Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	any october 2012 filer who already got their noa2?	October 15th for us...CSC...nothing yet...just hoping that we are getting closer to the top of the pile! I'm not sure that it has anything to do with how long we have been together but where in the stack of applications you are. Congrats on the NOA2! Joan and I are hoping for mid to late March...	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-02-18 16:20:00
Philippines	Approved!!!!!!!!	YAH!!! We are both very happy for you!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-03-07 23:39:00
Philippines	How do I present the pictures for the interview?	You will be AWESOME! Relax and go for it! ok. thanks for all the help guys. so here's what i'm gonna do, i'll paste the printed pictures in a bondpaper 3 pics each then label them accordingly. I'll give them 15 photos. would that be enough or too much? haha. i have a presentation folder for everything. I hope everything goes well on my interview. Im excited and pretty nervous at the same time. haha	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-03-15 00:00:00
Philippines	Our petition was approve! We are september filer from VSC!Thanks to God!!!	CONGRATS!!!!!!!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-03-15 00:04:00
Philippines	Couples living in Hawaii.	Aloha! I live in Waikiki and Joan will face the same challenges finding work. I know a restaurant that hires frequently if that is an interest. Shoot me a private message if you want to talk about that. I've lived in the New York area (born and raised), Los Angeles, and now Honolulu for ten years. The cost of living is very comparable to those other places but the salaries are generally much lower--I am STILL making 13,000 dollars less than I made for a comparable job in LA and that is compared to my salary 10 years ago. YIKES! But I fell in love with Hawaii during 8 trips in 2 years before moving here! IF Hawaii grabs you then you will do fine, she doesn't than you might get "rock fever" and want to go home...for me Hawaii is home...I especially love Kaua'i!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-09 03:37:00
Philippines	Couples living in Hawaii.	Are you sure you would like living there? I mean, it's nice for vacation, but I don't like that the "good ole boys" network is in full effect there, and when you need to get things done, it's like everyone that you have to deal with to take care of business rode "the short bus" in their youth...if you catch my drift. Now THAT'S funny!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-09 03:27:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Salamat everyone! It turns out that Joan is not leaving her job for a while at least. Yes we will have more photos (I am going over in May/June for our 4th visit together) and we have an email log of over 13,000 emails!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-15 02:11:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Japanese would be nice, for hotel jobs. But she can learn Ilocano, then many other jobs open up. Even speaking Tagalog is a big plus in Hawaii. Oahu job market is okay at about 4.5%, so finding any job should be easy. Just remember to take her to Waipahu to shop and eat at max and jolibee. HA!!! Yes I work in Waipahu! I will take Joan to the market!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-15 02:07:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Had to stop working in the PI before and its not a concern during the interview, they will only ask what is the petitioner's work/job.... and If she know's Japanese then she can get a job in Honolulu easily cuz as what I have read from the weekly newspaper they prefer bilinguals specifically who talks Japanese cuz most the tourist are Japanese. well me I still don't have a work cuz had my little girl settle at school first cuz she's so handful but I am currently taking short term course. and good for you if you live within town no need to struggle with traffic from H1. we live at Ewa Beach. Good Luck! Salamat/mahalo! I actually work Leeward side so I get to deal with the traffic on the way home! King Street is much better than H-1! Think about it when you come to town.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 23:25:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Also, having her take classes is a great idea anyway, it will be a great place for her to meet new people. My wife signed up for a community ESL class here in our town and it's really been helpful. Your wife will mostly likely feel pretty isolated when she gets there, and as much as she'll want to spend time with you, classes are a great way for her to branch out, start making her own roots and meeting people. And yeah, Hawaii, for sure, expensive. I live in the San Francisco bay area, also one of the more expensive places to live. Thought maybe someday we'd move to Hawaii, I work independently, could probably work from anywhere. But yes, high cost of living there to be sure! But I bet it's worth it, must be an awesome place to live. Yes it is definitely worth living here! There are adult schools nearby where Joan can take classes--we may even take Japanese classes together....ahhhhhh when she gets here......but you all know that song...	