Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Email Subject line	Thanks Darnell. Actually I was just now coming back here to answer my own questions. I was so excited that I had received something from the NVC that I completely overlooked that there were attachments. But since I am here: Subject Line of Email 1: (case number)(PAOSF I-130 UNIVERSAL) This email has an attachment with a letter stating that they have received your case. They show the address for the petitioner and instruct you to immediately contact NVC if the address is incorrect. The letter also shows the Case Number and has the BARCODE on it. This is also the AOS fee ($88 now) Bill with instructions on how to pay electronically. Finally there is the DS-3032 Choice of Address/Agent form. Subject Line of Email 2: (case number)(ACL UNIVERSAL) This email contains an attachment with some general information and the DS-3032 (again). Next time I will look for attachments before jumping the gun (if I can keep my excitement in check) and posting a question. Gary Edited by Zai & Gary, 29 July 2010 - 06:52 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-29 18:49:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	NVC Email Subject line	I searched and could not find any information on this so here it goes: I received 2 emails from the NVC. They are just generic messages stating that they confirm that we have selected using email for all communications and the security risks of using emails. The only difference is in the subject lines: Subject Line of Email 1: (our case number)(PAOSF I-130 UNIVERSAL) Subject Line of Email 2: (our case number)(ACL UNIVERSAL) The bodies of both emails are identical and the messages were sent within a minute of each other. Is there any significance in what is written in the subject line of these emails? Edited by Zai & Gary, 29 July 2010 - 05:30 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-29 17:27:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	DS3032 Question	You can email scans of all of the AOS paperwork and IV packets to NVC? I haven't heard that before. I thought those forms and documents had to be sent snailmail. They ask for original documents such as Marriage Cert, Police report, etc. How is it that you can send scans of those?	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-03 18:09:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	Email address was changed at NVC, how?	I called the NVC today to ask about my case and when the operator was verifying my information she verified my Name, correct; Date of Birth, correct; but when she told me my email address to verify it she gave an email address that was none of the emails I had previously given to them. Now here is the really strange part, it was my work email address. I am positive that I never gave them my work email address on any forms or by phone. How is it possible that they had my work email address associated to my info and not one of the email address that I had given to them and have been receiving email from them on? Edited by Zai & Gary, 03 August 2010 - 08:44 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-03 20:42:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Joint Bank Account: Married(US citizen + Romanian citizen)	We need to keep in mind the terminology used here. Making someone a "Joint Bank Account Holder" is different from adding someone to your account as an authorized card holder and making someone the beneficiary of your account should something happen to you. I don't know everyone elses reason for wanting the foreign S.O. as a joint account holder but I suspect that primarily it is same as me because the USIS uses a Joint Bank Account in their description of proof of relationship. They really should not use that as an example because it is not such an easy thing to accomplish for many people. I wanted my wife as a Joint Bank Account Holder for proof or relationship. Bank of America told me that they had 2 requirements for a Joint account Holder 1) she must have a SSN (I'm not trying to start that debate again) 2) she must be there in person for her signature. They did offer to add her as an authorized Debit Card User and as Beneficiary without these two requirements. I opted to forget about the Joint Account idea until after she gets here.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-31 21:45:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	EVIDENCE OF CURRENT SUSTAINED INCOME	Did I understand you correctly saying that you sent pay stubs from December? Have you sent any pay stub since then? I think that maybe they are wanting you to show that you are still working because of the term "sustained" on the slip. Send all of your pay stubs up to now if you have not already done so.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-05-21 20:09:00
Philippines	Get your marriage license in one province...	The marriage License requires a 10 day (includes weekend days) so apply for the license as soon as you can after you get there. There is no other way to bypass the 10 days waiting period. I was married in the Philippine in November 2009. I also had only 21 days visit. You will need to have all of your and your fiance's documentation in order before you go. On your first day in the Philippines go to the US Embassy and get your affidavit of eligibility to marry. You will need your passport/birth cert/proof of termination of all previous marriages/etc. Your fiancee will need to have her certified birth cert from NSO and a certificate of eligibility of availability to marry. Depending on her age you may need an approval from her parents. Go to a civil registrar's office and apply for the marriage certificate. You will need to take all of the above documents with you. Take a 10 day vacation and enjoy spending time with your girl then go back and get married. I recommend that you make an appointment in advance for the marriage as some of the smaller islands do not have a mayor available every day to perform the marriage. Good luck! I forgot to answer the other question. The marriage certificate is good for anywhere in the Philippines.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-26 22:33:00
