To: Mr. Attryde
ROYAL VIKING SEA
From: Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Harwood
Our initial hopes were to get Ying out of China by the fastest method that was possible. We had two options: Visitors Visa or Marriage Certificate. We were told that the Marriage Certificate would take a minimum of three weeks after filing all the forms.
During our visits to both the British And US Consulates we found out that a letter of non-impediment is necessary for non-C inese citizens. The British regulations would not allow me time to secure the letter, so I went to the US Consulate and spoke with Mr. Hulka. He agreed to issue one immediately-the USA doesn't have the bans requirement. Once I acquired this letter, along with 3 photographs, all my paperwork was in order as far as the Chinese were concerned.. Ying's paperwork was an entirely different matter. She was caught up in the Chinese Red Tape. They required her Registration Card and a letter of non-impediment from her company-CITS. Her father held her registration card and refused to yield it to us unless we paid him 20,000 yuan. CITS would not issue Ying a N/I letter unless she resigned. They had previously told her that they were going to fire her anyway.. It was at this point that Mr. Attryde came to our rescue: He knows Mr. Dao, the General Manager of CITS. After a quick phone call Mr. Dao agreed to help "as much as he was able to." Ying turned her resignation in that afternoon. It has been necessary to return to CITS four or five times since then to try to attain all the paperwork. (They are still holding all her files-which means that she can not apply for a paper from her Residential Committee until they have all the paperwork..)
Through a series of friends of friends we found someone who knows the top man in the marriage bureau, and he was able to persuade them to process the marriage license within one week! Of course they have an ulterior motive too-Mrs. Yan had previously applied to the US Consulate for a visa to visit her daughter in New York it had been turned down and she was told to re apply in one year. Now I have been askedto speak on her behalf to Mr. Hulka.
We managed to avoid Ying's Father by going directly to her Police department in the neighbourhood and persuaded them to issue a form saying that Ying is registered in this neighbourhood. They also issued her one stating that she may apply for a passport- in her married name! This was before we even knew that we would be able to get the Marriage Certifiaate. Not bad for the Chinese.
The US Consulate have agreed to issue Ying's B2 Visa on the spot when she can show them her passport.
I must praise both the British and the US Consulates for all their help and understanding with regards to our situation, especially when there were other pressing matters in China.
750 Battery Street San Francisco. California 94111
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