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 23:20:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Yes my wife doesn't work yet (well we just got our GC approved anyway, so she couldn't). But it shouldn't make any difference to them whatsoever. As long as you've shown that you can support her, they don't care if she works or not. I want to live in Hawaii. No fair! Hawaii is a beautiful place but it will sure help the "bottom line" when Joan gets here (whenever that is!) and then can eventually work. I mentioned in a different thread that the cost of living is comparable to New York City or Los Angeles...but the salaries are not! But yes I can support Joan in any case... Thanks everyone! It looks like there might be some English and Japanese classes for Joan soon!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 11:01:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Nope, doesn't matter, makes no never-mind if Joan is working or not. Seriously the embassy doesn't care I tried to talk my wife into quitting her job once our petition was approved but it was like talking to the wall. Just the same the embassy wouldn't have cared one way or the other. Thanks Hank! Yes I understand! lol!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 10:54:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	work status not matter, unless it was some job involving moral turpitude in the PI. Thanks Darnell!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 01:54:00
Philippines	Would my fiancee's work status matter?	Hi everyone, Joan and I were talking about her leaving her full time job. Her English is good and she speaks a little Japanese. We will live in Waikiki, Hawaii so there is a good opportunity for her to get a better job if she knew more of these languages in addition to her native Tagalog. We were thinking that it would be beneficial if she picked up a part time job (or even no job) and spent her time studying the languages. I mentioned this to a co-worker who wondered if there would be a concern or problem at the interview if Joan was not employed or employed full time. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-11 01:17:00
Philippines	The Global Filipina & Her Chronicles of International Love	Hello VJers! I'm posting to promote my fiancee's blog, which may be of interest to some of you out there. She's an excellent writer, and our story is a romantic one! We're looking to expand her audience, as well as connect with other bloggers and/or couples going through a similar experience. Please check it out - and thanks very much for your time and attention! http://theglobalfilipina.wordpress.com/ Great! Thanks for sharing!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-17 02:51:00
Philippines	ALERT!!! If you are going to Manila for an interview!!!	Joan has five copies of her BC so far...we will get two or three more per Hank's guide!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-18 23:56:00
Philippines	Traveling next week - Cash & WiFi question	Thanks for the tip! I'll look more carefully next time! No =you specify in the pick up section.. It's 3 dollars more to have them pick up in USD.. I did it Yesterday. 4.99 to pick up in pesos and 7.99 to pickup in dollars when using a US bank account. -Iam sure of very little in life but I am postive about this , because I have done it many times For smaller amounts its cheaper to just send a little more and have them pick up in Pesos.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-19 10:28:00
Philippines	Traveling next week - Cash & WiFi question	Hello Nature Boy, I looked on Xoom and seen no choice for having the money delivered in US $ Pretty sure that's how they make the bucks. Even though, Xoom has been the fastest and most reliable. I first used Western Union but the second time they couldn't proccess my Debt card and wanted only a direct bank account. Then questioned me on whether I knew who I was sending $ to and had me call in to approve the payment. On the call, the person was interviewing me on how I met my Fiance and if we ever seen each other in person. I politely told him to F-off and said it's my money and I'll call another money transfer company. I don't need someone to 'Save me' from myself. Hence Xoom. HA! I think I read that story in a different thread! I don't see where to send as USD on Xoom either...in fact they state that they make money on the "mark-up."	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-18 23:32:00
Philippines	Traveling next week - Cash & WiFi question	Not much to add to this...so far every hotel (three trips including Manila, Boracay and Bohol) has had free wifi. I have tried cash and travelers checks. The checks were a pain in the butt. USD very easy to change. Now Joan has a bank account so I will probably just use Xoom to transfer the $$$ and use her ATM.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-17 02:38:00
