ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesHow far in advance to schedule a medical exam in St. Lukes
I would recommend doing the exam waaaaaaay before 1 week. I am in Manila right now because we came for the medical exam/interview. My wifes interview was supposed to be on thursday but they told us we had to cancel it and come in next monday for sputum collection. My wife had TB when she was 3 and it left a scar, so it showed up on the x-ray, therefore they have to do the sputum culture as a precaution which take 8 weeks. We were devastated. I had no idea what sputum was before 3 days ago, plus we have a baby on the way.. such horrible timing. I hope you experience at st. lukes is much smoother than ours has been. Just a heads up, if you have a history of TB, expect to wait 2 months.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-03-24 05:23:00
PhilippinesCRBA and Passport for baby
Thanks everyone for your help and input. I know its in Gods hands i just like to have a much info as possible. Luckily for us the LCR here is my wifes cousin so she will be able to expidite the birth certificate to the NSO so it should be okay. Really want to get home by august.. Phish just anounced 4 cali shows! :dance:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-04-12 07:03:00
PhilippinesCRBA and Passport for baby

Answers:

1. 6 months from the date the visa is issued.

2.I did my CRBA in 2008 and only took me 10 days from the time of CRBA application to getting my son his US citizenship certificate and US passport.

3.I did had my Authenticated Birth Certficate from NSO in diffrent ways and it all worked for me. It depends on where u live and how far u live from the NSO office.

I did get mine by going personally to the NSO office (but had to travel for hours by bus). I did get my kids through a travel agency which it was for me more comfortable coz it was quiker and hassle free from travelling for hours back and fourth plus the expenses and time( which for me was better to get thru a travel agency).

4. Inquire at the US embassy about visa extension and they will give u depends on how valid the reason is.


yeah I will have to do the same.. i live on Samar and the nearest NSO is tacloban, like 4 hours. 10 days for the CRBA and passportnis a relief though. Thanks!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-04-12 06:53:00
PhilippinesCRBA and Passport for baby

does your wife had any history of TB?


yeah she had it when she was very young, like 5. it was really bad thats why there is a scar on her lung now. she just did the standard 6 months of treatment.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-04-12 06:50:00
PhilippinesCRBA and Passport for baby
Hey peoples,

This is my first topic so here it goes... My wife(applicant) and I(petitioner) are here in Manila because we came to do the SLEC medical exam and PLANNED on having her CR-1 visa interview. On the second day of the exam they told she had to undergo the sputum test due to a scar in her x-ray. She just finished the 3 days today and the results were negative, so know we have to wait the 8 weeks for the cultures. There's more! My wife is 7 months pregnant, with a due date of June 1st. The 8 week mark for her sputum test is May 28th. I know that her visa (assuming she gets approved) is good for 6 months after issuance. The nurse at SLEC told her that she will have to be in the states by August 20th or something like that which would mean that her visa will only be good up to 6 months from the first day of her medical exam.. if that makes any sense. So heres my real dilemma, my daughter is supposed to enter the world on June 1st, 2012. So basically I have to get my wife to her interview immediately after delivery, get her approved, THEN, my daughter needs to get a CRBA and a passport so that we can all leave together BEFORE August 20-whatever-th.. and yes i know that she there is a chance she may get a positive result on the sputum but this is all assuming that she gets a negative on the sputum and her visa gets approved. I just need info on all the stuff below. Ive read everything i can find on the embassy website and travel.state.gov website and every other website i could find. None of them could really answer my questions, this is my last resort.. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

1. Should her visa expire 6 months from the date of issuance, or, 6 months from the original medical exam date?

2. Does anyone have recent experience with the CRBA and getting a passport for a newborn baby, as far as TIMEFRAME for receiving the actual documentation from the date of the interview?

3. Is it even possible to get an NSO birth certificate within a reasonable amount of time, like 1 month or even less? (this is my main cause for concern)

