The DOS number is a USA number, correct?
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-26 18:03:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresProcessing time to stamp attach VISA to Passport
Does anyone have insights on how long it takes to get the VISA (IR1) attached / stamped in your passport. I sent mine in On MARCH 11. It was received on MARCH 13, but after 2 weeks, no word on the passport. I already sent a couple of emails. I got 1 answer that said basically "please be patient and wait." Does anyone have experience on a Passport taking longer than 2 weeks to be stamped?

Thanks very much!

Yanji
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-26 07:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
Received notice that Visa package arrived at EMS yesterday, so should be delivered today. I wanted some help confirming the following process once I receive the visa today:

BEFORE LEAVING FOR USA
1) Pay $165 visa fee online and print receipt

AT AIRPORT
2) Carry these things to the USA and show immigration / customs official:
- Passport
- Visa letter / unopened package (??? Not sure what this is, just the visa in writing)
- X-ray record (a VCD)
- Innoculation Book (A yellow cover small thin book)
- Paper hard copy receipt of the $165 payment online

AFTER ENTERING THE USA
3) After entering USA, A green card will be mailed to the home address of the petitioner on file.

Can anyone confirm this seems correct?
Thank you very much,

Yanji
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-27 15:18:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
Darnell, thanks again. I will call DoS tonight China time and check. Also as a last resort will try to visit the IV Unit.

By the way, do you have any rough estimate on how long each of those 5 or 6 QUEUES take?
For example, it seem to take 1 1/2 days from when I mailed the passport until they signed receipt within the EMS system.
How about the other Queues? Like how long would the passport spend at each station? I hope not 10 days per step?
Why would it take 10 days max for the VISA SENT STATUS ?

I would love to get more insight on how long each of the processes take.
So far, I never get this insight from any Visa office or Consulate. They just say be patient and wait.

- Yanji
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-27 01:07:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
HOLDING PASSPORT TIME

Does anyone have some experience on how long the Consulate will hold your passport when attaching the VISA. I have been waiting 2 weeks already and no word on when passport is coming back.

Thanks
yanjiMaleChina2013-03-26 07:08:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
Dos HOTLINE NUMBER

Sorry, I do not see the DoS Hotlibe number to check on the EMS pack being sent, What is the number?


Thanks very much!
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 17:58:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
Thanks Darnell...and the others

It seems like I have to wait in a hotel in Guangzhou at this point. Since, (1) My wife is 4 months pregnant and the trip back and forth is grueling, No direct flights, I came here by train and 2 flights, (2) Expense of going back and forth, and (3) No quality medical care options in her area of Jilin Province.

I am interested if anyone knows the average time frame for waiting (assuming all paperwork is correct?

INTERVIEW: FEB 01, 2013
MAILED IN BLUE FORM WITH REQUESTED DOCUMENTS: FEB 21, 2013

I heard that it takes an average of 2 to 3 weeks to get the clear to send your passport in and another 2 to 3 weeks to get the passport back.

Can I assume on average to get the Passport back END OF MARCH, BEGINNING OF APRIL ???

I requested the EMS packages to go to a local address here in Guangzhou, not a post office.

Thanks again
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 17:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
Thanks everyone!
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 08:13:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresCR1 visa married in China
I was married in China Feb 15, 2011. Wife stayed in China. Filed DEC 2012 in the USA for the CR1 Immigrant Visa for spouse of US Citizen. Interview given Feb 01, 2013. Blue Form given. Wife passed interview but rejected the visa because of missing paperwork (a few original copies). We mailed back these copies Feb 21, 2013.

The special situation is that my wife is 4 months pregnant. The Guangzhou consulate is well aware of the fact that my wife is pregnant and needs to get to the USA quickly for medical care.

1) I would like some advice on how long I would probably have to wait for her CALL-IN LETTER, then how long would we usually wait for the visa assuming all the paperwork is correct? Can we assume that because she is 4 months pregnant her paperwork would be done a little more quickly?

2) Someone told me that since Nov or December 2012 the paperwork has been slowing down and the post-inteview paperwork for the visa takes a little longer. Can anyone add some insight on this?

3) Is the CR1 mean a visa for married less than 2 years. If we married on Feb 15, 2011 does the fact that we are married more than 2 years speed up the process in anyway?

It is difficult to decide to wait in Guangzhou at a hotel or fly back to Yanji in Jilin Province thousands of miles away.
Thanks
yanjiMaleChina2013-02-27 03:50:00