Some Simple Info Wanted

[Jimmy]

It has been right at 5 months now. My wife's interview must be coming up soon. We collected all the needed documents last January. But at the time did not realize that was a time limit on the age of the document. So we decided to wait, and like I say it has been 5 months I hope it is safe to collect them again and not need the 3rd trip to wherever to get them. Anyway this interview thing has me and my wife nervous as all, We just say we are nervous.
I have read several pages of questions they could ask or might. And we know all of the documents are important they could ask to see any number of things. And things like pictures that we have not really taken a lot of but we can take a few everyday and our collection will build, and we got pictures of the 2 of us when she stayed 7 days in the hospital with me. and stuff like that.
NOW FOR THE QUESTION :  From all of you guys that have wives that have passed the interview or even failed it for that matter.
What questions did they ask your wife? What documents did they ask her to show?
After our failure to get the tourist visa last spring. I am convinced if they ask to see anything and she does not have it. You are finished. I gave her what I thought was anything they might want to see. I forgot to put my red book in with her papers. And that's what they ask her for. She was instantly denied. When she could not produce it, and I was just outside had it in my pocket.  So I'm sure you can imagine we want no mistakes this time.  I have a lot to collect again but I'm up for it I hope. In fact I think I may have to go to the US to collect a couple pages. And there is a paper I need to sign in front of a US notary. Do I need to do that there, Or is there such a thing as a US notary here in China?

With my health and everything going on if she is denied I have no Idea what will happen.  All help is appreciated.

[Jimmy]

There is a US notary in China, located at the US Embassy in Beijing, I went there in July to get official "proof" that I was good to get married. When I was in the Embassy office there was a poster on the wall that listed all of the services they can provide and a price for each one. I think the cheapest price was $50, and up. Including notarizing any kind of official paper, or document.

For me, I filled out a form declaring who I was, that I was divorced, and single ... I then had papers to back this up, birth certificate, passport, divorce papers, and I had to raise my hand and make a sworn statement that all of the information I provided was TRUE and ACCURATE, then I signed it in front of them, and they signed, applied a raised seal, stamped the form. I paid the $50 in US funds, but they would take Chinese Money also.

The china marriage registry office accepted the form as is, but they did look it over very very carefully, it was in English

before I left China, my wife and I went to a China Notary building, very large, and very busy...  she paid for them to create official (China government official) notarized, and translated copies of her passport, her birth certificate, her red book, etc ... for me to take back home with me each copy, and it's translation is bound together in a thin folder, with something written on the outside in Chinese Letters ... I do not know what it says but I think it says something like "Official Notarized and Translated Copy" .... as it is the same notation on all the copies I have.

Mike O.

Cool my friend this is good to know. $50 is a good chunk of change for a notary. But is a lot better than a $1000 plane ticket. If I can save this trip home before her interview I will. Even though It would be nice to be able to drop in and see my daughters a couple days.
And those that you got from the China notary My wife came in one day had a whole stack of them. One was like a signed consent from her ex allowing her son to go to the US and some of her Divorce stuff things like that. I am not sure what it all is but there was a lot of it.

[Arnold]

Jimmy , as I have mentioned many times .. Qing and I carried everything we ever done together with us to the Embassy . All they looked at was my Passport  ( three Visa's for four Trips ) and a couple of our photo's .. that was it for us . So do take ALL your have and can think of with you . I'm sure now they'll know about the failed Interview before , so they will .. which I'm sure .. ask for a lot more Proof this time . You lived with your Wife all this time , so go show them the photo's ( with date's on them if possible ) of that and all what you have done together as a married couple . This I'm certain will be most important to them , as they already know about the other Paperwork from the last time . Give your Wife your Passport to show them , even if they don't ask for it , let them know she has it on her . Good Luck Jimmy !

[ttwjr32]

 Jimmy,

one thing you are forgetting is that you have your passport with your L visa in it that shows you are living in china
and have not left. you should also have your registration from the local police office stated were you are registered
living here and it will match hers. these are all legal docs that they will look at and are self explainatory. dont over
think the pics part as just cause your living here they will not require all that. if you did travel somewere take those
pics with you but they certainly dont want to see you sitting in the living room like Al Bundy having a beer with a hand
down your shorts.

your case will be different than everyone here because you are residing here. not back home waiting for the outcome.
you have also turned in all your docs so the time stamp doesnt apply after that they will not require updated paperwork.
what you have turned in is sufficeint. all that other stuff is for people who come and go back and forth.

Relax and dont worry yourself. your L visa covers your time here which your passport will show you didnt leave and the
housing registration confirms your together. relax have a beer or two your almost home now. just one more small hurdle
to go that will go fine and smooth. and if your in guangzhou for the interview call me as i would like to meet the two of
you and buy you a night before dinner. and if you buy the coffee the next day i will sit with you while your wife goes thru
the cattle call to get into the consulate. your almost finished my freind.

 also  i would have her prepared as to why you tried to apply for a tourist visa last spring i would imagine they would or
will question the reasoning for that. and that will or might be all they ask her.

