ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesWhere's the _________ visa already?
Feb 14th? of 2009!?!?!?

Are we getting ahead of ourself a little bit?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-26 22:01:00
Philippinesi need quick answer
Impossible to give you an answer that will be of any use to you, there are too many variables such as income, deductions, amount withheld through-out the year.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-27 21:52:00
PhilippinesShipping Items from Phil. to the USA
I doubt you'll find an option cheaper that the Post Office, books are heavy items.

We've always used DHL for anything that wouldn't fit in an envelope but I'd bet your package would be costly. Might want to consider the expense of just replacing the books once you get here vs the cost of shipping them.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-25 12:11:00
PhilippinesMedical Examination without Appointment Letter

sorry, my bad.

wow. didn't experience that with my medical.


Different countries... Different medical procedures...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-05 10:10:00
PhilippinesThis one's for the folks from the Philippines

the visa application fee (interview fee) $131


WRONG....

CR/IR-1 Visa Fee is paid to NVC ($400, the IV as in Immigrant Visa Fee).

There is no additional Application Fee.

At the USEM you will only have to pay for the Air21 Delivery Charge which is 200+ Pesos depending on where it will be delivered.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-09 14:43:00
Philippinesfiance temporarily laid off before interview
Temporary/Seasonal Lay-offs are common in some industries here. From the way you described it this is nothing new to him.

As long as his annual income exceeds the requirements then you should be fine.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-10 16:06:00
PhilippinesURGENT.. VISA APPROVED BUT SAW THIS
Is that the exact text of the annotation?

Seems it should only indicate either Class A or Class B (TB).

From reading the posted info I would think that she'll be fine at POE as long as you have her clear medical results available. If she was deemed inadmissible then she wouldn't receive a Visa.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-11 13:11:00
Philippines1ST TIME IMMIGRANT VISA AIRFARE to SAN FRANCISCO
From what I've seen here and our experiences when we were searching for flights for Anna & Gabby I can honestly say I believe the "First Time Immigrant Fare" is nothing more than a marketing scheme.

In my opinion, they mark-up the fare just to give you that discount as a way to try to earn your loyalty since they figure you'll be returning every couple of years if not more often.

We found many fares cheaper than the supposed "First Time Immigrant" fares with much ease and a little searching.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-27 09:28:00
PhilippinesLIFETIME BAN FOR ADMITTING DRUG USE AT ST. LUKE'S

The key thing to remember if you are caught in a lie, you couild be banned for life.
Oh yeah, if you admit to it you could be banned for life.

sounds like a no brainer to me lol :innocent:


The real question is which one can be overcome? Can a ban for Misrepresentation be Waived?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-18 15:08:00
Philippinesneed help!

since we are already married here in the US


Okay, if you are already married then your need to Report your Foreign Marriage to the NSO in the Philippines and that is the end of the legal paperwork aspect.

The Local Civil Registry will not be involved at all.

For the Church Wedding, it will be a ceremony only which is usually called a "Reaffirmation of Vows" or some such thing.

Technically since you are already married you would be committing fraud in applying for a Philippine (or any other) Marriage License.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-23 15:39:00
Philippinesneed help!

USEM will not give them LCM they are married :blink:


They will if he lies under oath...

No I am not recommending he lie...

As they are already married the "Church Wedding" is not a legal wedding therefore no such documentation is required. There is no need for a Philippine Marriage Contract and in fact both parties would have to lie again to the civil registrar as neither is legally able to enter into marriage whilst legally married.

Don't over complicate things, the "Wedding Ceremony" doesn't require any legal documentation.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-14 22:34:00
Philippinesfirst international trip alone, how long does it take going through Detroit airport?
If both legs of the flight are with Delta then there should be no problem.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-26 11:44:00
PhilippinesMrs Confused & Tired
I've got to say I'd agree that the immigration stuff is secondary.

What you need to focus on is the marriage and building/strengthening it.

Honestly the hubby's ex cannot turn the kids against him unless he lets her. I divorced 10 years ago and while my situation is different in that my daughters remained with me there was a time when the ex's family tired their best to convince my kids that I wasn't a good man.

As long as your husband is confident in himself and doesn't let her sucker her into playing those stupid head games the kids will see who is doing the crazy stuff. I'd imagine that the ex is so upset because you provided something for him she was never able to. She may never get over that.

Trust me, children are more intelligent than most adults understand. They might buy the crazy thing she says for a hot minute but in the long term they will see that he is being consistent with them.

Your husband needs to have more confidence in himself so that he will call her on the craziness she wants to throw around in the lives of their children.

He needs to limit his interactions with the to only that required for their co-parenting and his visitation of the children.