Philippines	Visa Approved	Such great news!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-20 15:50:00
Philippines	Birthday Dinner Suggestions	Thanks for the tips and cautions everyone! We would probably do a tour of Tagatay if we go...I guess we've been lucky with Intramuros so far but it is a good reminder anyway. Thanks Jeff...Yes please send me a private message with the information... For romantic dinner, I would suggest the roof deck at the Bayleaf Hotel. Fantastic view of Manila bay and city skyscrapers. Food is pretty good but don't give it 5 star. I do give the atmosphere and view 5 star though. If you have the time, just go for some drinks then move on to another place for dinner. I love restaurants with a view. So, I can recommend 2 places in Cebu: - Tops. Its on top of the mountain overlooking Cebu city. Food is just OK. Its Filipino BBQ. The view is the best in the city. Full view of the city. Inside seating only - Mr. A's. This is my favorite in Cebu. Its up the same mountain but not as far up. Food is typical Filipino food and very good. The view is only partial city compared to Tops but still looking over Cebu City to Mactan. I like Mr A's better than Tops for the menu and the fact you can sit outside. There are many restaurants in the Mall of Asia which can give you a great views of Manila Bay. So many to choose from. Make sure to visit Kawasan Falls in Moalboal. If your up for some extreme adventure, take a look at Planet Action Adventures in Moalboal. I've been using the same driver is Cebu for a few years now. If you need an honest reliable driver, let me know.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-20 15:56:00
Philippines	Birthday Dinner Suggestions	SUPER! Also, I'd like to add that if you dont mind traveling a little bit outside of manila and want something really romantic you may want to consider a trip to tagaytay! Even if its just for a romantic dinner you can have an amazing dinner overlooking lake Taal and Taal Volcano in its center. If traveling there or back during non-peak times from manila to there 2-3hrs via air conditioned bus. The restaurant I like best with the view is called Leslies. You will want an early dinner so you can see the volcano and if you plan it just before the sunset you can get some nice colors(although the actual sunset will be the opposite direction of the volcano sadly). The food is decent but not 5 star by any means but you'd be looking at maybe $30-40 for dinner for 2. If you are wanting a true half-day event out of it start early and go to the Picnic grove(they have a zipline there also if that is your thing), another amazing view of the volcano as well. Tricycle fare from the tagaytay terminal is 60 peso each way(careful they will try to overcharge). Entrance is 50/peso each person. Zipline they have different packages and you can get souvenir mugs with your picture on it. They would send you as a couple down the zipline and take your picture at the end. Also if you want to devote more time to it, you can do a boat ride to the volcano, and ride a horse(more like a pony) up to the crater. I think expect around 2500 peso for the boatride, horse ride, etc. Probably can get less if you send Joan to negotiate a price with you out of sight. The people selling the boat rides are everywhere in tagaytay terminal and will be relentless with their trying to get you to hire them. If you arent interested just be blunt with them or they wont get the picture. If you are interested in tagaytay let me know I lived near there for 1.5years and could give you instruction on how to get there via bus from manila. Edit: forgot to mention at leslies they have a roaming band(guitars and such) that will serenade. If you tip them they'll often take requests and stay longer at your table, which if you like private dinner can become an annoyance but they are really talented.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-20 03:33:00
Philippines	Birthday Dinner Suggestions	Mmmmmmm those sound great! We are staying in Moalboal which I think is about 2 1/2 hours from Cebu City but I hope we get to see it! Lobster soup sounds terrific! Hello Steve, I just returned from Cebu last week. We stayed at the Radisson blu and they had a great worldly buffet at their restaurant called Fieria. Top notch and price was reasonable. about $2000 php or $50 bucks for two. Many people go there that don't stay at the hotel so it is popular. It’s a very nice atmosphere and the staff is very attentive. If you see a young man who is a server called Michael, please tell him hello from Brad and Dale. He gave us 100% attention and filled our kids plate every night knowing exactly what they wanted. He even brought a special fruit plate each night for us. Avoid Tuesday and Saturday as that is 50% off and the food was less grade and so many people come in that it’s too busy for a nice dinner. Monday is Seafood night so you can enjoy shrimp as big as your hand, and half lobster served cold. I went for