ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
USCIS Service CentersCalling USCIS
They have a script they read and have almost no information available to them. They can't even submit a request to look into it until it is after a certain number of days. When I called he reluctantly submitted it only to sound surprised that it accepted it. He said "you must be over since it didn't reject the request".
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-05-15 14:34:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhen to apply for citizenship

from the resident since date on the green card. You add 3 years and minus 90 days. Good luck.

 

 

That really sucks because they made a mistake she will have to be here 4 years before getting her citizenship.


jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2013-08-05 09:31:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionWhen to apply for citizenship

My wife came to this country in May 2011 on a K-1 and filed for adjustment of status in August 2011. It took 11 months and a call to my congressman to finally get the green card because of lost paper work.

 

Since the green card is dated June of 2012 she can't apply for citizenship until April of 2015 correct? She has to wait an extra 9 months just because they lost her paperwork?

 

Or can you apply 3 years -90 days from the date you applied for adjustment of status?


Edited by jimmysmitts, 05 August 2013 - 09:23 AM.

jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2013-08-05 09:22:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussionremoving conditions on self petition basis

my conditional green card is going to expire july 2012 . unfortunately we have filed for divorce. our marriage was genuine. what are the chances of removing conditions on self petition basis



Very good, there is an option on the form that you are now divorced but entered the marriage in good faith. Just include evidence that it was genuine.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-08-29 08:23:00
PhilippinesDealing with the parents
I see the wanting help family as a positive and a sign of good character in my fiancée. I think the problem I have is when that goes overboard to the point it hurts our own family trying to help someone else, then compounds that by the fact they are ungrateful and expect / require it bothers me.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-05-20 09:09:00
PhilippinesDealing with the parents

Two, help your fiancee educate her parents/family. It is a common misconception among Filipinos that most Americans/Westerners are rich. Help them understand where you're coming from and what you have. Sometimes, they're just concerned you might not be able to support or give their daughter a good life. They just don't know how to express their thoughts. Like the previous posters said, we Filipinos are very relational and family-oriented. We test/measure/equate intentions with material things or external gestures. Gifts or support (money) could mean to your future in-laws a better life, a responsible or generous husband for their daughter.


Exactly! Well said.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-05-19 07:26:00
PhilippinesDealing with the parents

I am dealing with a somewhat disturbing issue and hope that some of you may advise me. I met and am engaged to a wonderfu girl from the Philippines. We have files a K1 visa and are in the early stages. All seems good between us. BUT, according to the fiance', her parents think that I am 'rich' and have been continually pressuring my fiance for money for support, new appliances etc. Mind you, they haven't had the courtesy to wait until we are married.

The fiance', her brothers, and sister (who is married and here) are all apparently supporting the parents to some extent. I don't mind sending some xmas gifts, birthday, etc, but I really object to taking on "another monthly payment."

The whole support discussion almost caused me to leave the Philippines early when I visited and tell the whole family to "take a hike". I am coming off of a divorce in which my ex basically almost bankrupted us several times, so money is a real touchy issue.

I really don't know how to deal with this! The whole Philippine, support thing is totally backwards in my opinion. It seems the parents want their kids cut short their education and get to work and send money. In our culture, the parents want a better life for the children, and are happey when the daughter marries someone that can provide for them. Here it seems thay just want a handout -- very repugnant!

Let me say that I do have a stable job (25 years) and am able to save, but I WILL NOT be made to feel that any prosperity that we may have in our marriage must be sent "back home."

I feel that I must deal with this up front in order to be able to trust my new wife. I would hate to give her a debit card and realize that she had sent several hundred to the family w/o my knowlege.
0


I have some of the same issues. The best thing I can suggest is setting clear expectations in a harsh manner. I say harsh because I have noticed Filipinos will bend you over and take you for all you are worth if you are nice (they will do this with a smile on their face). How? Her family charged beer and household supplies to my hotel account with out my knowledge. I paid it and told them nicely to never do it again. They did.. Then I turned harsh I refused to pay the tab and sat there for 4 hours in the lobby until they paid the tab. Told them if they ever did it again I would inform the hotel staff and have them removed.

I have chosen to give her mother who is a widow a small amount of money for food and groceries to help out. The brother then stopped giving any money to her and told her she would have to get money from me. I called his bluff and stopped sending money and when he asked I told him she is his mother and she can starve for all I care. He started giving her money again.