Seek couples counseling, it will help a lot.

Edited by Bob 4 Anna, 26 February 2010 - 11:55 AM.

Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-02-26 11:54:00
PhilippinesNO CLUE WHATS GOING ON!

... Some US citizen husbands tend to use the deportation card as a control element to hold over their foreign bride's head, threatening to send them "home" at any/every sign of trouble ...


Actually that is Mental/Emotional Abuse and should qualify the Alien Spouse under VAWA. The problem comes in proving that this was happening. How many spouses living in the same house converse via e-mail or txt about such things?

I'm really uncomfortable whenever I hear about a couple who waited "until our situation gets better" to file for Adjustment of Status. The $1,010 cost shouldn't be a surprise at that stage of the game. By allowing the Alien Spouse to go out of status it puts them behind the 8-ball, "So what I slapped you, call the cops and I'll tell them you're out of status. You got to ICE for Removal Proceedings and I make bail tomorrow morning, guess who won't be around in a month". Of course we know that a Domestic Abuse arrest would strengthen the VAWA case but the Alien Spouse is probably so afraid of ICE and Removal Proceedings that they can't think that far ahead.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-04 17:50:00
PhilippinesNO CLUE WHATS GOING ON!

Also, if you wish to remain in the US (even if it means you'll be by yourself), it is very possible to do so, even if you and your husband end up getting a divorce. You entered the marriage in good faith, even if your husband did not. The USCIS will not fault you for that. However, they will expect for you to be able to financially support yourself.


BUT...

Only if you get the Adjustment of Status filed while you're still married and he is supportive of it. If he changes his mind you can't adjust without him unless you can prove abuse and I hear that's an uphill battle.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-01-04 16:11:00
PhilippinesVisa Journeyer's help
Yeah, the system is totally different over there. I still don't really understand the whole "Phil-Health" thing, you pay a premium and the hospital may give you a discount on the bill? All Doctors are pay as you go, there is no real Medical Insurance in the PH...

I tried to make it as simple as possible for my wife. I just explained that our Doctor's Visits are $30 but if we need to go to a specialist then we need to ask our Doctor where to go and it will only cost $30 per visit also. I've never felt the need to try to explain HMO vs PPO or anything else. I'm also set-up with paperless billing to the Explanation of Benefits documents ARE NOT MAILED TO THE HOUSE. This avoids the confusion of getting a bill that says $1,000 for something we paid $30!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-09 11:04:00
PhilippinesMarried life is great
We live in the NorthWest Suburbs of Chicago so there's quite a diverse population living around here and we still get "looks" sometimes.

One more than one occasion someone has started peaking to her in Spanish.

My oldest daughter's boss saw Anna & I at the store once and asked her if she has a step-sister (CJ is 17, Anna is 24)!

I'm sure some of the looks are people trying to figure out what my relationship is to such a young girl (I'm 40 and look every day of it).

It doesn't bother us one bit, in fact we often laugh at their ignorance.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-08 10:25:00
Philippineswhat the weird CFO for passport renewal?
If the biggest issue is making a trip to Manila for the CFO why not attend in Cebu?
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-11 10:04:00
Philippinesmanaging Finances
It doesn't really matter if that's how it is in the Philippines or even if that's how it is in the US. You two are a couple and your finances should be how the two of you decide they should be.

Too many couples never discuss money until after the fact. My wife & I talked about it a lot and she's always wanted to work so she could help he "shoulder the burden" as she says. Unfortunately with the needs of our little guys that just isn't reasonable right now so instead she'll go to school part-time and maybe by the end of the year be working.

Anyway, the point is that we discussed this BEFORE we even filed paperwork or got married.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-09 15:14:00
PhilippinesThird Anniversary
Congrats....

I was lucky, our case moved quickly and even though I delayed filing for 2 1/2 months after returning to the US Anna was here for our 1st Anniversary.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-17 09:32:00
PhilippinesPhilippine Airlines, Manila to LAX

OK, not a problem. How about if it is not a photocopy of the ID and credit card but a computer scan, printed with a color printer? I'd say that sounds better..

Thanks for the responses.
-Mark


Technically that is a photocopy, just a color photographic copy...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-23 20:55:00
PhilippinesAdam Carrolla bashes Manny Pacquaio & Philipines
I got to agree with rheanick on this one.

Look at his facebook fan page, so many have become his fan just to post negative comments and read the comments, honestly they make the complainers look like idiots.

Why bother to feed the trolls, even if they are celebrity trolls?

I know better and so does everyone here. Just ignore it and he won't get the payoff he's expecting.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-05 15:17:00
PhilippinesMy boyfriend is coming to Manila

I'm going to apply for a B-2 visa so I can visit him and his family next winter.


