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Post by Dr. Gonzo on May 24, 2006 2:53:50 GMT 7
A former US colleague in Shanghai wanted to take his spouse back to meet the family, but had his application rejected. After his father called in some favors with his local rep, it got approved.
A retired academic couple I knew wanted to visit their daughter in the US, married to a local. No luck.
I would advise such hopefuls to swim the Rio Grande and say "hola" on arrival. It seems to work.
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Non-Dave
Barfly
Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
Posts: 701
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Post by Non-Dave on May 24, 2006 8:53:44 GMT 7
The best way to visit America is to be an Australian. When interrogated upon arrival about your intentions you can laugh loudly and say "Are you kidding? Why would I want to live here - I'm from Australia!"
My brother married a USAnian and had a hard time getting the paperwork right - it also needed a favour called in by the father-in-law with a friendly senator.
I hope it comes together for you and the lady Kokopelli - definitely consider the Mexican route!
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nolefan
Barfly
Quod me nutrit, me destruit!
Posts: 686
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Post by nolefan on May 24, 2006 9:38:35 GMT 7
yep... having lived there for a number of years, I know that system well enough. The path to residence and citizenship in the US is a heck of a lot simpler if you are illegal.
I happen to know someone who's lived in the USAnia for over 25 years and was always there legally either as a professional, a student or a tourist. They were told in no uncertain words that had they been there illegaly for one day out of those 25 years, they would receive the citizenship on a silver platter.... no, I am not making this up.
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Post by Mr Nobody on May 24, 2006 11:24:25 GMT 7
Shouldn't this be in the "My country right or stupid" thread?
Sorry, shouldn't make fun of an emotional and no doubt heart rending issue. I hope it works out. I have to do the same in my own country sooner or later, and they don't have a "hola" route.
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Post by acjade on May 24, 2006 11:32:33 GMT 7
Shouldn't this be in the "My country right or stupid" thread? Sorry, shouldn't make fun of an emotional and no doubt heart rending issue. I hope it works out. I have to do the same in my own country sooner or later, and they don't have a "hola" route. You could always try the Christmas Island route, Mr. Nobody. |
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Post by Mr Nobody on May 24, 2006 11:58:11 GMT 7
If need be, I will try ANYTHING. I am not sure what the options are, even.
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Post by Raoul Duke on May 24, 2006 13:05:23 GMT 7
Tempting thopugh it may seem, I'm sure no one here would ever seriously recommend using an illegal method of getting into the United States. It's, well, illegal. And it's dangerous: people routinely die and/or suffer terrible privations in the attempts.
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Newbs
SuperDuperBarfly! 
If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Newbs on May 24, 2006 14:37:12 GMT 7
Fair call, Raoul. How many people have died crossing the Rio Grande, figuratively speaking? How many people have drowned as their boat sank beneath them, somewhere between Indonesia and Australia?
Dubya and little Johnnie have blood on their hands.
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Post by hankuh on May 24, 2006 17:57:55 GMT 7
No doubt the process is long and convoluted; and with the recall of the petitions for K-1, the background check is just another obstacle. However, I do not think this is a case of America telling ex-pats in love to m'kay off. I know it can feel like that because the process isn't easy by any means.
I think the immigration process itself, whether K-1 or what we went through: I-130, is detailed and really not spelled out correctly on the consulate web pages or even defined clearly. We found this to be the greatest problem, but once, we were directed, the pieces fell in place.
There are people attempting to enter the US under fraudulent pretenses, but I think breaks should be given to those US citizens with alien spouses/or fiancees; unfortunately, you're dealing with a bureaucracy, that in itself, no matter which nation or political system, lends itself to incompetency as well as the erratic fluctuations of political policies, and if you're dealing with the folks in the immigration sector you may gather a great sense about that; still it doesn't nullify or void the immigration process; and of course, lots of folks are trying to get in because as everyone knows the USA is an evil empire and everyone wants to live in an evil empire. You really gather this sense when you're going through the Customs and Immigration Check points at the International Airports in the US and see the hordes of folks in the Non-US Citizen lines.
And yes, the usual USA bashing helps, along with the current brouhaha about the illegals already here, but m'kay all that, if you're determined, just go legally, and get your bases covered.
It's worth it. We did it, and frankly, I never gave the naysayers, the arm-chair quarterbacks, and the political bullpoo artists a second thought.
Why?
They were too damn busy talking about it, and they didn't do it.
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Post by hankuh on May 24, 2006 18:50:11 GMT 7
Kokopelli,
I remember last year going to the consulate with my petition. It was the second time because ha ha I had mailed it to the wrong place because of misinformation. So, we had to do it ALL OVER AGAIN--the petition, the photos, the documents, the translations--everything!
