ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesLONG WAIT FOR INTERVIEW

Yes they have been over booked. At the end of August when I went online to book an appointment there was nothing available. For two days I kept checking and refreshing the website and then a September 7 date was available. So I jumped on it and my fiancee went to the interview and was approved.


That is great insight Mr Smiley. You think that is due to cancellations? We are still waiting for our NOA 2, so we haven't seen the Manilla Embassy scheduling site yet. Is there an option there to change your interview date in case something sooner pops up?
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-13 14:50:00
PhilippinesUSC/Filipina VJ couples in SF Bay Area?

There's a lot of Filipinos in Daly City


Yeah and we have a Seafood City, Jollibee, Red Ribbon, Chow King in nearby Concord too! It is nice to go there and get a small taste of the Pilipino culture in California. We are looking specifically for K1 visa couples who find themselves in similar circumstances having dealt with the whole visa "journey", homesickness, culture shock, so in love with each other and their new life...etc.

There must be quite a few of us here on VJ who will land (or have already landed) in the SF Bay Area.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-26 16:19:00
PhilippinesUSC/Filipina VJ couples in SF Bay Area?

hi sis r u on k1 or spousal visa? thanks

bay area din base hubby ko


hello ronzkie,

We are K1 and june filers still waiting for NOA2.im glad that you are bay area also we can meet there soon,
Excited to know you and your hubby :dance: Saan ka dito sa pilipinas?

Edited by Misha & Jeff, 25 September 2012 - 12:55 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-25 12:54:00
PhilippinesUSC/Filipina VJ couples in SF Bay Area?
Just wondering if there are any SF Bay Area USC/Filipina VJ couples who would like to start a little social club where we can get together a few times a year and share a some bottles of Red Horse, pork adobo, pancit, and macaroni salad. My fiance will be here after Christmas and I'd like to make her feel at home with other ladies in her situation (and the men who love them). Has this been attempted before? I know there is a large Filipino community here, but how many USC/Filipina couples?

M&J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-24 22:07:00
PhilippinesPost DOT Medicals Update

Congratulations. I hope you are now together and enjoying life! I have a question about the end of the DOT process. When the 6 months of meds were done, did your fiance need to wait an additional 8 weeks for the final sputum culture results? OR did SL clear her at the end of the meds?


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-27 20:01:00
PhilippinesPost DOT Medicals Update

Yes, we were made aware that their recent Medical Exams expire at the end of January. As soon as they are approved we will be making arrangements for them to leave the Philippines which we anticipate to be at the end of December or first week of January. Thanks for the heads up and well wishes.


Congratulations. I hope you are now together and enjoying life! I have a question about the end of the DOT process. When the 6 months of meds were done, did your fiance need to wait an additional 8 weeks for the final sputum culture results? Of did SL clear her at the end of the meds?
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-27 00:56:00
PhilippinesFinishing DOT process at St Lukes

thanks for the advice


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-05-23 21:26:00
PhilippinesFinishing DOT process at St Lukes

Michelle is just finishing up the DOT (TB treatment) at St Lukes in Manila. Now that about 8 months have passed since we got our NOA 2, will she need to get new CENOMAR and NBI Clearance?  Not clear if/when those expire.  Also, what about paying for re-med exam and visa application fee?  From what I have heard, we need to pay for the re-med, but her visa application fee will not be charged again.  Can somebody confirm? 

 

Thanks,

 

M & J


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-05-23 19:00:00
PhilippinesSuccessful CFO in Manila!

Nice work! Is she stateside yet?


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-06-14 00:25:00
PhilippinesNew Facebook group - Pinay-Kano Reunification

Hi everyone,

 

We want to invite all of you to join our new Facebook group called Pinay-Kano Reunification.

 

https://www.facebook...81745651980887/

 

It was created only 2 months ago by a Filipina and we already have over 300 members. Some of us are still apart?waiting (not so patiently), others have finally reunited.

 

Join us and let?s talk about our journeys, ask difficult visa questions, post pictures, share feelings about love and long distance relationships, intimacy, fashion, food (YUM)?anything!  Come and make some new friends who are all in the same situation. It is a great group for Filipinas and the guys who love them!