4. If whats listed above doesnt seem possible, does anyone have any suggestions about anything else i might be able to do without having to reapply for my wifes visa or doing the medical exam AGAIN and having to do the sputum AGAIN.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-03-29 07:09:00
PhilippinesLeaving with 13a PR Visa
See I dont really care about keeping it because I really only got it for convenience due to the fact that i wasnt sure how long it would take to be able to get my wife to the states and its expensive and a hassle to have to take a van 5 hours to the nearest Immigration office to renew a tourist visa. When we filed for it i didnt know whether we were staying here or going to the States but now we have a daughter and i dont want her to grow up here and be robbed of the tenfold amount of opportunities she will have in America. Which is what my wife wants also. So I just need to know if they would give me any hassle at the immigration booth leaving the airport due to the fact that i applied for a permanent resident visa less that a year ago and now im leaving and taking my family to America.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-06-06 04:41:00
PhilippinesLeaving with 13a PR Visa
nothing?
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-06-06 03:10:00
PhilippinesLeaving with 13a PR Visa
whats up everyone.. I have a question for anyone that has experience with the 13a permanent resident visa. I got one about 8 months ago and my wife and I are planning (God willing) to go to the states once she has her CR1 visa.. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is anything special i need to do to avoid hassle when leaving the country, Ive read about reentry permits and such but i wont be returning within a year so it does me no good.. will i need to "downgrade" my status since im still only 13a "probationary"? or can i just get an exit visa and leave? Anyone with either working knowledge of that kind of stuff or experience please get back to me. I cant find much information online other than travel taxes and re-entry permits. thanks!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-06-05 13:01:00
PhilippinesNBI again!
Hi, my wife and I just finished our interivew and her NBI clearance says "NO RECORD ON FILE". They never asked about it and she was approved so no worries! :thumbs:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-05 14:19:00
Philippines221(g) Manila

Save yourself the headache of emailing and calling because...



...and 2Go will text her on delivery day. :thumbs:

Congratz on the visa approval !!!


Ahhh.. I kind of figured that, and THANK YOU!! :joy: Guess I will just be waitin then. :pop:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-06 06:15:00
Philippines221(g) Manila

You could email them as they do reply and may let you know when its sent to 2GO . But if you gave 2GO a phone number to contact for delivery most times they will call you when then have it for delivery.



Contact Info for USEM:

Embassy (Manila) Phone Number (and email)

(632) 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185 (local number: USEM 3012000 loc 5184/5185 call them around 3-4:30pm)


** (214) 571-1600 or (646) 254-3546 (these are USA numbers)


For general inquiries: IVManilaReplies@state.gov

To enable us to electronically sort the messages and provide better, more timely responses, you should follow the instructions below.

The subject line of your email should indicate the visa applicant’s last name, first and middle name (ex. DOE, John James), case number/USCIS receipt number, visa category and priority date.
Messages should be limited to 500 characters or less.
The mail size should not be more than 15 KB.
Do not submit documentation or attachments with your message as our system is unable to receive inquiries with attachments.
Do not send your inquiry more than once as duplicate inquiries will congest our system and delay our response time.


Yeah I sent the email a few days ago. Every time I emailed them before it took about 5 days to get a response. I will probably wait until then and then just suck it up and call. Thanks.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-05 14:09:00
Philippines221(g) Manila
Hello there. Had our interview June 26th, visa approved, just needed to send one thing in and they told us once they had it they would send the visa to our address. I sent everything in via 2GO, checked through the tracking number that it was delivered to the embassy.

I was wondering if they call or email notifying you that everything is good and they are sending the visa, or if some dude just shows up at your house 2 weeks later with the visa packet. Can someone fill me in? I emailed the embassy, still waiting. Cant stand making a 5$ phone call to that place, they never seem to be able to answer my questions. :blink: All input is greatly appreciated!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-05 13:34:00
PhilippinesAttire for Medical
You are gonna be going up and down floor to floor and sitting and waiting for a long time.. wear something comfortable. There is no need to dress nice unless you really want to, but i wouldnt recommend it. Take a jacket because it gets cold in there. To asnwer your question, yeah jeans and a t shirt is fine.

Edited by Brandon+Roslyn, 07 July 2012 - 04:43 PM.

Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-07 16:41:00
PhilippinesA big Thank YOU...
Congrats!! :thumbs: :dance:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-09 13:12:00
PhilippinesImmigrant Visa hotline

Please let me know if that number works for you.... I find its not a good number anymore????

Is the Embassy extremely busy now???
Thanks


Yeah the number worked for me. But only the 5185 extension worked.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-10 16:29:00
Philippinesmy visa status

We sent our Japanese police clearance in over 4 weeks ago.... our interview was April 16th... They Kept my fiancee's and her sons passports...... Its going on 5 weeks and we didnt receive any information.

Can anyone get through to teh Embassy on that phone number in the past 10 days???


Yes, I just talked to them on Monday.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-10 16:33:00
Philippinesvisa approved
:dance: CONGRATS! :joy:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 05:08:00
PhilippinesDS 230 PART I AND PART II
Better to be safe than sorry. If your worried about it then you should definitely do it, if not then they would just have him re-fill one out there or have him send another one in after the interview. But if its expired then i would say yes.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 13:51:00
PhilippinesIs the 221g a sign of approvel

what do you mean by that? your fiancee already had a recent nbi but no aka on it that is why the embassy asked for a new one with aka?!
omg! please answer me because my nbi doesnt have aka on it so i am worried if it cause me delay because my interview is on tuesday!


