Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	Filling for Spousal Visa	double post Edited by George & Gina, 30 January 2011 - 01:12 AM.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-01-30 01:11:00
Philippines	Filling for Spousal Visa	If you are living in the Philippines you should file DCF. +1 See this link to get started. http://www.visajourney.com/content/dcf	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-01-30 00:58:00
Philippines	Where can i pick up plane ticket	My fiance bought me a plane ticket 4 weeks ago in Oregon using his credit card. Where can i pick it up and what do i need to show aside from my i.d.? Flight is next week, 16th of Feb Which airline? You should be able to just show up at the ticket counter with your passport and other required travel documents. Some airlines want to see the credit card that purchased the ticket, you may want to call them ahead of time to see if that is the case. If it is, you fiance should be able to email you a scanned copy (front and back) of the card to show at the counter. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-02-06 08:57:00
Philippines	Getting married in Manila	**Update** I'm now back in the USA, married and working on getting documents ready for CR1 submission. Thank you for all your help in getting me started prior to my departure to Manila. Everything went well and can't wait for my hubby to join me. Based on what I've read in here, it's a long and tedious journey. At the USEM in Manila, they did not require authenticated (meaning validated by Philippine Consulate) divorce decree. The consul simply reviewed the certified copy (no xerox copy was retained by USEM either). Consul (she) asked how I met my fiance and I didn't realize our entire conversation could be heard by those in the waiting room. Again, thank you for all your help. I'm sure I'll have more questions regarding CR1. Congratulations and Good Luck!!! Be sure to read the guides here in regards to submitting your petition and be sure to ask questions when you're not sure. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-02-12 09:55:00
Philippines	Getting married in Manila	Hello Everyone, I'm new to this forum and seeking some of your experiences with applying for a marriage license in Manila. I made an appointment with the US Embassy in Manila for Affidavit to Contract Marriage. The lady I spoke with at the US Embassy provided me with the requirements in obtaining this affidavit. She was kind enough to provide additional details that in applying for a marriage license in Manila, my divorce papers need to be "authenticated" by the Philippine Consulate before city hall will accept my marriage license application. How true is this? She did reiterate that this is NOT a requirement of the US Embassy. I've conducted several searches and am unable to validate this. I'm leaving for Manila next week and my divorce papers are certified original documents. Has anyone encountered this situation? I'd appreciate your responses. Thank you all! Your certified divorce decree/documents should not have to "authenticated" by the Philippine consulate unless your previous marriage was entered into in the Philippines. Philippines marriages that are ended by divorce in a foreign country have to be "authenticated" and registered as such in the Philippines. At least that's the way I understand it. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-01-05 03:49:00
Philippines	UID# & Affidavit of Support	A filled in timeline and letting us know what visa you've applied for and what process you're going though might generate a few more valid responses for you. If you search the Philippines regional forum you'll find several detailed experiences of folks paying at BPI and scheduling the appointment online. I haven't done this myself so can't tell you exact procedures. A copy of the the original AoS should be sufficient as long the petitioner's financial situation has not changed. If the financial information has changed ( hopefully for the better) then you'll want to bring an updated original AoS to the interview. George Hello VJ'ers,............. HAPPY VALENTINES TO ALL I have a few questions to ask the experts or those who have been thru the process already. How do you get the UID #? we paid in BPI and tried to sched appointment online but its asking for UID # and we tried to enter the number of the receipt but it says its invalid? where can i get this? Also, with the affidavit of support, is it required to have the original or it can be a scanned copy? petitioner is above poverty line and we have all the original papers submitted at the USCIS. Does he and she have to write another or updated intent to marry letter? please anyone who have knowledge are much welcome to share what they know and will be much appreciated..thank you & have a happy hearts day to all	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-02-13 20:55:00