Philippines	Get your marriage license in one province...	Hi fellow VJerz... One of our fellow VJerz wants to know...is it OK to get their marriage license in Tagum City, Mindinao, and then get married in Manila or Boracay? Also, our fellow VJer is in the U.S. military and has only 21 days of leave in order to travel from Germany to the Philippines, get married, and then travel back to Germany. Is there any faster way to legally get a marriage license in the Philippines? I searched for a thread that talked about this topic, but I can't seem to find it. Thanks for your help! ~ Tahoma The marriage License requires a 10 day (includes weekend days) so apply for the license as soon as you can after you get there. There is no other way to bypass the 10 days waiting period. I was married in the Philippine in November 2009. I also had only 21 days visit. You will need to have all of your and your fiance's documentation in order before you go. On your first day in the Philippines go to the US Embassy and get your affidavit of eligibility to marry. You will need your passport/birth cert/proof of termination of all previous marriages/etc. Your fiancee will need to have her certified birth cert from NSO and a certificate of eligibility of availability to marry. Depending on her age you may need an approval from her parents. Go to a civil registrar's office and apply for the marriage certificate. You will need to take all of the above documents with you. Take a 10 day vacation and enjoy spending time with your girl then go back and get married. I recommend that you make an appointment in advance for the marriage as some of the smaller islands do not have a mayor available every day to perform the marriage. Good luck!	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-26 22:31:00
Philippines	Postal ID	She should not have any problems for flying. Before my asawa even had a Passport she would fly between Manila and Tacloban with only a postal ID and never had any problems.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 21:32:00
Philippines	Manila airport	The first thing I do when I arrive in Manila is GET Small Change. A lot of people (not just cabs) in Manila use that excuse of no change. They know you are not local so they try to take advantage of you. Always carry small change and you will be OK.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-05-01 07:34:00
Philippines	Manila airport	In my opinion the only one to trust is the Yellow cab at the International terminal. You have to wait in line a little but you give your destination to the guys at the podium at the curb and they record the information. The drivers always put the meter on without even asking them. We went to Casa Bocobo Hotel and it was less than 250 php, including the tip we gave the driver.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 21:17:00
Philippines	Manila airport	When I was there in November we took a yellow cab from the airport to Ermita (Bocobo St) for a little less than 250 php. If you use other taxis, beware and I agree MAKE them put the meter on before you get in. I had one guy who I kept telling him to put the meter on and he would not do it so when we stopped at a traffic light I started to get out. At that point he put the meter on even though he was not very happy about it. Of course I didn't have any luggage at that time so I was not worried about loosing anything stored in the trunk. Edited by Zai & Gary, 30 April 2010 - 08:22 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 20:21:00
Philippines	Can't read the birth certificate	Forgot to mention in case you are wondering, the cost was 100 php (about $2)	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 21:00:00
Philippines	Can't read the birth certificate	My wife's BC was also very blurred and for the most part unreadable. You can read parts of it but not much. So we got a a certified letter from the Office of the Municipal Civil Registrar in her province as well just in case. It is called "Form LCR Form No 1A". It is typed, signed by the civil registrar and has an official seal on it as well. It does not replace the NSO BC but it is official. My case has not been approved yet but I don't think there will be any problems. It seems like a lot of old documents are in poor condition.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 20:48:00
Philippines	Changing name question	A friend of ours had a misspelling on her BC and her petition was denied because of it. What really matters is that all of her documentation matches, not if it is right or not.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-30 21:03:00
Philippines	so what do we do when Obama pushes through the imigration bill	LOL Love the joke Scott!	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-29 21:51:00
Philippines	so what do we do when Obama pushes through the imigration bill	Immigration laws are just that, Laws! So illegal immigrants have violated the laws of the USA. Why should they be pardoned? Send them all back and make them do it legally just like every one of you and I are doing.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-04-29 19:10:00
Philippines	booking her flight from manila	If you are planning to pay by credit card it would probably be best to go through a travel agent if you SO is flying alone. To my best knowledge, due to security threats the owner of the Credit Card needs to be flying with the other person in order for you to pay for her flight. If you are sending her money or you have a joint account then it will be no problem. I am planning to fly to the Philippines to bring my wife and son back so I can pay online for their tickets because I will be with them. There could be other methods to pay that I am not aware of. Maybe another member can advise.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-05-05 21:03:00