the Filippino soup and put the cold lobster in it as I like my lobster warm. It really made a good soup. For a true Phil native dinner with the best view in Cebu, go to Lantaw Native Restaurant. Be careful as they have one located on Mactan Island that is the floating restaurant on bamboo but you should really go to the mountain side location as the night views are breathtaking. It is WAY up the hill side/mountain but about 15 minutes from Radisson hotel by the bay. Higher than anything else and all you see is Cebu city lights. It is an open air place, relaxed, food is very good but the view is worth everything. My suggestion is to bring her here but reserve a table as it can be busy. Not too expensive either. Great place for pictures too. I miss my girl and kids since our stay in cebu so much. I find myself ordering rice instead of french fries when I can. She got me hooked:-) Cebu is a beautiful city at night. We went to Fort San Pedro and that was nice but Magellan cross was just a storm of people wanting you to buy candles and water. You should see the Temple as it's just North of town and very impressive. OK. That's all. Sorry for the long response but it was within the week I stayed there for 2 weeks and if not for work I would still be there today. Take care and God bless. Brad?	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-19 01:54:00
Philippines	Birthday Dinner Suggestions	Thanks for the idea! I'll ask Joan! For downtown manila, if you havent done ocean park and if Joan has never seen something like that(aquariums and such including underwater tunnel) it can be a fun little outing. If you do it in the afternoon you can always stroll on the baywalk and watch the sunset after, which can be romantic. As for restaurants if you like seafood, My wife specifically requested "Seaside restaurant" in Pasay on valentines day. It is not too expensive unless you buy a lot, and there isnt really a romantic atmosphere but its a pretty neat dining experience. You pick a restaurant(any of them) then you go out and buy your seafood fresh from the market right there, everything is by weight and prices are negotiable. After you bought everything you, you bring it back to restaurant and the re-weigh it to make sure the market people didnt scam you. Then the restaurant will prepare the foods however you want. They charge by weight but I think most things are 150-200 peso to prepare 1kg or less. When I went they added a 40 peso service charge(tip) for our waitress and normally when a place has a mandatory service charge I dont tip but 40 peso is a sad tip so I added a few hundred and it made her day haha.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-19 01:50:00
Philippines	Birthday Dinner Suggestions	Aloha Everyone! I will be in the Philippines for 12 nights at the end of May/beginning of June. We are going to Cebu on June 2nd but Joan's birthday is on June 1st. We will be staying at the Lotus Garden Hotel in Ermita (by the U.S. Embassy). I want to do something special for her birthday. We have seen Intramuros/Rizal Park/Chinatown/Downtown Manila in a kalesa and did a dinner cruise along Manila Bay. Does anyone have ideas for a romantic 1/2 day adventure or at least a nice restaurant that won't break the bank? Salamat!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-19 00:41:00
Philippines	Medical Result	YESSSSSS!!!!!! Whooooohooooooo! Hi VJ's! t'was a GOOD news for me. and i just really wanna share it with everyone. So i called St.lukes for the 2nd time for my medical exam ( culture result ), and the one I talked to over the phone said, the result is NEGATIVE, so I just need to go there for my vaccination tomorrow!! yes, tomorrow!! So happy!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-25 01:55:00
Philippines	Am I okay, or what do I do?	We didn't rush or try to push things as we knew we weren't going anywhere after the interview, but 6 weeks is very easily done.   I will be in the Philippines from May 30 to June 11th (Cebu for one week) and I would love to be with Joan for the interview...(but especially for the CFO)...This might work out nicely because I can bring all my financial papers instead of hoping that they show up at her house! I won't mind leaving her this time if I know that she will be coming over to Hawaii within a couple of weeks.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-28 12:08:00
Philippines	Am I okay, or what do I do?	Seriously it was a great experience being at the interview, no tongue in cheek.  I flew over a week before the interview then we stayed for almost two months after that to visit family and friends ... lots of time for long good byes.   I really don't know if its a good idea to buy the ticket for your fiancée in March, just be prepared to reschedule the flight.  I have notice USCIS is taking a lot longer to approve the petition, seems like they are running a month or two longer then when we did the process.  As for the embassy, once you have your MNL # it moves along pretty fast.   If we had wanted once we had the MNL # we could have gotten everything done and been at the airport in 6 weeks... and that was with the visa taking 2 weeks for delivery.   Now THAT is what we are hoping for (6 weeks)!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-27 23:13:00