Philippines	Tsunami Pacific	I cannot reach my fiancee in Talibon, Bohol, Philippines. If anyone knows of any news in this area or any part of the Philippines affected by the tsunami, please share. Many prayers go out to Sarah, Sarah's family, and all. I hope you able to contact her soon. Phone lines are probably overwhelmed and/or they've evacuated if they live near the coast. I'm sure she will fine.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-11 11:45:00
Philippines	MARRIAGE CEMAR	Married persons are issued a Certificate of Marriage from the NSO. You MAY also need to obtain a CRS FORM 5 - ADVISORY ON MARRIAGES from the NSO. This is being called a CEMAR throughout VJ, and only adds to the confusion factor. In order to avoid confusion just call it FORM 5 or ADMAR. , you're right. I'll try to rephrase my answers concerning "CEMARs" in the future in order to cut down on the confusion. I'd hoped that uploading a sample here on VJ would do that, but is seems that most visitors have a difficult time finding the sample docus and the wiki guides. I know it took me a while before I figured out they were there. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-12 19:43:00
Philippines	MARRIAGE CEMAR	do i need this? its under other required documents in the philippines embassy page, never heard of it b4 Yes, the beneficiary may be required to present the CEMAR at the interview. Please see my post in this thread --> http://www.visajourn..._1#entry4513152 for a clear explanation of the CEMAR and how it differs from the CENOMAR. Also, note the the CEMAR and the Marriage Certificate are *NOT* the same thing. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-11 20:28:00
Philippines	bring a copy of i-864 to interview	some things you should bring to the interview are the ds230 part 1 and 2 as well as pictures 2x2 nbi etc etc, but why do you need to bring in the I-864 again? can someone show me were it says that on a official website, or atleast explain the reasoning behind bringing it again? The logic is to bring any and everything you've ever submitted to USCIS or NVC. This is in anticipation that somewhere along the line they are going to lose something and they'll expect you to provide it again.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-12 09:43:00
Philippines	things for K-1 interview	Hey everyone, I have been reading and looking at the packet 4. I noticed that it talked about the I-864 form and was wondering if I needed to submit that for the K-1 visa. It didn't say if it was required so I wanted to make sure if it was. I know you need the I-134, but I don't know if the I-864 is required. I was hoping to find out before my fiance schedules her interview. I also wanted to know about the DS-203 form. It says to take it, but does it have to be filled out before the interview or does my fiance fill it out when the CO tells her to? To quote the packet 4. "Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for visa applicants in the IR, F, certain E visa categories..." I believe your fiancee is filing for a K visa, which requires an I-134. As for the form DS-203, I believe you meant DS-230. Umm...The "packet 4" is for immigrants visas such as the cr-1/ir1. Here you go, give this a read: http://photos.state....3__rtf2_001.pdf. It's the interview preparation instructions for K1/K2 visas. George Edited by George & Gina, 14 March 2011 - 05:58 AM.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-14 05:55:00
Philippines	CENOMAR (certificate of No marriage)	NSO doesn't offer said form. Also, what on earth is CFO? We never needed that either... Having a bad morning are we? Here's the link to the Commission on Filipino's Overseas. I've also posted a scanned copy of the CFO sticker attache to a passport, you can see it in my previous posts in this thread. http://www.cfo.gov.p...d=234&Itemid=33 I actually do study and research things prior to posting them here on VJ, and NO there are no "Pinay Scammers" using our account here on VJ either. George & Gina	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-12 18:21:00
Philippines	CENOMAR (certificate of No marriage)	Actually, there is no such thing as a CEMAR(cf. ecensus webpage), and neither is required for the CR1. Please stop making up stories. Are you a Pinay scammer? Actually, my wife has her "CEMAR" ready to go in case it's asked for during her interview (they don't always ask). I've also posted a sample of one here on the site. Why must you be so confrontational? Just because they didn't ask you for one, doesn't mean it isn't something they ask for. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-12 18:12:00
