Green Card Arrived Yesterday!

[yorktr]

I have been a (very) infrequent poster but a diligent reader of this board for a few years now. I doubt if anyone here remembers any of those indistinguished posts.
Nonetheless, I would like to share the happy news that my wife's brand new biometrically enhanced Green Card arrived in a nondescript envelope yesterday. At first glance, it looked like junque mail...
The particulars: She is a Singaporean Chinese I met here in New York over 10 years ago. Perhaps I'm lazy, but why travel overseas when one is living or working in Noo Yawk? Despite my continuing dalliance with various Asian/American dating clubs, we became closer through the years. I am 53 and balding; she is 49, but doesn't look it.
We were married last November at the City Clerk/Marriage Bureau in South Manhattan, and are living in a largely Chinese section of Queens known as Flushing. For my part, I have never been happier as these last 11 months.  
Thanks to all of the information that I have found on this board, we took care of the INS/USCIS paperwork ourselves. We did visit an immigration attorney once before the marriage so as to make sure that there wouldn't be any major problems; one of those $75 initial consulation deals.
We didn't get the I-485, I-130, I-864 and I-765 parcel prepared until late May of this year, so we had to pay the higher fees. It seems to have been money well spent, as we received acknowledgement of the parcel within about 2 weeks, arranged for the fingerprinting very shortly thereafter, and received the interview letter for a late September appointment. As the Permanent Resident card arrived yesterday, the total timeframe was about 5 months!!!
I realize that our timeframe was a lot shorter because she was already here in the US... no Fiance visa process either. But you all still must do the AOS process after marriage, so perhaps I have good news that this part of the INS ordeal won't be as lengthly as before.
So thanks again to everybody here for the advice, both the happy and sad stories, and the inspiration to carry on.
Jeff S., I have a picture to send you. what is your email address?

[Dave H]

... in response to Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by yorktr on Oct 30, 2004

Hi yorktr,

Happy to hear that life is going well for you and your wife! My wife is waiting her "Removal of Conditions" (I-751) to be approved. Good Luck!

Dave H.

[Jeff S]

... in response to Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by yorktr on Oct 30, 2004

Congrats, york! I've known a few Singaporan Chinese and they were very classy, intelligent people. Always good to hear a happy ending, or maybe I should say a happy beninning.

Please e-mail me a pic at captainjeff@usa.com and I'll get it up on the Asian Sweetie web site. I have a couple of new pics from people to update soon. If anyone would like to send in a new pic, update pics or information, put in a pic of a single relative or anything else, please don't hesitate.

- Jeff
http://www.geocities.com/jeffsatpl/

[yorktr]

... in response to Re: Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by Jeff S on Oct 31, 2004

n/t

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by yorktr on Oct 30, 2004

Congratulations  Yorktr

Glad to hear that you were able to complete your processiing  so readily.  It  sure must have  been very convienient to  have  been able to be together and  married in the states  without  the  seperation that  many couples must endure.   Did  you  have to do your paperwork through the American consulate in singapore or were  you  able  to do your paper work right in NYC  through  the Singaporean Consulate / Embassy?  

Wow  an unintentional courtship over a 10 year period - that certainly is unusual for this board. Has your Gal  gotten used to American Chinese  food  by now  or are you able to find the authenic Chinese food like  Roasted Chicken Claws  In the chinatown  area  of NYC.  My fiance  is From Guangzhou andI am wondering how she will  adapt to Americanized Chinese food, especially since for the most part she is a vegetarian.

I am finding that Chinese Culture is an interesting concept to understand.  For the most part everyone speaks mandarin  which unites them together. but there are sub cultures within the Chinese community like those who are Hong Kongese / Macau,  the  Taiwanese Group, Singaporeans, Malaysian Chinese, Indonesian Chinese,  and of course  Mainland Chinese.  With the Chinese Commmunity spread out over such a wide area and at least 5 - 6  different counties in Asia I am finding that nothing is quite in Black and  white.  I have a long way to go to understand the nuances and generalizations of people from the  Various Countries.   Will an Indonesian or Malaysian Chinese person with the greater Islamic influences in their countries Celebrate the same  custom  and  tradition as a Taiwanese might or mainlander might.  It  is  rather  interestingt  to me.

All  the best  to  both of  you  and  congratulations  on your  speedy  Green Card aquisition.

ERIC

[yorktr]

... in response to Re: Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by Windmill Boy on Oct 31, 2004

Thank you for that...

No, we just applied to the USCIS; included her documents, of course, but didn't need to go through any Singaporean agency.
Ai Keow is fairly westernized, I suppose. Chinese from her area, (Singapore and Malaysia), grow up with one foot in the west and one foot in the east. During my Chinese dating period, I enjoyed better relations with Malaysians than with mainland Chinese, though both groups are good people. Ai Keow is the only Singaporean I knew before our marriage. For those who are interested in meeting Chinese, I would recommend Malaysian Chinese, who are generally tri-lingual; Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. Malaysia is not a really good place for the Chinese, because of the dominance of the Malays. Singapore is more prosperous, therefore, Singaporeans are less likely to want to leave.
Chinese culture is quite interesting; both the ancient as well as the modern all around me. Living in this mostly Chinese neighborhood is really quite fascinating. Here in Flushing, I am referred to as a foreigner, because that is the way Chinese describe non-chinese. So two Chinese in Iowa would be talking about all of the foreigners around them.
Though she is independently minded, Ai Keow has been the kind of good wife who inspires me to be a good husband. I truly hope that your K-1 goes quickly and smoothly so that you are able to enjoy life with your fiance.

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Re: Re: Green Card Arrived Yesterday!, posted by yorktr on Nov 1, 2004

Thanks for the encouragement TIM

Called the DOS  today  and the name check has been approved for Kat.  now just stuck in the backed up quagmire of the Guanzhou consulate scheduling  a visa interview for Kat.  Ballparking  Jan or February.  AS Ive mentioned before  here,  fortunately  Kat  lives in Guangzhou.  She has some good american friends  who have to go to the consulate to vote  anyhow on wednesday.  they are going to ask to submit a letter of recomondation that they have  written on our behalf  to be added to our case file while they are there.  Hope that goes well.

Nice  wedding Phote of both of you on the sweetie site.   I think it is intersting that you are wearing the traditional outfit and she is wearing the western Dress -- Role reversal from what one might expect to see.  Blue grass  music   is great  what  do you think of Bela Fleck ?

All the best

ERIC & KAT

[yorktr]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Green Card Arrived Yesterday..., posted by Windmill Boy on Nov 1, 2004

Eric, that is a good sign for Kat. I think that our gov't is more suspicious of mainland Chinese applicants because of document fraud. Ai Keow tells me that it has been rampant there for years. Letters from Americans there who know her and can vouch for her should be useful; sure can't hurt.
As to Bluegrass, Ai Keow has had a crush on Mr. Fleck for years. I think of him as 1/5 of Strength in Numbers. If you know who they are, then you are in the progressive wing of the Bluegrass Party. He is certainly an astounding musician.