[maxx]

Jimmy Ted has got this right.My only concern is that you are saying her police report is five months old.By the time your wife needs to submit the police report it is going to be out of date.So your wife will need to get that renewed.Before she submits it.Everything else looks good.

Make sure your wife has everything Ted has mentioned.This time the interview should just be a formality.

[Jimmy]

Thanks guys I feel a little more relieved. Her and I don't really do much, To be honest we are like a typical American married couple that has been married a few years now. We mostly just enjoy the fact we are together. But we should get out some. and get a few more pictures things like that.
And Mike I am going to check and see if I can find that notary service in GZ then when it comes time for her interview we can just go a day or 2 early and save a flight to Beijing, But I wouldn't mind seeing the place anyway. Getting her a new police report is very easy. Having a cop for a brother in law makes it a little easier for her.
Now the trouble part. I have never gone and registered at the police department. I honestly did not know I needed to with my visa good for 180 days a stay I thought I was OK just to be a good boy not get into any trouble.  Do I need to go do this? Her and I were talking about this just yesterday.

[ttwjr32]

i would go register as soon as you can  just tell them it was an oversite on your part

[Paul Todd]

I would go with Teds advice. You may have to pay a small fine but it's no big deal. Tell your brother in law and maybe you could even avoid that 

[Jimmy]

We called made an appointment for next Tuesday. I need to take passport and our rental papers and my wife needs to bring her Id card.
She talked on the phone with this gal a long time. I don't think I will have to pay a fine. The way she made it sound is if I had never done it and tried to leave the country I would have a pretty nasty fine to pay. And now since their visit on the phone this lady officer will give us something showing we have lived here together since January and show my trips home like a business trip or something. She says she can do this because since we are married in January and rented this apartment together I have never been gone more than 65 days. It all sounds pretty good to me and if I had to pay a small fine to get proof of us living together like this. It would be worth it. and my last trip home I was gone 65 days on the money......... Is my Luck Changing?

[ttwjr32]

 this is great Jimmy as it will certainly help her in the interview because it will show the
 two of you living together for what 11 or 12 months by the time the interview takes place.

 i will bet you some good chinese wine that she is in there for about 5 minutes before they tell
 here congratulations you have been approved.

i am glad i brought it up in my post so you got it taken care of before the interview and i am
definetly sure this will  help speed up the process that day.

best wishes for a short interview to approval  we are all pulling for you two.

[Jimmy]

I really appreciate it to my friend. You guys have helped me out a ton.  And my good friend ED W who pulled me out of the fire. Back in January.

He had Just called to see how I was doing one afternoon. I was getting ready to leave for China in a few days. After talking only a few minutes he asked me did I have all of the paper work to be able to get married.  Huh what are you talking about I'm single I am gonna get married. What else could I possibly need? Well he told me, and then a minute or so later after I stopped Cussing at myself. He helped me make a plan. And the next day I was on the road. We talked pretty much all day that day. Thank god we had same service with free mobile to mobile.  And I mean I needed it all I didn't even have a certified copy of my Divorce papers yet. Now here's the luck part.
My ex and I had been apart so long before we even filed I didn't even think about it I mean we had split over 2 years in my head I was divorced. Keep in mind this is January 5 and my flight is leaving in 6 days. My divorce was not final yet. Living in a small town was a blessing. I called the court house and talked to several people and got to explain my situation to all of them. I finally get the judges secretary and she checks says it is on his desk should be signed any day.  About 2 hours later I get a call. Hello Mr Henson this is Judge whatever his name is, I was told of your situation just calling to let you know you are Divorced now as of about 15 minutes ago. I will have my office make you the certified copy you need and for $25 you can pick it up tomorrow. Good luck in your future plans. I thanked him and needless to say was at the court house door early that morning. Standing there like the lady on the mervyns commercial Open Open Open. Went in and it was ready. Hit the road a 3 hour drive to Sacramento to the Secretary of states Office. Thought I had finished there. Called Ed as I was leaving Low and behold I had forgotten something was only a couple miles away so turned around went back and got whatever it was I forget now. Now I have almost everything. And it's afternoon and I have a 3 hour drive to San Francisco to the Chinese Embassy.  I made it with 35 whole  minutes to spare. Went in Government employees near quitting time. They got me processed in less than 30 minutes. And I walked out with everything I needed to get married. Called Ed again don't know for sure but we think it could be a record.
Went from Divorce not final yet to divorce is final and all of that single status documents I needed in less than 24 hours.
Thanks Ed You saved me from getting beat up by this little Chinese woman that is now my wife. She would not have been happy.

You new guys Listen to these guys that have done it. They can make things a lot easier. We have all tried a short cut or 2 only to find out, It really does not work.
Been meaning to tell that story a long time. Thanks again my friends I'm almost home.