Philippines	amend passport	Once you are married and go to change to your married name you will be issued a new passport. There is no stamp or attachment, it is a different passport.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-05-23 16:50:00
Philippines	Philippine Passport Question	Typically 5 years.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-06-15 12:31:00
Philippines	father's consent...	I read somewhere that Philippine law states that if the father has not been a part of the child's life then he has no rights in any decisions about the child. If that is the case I would assume that the father's consent is not needed. However I am speaking from memory and do not know for sure. In my asawa's case, the father was not listed on the child's BC and has never even attempted to see the child so we are not concerned about his consent. Your situation is a little different. Hopefully someone else here can give you a more precise answer. Edited by Zai & Gary, 14 June 2010 - 08:04 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-06-14 20:02:00
Philippines	CENMAR	Hello all. I have 2 questions to ask in reference to a CR1 Interview in Manila: 1) Are the Manila COs asking for a CENMAR (Cert Of Marriage) in addition to the NSO original Marriage License? I am not talking about the CENOMAR (Cert of NO Marriage) but a CENMAR. 2) If there is a name spelled incorrectly on the CENMAR, is there a way to correct it and how? Edited by Zai & Gary, 22 June 2010 - 12:40 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-06-22 12:37:00
Philippines	Visa approved. Is it safe to buy tickets?	I know you are excited to be with your wife again but the delivery date is not guaranteed by any certain date. If it was me, I would play it safe and wait until she has the visa in her hands before scheduling the flight. That's not to say that she wont received the visa by the 18th but its a risk you have to take. I'd play it safe.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-09 06:51:00
Philippines	just wonderin	I was there in November and my Filipina fiancee was allowed to come in with me. Getting the legal capacity to marry paper took only about 5 minutes once I was called but we had to wait about 30 minutes until our turn. The capacity to marry paper is given to you there immediately and has no restrictions on when you can get married. But next you must get the Marriage License from the local registrar in the province and there is a 10 day waiting period before you can get married once you get the marriage license. Also the legal capacity to marry costs $30. Edited by Zai & Gary, 10 July 2010 - 05:56 AM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-10 05:54:00
Philippines	K1..we got it	Congratulations on getting the Visa!	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-07-29 17:14:00
Philippines	Help please i-864 form	I believe it should be you Annual Gross Income. I'm not 100% sure of that.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-01 22:17:00
Philippines	k2 visa delivery	Visa delivery fees are NOT included in other fees. The amount of the visa delivery fee depends on where it is delivered to but will probably not be more than 300 php.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-30 08:41:00
Philippines	I-130 and rural addresses in the Philippines	My wife is also from a very small village on a small island in Samar and they have no house numbers or street names (there is only 1 street if you can call it that). I suspect that the person that you mentioned having their petition returned just left the house number and street names blank. I filled in both the house number and street name with "NONE" and had no problems at all. My petition went through without a problem. Be very aware of leaving bank fields because they think you just forgot to fill it in. Always fill them in with "None" or "N/A".	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-29 20:12:00
Philippines	october interviews	I called today and asked for an interview for my wife and step-son and was told that they did not have any appointments available unless you have already had your medical exam done and if you did then they had Sept 13, 14, and 15 appointments available. I was told to check back next week to see if there were any more appointments available yet. I get the feeling that they know more than they are willing or allowed to tell us but I believe that they they might start issuing October appointments next week. This is just speculation on my part. Anyone have any experience or knowledge on this?	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-09-08 22:57:00
Philippines	Xoom Coupon for the month of October	I'm using my bank debit card and it transfer right away,few seconds. Yes, debit cards process the same as a Credit card. The Bank Account option is an electronic check drafted off of your checking account and that it where the delayed pickup as well as the cheapest prices are.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-10-03 22:07:00
Philippines	Xoom Coupon for the month of October	I have been using Xoom every month for over a year. Sometime back Xoom stopped giving out coupons and even went as far as to put the word out (more like a warning) to the coupon websites such as coupon cabin, etc that they ARE NOT to publish Xoom's coupons to the general public any more. I guess Xoom was not making as much money anymore. And you are correct, they did raise their rates. I use a Credit Card because the transfer is immediate. Using a Bank Account will save you a lot but it can take as much as 5 days to be available. Compare prices to WU and others because the comparisons to Wu on Xoom's website is not necessarily comparing apples to apples. I just won't use WU ever again due to some problems I and others had with them some time back. Edited by Zai & Gary, 03 October 2010 - 08:47 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-10-03 20:45:00