 

Hope to see you there,

 

Michelle and Jeff


Edited by Misha?Jeff, 28 June 2013 - 09:07 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-06-28 21:07:00
PhilippinesExtending NOA2 ( I-797) Approval Expiration Date

Sorry to hear about your delay at St. Lukes.

Thanks. Yeah it sucks, but we are more than 2 months into it. Michelle tests negative now, but will still be on "maintenance" meds until June. Luckily she lives in Metro Manila and didn't need to move from the province for the 6-month treatment. However it is a one-hour commute to St Lukes EVERY day.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-19 19:50:00
PhilippinesExtending NOA2 ( I-797) Approval Expiration Date

St. Lukes prefers that you have the Embassy interview scheduled, but it's not required. They will allow you to complete your medical if you submit either a printout of your petition's approval NOA or a printout of your NVC letter.


We scheduled the interview with the embassy before Michelle went in for the physical exam. At St. Lukes, initially they didn't ask her about her embassy interview.

However, when her x-ray came up as "suspicious" on the second day, they asked her if her interview was already scheduled and told her she needs to cancel it until the culture results from a sputum test were back (eight weeks out).

Edited by Misha & Jeff, 19 February 2013 - 02:54 AM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-19 02:53:00
PhilippinesExtending NOA2 ( I-797) Approval Expiration Date

Hi Jeff.

I think we will also need to request an extension once we reach the NOA2 status.

I thought that a date for the K1 interview had to be scheduled before the beneficiary could go forward with the medical test, but it seems Michelle took her medical before a date for her K1 interview had been determined. Is this accurate?

Also, I think it is great that you were able to contact the US Consulate in Manila through e mail. Can you give me an e mail address for a contact at the US Embassy who handles the 129-F through K1 processes?

Thanks.


We scheduled the embassy interview online as soon as Michelle paid the visa application fee at BPI and got the reciept #. You will need that # to schedule the embassy appt. Then she preregistered for St. Lukes online, and went at her earliest convenience to get the physical (first come first served). There is definitely an "order of events" for what comes after NOA2. You should refer to the following topics for more details. This is what we used after getting the NOA2:

http://www.visajourn...nl-case-number/
and
http://www.visajourn...r-medical-appt/

The email address I used to contact the Embassy in Manila is:

IVManilaReplies@state.gov

Hope this helps.

M&J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-17 22:35:00
PhilippinesExtending NOA2 ( I-797) Approval Expiration Date
Hi VJ Family,

I posted a question in a previous topic regarding how to extend the expiration date of our I-129F since Michelle is going through the 6-month course of TB meds. Since the treatment lasts longer than the 4-month expiration of the approved petition, I was worried that we would need to begin the K1 process again after her TB treatment.

Good news from the embassy in Manila about an extension...I sent them an email and here is their response:

"We understand that the applicant is undergoing the recommended Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis (TB) at St. Luke’s Extension Clinic. We are unable to initiate processing the case until our panel physicians have cleared the applicant for travel to the United States.

As soon as the medical results are available and the applicant is cleared of any infectious pulmonary illness, St. Luke's will advise her regarding the interview scheduling.

We want to assure you that, while an approved I-129F petition is originally valid for four months from the date of approval, it may be revalidated by a consular officer for an additional four months during the applicant’s visa interview. This revalidation is routine as long as the petitioner and beneficiary remain legally free to marry and plan to do so within 90 days after the beneficiary enters the United States."

Just wanted to share this info in case some of you are going through the same process.

M&J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-02-17 16:40:00
PhilippinesHow did you meet your Filipino Fiance?

please tell me niblet is gone.  every single thread he comments on ends up being closed by the admin.


Edited by Misha?Jeff, 06 September 2013 - 12:53 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-09-06 12:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsVISA APPROVED! Will share my Interview Experience at USEM :)
Thanks so much for this information. It will be very helpful when our day at the embassy arrives.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-09 23:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsShe's been here 3 weeks now...
Just out of curiosity, where do you find those low airfares to/from the Philippines. I can't seem to find anything under the $1,000 RT from SFO.

M & J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-30 16:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsHat's off to the California Service Center

I have seen the exact same scenario last year ... CSC will process I129F applications faster till last week of Spetember - first week of October Timeframe
and then it slows down drastically back to 5-6 months time frame ..

I hope the slowing down does not happen , but with the charts and data around this is the likely scenario

All the best guys.