Philippines	CENOMAR (certificate of No marriage)	please help !!!!! Please see this link for examples of a Marriage Certificate, a Certificate of Marriage (CEMAR), and a Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR). Yes, for the Philippines, the Marriage Certificate and the Certificate of Marriage-Marriage Index(CEMAR) are two different things and you need both for the CR1/IR1 interview. http://www.visajourn....php?album=3826	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-02 03:15:00
Philippines	Question about entering USA on K1-Visa	I wouldn't believe a word of this. Who else has gone to the CFO Seminar and had to produce some document besides their passport? On the other hand, stranger things are asked for here in the Philippines. I'm guessing that the interviewer did not believe her and wanted the BC to verify it. Anyone thinking on there feet can just make up a name for their MIL since there is no way to verify it.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-22 02:45:00
Philippines	Question about entering USA on K1-Visa	Um, yeah... Well really no that's wrong... CFO is for any Filipino (male or female) leaving the Philippines. OFW are also required to go through the process although it's a bit different. , yeah, what he said...	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-21 21:04:00
Philippines	Philippines Peso Currency Converter Gadget	Really, You need a gadget to convert peso's to USD or Vice a Versa? It's basic math........... I just want something that sits on the desktop and show the updated dollar to peso rate.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-27 06:36:00
Philippines	Philippines Peso Currency Converter Gadget	Have you tried using http://www.xe.com/ucc/full/ Thanks for responding. Yes, I use http://www.xe.com/ucc all of the time, it's a great site and great tool. What I'm looking for though is a "Gadget" that stays active on the Windows 7 or Vista desktop.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-27 02:05:00
Philippines	Philippines Peso Currency Converter Gadget	Does anyone here have a currency converter gadget for Windows 7 that converts the Philippines peso? I've searched, and all of the currency converter gadgets that I've found (including the default one included with the OS) don't include the Philippines peso. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-27 01:12:00
Philippines	Anyone here from the Philippines?	hey there...sorry to hear about the long wait...i haven't even submitted my petition yet...just trying to clarify one last thing...maybe you can help! my fiance was previously married to a us citizen...she filed for divorce so that she could remarry here in the states...however, philippines does not recognize divorce so what should i do? Sorry for the late response. Did she "file" for a divorce or was she granted a divorce? Where were they married and where was the divorce granted? If she was married in the Philippines to a USC, a divorce granted in the US would be recognized by the Philippines if the USC filed for the divorce, on the other hand, if she filed for the divorce then it would not be recognized in the Philippines. Remember, she'll have to submit a CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) at the interview to prove that she's able to marry. George Edited by George & Gina, 28 March 2011 - 04:03 AM.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-28 04:02:00
Philippines	buying land in PI	basically, you can't own land but your Filipino citizen spouse can. Here's a good resource that explains some of the ins and outs. http://www.kittelson...perty-ownership George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-04-02 10:54:00
Philippines	Any issues with flying out of Manila?	That might be true, if you mean Guam to NY or similar. But just last year, I spent almost $650 going from Guam to MNL round trip. Gotta add that cost to the total. The cost flying out of Guam is significantly higher than flying out of the Philippines. When you're in Guam they've basically got you under a barrel. Here are some examples for 30 days from now. Manila to Newark via Guam, Honolulu and Houston =$860  MNL-EWR_0.JPG   184.78KB   2 downloads Guam to Newark (same day, same flights) = $1495  GUM-EWR_95.JPG   112.42KB   2 downloads	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-04-18 02:09:00
Philippines	Any issues with flying out of Manila?	Hi, Im just about to book flight for fiancee and was wondering if there was any issues with flying out of Manila (Narita)? I have one way ticket reserved but not paid for yet. On the phone the representative said something about the visa being good for one year. I know that cant be right because they only issue the visa with 6 month time allowance. When i go to the airport to purchase ticket should i talk to the immigration there? I want to basically make sure she wont have any snags when she flys out. You could bypass the rest of Asia altogether and have her fly through Guam. Last time I check tickets on Continental could be had between $800 - $1000 going to the east coast.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-04-14 04:00:00
