From: hbonney@TYMNET.COM (Hugh Bonney)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: US INS complaints
Date: 12 Apr 92 11:21:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: spiff.9204121121.AA20381


  A US citizen was complaining about the complications and rudeness of
  the US INS in the process of bringing in his foreign wife when he 
  appeared to disregard the usual procedures. So I posted the following:
  
  Re: Immigration Procedures
    One thing missing in this discussion is that the U.S. INS is under-
    funded for the immigration numbers and basically can only pay attention
    to you crossing the border or filling out a form. Otherwise it just
    doesn't exist. The movie "Green Card" is only a fantasy.

    It's also the bad stories that make it harder for people with ordinary
    stories. Mine is that I married a woman May 31,'91 in China that I met
    and knew in Hong Kong. Ren Shuying (Kate Ren) was a manager with the Yue
    Jiao trading company (PRC) in H.K., H.K. I.D., and a PRC citizen. She
    came to the US Dec 19,'91 sponsored as my wife but acted as though on a
    business trip and never unpacked. Jan 14,'92 she disappeared when I was 
    at work. I was supposed to think it an immigration scheme, but it turned 
    into a cheap novel. She had also met a rich Englishman and decided that
    was a better deal. Divorces in H.K. take a long time and require grounds. 
    So the only way to get it done and get out of China at the same time was 
    to come here as my wife and go to Reno for a quickie divorce. March 10,'92
    she and her UK citizen went to the British Consulate in Los Angeles and 
    applied for a Fiance Visa, which is pending the divorce. As I had expected 
    a hopefully happy marriage and family of this, I have really been stunned
    by this cold and ignoble scheme. A puzzle is why the British citizen 
    couldn't get her out of China.

    She will very soon have a Nevada divorce - six weeks "residence", for
    incompatibility, no signature from me. Originally a local British lawyer
    told me that the Reno divorces were not valid in the U.K. or H.K. However,
    I've also been told recently that they are perfectly all right. It also
    seems that Fiance Visas are theoretically very easy to get from the U.K.
    So Reno, Nevada/LA is an easy back door for a UK/EC or HK Visa. No doubt
    easier than in Hong Kong. Further, Reno is doing enough business with
    non-US citizens that all the INS rules about the 2 year conditional visas
    don't really mean much of anything. There are all sorts of schemes. In
    other cases a US citizen has served as a railroad to import a person who
    is a criminal, or whatever. I knew nothing of all this a few months ago.

    Anyway, an immigration law firm can inexpensively handle the paperwork
    for an uncomplicated case and paralegals get to stand in the INS lines.
    If you have found such a good person to marry, be grateful for your good
    fortune. Don't worry about small things. Good luck and happiness to you.
	     ------------------------------
----415-961-6286----408-922-6198--work--------------Hugh Bonney---------
    hbonney@spiff.tymnet.com           or dialcom   31000:hughb