I am lucky that for the most part I can trust my fiancée with money around her family although she has fallen into the guilt trap with them and I always keep one eye on my bank account (to quote Reagen "trust but verify"). You will need to trust her at some point (you are marrying her) be honest with her about your concerns chances are if she is anything like my fiancée she is ashamed of it and feels stuck.

I also send them information on my finances so that they do not think I am a filthy rich american and I am just being an a-hole. If you do have an abundance of money and her family is not lazy but is struggling and you choose not to help them but instead buy a BMW then you are an a-hole. I love my fiancée and she loves her family seeing her upset over them struggling makes me upset and want to help. Her family members are extremely hard workers and I helped them move rice in the family store and some are school teachers so it is not just a matter of them laying around not working and drinking beer.

Just think of it like this if you do not let them know how much money you have imagine you had a rich uncle that you thought had 100 million dollars and you were working 10 hours a day struggling to support a family on 30k a year. The uncle never gave you money or gifts but knew you were struggling, what would you think of him? Now if you knew your uncle really only had 100k and had monthly expenses of 99k lived modestly and worked 10 hours a day to support his own family you might not think any less of him. (sorry i think a rambled a little on this point)

I also financed a new store for them so they could do more than just rely on me for money but actually have a new revenue stream. I have visited them twice and checked on the store, I also require receipts just to make sure they are following through.

TLDR; You marry a filipina you marry the whole family.. if you are not ok with this leave now.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-05-19 07:22:00
PhilippinesEmbassy appointment online

Hi everyone, I just went online to schedule an interview appointment and had some

surprises.

#1 first if you are the US citizen scheduling for your fiance' , you will need their passport #, date it was issued and date it will expire.

#2 I knew I needed a MNL case number but in the middle of scheduling it also requested

a priority #. There is no priority number for a K-1 that I could find but you can't move on

to the next screen until you put one in there. I just used the recieved date on my first

notice of action. then it moved me on to the next screen.

#3 It is my understanding that the K-1 is officially a non-imigrant visa, but when you are scheduling the interview it asks you to choose immigrant or non immigrant. Choose immigrant if you are k1, and then it takes you to a screen to choose fiance' visa.

#4 THIS IS THE BIG ONE. They ask you for receipt# from when you paid the

Embassy fee. You don't put a receipt #, You put your Fiance's passport # in that box.

I didn't figure that out for myself. Someone else posted that. When I got to the box I

remembered they said something strange went in that box, but I couldnt remember

what. Thankfully I had the good sense to print it out. Unfortunately I am a completely

disorganized slob and had to hunt for about 10 minutes to find the paper. There is

absolutely no way I would have guessed that.

What I printed out dosn't identify the person that saved me from ripping out all the hair

I have left. I would have been cussing and accusing my fiance of giving me a wrong number. but it does say they booked their appointment on June 11th.

So whoever booked their appointment on june 11th and then gave the heads up.

Thank you Thank you Thank you.

#5 today is July 22cnd (2:00 am) There was an appointment available on July 28th!!

I was expecting mid september. I haven't mailed all my stuff to Judy yet so I couldn't

take advantage of that one. There is a whole cluster of appointments available in mid

august. I chose august 17th. I was slacking on getting those papers together because

I thought there was a long wait. Anyway Im thrilled with August 17th


Nice, there was an appointment available 7 days away when I scheduled. Which was too short of noticed but they didn't seem over booked plenty of dates available.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-22 09:43:00
PhilippinesHigh School Diploma

Ah, ok. I'm currently working in the medical field and I would recommend not spending the money on getting a medical assistant certificate because they are worthless. For one, many medical offices will hire someone without any experience or training. For example, my wife currently works at an orthodontist's office as an assistant. Although she was actually a practicing dentist back in the Philippines, most of her co-workers had little to no experience when they were hired. Also, it's a pretty dead end job - good to hold while attending school, but not something anyone should pay to get certified for.

Instead, I'd recommend looking into her getting a CNA license (nurse assistant). She can take just a semester to do it and then be able to work at a hospital, office, or long term care facility, and then if she wants, she can gradually work towards becoming an RN.

Just be wary of these for-profit, vocation schools. They cost way more than they are worth and you can find many similar certificate programs at your local community college for a fraction of the cost. A semester for the CNA at a community college would be about $1,000, including books and supplies.



