China K1 Fiancee Visa Processing Times

United States Consulate in Guangzhou, China

The processing time, from the day our law office files your I-129F Petition with the USCIS, to the day the K1 Visa is issued by the US Embassy in Guangzhou, China is approximately:

5-9 Months

All Chinese Nationals residing in China must have their K1 Visa applications processed at the US Embassy located in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. The application can only be adjudicated after the approved I-129F Petition is forwarded to the post by the National Visa Center in the United States.

If you are a Chinese  National residing in a country other than China, you may be eligible to process your k1 visa application in that foreign country. Contact our law firm today to find out if you or your fiancee meet the eligibility requirements.

We heard a lot of bad things about getting a K1 Visa in China and are extremely please with the outcome of your services…we got back from the embassy last night and the interview went very well…you really prepared Ling Ling for what she had to do… John, Miami, Florida
Ling Ling, Sichuan, China

About John, Miami, Florida
Ling Ling, Sichuan, China

Guangzhou (GUZ)
5/F Tian Yu Garden (II Phase)
136-142 Lin He Zhong Lu
Tianhe District, Guangzhou

Time it takes for an interview appointment after petition is received by embassy:

1-4 Months

Time for issuance of k1 visa after the interview

1-2 weeks

 
Our China Overseas Support Staff Speak Fluent English and
Chinese and have been through the k1 visa process too!

Below, please find more useful information about some of the required documents the K1 Visa Applicant will need prior to going for the interview. Please note that this list is not comprehensive and there are many other items and evidence that must be brought to the interview. Prior to interview, our office and/or your Overseas Support Staff will instruct you on all items and give you a mock interview for preparation.

Most of the documents listed below can be obtained from one of China’s Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu). All Chinese documents to be used abroad are processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of a notarial certificate. Notarial offices are located in every and all major Chinese cities and also in rural county seats. The Notarial offices are part of the Ministry of Justice, but are separate and different from the people’s court system.

Notaries in China don’t perform the same functions as their American counterparts. Chinese notaries affix their signatures and office seals to certificates that attest to the probity of claims made by the applicants. By regulation, notaries issue certificates only after they conclude that the applicant’s claims are true. Notarial certificates of birth, no criminal record, marriage, divorce, death, and adoptions prior to 1981, are at best, secondary evidence of the events they claim to document. Although these certificates are secondary evidence, they are used because primary evidence is not standardized, can be forged, and is often difficult to evaluate. Notarial certificates are easier to interpret than primary evidence and theoretically represent an expert judgment on the part of the notarial official as to the facts documented.

Persons residing outside of China may get notarial certificates from the notarial office with jurisdiction over the county of previous residence. Chinese relatives or friends may request issuance of certificates on behalf of someone now living abroad. Friends or relatives should submit specific written permission from the interested party before they request certificates. Alternatively, persons who need notarial documents may contact the PRC Embassy or Consulate closest to their residence abroad and ask that the request be forwarded to the appropriate notarial office. Obtaining a notarial certificate at a PRC Embassy or Consulate can require considerable time.

Birth Certificates

Available in the form of notarial certificates, which are secondary evidence. Notarial certificates of birth (Chu Sheng Gong Zheng Shu or Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu) for persons living in or recently departed from China are generally reliable, but are best used in conjunction with other evidence. They are most often based upon an AHHR, (Household Record) which can be forged, especially in villages. Notarial birth certificates for persons long departed from China are most likely based merely upon the testimony of interested parties.

While some notarial birth certificates will list stepparents or adoptive parents along with natural parents, this is not always the case. In some cases, the certificates will list only the natural parents, covering up an adoption.

Some applicants may present notarial certificates of relationship (Guan Xi Gong Zheng [or Zheng Ming] Shu) in lieu of notarial birth certificates. These certificates of relationship are unreliable and tend to be based solely upon testimony of the parties.

Death Certificates

Available in the form of notarial death certificates which are generally reliable.

Divorce Certificates

Notarial offices will normally issue divorce certificates based upon records to confirm either a uncontested or court-decreed divorce. In an uncontested divorce, a couple can obtain a divorce certificate from a marriage registration office in the neighborhood where they live. Both parties of a contested divorce will receive a copy of the formal divorce decree from the court at the time the divorce is approved. If the original decree is lost or stolen, the same court will often issue a copy, but these decrees or certificates are not accepted in lieu of the notarial certificates.

Police Records

Applicants should apply for a certificate of no criminal record at the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) (or certain types of employers such as state owned enterprises), then make application to the notary office for a certificate based on the PSB document. Persons without a criminal record will be able to obtain a certificate to that effect. Certificates for individuals with one or more criminal convictions will list all convictions for which records still exist. The certificates purport to reflect all criminal convictions during residence in China. Police records are generally not available for the period prior to 1949. Certificates are available for those in the J-1, Z, and X categories. The GOC does not issue police records for temporary residents of China in L or F visa categories.

Police records are also not available for persons who were in China in diplomatic status including those working for international organizations such as the United Nations. Notarial police certificates are, in part,  based upon records from a person’s employer. If an employer refuses to release records, the notarial office is not able to issue such a certificate. This is the case for persons sent abroad for education by the Chinese Government who fail to come back to China.

According to a 1957 state council ruling that is still in force, the imposition of a re-education through labor (Lao Dong Jiao Yu) term does not result from a criminal conviction. Administrative organs, rather than courts, impose re-education through labor. It is important to distinguish re-education through labor from labor reform (Lao Dong Gai Zao), which is a sentence meted out for criminal offenses.

Court and Prison Records

Usually, when a person is tried by the people’s court or by an division of the executive branch of government, some records remain about the case, even in the event of a political crime. Sometimes, the formal court verdict (Pan Jue Shu) is available upon request by the former defendant. Other times, the court can provide only a summary of the charges and verdict. It is necessary to have the applicant request court records. If an applicant is unable to get their court records,  the post in China with jurisdiction over the area where the record is located can contact the appropriate provincial foreign affairs office and request assistance in securing records. It is not advisable for other U.S. officials to contact courts directly. Records are generally not available for the period prior to 1949.

Military Records

Generally, these are not available.

K1 Fiancee Visa processing times for China’s bordering countries:
Mongolia K1 Fiancee Visa Processing Times
India K1 Fiancee Visa Processing Times
Nepal K1 Fiancee Visa Processing Times