ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesA big communication barrier

I am not sure if VonageWorld includes where they live. But, I use it, it's $25 a month you can get on your cell or landline. If you get it on your cell, it has to be a iphone or blackberry.


No it doesn't include the Philippines.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-11 21:32:00
PhilippinesWhat would be the next step?
Start preparing to file for Removal of Conditions (ROC), here's the guide
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-10 14:50:00
PhilippinesCan I work while waitng for my GC & SSS?

Can I just ask, why you need the green card itself, if the stamp and the visa on your passport states that it can be your green card for a year, I think you just need the SS number, pls enlighten me if I'm wrong on how I understand it ...... thank you very much.


Actually the SS Card (without restrictions such as "Not Valid for Employment") and any other photo ID issued by a government (foreign passport, state ID card etc) is all that's required as the SS Card established that you can legally work & the Photo ID established identity.

So you can use your passport that was used for entry as ID.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-13 16:10:00
Philippinesgoing to the philippines.a few questions

Nathanp. It was already suggested but are you sure a K1 visa might not be a better alternative for you?
If you have to go to Bayugan that is like a two hour bus ride from Butuan. I was not brave enough to venture to far from Butuan.


The number 1 reason K-1 is not a good choice for him: He needs a co-sponsor, CR-1 puts AOS at NVC not the USEM.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-04 10:51:00
Philippinesgoing to the philippines.a few questions

in other words jenes and i can still get married just not be able to get the license?rite now we just wanna get married.license and all that isnt our issue.her grandpa will perform the ceremony and her parents will allow us to get married.i already know that for a fact.i can afford it.sorry but i just want to know if we can get married without having to do all that paper work ahead of time or if its impossible to get married but just not have the license and everyting yet?

No license means no legal marriage...

No legal marriage means no Visa...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-03 19:14:00
Philippinesgoing to the philippines.a few questions
My input on a few things:

1. Your gf will know how much money you should need as she is already living there.

2. Civil Marriage in the Philippines is very straight forward but the cost varies from city to city, your gf can get the cost. Here is the "for Dummies" cliff notes:

a) Get Legal Capacity to Marry from the US Embassy, Cost is $30.

b) To get marriage license you can go to any civil registry, pay a small fee (varies) and apply for the marriage license. You will need:
. i) Your birth certificate, passport and legal capacity to marry.
. ii) Her birth certificate, other ID and either Parental Consent to Marry (18 - 21 yrs of age) or Parental Advice on Marriage (22 - 24 yrs of age).

c) A Notice of your application for the license is publicly posted at the civil registry for 10 days to allow for objections to be presented.

d) After 10 days you can get the Marriage License after paying another fee.

e) Now you can get married by a judge or mayor.

3) The Manila Embassy is very easy of your documentation is good and the relationship is real.
. i) They do seem to appreciate it when Kanos respect the cultural norms in the PH so trying to exclude her parents will be a big red flag for you.
. ii) If filing for a CR-1 then the NVC will determine the fitness of your Affidavit of Support not the USEM so co-sponsors aren't a problem.


Now here's a reality check for you...

Without her parent's signatures on the Consent/Advice form you won't get a marriage license unless you do some "back room dealing".

If you can barely afford to visit her now then you aren't ready for this Visa Journey. Spend a year working on getting a better job or something. The expenses are more than you can imagine. Since my wife arrived last November we've burned through several thousand dollars just getting everything needed for her to be here and all of the doctors visits (not that she was in bad health but you'll want her to be looked at here).

Money is one of the biggest causes of marital strife and can lead to divorce quicker than you can get a crisp $20 from your local ATM. If it is tight now it will be impossible when she arrives. Don't count on her getting a job quickly in the US, look at the current unemployment rates and the backlash against immigrants.

You need to either win her parents over OR wait until she's 25 and marry without them. If you pay a fixxor (back room dealing) and the USEM gets wind of anything sketchy in your papers it will cause you more trouble than the shortcut was worth.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-05-03 12:06:00
PhilippinesHow much PHP and $$$ to bring=),

can anyone explain this further to me?I know we are exempted,right?but do I still have to get those idiot certificates?Sorry have so many questions,wanna be sure with everything :yes:


Why would you be exempted? Your daughter should be exempted if you are using her US Passport to leave the Philippines but you are a Philippine Citizen so you are required to pay the tax.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-13 13:31:00
PhilippinesWhat can we expect at the AOS interview?
Has she received any mail at your address? Even better has anything been received that was addressed to you as a couple?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-14 14:11:00
PhilippinesB1/B2 VISA ONLY 1 MONTH ALLOWED?