Thanks for the reply I will let her know, she just noticed one of the commercials on TV and decided to find out more info. The entire course is 1k so not very expensive, regardless she will need it for employment right? Or will most offices accept a foreign high school diploma?
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-22 12:03:00
PhilippinesHigh School Diploma

What is WES? My wife's about to attend university here and had to get her official transcripts from the college and university she attended back in the Philippines. It was a bit of headache - she had to call the school up herself and then get family members to go directly to the school. As far as I understand it, each college or university will require the official transcripts directly from the school.

You mention that she's still your fiancee - is she state-side yet? Even more important than getting her official transcripts, you'll want to get married first and apply for AOS (2 year Green Card), mainly to establish her residency. Out of state tuition is outrageous enough, but trying to go to college as a foreign student is incredibly expensive. My wife just waited a year (we moved to this state just about a year ago), for her in-state residency to take effect. The difference is in the thousands of dollars.


She is currently in the USA with me and the wedding is next month. https://www.wes.org/ is the organization most colleges us to evaluate foreign transcripts and degrees. She is going for a medical assistant certificate which has no discount for residency and is a one year cert.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-22 10:34:00
PhilippinesHigh School Diploma
Working on getting my fiancees transcripts and getting her admitted to college. WES requires the transcripts to be sent directly to them which based on the trouble we are having with her school in ph it does not seem possible. Anyone else have this problem? Are there are other organizations that are as recognized as WES and will just take the transcripts delivered from us?
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-22 09:39:00
PhilippinesBest way to book flights

Yeah I tired my local travel agent but they said they could not book a one way flight for a non-US passport holder.


Just my two cents, seems like delta is always the cheapest as long as you don't care when you go and don't need more than a months notice. If you check every month you will notice significant price drops that appear randomly. I have been there twice and both times my ticket cost from Philadelphia to MNL were about $1250 round trip after tax. Otherwise they are usually 1900- 2300.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-26 13:52:00
PhilippinesWhat are your 'friends' saying?

Once again, Jack NAILS it on the head.

Yes, men of means and not pikers or brokety broke beer bums are more attractive to the lovely ladies of the Philippines, but ALL relationships are exploitative in nature. We seek what we want from others. So if a 45 year old American gets tired of the Old Nag Hag Bag Americana types, he goes over seas and is INSTANTLY treated as if he was Brad Pitt to the young, nubile and beautiful Filipinas. It is up to the man how far he opens his wallet. If he gets what he wants from her, then she has the right to get what she wants from him, and BOTH are satisfied. Then things worked out fine and they are in love.
Drama Kings here just don't get how the world works. :whistle:


>ALL relationships are exploitative in nature

All relationships are exploitative but somethings you get from the relationship are considered taboo in our culture. Like money (e.g gold digger). No one would care if what you were getting from the relationship was affection, intelligent conversation, etc.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-05 07:23:00
PhilippinesDo they require a Parental Consent in Marriage for 22 yrs.old???
My wife was 22 when we applied for a K1 visa and she was never asked to get parental consent. Most of the rules above are for marriage in the Philippines which if you are applying for a K1 will happen in the US and will be bound by US law.

They only place it could case a problem would be going through the CFO seminar or CENOMAR (which is not required but advised).
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-13 12:34:00
PhilippinesDriver license
In Pennsylvania you do not need to get or have your green card to apply for your license, you just need a marriage certificate and a valid unexpired I-94. In California I think I saw a post you need a green card to get a license.

Which means we had to apply for a SS#, get married and pass the test all before the I-94 expired. Each state is different so good luck!
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-19 08:44:00
PhilippinesReport of foreign marriage
Just thought I would give an update in case anyone else is doing this. It took about 25 days to process and they accepted everything we sent. We did include an affidavit that said this was our first and only marriage since our marriage certificate did not list the number of previous marriages. We did it by mail to the ny embassy.

We also used a return priority mail envelope rather than express to save some money.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-28 09:26:00
PhilippinesReport of foreign marriage
Just filed Report of foreign marriage with the NY embassy anyone have trouble with them accepting this in the past? I saw one person complain they required a type of marriage certificate that they couldn't get. Seems like they make you jump through a lot of hoops just to register your marriage.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-02 14:23:00
Philippinestfc
Had the same problem with Comcast, direct tv offers it for $24.99 and you can get a cheap basic package for $9.99.

http://www.directv.c...tional/filipino
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-29 07:39:00
Philippineshelp with mama
Personally I shared all of my finances with my wife and mother before we got married. I told them I was not rich and that everything costs more in the USA (mortgage, food, cars, health insurance). I showed them how much was coming in and how much was going out along with what the money I was saving was going to be used for (wedding and buying a house).