BUZZ KILL!
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-03 17:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsHat's off to the California Service Center

How do you find out the predicted adjudication dates?


Go to your timeline in your profile. At the bottom of the table there is an item called "Processing
Estimates/Stats"

M&J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-03 15:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsHat's off to the California Service Center
When we first submitted our I-129F (on June 22), VJ predicted our case would be adjudicated by November 22nd. NOW with every day that passes, that predicted date gets closer and closer. In all, more than ONE MONTH has been shaved from our predicted wait time. WAY TO GO CSC! Vermont better start picking up the slack.

NOA 1 date: June 22
Originally predicted adjudication date: Nov 22
Today's predicted adjudication date: Oct 19th

M&J
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-03 14:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsFinally APPROVED
Thanks everyone :D ...just noticed something...we filed the I129F on June 19, approved on Oct 19, and our approval took 119 days. Do you think our lucky number is 19? We should add it to our lottery numbers :thumbs:
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-10-20 20:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsFinally APPROVED

You earned your approval. You did a very thorough job responding to the RFE. :thumbs:

:star: Congratz :star:

Now you're rolling!


Yeah we put together a pretty thorough response to the RFE...more than 20 pages (maybe overkill, but it worked). Thanks Tahoma!
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-10-20 13:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsFinally APPROVED

GREAT NEWS!!! Very happy for you!

Steve and Joan

Thanks S&J! Yours will be coming soon too. Are you from Hawaii?

Edited by Misha & Jeff, 20 October 2012 - 01:02 AM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-10-20 01:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsFinally APPROVED

Congrats!! that was quick eh!?


Yeah it was quick SuperGF, but for us it seemed to go on forever. And we were lucky to go to CSC. Hope VSC picks up speed for you too!
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-10-20 00:47:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsFinally APPROVED
Thanks to everyone for helping us put together our RFE response! It worked and now we are approved! WOOO HOOOOO. Next stop, NVC!

P.S. I love you Misha!

Attached Files


Edited by Misha & Jeff, 19 October 2012 - 10:22 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-10-19 22:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsInterview TOMORROW please pray for us
Good luck for the interview, prayers is the answer :)

Edited by Misha & Jeff, 15 November 2012 - 11:01 AM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-15 11:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSuspicious x-rays

I like your attitude Sir.

I dream of a future where the family based immigration procedure will be based solely on forms and evidences submitted and removing the idiotic personal human elements from the equation.


Problem is that 1,000's of people take advantage of the Fiance Visa process, trying to come to the U.S. on trumped up "loving relationships". That leaves a bad taste in USCIS' mouth. The result is that we, who have real and meaningful love for one another, are subject to proving our intent. In other words, guilty until proven innocent. I did notice in a post some time ago where the USCIS sent a message to the embassies to take it easy with the personal inquisition at the interview stage. Can't seem to find that post now, but it was an interesting read.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-21 15:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSuspicious x-rays

[never mind, sorry]


LOL
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-21 00:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSuspicious x-rays
I meant to open this topic in "K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures". Administrator, will you please move it there?
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-20 18:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSuspicious x-rays

you do not need to have symptoms to be diagnosed with TB.

True. But my point is that there were no flags as to why she was pulled onto the 8-week sputum culture queue...no symptoms, no scarring on lungs (misread x-ray), negative for TB after 3 days of sputum. But she still needs to wait those 8 weeks.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-20 18:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsSuspicious x-rays
Hi VJ friends,

Our trials continue as we navigate the K1 waters. Michelle went in for her physical at St Lukes. Day 1 was fine, but then on day 2 she went in for the vaccinations and the lady there told her that her x-rays were "suspicious" and she would need to do sputum testing. We thought this was a bit strange since she never had pnuemonia, TB or even bad cough growing up. In fact, she even had the TB vaccination (BCG) when she was a baby and had the records to prove it. Anyway, last week she went 3 days in a row to spit into a cup and on the 3rd day she met with a doctor who explained the process to her (8 weeks for the culture). Of course the initial result is that she is negative for TB. Then they looked at her x-ray together. He admitted that he saw no scarring on her lungs in the x-ray, but since the initial review noted "suspicious" on the record, Michelle needed to stay on the 8-week culture track.