Philippines	In the Pit of Despair	My fiancee and I are at our wits' end. We are hoping that some VJers here can provide us with some good advice. The medical exam for her and her daughter (age 11) took place the first week of April. There was some slight complication when her daughter's TB skin test came back positive, but her chest x-ray came back clear. They both received the necessary vaccinations. My fiancee's exam results were submitted to the embassy on 4/5, and her daughter's exam results were submitted on 4/6. Her interview on 4/7 at the embassy went fine, for both of them. The consular officer informed her at the end of the interview that both visas had been approved, K1 and K2. However, when she surrendered both passports, she was informed that their case was being placed in an administrative review/processing because they had not yet received her daughter's exam results. That to me seemed reasonable, as the results had been submitted only the day before. The notice also said for us to wait until we heard back from the embassy or received a letter from them telling them when to return to the embassy with the indicated documents. However, I thought that the embassy has to receive the medical exam results from St. Luke's, and that they won't accept a copy from my fiancee? Also, this was three weeks ago. Surely they have received the medical exam results by now? Also, according to the DOS' web site, we will have to wait 60-90 days for administrative reviews to be completed? Is this right? Should I not wait, and send an email or contact the call center now? Call the embassy and check on the status NOW, if they can't tell you anything then call St. Luke's and ask them if they've sent the results to the embassy. You should be all over this instead of just waiting for them. Remember, while it may be very important to you, it's only daily routine to them and they really couldn't care less until you make an issue of it. They should be able to tell you if they've received/sent the exam results or if your fiancee needs to get them from St. Luke's and deliver them herself. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-04-24 21:29:00
Philippines	Medical Exam at St. Luke's in Manila	Hmmm.. Let's see. So, all I need is my printed out NOA2, ID pictures, some ID's, passport, and that's it? Am I missing something? NVC/Manila case number. I'd bring a printout of the attachment that NVC sent you in email. The one addressed to "Principal Applicant", it has the NVC/MNL case number, the IIN and the Beneficiary ID listed on it. It should be the first email the YOU received from NVC. Gina is going for her medical exam this week or next and your list plus the email attachment is exactly what she plans to bring with her. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-05-08 21:48:00
Philippines	CFO Seminar - PRISM	Thank you for the link! I'm going to get my sticker in NAIA Terminal 1 only because I'm nearer to the airport. But I'll get it before my flight date. not meaning to rain on your parade, but I believe the extension office is actually in the departure terminal beyond the initial security screening. You must have a reservation/ticket to get in and you can't leave (other than to your flight) once you go through security. I stopped and spoke to the counter attendant a few trips ago, and asked about the hours and to make sure that the sticker was available there. It is available and they are open fairly late. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-16 05:59:00
Philippines	Impatiently waiting for interview date	Hello, everyone! It's been 10 days since our case was completed at NVC. We were informed that they will start scheduling for July interviews this second week of June (which will be this week). Is that really how it goes? Is there anyone out here, Philippines forum, who got their case completed at NVC and is/are still waiting for their interview date? I am just so impatient right now.. We were case complete on 27 May 2011. We're still waiting for our interview appointment letter/notification.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-06-07 20:58:00
Philippines	Lost Passport	I was informed by my wife this morning that our daughter who still is in the philippines lost her pasport on the way to the bank to pick up some money. I know she has to go to the local consulate after a month for a waiting period to see if it shows up. But I am confused on the fees of a lost passport application. When my wife was there before she came to the U.S. she told me they cost around $35.00 per passport. But what I am seeing on the manila embassy site is it's around $105.00. Has the price gone up that much in the last two years? Also besides having to bring a certified copy of a birth certificate, photos, what else does she have to bring? Does she have to file a avadavit for lost passport form and have it notorized by a local attorney also? It's hard to get this info out of my wife because of her english skills. thanks, martinbr I thought this direct link may be helpful. http://epassport.com...ements/for/lost	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-06-09 04:01:00
