Got Residence Permit/Invitation Letter - Do I have to go to Houston?

Take a friend who speaks Mandarin AND Cantonese along with all your papers and go stand in the line at wherever it is that China sometimes issues visas in HK.  If you are lucky, you'll catch someone in a good mood. If not, you've only wasted a few hours.  Then it's either a plane ride somewhere or sending your stuff via express back to the USA.

No matter what, let us know what happens.

Ring 'Forever Bright Trading Co' for information and you can save yourself time, money and stress.

What you do with that information is up to you.

Note: I am not promoting this company - there are others. All I know that when I was in a tight visa situation last year it took just one phone call to them to get a clear idea of what was possible and develop a plan of action that they knew would work.

Although the services of an agent cost money (my college paid all costs) I believe there are times when it pays to call on the services of the experts. At the very least, their relationship with those who must be feared eliminates the possibility that some bastard on the counter is going to decline your application because they are not in a good mood.