I felt like I was chanting a mantra letting them know I was not rich and that I was not going to instantly make them rich with streams of money and we still had problems with them thinking money grows on trees.

I tried to over communicate with them since I know it is a common problem foreigners who marry filipina have.

Just a note on dealing with mother in-laws a Philippine saying I heard is "husbands come and go but you only get one mother", if she has to choose between you and her mother she is probably going to choose her mother.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-09-23 08:26:00
PhilippinesWatch this please

By the way, thank you sweetpink for your interest in this issue. :thumbs:

Unlike those people crying for "immigration reform" because they knew they broke US laws. Hahahaha


/signed

Good luck to you.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-10-20 14:52:00
Philippineshow long is the medical Exam At SLEC
It took my wife almost two days to get through the medical at St. Lukes.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-05-10 09:30:00
Philippinesthis so bs this so so bad! ao upset what is going on

jimmysmitts

really?im gonna have my seminar at PRISM this Monday..got everything aside from the concern about parental consent if it has to have its correct format and if it needs to be and written.. and I have my visa with me.. :)


It was just frustrating for me because it was the only step in the process I was not involved in. They told her horror stories of women being abused and incorrect information about america that seems like it was from 1960's america. The packet looked like it had been photo copied a million times.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-05-10 11:37:00
Philippinesthis so bs this so so bad! ao upset what is going on

I cannot help too much because, as you know, the procedures at different consulates are vastly different. Ukraine does not even have this counseling and allows 18 year olds to get married all by themselves. That is why Penguin moved this to your regional forum to get advice from people that actually use that consulate and are familiar with the procedures of THAT country. Great concept actually.

I can tell you that you need to do what they tell you or the visa is not issued.

Good luck


I found they try to make your life hard and scare you. At least at PRISM that was the case, my wife knew my mothers maiden name which is one of the standard questions they ask. This seemed suspicious so they asked to see a copy of my passport to verify the name. It took my wife yelling at them that no one else had to do it and it was a moronic requirement as Americans do use maiden names as their middle names, they gave her the certificate.

If you are in manila you have two options you could try the other location.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-05-10 09:27:00
PhilippinesFilipinos in Philadelphia..
Church might be a good place to start.

There are a couple of Filipino churches in the Philadelphia area. We live in Lancaster which is a two hour drive from you but we have visited the Filipino church our lady of hope (http://olhphiladelphia.com/Masses.html) there.

Most of the people we met at Our lady of hope were Tagalog.

Edited by jimmysmitts, 05 November 2012 - 04:40 PM.

jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-11-05 16:39:00
PhilippinesHOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE VISA FROM US EMBASSY-MANILA?

My fiancee also got interview April 6 and also NO visa deliver yet. I check the 2go website and evryday the number enter say invalid so no update. Im hoping also that after holy week they will deliver.


You can also call the embassy and check on it. The number will not be valid until it is actually mailed.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-07-22 09:51:00
PhilippinesValidating Credit Card for Plane Tickets

That's exactly what I was looking for. Seeing it directly from Delta assures me that's what I need to do. Thanks for the link.

-James


Just another note someone clued me in that PAL has first time immigrant pricing that you can get through local travel agents. She was quoted $690 with a valid k-visa with cash. That would be a flight from Davao to SFO, :thumbs:

Also it would seem like PAL charges more from the website when you are ordering from USA when checking prices from the Philippines it showed it in PHP and the same flight number was a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

Thanks,
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-04-20 14:03:00
PhilippinesLooking for Filipino's near Elizabethtown, Hershy, Harrisburg
Looking for Filipino's near Elizabethtown PA, Hershey PA or Harrisburg PA. My wife is 23 and looking for Filipino friends not too far away. So if you are Pinoy or your SO is Pinoy looking for a community near those locations give me a message!
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2012-05-03 10:48:00
PhilippinesMarrying wth a prenup contract?

I think they are a bad idea just because you are going into the marriage with a plan to fail, you should be going into head first, all in.

