or document exists which would prove satisfactory in all cases. Applicants are
encouraged to reapply only when their overall circumstances have changed. For
example, an unemployed recent graduate may decide to reapply following a
sustained period of steady employment.
Q12: What are some examples of adequate ties to China?
A: Often the interviewing officer considers your job, family, and financial
circumstances. "Ties" are the various aspects of your life that bind you to your place
of residence such as your possessions, employment, social and family relationships.
In cases of younger applicants who may not have had an opportunity to establish
such ties, interviewing officers may look at the applicant's specific intentions, family
relations, educational status (is the applicant in the middle of an academic program?),
grades, and long-range plans and prospects in China. As each person's situation is
different, there is no magic answer as to what constitutes sufficient ties. For example,
one person may have a thriving business in China which he or she would be unlikely
to abandon, while another may have close and convincing ties to a house and family
here, or a promising career.
Q13: I will certainly return to China because my parents are here.
I am the only son in my family and I need to return so that I can
take care of my parents. Why did the officer say I have
insufficient ties to compel me to return?
A: Our experience shows that being an only son has not deterred many Chinese
travelers from remaining indefinitely in the US. While this factor may be one among
others relevant to an individual's personal circumstances, it would not usually, in itself,