Philippines	Lost Passport	I was informed by my wife this morning that our daughter who still is in the philippines lost her pasport on the way to the bank to pick up some money. I know she has to go to the local consulate after a month for a waiting period to see if it shows up. But I am confused on the fees of a lost passport application. When my wife was there before she came to the U.S. she told me they cost around $35.00 per passport. But what I am seeing on the manila embassy site is it's around $105.00. Has the price gone up that much in the last two years? Also besides having to bring a certified copy of a birth certificate, photos, what else does she have to bring? Does she have to file a avadavit for lost passport form and have it notorized by a local attorney also? It's hard to get this info out of my wife because of her english skills. thanks, martinbr There seems to be some confusion here, so maybe you can clarify for us. Is this a US passport or a Philippines passport that needs to be replaced? US Passports cost $105 as you mentioned above. Philippines passport cost 950 pesos standard or 1250 pesos rush plus the fee for the police report and the loss passport fee. You should be able to find all of the applicable fees and make an appointment for a Philippines passport on the DFA website that someone else linked to elsewhere in this thread. Yes, she will need a notarized affidavit stating how the passport was lost/stolen. My wife lost her Philippines passport a few months back and that's what she had to do to get it replaced and this was in the Metro Manila area. George Edited by George & Gina, 09 June 2011 - 03:53 AM.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-06-09 03:50:00
Philippines	bringing USC fiance' to CFO seminar	FOr the CFO, parents are expected if age requirements are met as if a philippine wedding. Please also note fiancee is not permitted in the building during this time. The fiancee can wait outside the building, but expect to be monitored by local authorities. (this is not only for your protection, but if the signal is given inside, the fiancee will be arrested.) And according to the accounts I have read, and people talked to recently going through the CFO, have ALL papers you will be using at the embassy with you. You do not know what documents they will wish to examine. Also, expect to have one on one time as well. I cannot say what or how they choose certain people to interview deeper then others. The CFO is inexpensive compared to other things, but the CFO is interested in protecting the Filipino citizens. The CFO approach is from the standpoint the "outsider may be a bad person". The CFO is not the approach of the embassy where is the relationship real, and genuine. The CFO is trying to talk you out of leaving the Philippines, the question they ask, are you absolutely sure you are ready to go live in another country? Are you absolutely sure your spouse will take care of you? How well do you know him? (there are rumors they do a background check on the foreign fiancee/spouse to see if they can find anything. ) Conspiracy theorist?	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-05-31 04:51:00
Philippines	Where and why?	Where to? $600 dollars seems to good to be true. The lowest prices that I've seen are around $850 to various locations on the east coast and some folks here even doubted that I'd found those. The Airlines websites tend to offer the best fares. You'll also find lower fares if you have flexible travel dates and don't have to leave on a particular day. I tend to fly Continental myself because I live on Guam. Check out Philippines Airlines and Delta also. BTW, Guam is a great place for someone from Phils. to do their POE. A large number of the immigration/customs folks are of Filipino descent. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-06-18 22:40:00
