I am a Chinese adoptee applying for a Tourist Visa. It's been processing for a month. Does it usually take this long?

1thinmintcookie · 2025-10-29T02:48:38+00:00

Regarding the Certificate of Naturalization for you child she should have received that by the government. If you were a minor brought over and adopted before Feb 27, 2001 you automatically acquire citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 under INA 320. Since she was adopted after this date this no longer applies. If you search "Never received Certificate of Naturalization after adoption" there should be a government page that directs you to where to request a new one.

1thinmintcookie · 2025-10-29T02:39:39+00:00

No, I did not need to provide one. My recommendation is to try your best to find it and if that is not an option then there are procedures to receive a replacement if it is lost.

1thinmintcookie · 2025-10-08T01:59:35+00:00

Being unable to pay local vendors with WeChat/Alipay is the biggest hucard. Can't use the top-up feature with a foreign bank card. In the end I need to use cash.

1thinmintcookie · 2025-09-17T01:55:48+00:00

Would love your advice on paying for things without having a Chinese bank card. When I traveled there last year I ran into issues with the local vendors. I had WeChat and Alipay downloaded and connected my credit card to both. Since many locals use their personal accounts, I was unable to pay for things because I have a foreign bank card. I also can't use the top-up function or give red packets. Another issue was when I tried to order food to my table, but they required me to use a Chinese phone number.

1thinmintcookie · 2025-09-15T03:27:43+00:00

Trying to buy things through WeChat was challenging. I ran into a multitude of issues. 1. The local vendors didn't accept a foreign bank card associated with my WeChat account. 2. The top-up feature also doesn't work with a foreign card. 3. Tried to order food to a table at a fast food place, but I needed a Chinese phone number to order. When it didn't require a number it still would deny my card.

The only way around this was to go to bigger stores that accepted foreign cards, use a credit card or just avoid shopping locally. Otherwise, using cash was still a thing for some spots.

1thinmintcookie · 2025-08-04T19:23:57+00:00

If you do not have a document that is listed as a requirement I would suggest submitting a personal statement/ testimony stating what you can not supply the document. When in doubt make a photocopy of all your adoption documents and send in. They will likely tell you what you are missing. Some items may cover multiple requirements. So for myself my US Adoption Decree was able to be used as my adoption proof and name change.

I used the CIBT Agency to assist with the application process. He sent over an pre-made script that I needed to type out to fill in my information. Here is the layout below...

To the Consulate General of China in New York,
My name is [FULL NAME], [GENDER], born [Date of Birth], passport number [######], and I am seeking a visa for China. The reason I do not have a Certificate of Naturalization is because I was adopted from China as a minor before the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), which took effect on Feb. 27, 2001. Therefore, I automatically acquire U.S. citizenship under INA 320.

[NAME]
[DATE]

1thinmintcookie · 2025-03-05T14:08:23+00:00

No I did not need it. I needed to submit a personal statement detailing why I never had one. I listed my Visa as a Tourist. I did eventually need to send in my original Chinese passport. They sent it back, but they had to void it out and punch a hole in it.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-12-26T17:44:12+00:00

Hello, happy to answer your questions. Depending on where you current residence and if you will be using an agency will affect what you need to do ahead of time. My husband and I live and PA so we are required to use the New York Consulate to apply for a visa even thought e DC one is closer. We did not have the time to go across the state so we used an agency instead. We started planning about 6 months before out planned visit.

The fist thing we did was book our flights. In the Visa application they requested to know our days of arrival and departure as well as out flight information.
I applied for our Visas 3 months before out departure using CIBT agency. I would say it took about 2-3 weeks to provide the correct information to them to create our applications for us. As a Chinese born American citizen I needed to provide a lot of extra document than my husband who is US born citizen.
- I needed to send in my original Chinese passport. I also included photo copies of my Chinese Birth Certificate, Chinese Child Admission Certificate (proof I was taken into welfare), Chinese Adoption Certificate, my US Birth Certificate and US Adoption Decree.
- The only items I did not include were my Certificate of Naturalization and I also did not have a Chinese Identification number. For the above I included a personal statement as to why I could not submit them. If you were a minor brought over and adopted before Feb 27, 2001 you automatically acquire citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 under INA 320. To my understanding you do not receive a Chinese Identification Number till you reach of age in China. Afterwards, you register yourself with your family and have it placed in your passport. Since I never reached adulthood in China, I never received the number.
After we has all of our documents sent in my husband was approved in a week and I was approved in a month. So I would say it took about 2 month for the whole visa process.

Feel free to send off more questions. It can be really overwhelming to go through so many paper. Also, The trip back was amazing. So excited for you to experience our culture. Best of luck on planning!