However, based from what my uncle said, he is the only one that was given that short period for a stay. People from Africa, New Guinea who are here for that same purpose had much longer duration of stay. That's just something.


The decision is on an individual basis (case by case). Unfortunately there are valid reasons why B-Class Visas are more difficult to obtain from some countries. It's reasonable that when the purpose of a visit is something with a short required duration then the I-94 is also shorter.

Also, if his return flight was already booked for Aug 10 then I'd say the CBP Officer meant to set the I-94 to expire on Aug 10 but made a mistake.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-21 12:58:00
PhilippinesB1/B2 VISA ONLY 1 MONTH ALLOWED?
B1/B2 CAN (not should) have up to 6 months legal presence allowed. The CBP Officer makes the determination of actual allowed presence at the POE.

1 day of overstay doesn't trigger any ban but it might be worth contacting the POE and inquiring about extending the i-94 by 1 day.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-21 12:06:00
PhilippinesVJ with Foreigner Hubby / Fiancee/Boyfriend

Thanks! but he can't come here online, as he was a very busy guy, he just come online to talk and chat with me and no time to roam around the net, that's why he ask me to search over the net to check for possible answer to his concern about his future plans for us.

and as what you have said, that you can see us being serious with each other when the two of us will be here, i strongly disagree, it's not a basis to any relationship how serious you are if you can't come online here on vj, it's really lame or shallow reason, and i can't come online as often here since i am busy too, their is a lot of things to be busy about it's just that i came across here and see what are the things that we can get ideas and info's that's it. but to make it clear this is not the basis on how a relationship built. our life is not revolve here it is between the two of us, not on any forums.



Pinkish, you really do need to chill out. You're right that the seriousness of a relationship is more complex than coming on to some online forum but...

When the time comes for you to begin your own personal Visa Journey you will start down 1 of 2 paths:

1) Hire a lawyer and depend on them to ensure your paperwork is all correct.

2) Both of you spend time on VJ to prepare for the process without a lawyer.

It doesn't matter how busy he is, if he doesn't want to spend a few thousand dollars on a lawyer then he will find the time to spend here as it will be important for him to understand the process.

Let me tell you something about "being busy":

I've been raising my 2 daughters from my first marriage by myself since 1999 (they're 15 & 18 now).

I've been the most senior software developer at a US based call center since 1996. This means on call after hours and there isn't a project in the company that I'm not aware of.

I've been involved in several hobbies some of them include time commitments for fund raising (for charities).

I've made national media appearances for panel discussions on mental health issues.

My life is always busy and yet I do still find time to hang around VJ and help those whose journey is still in process even though my wife has been with me for over 6 months now.

When someone/something is important to you finding time for them/it won't be a problem.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-10 06:39:00
PhilippinesVJ with Foreigner Hubby / Fiancee/Boyfriend
Pinkish,

Everyone here can tell you how their Kano BF treated them or if they're the Kano (like I am) how they treated their Pinay GF but in the end all that matters is what you feel.

Your latest post gives a lot different impression than your original post.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that the way Kano & Filipino communicate is completely different. Chances are you're so stressed by him not asking for your number and he doesn't even realize it. Do you know how expensive it is to call the Philippines if you don't use a calling card? My Cell Provider charges over $6 per minute! If you have other voice communications (YM, WebCam, Skype) then chances are that he isn't looking for another way to talk because these are sufficient to him. If you e-mail him your phone number and say that you'd like if he could get a $5 calling card so he can make a call to you I bet he'd do it.

Now is the time to start learning how to communicate with him AND teaching him how to communicate with you.

BTW, feel free to ask my wife how I was during the early stages or our {short but intense} relationship...

Good Luck.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-06-07 09:31:00
PhilippinesWhat happens if my wife's visa expires?

The other option is for her to come to the us and wait for the greencard before returning to the philippines to accompany her child.


Actually, as she has a CR-1 Visa she could turn around and get on the next flight to the PH because she'll get the I-551 stamp in her passport.