Philippines	Beware if you travel alone to the Philippines	I have many stories also . First when at the Manila airport - when using the Bathroom (CR) --an attendant brought me some water to wash my hands (since they were no running water ) and asked for 500 pesos .I gived him 100 pesos . Secondly , I was in Cebu and was at Kawasan falls (tourist site ) .A guy followed us along the path to the falls and when we came out --he said I owed him 300 pesos as his tour guide .I did not ask for one and he did not provide any service . He insisted and only beacuse I was with my fiancee --I gived him 50 pesos. He was mad . Also while eating at the resort at the falls --they charged me a ''sitting fee '' of 500 pesos. I just sat for about 10m mins and ate at the site . It is ridicoulous --they think we make money --lol . Many times I objected to giving in to them , but only because I was with my fiancee --I did not wish to create a stink . I am much wiser now . but as many said beware . Wow... All that needed to be done was for your fiancee to complain or fuss at them. They only ever try things like that when I'm alone. People giving in and giving them any money at all is what keeps them coming back for more. And if you fell for the "sitting fee", well.... BTW, this entire thread would fit better in the Philippines regional forum since is has absolutely nothing to IR-1/CR1.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-05-03 02:04:00
Philippines	ITR (No Signature)	Hi everyone! I just want to ask your ideas on this. I have been looking at all the documents that I have as preparation for my upcoming interview. I have just noticed that the copy of my husband's ITR doesn't have his signature on it. An accountant prepared his form 1040,it has the accountants information but no signature of the accountant too. Do you think I will have a problem with this document? YES. It should be a SIGNED copy of the return that he submitted to the IRS. You may want to have him get TAX TRANSCRIPTS from the IRS and then scan and email them to you. He can call the IRS and have them faxed to him in a few minutes.	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-06-14 07:48:00
Philippines	CFO for fiancee in Manila, Philippines	This question is for the fiancées in Manila. When should I take the CFO seminar? Is it before my interview or after my visa is issued? Your question would generate a better response if you posted it in the Philippines regional forum. My wife was required to take the seminar prior to getting her new passport in her married name. Here's the link to the CFO: http://www.cfo.gov.p...d=234&Itemid=33 Notice the list of requirements. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-03-14 08:43:00
Philippines	ITIN	maybe someone can explain this - i thought a ITIN was only needed if the foreign national / spouse etc didn't qualify for a SSN? my wife has an SSN, so when i file my 2010 taxes we shouldnt need a ITIN? Correct. Your wife does not need (and is not qualified to receive) an ITIN because she has an SSN. Be thankful, I'm looking forward to many headaches with getting an ITIN for my wife and getting our taxes filed. George	George & Gina	Male	Philippines	2011-01-31 03:17:00
Philippines	Recently Philippines Airline Reviews	United/Continental is an option from the US. Depeding on where you fly from you will be able to connect out of Japan (via a partner airline like ANA) or connect out of Guam via Honolulu. If you connect out of Guam there is no layover. You'll get off the 777 out of Honolulu, and get on the 737 to Manila. Hope this helps.	six7one	Male	Philippines	2011-12-23 20:21:00
Philippines	{Saint Luke's Medical Center} Manila	Congratulations! Just got our MNL number today so we'll be on a similar path soon.	six7one	Male	Philippines	2012-02-09 18:32:00
Philippines	Average processing time for CSC K-1 Philippines visas	Couldn't agree with you more about having a complete and accurate petition. My CSC processing took 142 days. Hang in there and Good Luck.	six7one	Male	Philippines	2012-02-05 03:44:00
Philippines	K1 & K2 Interviews in Manila Scheduled!	Six! thanks for the info, I really appreciate it. Good luck! No problem at all. If I remember correctly you will be going through a K1 and K2 process soon. Good luck to you with your Journey also. One thing I forgot to mention. If you give them the same address for the K1 and K2 to send the Appointments, note that you will only be able to see/reschedule the K1 online. They will explain that to you if/when they setup your online account.	six7one	Male	Philippines	2012-02-17 20:27:00
Philippines	K1 & K2 Interviews in Manila Scheduled!	For most doing it online is quite simple and free. I understand having a K-1 & K-2 is more involved. Embassy: http://photos.state....3__rtf2_003.pdf http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ Agree its is probably pretty simple to do online. However, I couldn't chance messing anything up in regard to my beautiful future step-daughter. How do you explain to a mother on the day of her Interview that her daughter is not scheduled? I could only imagine the emotion of the moment and decided, nope I don't want to live through that. Peace of mind and assurance is the reason for my call and easily worth the $6 is spent on LD charges. I'm sure I'm not the only to have this cross their mind. Glad and Relieved that's behind me now because I was stressing about it since receiving the NOA2.	six7one	Male	Philippines	2012-02-17 20:24:00