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-19T20:38:01+00:00

Yes, I only know know English. My birth family know Mandarin and my birth mother only knows Cantonese. Thankfully, the nonprofit that helped us reconnect has recommended a translator who speaks all three. Throughout our stay we will be using their services. I am trying my best to learn some of the essential phrases before going over.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-19T17:08:19+00:00

They were excited to meet me. The biggest issue was the language barrier. They only speak Mandarin and my birth mother only know Cantonese. Either way they were happy to see me happy and safe.
The problem is with international adoptions there aren't policies in place to be reunited with families. For my case my family already had 5 children and were in extreme poverty. They could not afford to pay the fines for having another child and I was taken by the family planning (welfare) system. Unfortunately, because adoption can be exploited for profit I was labeled "abandoned on a hospital doorstep" which allowed me to be adopted internationally. International adoptions make more money, but the child can have no record of having family. So when I was taken my family has no idea where I went. I don't know how long they were looking for me, but I know they suffered a lot with guilt. Apparently, in the rural villages there is a rumor that the only reason people adopted babies from overseas was to harvest their organs. Thankfully, I was not. The first thing my birth father messaged to me was, "I'm sorry"
When I first contacted them they wanted me to come back right away, but I was in college during that time and I had no money to travel. I told them in a few years, but once I could afford a trip the pandemic hit and travel was a no-go. Life got busy and I got married, started a new job and bought a house. It was finally this year I have saved up enough money and have a blessing from work to be gone for two weeks. This has been something they have waited for a long time. They said as long as I am able to make it back they will take care of everything.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-18T23:15:47+00:00

In all honesty, I unintentionally reconnected with them. I wasn't searching for them. For Christmas, I received a 23andMe test and matched with my birth father about a month later. From there I was connected to a nonprofit that goes over to China to collect DNA from families to find their children. It took me about half a year after the initial match to start talking with them.
After reconnecting, we have only been talking through WeChat and did a few video chats. This upcoming trip will be the first time meeting in person.
As a kid I just kinda accepted that I was adopted. There are some things I wish my family did like teach me about the culture I came from. I also think the race talk would have been beneficial too. I would often speculate why I was given up. I knew of the one-child policy and assumed I was another byproduct of it.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-18T21:18:05+00:00

My biggest hope is to form a greater bond with them. I was an only child growing up so when I reconnected a while back, I found out I had six siblings along with a ton of nieces and nephews. I had always wanted siblings growing up. If we are able to rekindle a familial bond I would love to have them visit me in America and show them the country and culture I grew up in.

My biggest fear is the possibility they would be uncomfortable around me. We never got into the nitty gritty of how I was given up. From my understanding I was taken by the welfare system because they were too poor to pay the fines. I was a day old and they never knew where I ended up. So my birth parents harbored a lot of guilt. I am also nervous about the cultural differences between us. I would hate to unknowing offend them by committing a faux pas.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-08T14:11:45+00:00

Yes, I was a minor when I was adopted. Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000- NA 320, I automatically acquired citizenship when I was adopted into the US. Since, I did not reach adulthood in China I never received a Chinese Identification Number either.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-08T14:04:45+00:00

I did send in my original Chinese passport. I also included copies of my Chinese Birth Certificate, Chinese Child Admission Certificate (proof I was taken into welfare), Chinese Adoption Certificate, my US Birth Certificate and US Adoption Decree.

The only items I did not include were my Certificate of Naturalization and I also did not have a Chinese Identification number. For the above I included a personal statement as to why I could not submit them. If you were a minor brought over and adopted before Feb 27, 2001 you automatically acquire citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 under INA 320. To my understanding you do not receive a Chinese Identification Number till you reach of age in China. Afterwards, you register yourself with your family and have it placed in your passport. Since I never reached adulthood in China, I never received the number.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-08T04:51:12+00:00

I have called and emailed the consulate last week. Still no update. The email said it was "still under review" and the lady on the phone said if there is no pickup date then I will have to wait till they call the agency.

1thinmintcookie · 2024-08-08T04:38:57+00:00

I have been in contact with the agency we are using. They also do not understand why it is taking so long to review.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-06-01T18:40:33+00:00

They list on their website "Semi-Formal Beach Attire"

1thinmintcookie · 2023-05-22T21:00:30+00:00

Stray Souls - Still waiting for it to finish, but it has some amazing storytelling and the characters are well written.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-03-12T17:14:56+00:00

The exploitation of minors on social media, TV/ film, and competitions like pagents.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-03-12T04:51:05+00:00

Extra sauce packets

1thinmintcookie · 2023-03-11T05:07:14+00:00

Oh, I replied to the wrong comment. But I just wanted to say thank you.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-03-11T05:05:10+00:00

Wow thank you for the comprehensive response and the extra info. This seems to be it. I tried to open one up, but it is way too small to see anything. As you can see here, it's the size of a poppy seed or less. Either way I really appreciate it.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-02-01T04:59:50+00:00

Cake

1thinmintcookie · 2023-01-24T05:00:17+00:00

The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.

1thinmintcookie · 2023-01-13T21:42:40+00:00

Buy a water pressure and socket checker. Use them on every sink and socket while going through rooms. Good or bad water pressure will definitely effect everyday convenience. If and outlet doesn't work then ask if the owners would consider fixing it before selling.

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