Of course the downs to this are the child being without mom for a while & the added expense of a round-trip flight for her.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-23 14:17:00
PhilippinesWhat happens if my wife's visa expires?
Have they actually issued her the Visa? They should wait to issue it until the kid is also approved (which will happen as long as Mom is and the child passes the medical).
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-23 08:47:00
PhilippinesBlue slip i guess
If they misplaced your 2009 tax info them they might not have your proof of current income either. E-mail her copies of all pay stubs from the new job and the Employment Letter also.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-15 08:55:00
Philippinestourist visa

Just curious, what is the asset requirement for a tourist visa?


I don't know if there is a hard & fast amount, I've heard it was 500,000 Php (or around $10,000) but my wife's uncle applied a few years ago to attend a convention (he's in one of those Shriners or something groups) and they said that he deposited too much money in the last 6 months to get above that amount so they denied him. He's the head of the local Rice Growers Co-OP and an established businessman too. Of course this is a 3rd hand account to value it at that.

It also helps to have an itinerary. That's what my mom did. The consul didn't even ask for her papers. Provide the consul with assets like deeds of property, stock certificates, bonds, etc. A Dollar account might help. Posted Image


Being a Senior Citizen helps too, or so I've heard.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-29 15:00:00
Philippinestourist visa
If by ordinary people you mean your average everyday Filipino then the chance is very slim.

What you need is to show strong ties to the Philippines such as:

Educated with a good job.

High balance in you bank account.

Strong Family Ties.

Own land or business(es) [sari-sari store isn't enough]

It also helps if you're not a young cute single female (seriously).

If you are an unemployed Filipina living at home with you poor family then you don't have a chance.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-07-26 14:29:00
Philippinesmy divorce

guys, i got married in the Philippines to an american. now we are filing for divorce. i am now a US citizen too...my question, will my divorce here in the states is automatically annulled my marriage in the Philippines? I will be the one to file. please help me thanks.


If you are the petitioner (you file) then you will have to go through the legal annulment process in the Philippines.

If your husband files then there is a process to have the Philippines recognize your US Divorce as an annulment.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-05 13:59:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply

if lyn already got a CENOMAR all marriages,1st and 2nd will appear on the paper even she finish her ROFD... the CD and Finality of her case will be her evidence/ support that her 1st marriage is already dissolve


But the question here is what happened at NSO when the local registrar submitted her second marriage contract?

Did they reject it, in which case it was never registered.

OR

Did they accept it, in which case her CEMAR would show 2 marriages.

This is an issue for 2 reasons:

For a K-1 USEM will want to see a CENOMAR or a CEMAR with additional documents showing all listed previous marriages have been dissolved. If her CEMAR sgows both marriages then she'll also have to file legal documents to dissolve it before applying.

If they they try for CR-1 based on the second marriage it may cause problems either at USEM or CFO with the second marriage happening BEFORE the dissolution of the first.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-11 09:35:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply
LynChang,

You still haven't said if you've received something from the NSO stating that your second marriage isn't valid. That is an important fact in this for you.

Also, I will warn you to not even think about getting another falsified CENOMAR to present to the USEM. They have access to NSO records and can verify your CENOMAR. If you get caught using faked documents at for Immigration you will be banned from ever getting a US Visa.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-10 08:38:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply

yes that's my problem thanks so much im on process in this recognition of forent divorced here so i can void my first marriage and about my second married so are we need a lawyer for that to even if from the beginning is null and void cuz of the first marriage im waiting my final decision on this first marriage to finish and we was thinking what about the second what visa and what kind of process is to apply ?


Did you get something from NSO saying it is null & void? For a K-1 to the US you must produce a CENOMAR that shows you are free to marry. If NSO retains a record of the second {illegal} marriage then you won't get a clear CENOMAR.

If you try to file a CR-1 {Spouse Visa} based on the invalid second marriage then USEM will question the dates in NSO records.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-09 23:56:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply

u know my father firend say u can pay to get cenomar so we pay to get it yes we register my fisrt marige in nso so i get visa to come to japan to live and work there


Okay so you used a fake CENOMAR to get your Marriage Contract...

That changes things. Don't use anything that is derived from that fake document or any other fake document.