Yes, we took a nine hour train trip to Shanghai just for the purpose of doing that. And guess what? The twenty something gal behind the window was a Chinese and had an attitude. I didn't think she knew what she was doing because everytime I ask a question, she had such a pissy demeanor as if she felt she didn't have time for my petition, my questions, or anything, and was asking me stuff that I thought she should already KNOW! But, by this time, I wasn't taking any bullpoo and because I wanted to get the m'kay out of China and because I really didn't give a flying m'kay what she thought, or what anyone else thought, I smiled and kept drilling her for questions, and answering her questions, and actually DARING HER to tell me, "well sir, we can't do this, until...". She would disappear into the back, I imagine, to ask another person the answer to my question or to get some clarity of some point.
I am a cynic, but I think my wife could have done a much better job working at the consulate than this air-headed bitch. I question some of the hiring qualifications of its personel.
The immigration process is NOT fast, whether it's I-129 or I-I30, but resolve yourself to getting it done.
I have nothing to say about the PSB except they can all collectively go m'kay themselves until they bleed out of their ears, which would be easy for them to do because they don't have any brains.
Forgive me if it seems I am out of line here, but this issue touches too close to my experience, and if I had one piece of advice for you it would be this:
Never get discouraged; keep at it!
Realize it's your NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
It's too easy to get disenchanted with it, but if you think about the alternative, it makes it seem easier, and that was the case with my wife and I.
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Post by Norbert Radd on May 24, 2006 19:56:59 GMT 7
get married in hong kong.
my neighbor from fiji just got married there. if you're married to a national, i don't understand how you couldn't get a visa to the usa.
fyi, do all your research. bring all your documents.
if you have all your i's dotted and t's crossed and you get the run around, politely
ie, an american
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Newbs
SuperDuperBarfly!
If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Newbs on May 25, 2006 3:43:24 GMT 7
Love my country, hate the present leadership, and so I wonder why anyone in their right mind would want to migrate there, given the present xenophobic climate. The policy, as expressed by Department of Immigration at the moment, is that anyone who wants to come to Australia could be a terrorist. Spare me.
But hey, Kokopelli, I'll put in a good word for you. The only difficulty I can see is when they ask me where your missing 30 or so posts at Raoul's Saloon are.
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Post by Norbert Radd on May 25, 2006 6:15:47 GMT 7
don't let them lay a power trip on you. just keep asking. lay a power trip on them. asl for their name. ask about the complaint process, etc. FYI, i had some experience with non-US assholes in the taipei de facto consulate. in seoul, they don't use koreans in the US section
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LJ
Upstanding Citizen
One piston, 10,000 revs!
Posts: 63
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Post by LJ on Jun 8, 2006 5:26:55 GMT 7
My opinion is that if you are married your spouse should be able to visit your country of orgin by RIGHT. If a member of a family wishes to visit a member of their family in another country that should also be their RIGHT.
Proof of marriage or kinship should be the only evidence needed for a visitor.
Settlement and working rights should be a later process inside the country.
IT seems to me that many western countries deny their citizens and spouses what should be their RIGHTS.
Maybe one day when the poorer countries become wealthier........................................
I'm trying to obtain a vistor visa for my wife to visit the UK, and it seems as if the authorities are putting pointless hoops to jump through.
Of course if she were a businesswoman with more than 100,000 pounds to invest in the UK, the door is wide open!
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 8, 2006 6:32:35 GMT 7
Well, you know what a right is. Something that used to be a privilege, but then a whole bunch of people fought for it, some probably died or were jailed, just so the next generation can say it is a 'right'.
No such 'thing', really, as 'rights'.
But yeah, it is a 'right', as far as such things go. Good luck with the hoops. I will have to jump through them too, before too many years. I am also working on the business option, though. For Oz, only a few hundred thousand RMB, or soemthing. Two or three apartments should do it.
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Jemair
Barfly
Nowhere else to go
Posts: 34
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Post by Jemair on Jun 22, 2006 21:10:34 GMT 7
Hey you guys its not just in America yep its here to i.e. in Australia, my wife is Malaysian Chinese and I was bloody lucky by just two weeks but a friend of mine last year got told "when hell freezes over" well thats what he said anyway.  Believe it or not   |
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Post by Justashooter on Oct 5, 2006 19:43:56 GMT 7
don't let them lay a power trip on you... FYI, i had some experience with non-US assholes in the taipei de facto consulate. in seoul, they don't use koreans in the US section i remember getting a replacement passport in beijing at the embassy "american citizens services". all chinese staff. no americans in the bunch that i could see, but they could have been naturalised (i doubt). i have heard that the consulate in guangzhou also uses all chinese staff in visa interviews. 4 people i met there. two of us obviously american born. one chinese who had obviously lived in america some years, and one obvious fraud. all were treated accordingly. i have heard that guangzhou visa staff will not allow a petitioner to sit in the interview with K-1 or I-130 applicant. i have heard that some staff have ego trips (commonly seen in chinese gov't). i hope for reason in our case. seems foolish to allow a chinese to decide the fate of an american partnership. |
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