Philippines	Let me ask what Hotel walking distance from U S Embassy	It's not the closest to USEM, but I recommended Casa Bocobo. It is a nice hotel, safe, clean and prices are reasonable. Call +632-526-3783 to get prices and make reservations. My wife and son are there now. We also stayed there several times last year as well and have always been very happy with it. Their website is at Casa Bocobo.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-10-07 15:48:00
Philippines	Is it possible to do a medical so close to the interview date?	The USEM told me that you have to do the medical at least a week ahead of the Interview. I know some people have done the medical in the same week as the interview and had no problems but I personally would not chance it. Also, St Lukes forwards the medical results and your passport directly to the Embassy so you are not allowed to hand carry it. Edited by Zai & Gary, 16 September 2010 - 12:30 PM.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-09-16 12:28:00
Philippines	My Medical Exam Experience St. Luke's Manila	Hello and thanks for all of the information. My asawa will be ready to have her medical pretty soon and I have 2 questions for you that will help us very much. 1) Where you mentioned about what to bring you say: What to bring: - Original and Photocopied Appointment Letter - OR your U.S. Embassy Letter - NVC Case Number - Valid Passport, have it photocopied too - 4 2x2 Photographs (don't forget to write your name at the back) - Payment for Medical Exam (fee must be paid in PHIL. PESOS at the prevailing exchange rate) ADULTS(15yrs and older) $213.25 CHILDREN(under 15 yrs of age) $185.35 Is this appointment letter for your medical or it is an appointment for you USEM Interview? My wife will be taking my 5 year old step son with her because he will also be getting his medical done. I have not seen anyone talk about the child's medical. Did you see other women there with children? What happens when my wife must have her physical exam? Is there someone who will watch her son for her?	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-08-09 11:15:00
Philippines	Employment Letter - HELP	"To Whom it my concern" works. There are many variations but in my opinion for the best results the letter should be on Company Letterhead and contain: 1) your name 2) your position or job description 3) your annual salary 4) your dates of employment (date you started to present) 5) the location of your job (city) 6) the date the letter was written 7) the signature of your HR rep or your boss	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-10-11 18:11:00
Philippines	So... in laws :-)	As an American male I wanted to give you my opinion (and it is only my opinion) based of my past marriage. My ex wife passed away years ago but her family was big on getting together and parties and such. I was not so excited about going to all of these parties but I did because it made my ex happy and she did not have to lie for me. She was always ready to attend all of my family gatherings as well. If your husband wants to attend then you should attend with him. After all, it is his family and even if he does not tell you, I am sure that he wants for you to get along with his family just as you want him to get along with your family. How would/do you feel if he makes excuses to not join in on your family's gatherings? If his family goes to the trouble to try to include you then try going. As you get to know them better you will feel much more comfortable with them as well. You are not attending to make them happy, you are attending as your husband's wife and that will make him happy.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-10-10 21:32:00
Philippines	Scheduling K1 appointments	I experienced the same type of things back when I was trying to get an appointment for my wife. They refuse to tell you exactly when the appointments will be issued and would always say to try back in another week. My experience and research led me to believe that the appointments will not be issued until the remaining available date were either filled or had passed. However history seems to indicate that the 3rd week of the month (starting today) was the best time to call. This is only from my experience so it may not be the same for you. Don't get frustrated. I told the lady who answers that I would call her every day until I was able to get an appointment and she hinted to me to call back on a Monday of the following week. I did and was given appointments for my wife and son. Also, when you purchase the pin to make the calls, you are told that it is for 3 calls or a limited time. I actually called 12 times for various lengths of time and always used the same pin successfully so give it a try. It may not work for you but it did for me.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-11-15 07:29:00
Philippines	Heartbroken and deceived---need help/advice	I would not adjust status for her at this point. Put her on a one way flight back to the Philippines. She appears to have just wanted to immigrate here.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-11-15 23:15:00
Philippines	Which city and state are you?	My asawa ia not here yet but we will be living is Houston, Texas.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-06-15 12:34:00
Philippines	Affortable/safe hotel in Malate	At Casa Bocobo, we always stayed in the mini suite. It is more expensive but it has a mini-fridge, a safe and free breakfast buffet.	Zai & Gary	Male	Philippines	2010-05-01 07:52:00