Are you aware of just how difficult it is for a pretty young female from the Philippines to get a Visitors Visa? You'll have to demonstrate that you have very strong reasons to return to the Philippines such as a very good job, owning land & businesses etc. Having a USC boyfriend/fiancé will actually work against you as it is a compelling reason for you to overstay or try to marry him and adjust status without returning to the Philippines.

You'd be better of just applying for the K-1 after he returns to the US.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-27 14:55:00
PhilippinesMy boyfriend is coming to Manila
One of my fondest memories of my time in the Philippines:

We made several trips to the local market in Paniqui. At 6ft plus in height I towered above everyone else there. She kept on forgetting that I was a "Stranger in a strange land" and just went about business as usual, I had to try to keep up as best as I could!

Once I lost track of her, just another short brown person with straight black hair in a sea of them! So I just stopped and looked around hoping to stop her. After a short {pun intended} while I felt a tapping on my chest {or maybe stomach} so I looked down to see her looking up at me!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-03-23 11:29:00
PhilippinesOur Reaffirmed petition(Approval Notice)

but My fiance have to call first the NVC for our case No.right???

Yes, one of you will need to call NVC and get your MNL Case Number so you have it when you call the USEM.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-12 09:31:00
PhilippinesOur Reaffirmed petition(Approval Notice)

I would think you should call NVC this week and see if your interview has been set. They are scheduling interviews during this week at NVC - we're all waiting to hear some news :)


NVC doesn't schedule K-1 Interviews. CR/IR-1 Interviews are scheduled by the NVC but the K-1s are scheduled at the Embassy level (unless that has changed since 2009).
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-12 09:07:00
PhilippinesQuestion about the AOS & IV
What Darnell said!!!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-14 10:34:00
PhilippinesMy life is over....

Thrpeeoh, it looks like she feels that you are being domineering. Maybe its your style of communication causing that, or maybe its your monitoring her spending and housework that she resents. It seems like she needs more space, freedom, and ownership of things.


I completely don't get where you're coming from on this one...

He only said something about her spending when she had exhausted all of her "spend as like" money and dipped into the household bills till, how is that monitoring her spending.

He re-washed dishes that were still dirty & greasy, that's not monitoring either.

She is being childish and over-bearing. To me it sounds like she hasn't made the transition from living at her parents house as their child to living in the marital home as his spouse & partner. He action would indicate that she isn't interested in making that transition either.

I think her visit to the Philippines will be an interesting time for both of them.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-14 12:33:00
PhilippinesHelp for a Friend
This isn't the first time I've heard of the "pay your debt or I'll contact the US Embassy and interfere with your immigration" in the Philippines.

In fact while we were on our honeymoon my wife's one and only creditor called her, after someone at her Mom's told them she was now married to am American and gave her cell number, and threatened to block any Visa application until she paid the debt in full.

She had already told me about the debt and how it got racked-up so we were already planning to pay it (well not the full amount as there were some ridiculous things done to the balance) so I told her to give me the phone the next time they called.

A couple of hours later I was on the phone with them and they repeated the same threats. I was very blunt and told them to SHUT-UP and Listen to me. Then I explained how I'm not some stupid rube they can bully and they will deal with me if they want to get a single centavo from us. I told him rule number 1 is the very next lie will end my willingness to pay anything & I know that USCIS doesn't care about Credit Card debt in the Philippines. Rule number 2 is that I don't pay a centavo until I have a written agreement in my hands with the terms I agree to. Rule number 3 is any calls before I receive the written agreement will void my desire to pay them. They were demanding 40,000Php on a debt that my wife said should only be 20,000Php as she had been making payments per an agreement but they didn't suspend interest as they promised and were still charging her a monthly late fee. I told the guy this is a one time offer and it expires when I hang up the phone, send me a letter agreeing to accept 20,000Php as payment in full for the debt. The letter must be received at my mother-in-law's house before we return from our honeymoon. Upon returning from our honeymoon the letter was there, we paid the next day and never heard from them again!

Bottom line for your friend is that USCIS doesn't care about debts in the Philippines
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-13 11:25:00
PhilippinesHow much does it cost to get a new POSTAL ID???
Why wouldn't she get ID that is for her current address?

Honestly the Postal ID is practically useless anymore. My wife got the NBI ID Card once places stopped accepting the Postal ID.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-18 09:40:00
PhilippinesHow much does it cost to get a new POSTAL ID???
A Barangay Clearance is like a local police clearance, it states that there are no complaints against you at the Neighborhood (Barangay) court level.

All of the Photo Shops in the area know how to provide the 1 x 1 & 2 x 2 pics that you'll need for anything in the Philippines (even to open a bank account).