 

If I lived some place like Florida with permanent alimony  I might insist on it.


jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2013-08-05 10:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDeath in family

I am sorry about your mother's illness (F)

You can try to send the expedite based on humanitarian reasons with the doctor's letter as proof. At least you can try, though I doubt that they would expedite your case... Best wishes!


Ok, thank you for all your quick advise, I will try faxing an expedite request based on humanitarian reasons. If it would not hurt the process I see no reason not to request it even if there is a high likelihood that it will be denied.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2010-12-20 15:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDeath in family
Not sure if this is the correct location it is not a normal visa question.

My mother is dying from cancer and has maybe 3-5 months left. My fiance is one month into the process of getting her k1 visa. I am afraid she will never be able to meet my mother before she dies.

My question is if I have a written notice from a doctor stating my mothers condition is there any way to get her here faster? or would they be more likely to grant a tourist visa if we show proof of my mothers illness?

Thanks,
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2010-12-20 14:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresMom diagnosed as terminal
I am in the same situation with my mother and it has been almost a month since I submitted the expedite with a letter from the doctor. Unfortunately I have not heard back from them yet and called them last week and they are still reviewing it.... :(
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-02 13:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite no response

"USCIS Service Centers

If you contacted the National Customer Service Center with a case-related inquiry and more than 30 days have passed and you have not received a response, you may email the appropriate USCIS Service Center with your inquiry:

* California Service Center: csc-ncsc-followup@dhs.gov
* Vermont Service Center: vsc.ncscfollowup@dhs.gov
* Nebraska Service Center: ncscfollowup.nsc@dhs.gov
* Texas Service Center: tsc.ncscfollowup@dhs.gov

If you do not receive a response within 21 days of contacting the Service Center, you may contact the USCIS Headquarters Office of Service Center Operations by email at SCOPSSCATA@dhs.gov.

See the Customer Tools box to the left for additional resources available online."

http://www.uscis.gov...000b92ca60aRCRD

just a bit of googling, folks


That is what I was looking for thanks much. I did google it but I must not have fed google the right thing. :thumbs:
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-14 08:05:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite no response
I wasn't intimidated it was just that she made it clear she looks at the same information I have available to me and she does not have access to the status because it was going through the VSC. The problem is as far as I can see the VSC can only be reached by Fax or Mail.

Thanks,
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-11 15:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite no response
So I submitted an expedite request for medical reasons and it has been over a month and no response. Is there a way to expedite the expedite? :bonk:

Is there a way to check on the expedite? I called USCIS and got nothing but scripted answers and was told not to call back. VSC is the one actually processing it but there is no customer service for them?

I mailed the documents requested to:

ATTN: XXXXXX
75 Lower Welden Street
Saint Albans VT 05479-0001

I have a referral ID but the status check on the USCIS website doesn't take it.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-11 14:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite still no response
I expedited for medical conditions. The government is there to serve the people and for no other reason. Furthermore we pay them directly for the service so it most definitely not a privilege. :huh:

Basically I submitted the expedite by calling the USCIS number and then sent my support evidence from the doctor. Heard nothing for 31 days, emailed them to follow up on the status since it has been 30 days. No response to the emails. If I don't get a response I am suppose to email the central office and wait another 21 days. If I still do not get a response they have an additional email for me to send and wait 21 days. :bonk:
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-23 15:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite still no response
It is really frustrating to me that you can't talk to anyone VSC and emails just go ignored. :angry:

I am almost two month into an expedite and I have still not been denied or accepted. Every step in the process they just wait out the time limit and pass it on to someone else who does the same.

The worst part is we are paying for this service. :bonk:
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-23 11:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite response!
Medical. My mother is too sick to travel and I wanted her to meet my fiancée before she dies.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-29 10:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresExpedite response!
Finally after calling my congressman repeatedly and emailing them I got a response to my expedite! They approved it and said I will be notified in 7 days on the status of my NOA2. :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-29 10:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresCalling Congressman or Senator
I was just approved for an expedite and it a result of my local congressman's office bugging them about it. So yes after a month+ of not hearing anything calling them did get things moving.
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-03-29 10:30:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresInterview dates for May 2011
Just set our schedule today!! may 1st was available, but it was too soon may 13 th was the next available.
May 01, 13. 16,17,18,19 20
jimmysmittsMalePhilippines2011-04-27 21:59:00