CFO will know that your marriage to the USC is invalid and they will not issue the sticker you need to leave the PH.

Now you will have to get your Japanese divorce recognized in the Philippines and have your second marriage invalidated BEFORE you or your USC partner can file anything.

The irony is that if you'd done it legally it would have been so much easier and cheaper.

Now you'll need a Philippine Lawyer to handle getting you officially single in the Philippines again, it will be a long slow moving and expensive road.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-09 23:04:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply

he divorced me the the first marriage


Then you can file for recognition of the foreign divorce.

the 2nd was here in Philippines


How were you able to get a CENOMAR?
Did you not register your first marriage with the NSO?

If that is the case then you should be okay in your second marriage since the Philippine gov't never recognized your first marriage.

The USEM will recognize your first divorce. The only place you might have issues is at the CFO if they ask if this is your first marriage.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-09 21:46:00
Philippineshelp about my divoced and what visa to apply
Did you file for the divorce or did your Japanese husband?

Where did you get married the second time?

Are you in the Phils or are you in another country (Japan maybe)?

All of these questions do matter.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-09 15:40:00
PhilippinesAnd now for something FUN!!!
I'm an AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO) and like to tinker on my computer with LEGO CAD software (yes it really does exist!).

A Pixar (created by George Lucas, made famous animating for Disney) Employee, Angus MacLane, created a method to make abstract representations of people called Cube Dudes.

So I present my Wife & I in LEGO Cube Dude Format!

Attached File  Cube Dude -Us.jpg   71.45KB   15 downloads Attached File  Cube Dude -Us (Back shot).jpg   57.82KB   13 downloads

Edited by Bob 4 Anna, 16 August 2010 - 12:47 PM.

Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-16 12:46:00
PhilippinesFedEx/DHL advice: Mailing Passport to Tagum City

Correction Bob, FED EX Philippines is owned by AIR21 (MAIL&MORE), FED EX shipping from overseas is FED EX two seperate companies differant offices differant uniforms, differant tracking management tools differant everything !


Are you saying that if I send something via FedEx from the US to PH then it never passes through the hands of an Air21 Employee?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-18 10:20:00
PhilippinesFedEx/DHL advice: Mailing Passport to Tagum City
One thing to keep in mind is that FedEx uses Air21 in the Philippines whereas DHL has it's own employees there. I have shipped things to the Philippines using FedEx, UPS & DHL. Using UPS & DHL there were issues with PH Customs wanting to over-charge me on the tariffs. Only DHL helped me and reduced the tariff from 12,000Php to less than 600Php!

I'll never ship anything to the PH using another carrier....
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-18 08:32:00
PhilippinesI want to Divorce my Husband & back to Phils.

my I-894 was xpired May 3....so i have 180 days here to stay?
but if 180 days is xpired so im ban ?


No, you became "Out of Status" on May 4th!

This only become a problem if you leave the US without Adjusting Status and have been in the US for more than 180 days out of status.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 16:43:00
PhilippinesI want to Divorce my Husband & back to Phils.

sorry about the 50 50 means hard situation here now...
what if the papers send later 2010, means the immigration force me & my son to leave in US?


Okay, now I understand, definitely a hard situation but if there is love from both sides just imagine how strong your relationship will be if you can get through this together!

Yes, you & your son are deport-able until you file for Adjustment of Status. Honestly they don't seem to go looking for K-1 overstays so you shouldn't worry too much about that. Even if you did get picked-up then your husband could submit the papers and you'd be fine but it would incur additional expenses as you'd have to go before an immigration judge to have the removal proceedings stopped.

You should file as soon as you can to avoid any possible additional expenses or issues.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 16:39:00
PhilippinesI want to Divorce my Husband & back to Phils.

oh i dont know that
i thought my status here is ok & my son coz were married b4 the 90days xpired
but the papers now is ready except the I-864
so we get trouble this if ever we send our papers coz my I-194 was xpired on May 3, 2010 ?

...

means my son & me 50 50 now here?
theres a possible one of this days im deported?


If your husband is supporting you in the Adjustment of Status then you don't need to worry about the overstay ("Out of Status" time) as it will be forgiven once AOS is approved.

I don't understand the "means my son & me 50 50 now here?" so I can't respond to it.