BTW, Postal ID is pretty much useless now as they are so easily forged, might be better if you say what you're looking to accomplish and see what ID you'll need. For example to get a first time issue passport she will most likely need "old" ID in addition to the standard IDs and DFA is one of the organizations who don't accept postal ID.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-18 09:01:00
PhilippinesMhay is at the Embassy
Oh man, I remember how anxious I was when Anna was at the Embassy. She'll do fine. You're luck that her cell phone is waiting outside the Embassy so you won't have to wait very long after she gets out.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-14 17:06:00
PhilippinesChild of Fiance (Specific to Manila Embassy)
Follow the links in my signature.

Even though we did CR-1 & CR-2 the requirements for the child are the same and it is Philippine Law that determines if the child can travel abroad.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-21 14:08:00
PhilippinesMARRIAGE LICENSE
You don't have to be a resident of the county (or even country) where you get married so the answer is generally NO.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-26 13:10:00
Philippinesmy last question before im all set

that makes no sense age 18-21 must have parents consent then 21-25 must have advisory. so what is it both of it land on the age 21. i just i will teach u cuz i get my info from official sites check this out ages 18-21 need consent.

http://manila.usemba...v/wwwha009.html

i guess i prove you wrong cuz it says ages 22-24 must have advisory so ha.


I thought you left for a better site... Why are you even bothering to read here then?

Seriously dude if you'd learn to read & write a little better then a couple of hours reading the guides here on VJ (with the better reading skills) combined with a little goggling (with the better writing skills) would result in a wealth of knowledge but instead you just want to ask 5 thousand questions using ill-formed and incomplete sentences.

i guess im smarter than the people who think they know everything cuz i found my info from a true source.


Good that means we won't be burdened with ignoring 25 more questions on topics that are covered time and again here on VJ because you are all growed-up and can actually use the search function.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-22 22:32:00
PhilippinesGet your marriage license in one province...

Hey Bob 4 Anna...I admire your creativity! You guys found a way to get it done. I like your idea.

I'm guessing that you were at the Embassy to get your affidavit, and then went to the Civil Registry to apply for the marriage license.


Yep, at the Embassy before they opened, in & out pretty quickly that morning, ran to the next bus back to the province and went from the bus stop straight to Municipal Hall. She called Mom who met us there with the document she needed. It was a busy day for sure...
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-27 17:48:00
PhilippinesGet your marriage license in one province...
When I married Anna in Jan of 2009 we were at the US Embassy in Manila early AM on Jan 20th and ran to the buses back to Tarlac so we were at the Civil Registry in Paniqui (4 hours on bus) by mid-afternoon. We had the ceremony (Paniqui Mayor came to Anna's house & married us in the living room) and party on Jan 21st. Of course you generally can't do it like this, in fact all of the legal documents were dated Jan 30th, 2009. We spent the 10 day "waiting period" on our Honeymoon.

They could do the same thing, just have the "official" part upon their return from the honeymoon!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-27 09:24:00
Philippinesrefusal at divorce paper of my fiance
You might of actually had what they wanted.

Here in the US the "Original" of a divorce decree/order is kept on file at the local court house.

When you go to the Clerk of the Circuit Court to get a copy of the document you have 2 options:

1) Plain photocopy

2) Certified Copy

The Certified Copy is what the US Embassy wants. If the document you hold has the Stamp of the Circuit Clerk's office on it then it is the document they were looking for.

This stamp varies from county to county. Sometimes it's embossed (indentations in the paper) and sometimes it's just a rubber stamp. Either way most often it will be signed by the Clerk who gives you the document.

Anyway, if you were denied outright then they wouldn't be asking for the document so just make sure to get the correct copy and provide it to them. If you're a Filipino in Singapore I can understand why they would want you to keep your passport (being in a foreign land) until they can actually approve you.
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-29 10:30:00
Philippinesi want to ask something....
Actually, did your fiancée file to have the Philippine gov't recognize her foreign divorce?

To the USEM divorced in the US is enough but come CFO time if her divorce isn't recognized in the Philippines they won't issue her the CFO Sticker for her passport so she can leave the country!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-22 23:51:00
Philippinesvisa delivery time frame

wow that was pushing it !

That's what I was thinking too! :blink:


How so?

We didn't order the tickets until after she had the Visa in hand. Just lucked out that with the time difference I was able to buy a ticket for the next morning (she got Visas just before 5pm on the 24th in PH).

Heck I figure the prices were going up every day as it was Thanksgiving/Christmas season and we really needed to get started with the little guy's hearing tests and such so why not get the first flight we could!
Bob 4 AnnaMalePhilippines2010-04-29 20:54:00