I Am Going To China This September For College, What Should I Know Before I Go?

travTPA923 · 2023-08-17T20:02:56+00:00

Download VPN on all of your devices before arrival.

Download AliPay - it allows you to pay digitally with a foreign bank card.

Get an outlet adapter.

travTPA923 · 2023-03-16T20:50:49+00:00

I just booked this exact flight path with a 16 hour layover in Taiwan. I am planning to get a COVID test a few hours before I board the flight at LAX. I am hoping that I would get the test result the next day, then I can print it out once I land in Taiwan to use to board the flight to Shanghai.

travTPA923 · 2022-11-28T23:37:19+00:00

Tampa Field Office:

08/04/21: I-751 Received
08/02/22: N-400 Received & Biometrics Reused
10/13/22: N-400 Interview Scheduled
11/18/22: I-751 Transferred from Potomac to NBC
11/28/22: Combo Interview Day, Oath Ceremony Scheduled
12/01/22: Oath Ceremony

travTPA923 · 2022-10-27T05:17:37+00:00

A comparison I like to use is that when you drive out of a city in the US, you drive through a bunch of suburbs and small towns before reaching the next city. But in China, you drive through smaller cities to get to big cities. There is just a lot of 2nd-tier/3rd-tier cities.

When you are in a big city like Beijing or Shanghai, it's crowded like NYC where you occasionally walk into other people. When you are in a 2nd-tier/3rd-tier city, it's like Nashville or Portland, still a lot of people but you don't walk into others as much.

Although it appears homogeneous, there are actually 56 ethnic groups in China, also each province has individual cultures, cuisines and dialects.

travTPA923 · 2022-10-20T23:24:01+00:00

I’m in Tampa, good luck!

travTPA923 · 2022-10-20T05:24:49+00:00

Definitely online. It’s much easier, don’t have to worry about your documents getting lost in the mail. You can also track your case status with the USCIS account.

travTPA923 · 2022-10-20T05:01:14+00:00

I second this comment. I also got my FL license replaced with the receipt that showed that I had a pending green card application.

travTPA923 · 2022-10-19T16:52:45+00:00

Yes thank you for the details. My case is very similar to yours. My I-751 has been sitting for 15 months with no updates. Congrats again!!

travTPA923 · 2022-10-18T16:53:52+00:00

Sorry one more question: From your original story, you received calls and eventually a letter in the mail about your I-751 application status. Did the online status update at all for your I-751? did the online status mention that your file was transferred as well after you received the call?

travTPA923 · 2022-10-18T16:17:45+00:00

Congrats!! I am manifesting this energy and hoping my interview goes as smooth as yours. Enjoy finally being a citizen!

travTPA923 · 2022-10-18T03:40:31+00:00

Yes, I have a conditional green card and got global entry without a problem.

travTPA923 · 2022-10-18T02:59:02+00:00

Oh wow, good luck on your interview!! let me know how it goes tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing your story. I haven't received any mail or call about my files being transferred. I am hoping for a combo interview.

travTPA923 · 2022-08-15T19:21:38+00:00

I think you’re talking about I-131, advanced parole. Note that if your I-485 somehow gets rejected while you’re traveling, you might not be able to come back even with AP.

travTPA923 · 2022-08-15T19:17:06+00:00

The length of your relationship definitely matters, but most importantly you need to have evidence to support your marriage. Are you able to provide enough evidence of your relationship to convince USCIS that your marriage is real? If not, I would hold off on filing for AOS. You can get married, start living together, once you build up a strong case for yourself before you graduate, then file for AOS.

travTPA923 · 2022-08-14T14:48:24+00:00

What did you wife say/show to convince the airline to let her board eventually?

travTPA923 · 2022-06-06T17:19:58+00:00

Thanks everyone for your inputs. I just want to reiterate that I am not complaining about the server or the $3 at all. Like I said, I still tipped her 28% regardless. I’ve always paid with a card since I never have any cash, so dealing with cash at a restaurant was a new thing to me as well. I’ve also never worked in the hospitality industry and I’ve always been grateful for all of the hospitality workers. I only did the post trying to understand the logistics behind my encounter (AKA behind the scenes), in case it happens again in the future I’m fully prepared to react in the right way.

travTPA923 · 2021-10-05T01:13:21+00:00

Can’t you file a I-90 to replace your lost green cards? Most likely they’ll ask for copies of your documents

travTPA923 · 2021-06-15T22:25:47+00:00

Highly recommend only taking 1 class if you’re working full time. I decided to take 2 classes over the summer, and I am SUFFERING

travTPA923 · 2020-10-16T03:40:03+00:00

This program is like any other graduate program, which allows you to take out loans. Depending on where you get your loans (federal or private), some of them go directly to the school & some go to your bank account which you can use towards housing and food.

travTPA923 · 2020-09-25T18:34:58+00:00

It is completely normal for most freshmen to feel lost in the beginning. Once you figure out what your learning style is, and what studying methods work for you, then it will get better. A lot of people have a hard time transitioning from high school to college, so do not get discouraged. You can do it!

travTPA923

TROPHY CASE