I will be in Manila next week and was planning to be there for her interview at the embassy on the 28th, but we had to reschedule that for the end of January thanks to the suspicions of the x-ray technician. The bad news is that I need to go to Manila again in January...the good news is I get to go to Manila again in January ;-) Can't wait to see Michelle.

Soon the petitions, RFEs, waiting in lines, saving reciepts, documenting chat sesssions, x-rays, spitting, interviewing, convincing people (that we don't even know) that we love eachother, etc. will be a distant memory...and we will smile as we cuddle up to a movie in our own living room in California.

M&J

Edited by Misha & Jeff, 20 November 2012 - 03:29 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2012-11-20 15:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsWe Got an RFE

Well my fiance just called me and told me to look on the website. He got a text. We have got a RFE. No idea what we didn't include but atleast they are looking at ours now :)


This is actually good news in a weird sort of way. It means your petition has signs of life. As far as turning the RFE around, our timeline was like this:

1. RFE notice on the USCIS site - Tuesday, Oct 9
2. Received hard copy - Friday, Oct 12
3. Mailed reply with requested evidence - Monday, Oct 15
4. NOA2 notification on USCIS site - Friday, Oct 19

Since we had a weekend to assemble the response, it worked out pretty well. Only 8 business days from RFE to NOA2.

PS: Don't forget to include the BLUE cover page with your response.

Good Luck!!

Michelle & Jeff
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-04-19 14:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports9 months after NOA2...FINALLY got the visa

It has been quite a long road.  I am happy to report that our visa was approved.  I flew to Manila to be with Michelle during the interview.  We had our embassy interview on Monday and it went well.  We were out of the embassy by 11:00 AM.  We were very over prepared because they never asked for any photos, chat logs, proof of visits...NOTHING.  However it was a bit scary when the Consular Officer told me to go sit down in the waiting area while he talked to Michelle alone.  5 minutes later, she came back with a big smile on her face!

 

Sorry that our case messes up the average time from NOA2 to Approval :-(  We had to go through the 8 month DOT process after a positive sputum test.  Thank God that is over, Michelle is well, and we are flying to California the end of next week.

 

Michelle and Jeff


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-07-31 02:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

 

Yap! Yap! Got approved but AP in the end. Hayyyy still the Case Status is not updating since yesterday. You are in your 2 weeks waiting. I really hope you get it soon. Goodluck.

 

Last updated on Aug 12, still AP


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-15 02:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

 

Same to what happened to me. Haaayyyy

 

Hmmmmmm. still in AP?


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-15 00:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

Stay positive. I was amazed on how long you've been waiting just to have her. Wait a little for she will be yours forever.  

 

God bless!!!

 

Yes. it has been a looooong wait.  now i have been to the philippines 4 times and always return alone ;-)  Hopefully we don't have much longer to wait.

 

 

Hello, we have the same journey. I had my DOT too that killed the time and now this. I was so happy that I got approved because the case of our other fellow applicant they got AP right away in their interview.

 

And now I'm waiting for the result. Are you still in AP? 

 

hi Janssel. yes we are still AP even though the consular officer said that michelle is approved.


Edited by Misha?Jeff, 14 August 2013 - 12:38 AM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-14 00:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?
My point is that they have months between the NOA1 and the embassy interview. I thought the point of all that wait time is so that they can conduct all the background checking necessary to determine that everything is legit. First uscis, then the consulate. Why, after all of that and the final interview, are they not able to draw a conclusion? Ok. That is a rhetorical question.
Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-13 21:27:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

Denied after 17 months in AP. Refiling. 
AP is the most stressful spot to be stuck in as there is no transparency of the process or time table much less assurance of the outcome

and a cause for distress and anxiety. It has not been easy.

Best wishes !

 

Did this happen AFTER the consular officer interviewed you at the embassy?


Edited by Misha?Jeff, 13 August 2013 - 04:23 PM.

Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-13 16:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

 Its been 17 months since we filed ours , and 10 months in AP 

 

10 months since your embassy interview?  what are they waiting for?


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-13 11:45:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsOMG! Now THIS! Administrative Processing?

we have been in AP for 10 days now, while others who interviewed after us already have "issued" status


Misha?JeffNot TellingPhilippines2013-08-13 10:45:00