Yes you are both deport-able now! Don't worry too much though, ICE probably isn't looking for you...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 15:55:00
PhilippinesI want to Divorce my Husband & back to Phils.

your marriage is legal, but you are now out of status. when you arrived in Feb, you were given a I-94 which expired after 90 days. you've fullfilled the requirement of your
K-1 Visa by marrying within 90 days, but now you need to adjust status.

it's unfortunate you have alot of issues to deal with right now, but you will be out of status until you file for AOS.


Exactly, you have been out-of-status since the expiration date on your I-94, once you've overstayed 180 days you will have a 3 year re-entry ban. If the overstay gets to 1 year then the ban is 10 years.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 15:35:00
PhilippinesI want to Divorce my Husband & back to Phils.
You realize that if you file for divorce then you will also have to file for annulment in the Philippines because they won't recognize a divorce initiated by you.

If your husband files for divorce then once back in the Philippines you just need to file to get your foreign divorce recognized.

Regarding being able to return, you are technically overstaying your Visa right now. Once you've overstayed by 180 days you will have a 3 year re-entry ban, more than 1 year and it's a 10 year ban.

Now if you file for divorce, your attorney can get the judge to order your husband to pay your legal expenses and you can ask the judge to order him to pay for your return to the Philippines (including your son). You might be able to get him ordered to give you the amount it is expected to cost you to file for the annulment back home. Of course this will take time and you're looking at triggering the re-entry ban based on how long until you can leave the US.

If you want to try to save the marriage then you need to understand some things:

1. He isn't over his former "partner" and may never get over her.

2. You can't push "the girl" out of his life without him resenting you.

3. He isn't treating you like a partner.

4. Marriage/couples counseling may help but both of you need to be willing.

5. You are in a bad situation being "out of status", you can't work legally and are deport-able.

So if you want to save the marriage you will have to deal with all of these issues.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 13:11:00
PhilippinesFiancee's kid

If she gets her visa, we are getting married, and she is planning to carry my last name. Will she needs to change the last name of her kid to sponsor him or can the kid keeps the last name he has now?


Yeah, no need to worry about the child's last name (for the time being)...

Once here and you're married if you want you can either do a step-parent adoption (and become the legal father) or simply file for a name change for the child if you want them to have the "Family" name...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-17 12:37:00
Philippines9 years old & 7 years old kids during interview

Do the children need the medical exams also ?


Yes they both do...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-20 23:28:00
Philippines9 years old & 7 years old kids during interview
If they are also applying for CR-2 Visas then yes you need to bring them. They may be asked a few basic questions (not really interviewed) but the Embassy needs to confirm the kids are who you claim they are.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-20 08:04:00
PhilippinesAnnulment by Pressumptive Death
FWIW, K-3s are being killed at NVC so don't waste the effort, just file I-130 for CR-1...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-13 13:48:00
PhilippinesQuestions on Expired medical exam at St. Lukes

Hi I called st. lukes but they won't let me retake my medical exam without my passport.
I also don't know how to get my passport from the US embassy. I live far from manila.

tnx.


E-mail or call the US Embassy and explain that you need your passport returned so you can re-do the medical as your original one as expired. They will make arrangements to return it to you.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-23 09:15:00
PhilippinesQuestions on Expired medical exam at St. Lukes
Medical Exams are not scheduled, they are on a walk-in basis. Just go get the new Medical before your interview.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-22 09:37:00
PhilippinesWhy are Asian men and Caucasian women couples more common lately?

Why the need to predetermine the outcome of this thread when nothing like that has happened yet? I thought it was an interesting argument because the blogger pointed out that once people rise above stereotypes then people will date and fall in love with whoever they wish.


Honestly, I would love to see an intelligent conversation on the topic but that never seems to happen. It isn't usually Ph members who foul-up the threads but others who come in and drop their chit bombs here.

I for one don't love my wife because of the color of her skin, slant of her eyes or region of her birth and it insults both of us when others either imply or out-right insist that we each have "other motives" for our relationships.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-20 12:08:00
PhilippinesWhy are Asian men and Caucasian women couples more common lately?
Have you noticed how every time this question (or one similar to it) has been asked in the past it degrades quickly into a childish and insulting flame-war that does not good for anyone?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-08-20 09:53:00