Philippines	Quick question about paperwork (NBI, CENOMAR, etc)	NBI is good for one year. CENOMAR has no expiration as far as i know. :-) and since your fiancee got it just the end of last year, i think its still good. :-)   Good luck on the 13th!!!!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-28 12:10:00
Philippines	Question about BPI and embassy interview appointments	I booked the appointment for my wife then made a PDF file of the confirmation page and emailed that to my wife, plus brought copies with me when I flew over.  In fact we were on Skype when I made the appointment so if I needed information she was right there.   Who has a good internet connection in the Phils?  Its been raining........    That's funny! Great...I will do that once we get the MNL#	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-30 12:31:00
Philippines	Question about BPI and embassy interview appointments	You are not going to know what openings there are until you go online at the embassy website to schedule...  that link your provided doesn't mean much of anything.  Go to the links in the embassy letter.   The links and info I provided earlier has the link to the embassy letter which has the link for scheduling the interview.   http://photos.state....on_rtf2_002.pdf   Perfect timing or this post for Joan and I and the exact questions I had (Hank---do you ever get tired of hearing "THANK YOU!"?)   OK...here is a question: Joan has not got the best internet connection--can she send me the information (receipt numbers etc) and can I book the appointment for her?	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-30 01:23:00
Philippines	Schedule interview online for USEM	I am glad it is a temporary glitch!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-30 12:44:00
Philippines	CR1 Interview Approved	Great story!! Congrats and good luck!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-19 00:18:00
Philippines	Heading to the Philippines	thanks everyone for your imput ,it has helped me very much   Good luck! Yes look through the Guide as mentioned before and fill in as much as you can. Bring all the forms with you and finish/sign them there. I did that wiith Joan in October and filed within two/three days of returning to the US!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-30 01:34:00
Philippines	NBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"	Nope CFO does not ask for a copy of the NBI, and I hope they don't read this and get ideas.. they keep adding more and more ####### to their "list"   Sorry Hank...I forgot that you had posted this in my sudden MNL frenzy!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-05-03 00:14:00
Philippines	NBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"	Yes I know the NBI is valid for a year, its just that I have read on here of some with an older NBI getting a 211g from the embassy requesting a new NBI.  Just passing on what I have read, 6 months has been mentioned a few times.   Its easy to get a new one, especially with Joan having one already, if you decide to get a new one have Joan bring her old one to NBI, I believe they will issue a new one right there on the spot.   Hi Hank!   Yes we have decided to get a new one to be safe. Thanks for the information about bringing her old one for a new one on the spot! That would be great!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-29 00:52:00
Philippines	NBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"	Steve:   How old is the NBI?   If its pushing towards 6 months old get a new one, they are neither spendy or difficult to get and takes the worry out of being close.   HI Hank!   Joan's NBI is from October. Should she get a new one? The websites say that the NBI is valid for one year for immigration.   Thanks! Edited by Stevephoto, 28 April 2013 - 11:59 AM.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-28 11:58:00
Philippines	NBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"	THANK YOU!     The other half (personal copy) is okay and will be accepted during her interview as long as its valid (not expired).  NBI clearance is valid within 1 YEAR of issuance.	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-28 00:05:00
Philippines	NBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"	I'm confused. Joan brought her NBI to DFA to get her passport. They took half of the form. Does she need to get a new one or is the half that she has OK?   Thanks	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-04-27 23:36:00
Philippines	BPI and CFO (NBI) questions	yes. she can. it also doesnt matter if she dont get the other one if she already got the one ordered online faster..i did it before..lol    Salamat! I'll ask her although it doesn't really matter right now as long as we get it before the interview!	Stevephoto	Male	Philippines	2013-05-03 02:14:00