Yes. If you are known by any other names other than the name on your birth certificate, then it needs to be included on the NBI Clearance. For example my wife had her maiden name and her married name on hers. If your not married then just the name as it appears on your birth certificate should be fine.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 15:08:00
PhilippinesIs the 221g a sign of approvel
Here is the contact info for the Immigrant Visa Unit at the embassy. They will be able to update you on what is going on with the 221(g). They answer emails also, but it usually takes about a week.

http://manila.usemba...contact-us.html
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 11:30:00
Philippinescheck status of my wife visa

Thanks :thumbs:


Welcome! B-)
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-13 08:54:00
Philippinescheck status of my wife visa
This is the contact info for the Immigrant Visa Unit at the embassy. Just make sure you have the case # and they will tell you if it has been printed yet and when they will send it out. They sent me an email with the 2GO tracking number and all that once they sent it. Expect 7-10 business days before delivery. 2GO will text you when its ready for delivery.

http://manila.usemba...contact-us.html

For inquiries on a specific case, please call the Immigrant Visa (IV) inquiry line at (632) 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185 during normal business hours, except between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m.

Edited by Brandon+Roslyn, 12 July 2012 - 03:17 PM.

Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 15:14:00
PhilippinesHow long does it take from NOA2 until in my arms?/ Manilla
I got my NOA2 Jan 5th, finished with NVC in March. Would have had the visa then, but we had to undergo the sputum exam at St. Lukes which pushed us back 2 months. Then my daughter was born and had to get CRBA and passport, which took another month. Visa in hand yesterday. Leaving for LAX next wednesday! Hope your journey goes smoother than mine did! :lol:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-13 09:17:00
Philippinescfo seminar

need some info, my son is 7 years old i know he don't need to attend this CFO seminar but i still need to register him. where im going to register him?do i need to go the CFO seminar location or i can do it in the airport before departure?


The following Filipino emigrants may be allowed to register with the CFO-NAIA Desk Office:

* Filipino spouses and other partners previously granted permanent residence status in the country of destination

* Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals who have completed the pre-departure counseling requirements, as evidenced by a genuine counseling certificate

* Filipino emigrants exempted from attending the PDOS or peer counseling under special circumstances

* Filipino emigrants with permanent residence visa issued abroad who will be exiting from the Philippines

* Emigrants whose visas will expire within three (3) working days of their issuance

* Other emigrants under meritorious circumstances, as may be approved by the Executive Director or the duly authorized representative

You can also always call and ask. NAIA Office: (+632) 879-5685. They will be able to tell you if the child qualifies for registration at the airport. Otherwise you will have to go to the main office in Manila or Cebu. Info is on their website. www.cfo.gov.ph

Edited by Brandon+Roslyn, 14 July 2012 - 07:04 AM.

Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-14 07:02:00
PhilippinesFiance with you during actual and final interview
I also attended my wifes initial and final interview. They like that kind of stuff, but really its all on the CO. I have heard of them asking the spouse/fiance to have a seat so they can speak with the applicant alone, then call up the petitioner later, but never-the-less, its encouraged! :thumbs:

link to my review here: http://www.visajourn....php?entry=9958
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-11 09:10:00
PhilippinesGood Travel Agent? Cheap Airfare?

$3k is nuts the average ticket from the USA to the philippines round trip is about $1,300 usd Try here, http://www.hipmunk.com/


i know, thats insane! i have flown back and fourth 4 times already and never payed more than 1000 dollars. Even flying PAL. But they give it to you good if you dont reserve at least a month or so in advance. The only reason i was looking at PAL is because i had an open ended ticket that i didnt know expired june 21st :angry: . That information would have been great when i cancelled my return flight when i got here.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-16 01:50:00
PhilippinesGood Travel Agent? Cheap Airfare?
well the best i could find was 850 per adult and 100 for the baby. so we are getting out of here for 1800 total. 2 layovers, one in japan one in honolulu, but hey, at least we will get home eventually! :lol: Thanks to everyone for your help! Be home on thursday! :dance: :dance: :dance:

Edited by Brandon+Roslyn, 16 July 2012 - 01:50 AM.

Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-16 01:43:00
PhilippinesGood Travel Agent? Cheap Airfare?
Its for a 2 month old, plus me and my wife, and yes, they charge for infants, PAL charges 25% of the adult ticket price for inlap, 80% for in seat.. thanks for all the recommendations, been looking like crazy. Havent found anything that is legitimately under 1000. But thats what i get for only getting the tickets a week in advance.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-14 05:54:00
PhilippinesGood Travel Agent? Cheap Airfare?
Just wanted to see if there was anyone with experience in using a reliable travel agent( either here in PH or there in States ) to get special promos going from Manila to LAX. Most specifically the "First Time Immigrant" promo fare that seems to good to be true. Anyone with experience with this? A ticket directly from PAL for my wife and baby is almost $3,000.. and i need one also :whistle: . Any insight and recommendations would be just peachy. Thanks!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-13 15:51:00
PhilippinesVisa in Hand
CONGRATS!! :dance: :dance: :dance:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-16 10:37:00
PhilippinesSputum Test @ SLEC

In my case the lady at SLEC told me on my pulmonary evaluation (after I got the negative result of the 3-day sputum test) that I don't need to go to the scheduled interview (July 10) because they will re schedule it for me if I pass the 2 month culture. Im on my 2nd week now hoping not to get a call from them.
I'm planning to re schedule it myself when I'm done with my culture though.


Yes that correct they reschedule your interview after you clear the medical exam, or you can choose to do it yourself. But you are supposd to cancel your interview if you have one scheduled before you go to SLEC. When my wife went, they told her they were gonna do it, we called the next day to make sure and they hadnt done anything and the girl said its better if we do it. You will get an interview sooner most likely if you do it yourself.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-16 02:08:00
PhilippinesSputum Test @ SLEC
Sorry to hear that you have to undergo the sputum tests.. we had to do the same thing and it was so discouraging. Keep your heads up!

Yes its 3 days for the sputum exam, if that is negative they proceed with the 8 week culture test. If the culture is positive they will call you and tell you to come back to start treatment, usually 6 months. If they dont call you then its negative(except for some rare occasions that I have heard of). Also, you need to cancel the interview on your own, SLEC doesn't do it. Then when you are done you should reschedule it yourself, you will get one sooner. Hope this helps!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-14 07:20:00
PhilippinesYAY !! finally, interview scheduled
Congrats! Best of luck to you both for your interview! :thumbs:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 05:06:00
PhilippinesVisa ready for pick up at SM MOA after more than 2 days since interview
We just got our text today also! Congrats to the both of us! :dance:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 11:00:00
PhilippinesAwaiting Passport from Embassy
I just had to do the same thing as you recently. I sent my documents in through 2GO on a friday, they arrived at the embassy on monday. It took the embassy 10 days to process my stuff and issue the visa. I called to inquire and it just so happened that they printed the visa that same day, they told me to expect it to take 7-10 business days from that date to be delivered. That was 2 days ago. 2GO texted me and my wife today to tell us that her documents and passport are ready for pickup! Moral of the story is that there is no telling exactly how long it will take. It will probably take the embassy a few days at minimum to process your papers and print out the visa, then from them expect 7-10 business days is what they will tell you. But, I wouldnt jump the gun and make any plans just yet!
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-12 08:50:00
PhilippinesManila Case Number received today!
Congrats, now the real fun begins! :whistle:

Edited by Brandon+Roslyn, 11 July 2012 - 12:15 AM.

Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-11 00:14:00
PhilippinesDon't Schedule Anything
Cheers! Im also from HB! Also, I agree with your post. Its kind of ignorant to make plans based on a hunch..
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-17 10:35:00
PhilippinesHave you sampled Balut (philippines delicacy duck embryo

I agree with that statement, haha....


I second AND third this statement. Bulad is such strong potent stench.. I cant stand it. I get rather sour everytime my wife fries it in the house. Then she tells me "I think this is very old because my mouth is itchy".. I think to myself "Why? Why would you consume something like that?" Its salty enough to make me feel like im going to have a stroke after 2 pieces. :blink:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-17 10:31:00
PhilippinesHave you sampled Balut (philippines delicacy duck embryo
Yeah, my wife doesnt eat it either. I have tasted the juice, i stay the hell away from the embryo though. I have tried the pigs blood however. Not bad.
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-16 10:23:00
Philippinesprincess rose
CONGRATULATIONS! Just had ours over a month ago.. Hope your ready to see the most beautiful thing in the world! I know how you feel, the night my wife was in labor was the most exhausting intense night of my freakin life! :lol:
Brandon+RoslynMalePhilippines2012-07-05 13:39:00