biggish data

Hey gang!!,

Okay we have good news and we have better news. It was probably a good thing that my wife and I both called St Luke's two days before her planned arrival in Manila. We were both told by a male staff member that all she had to do was provide an NVC number. Well as it turned out I received via email one more document the night before she was to leave for Manila. I scanned and emailed her a copy. Following is the page:

April 8, 2013
Dear Principal Applicant:
The immigrant visa petition recently filed on your behalf is now eligible for further processing at the
National Visa Center (NVC). You will need the following identification numbers to carry out the next
steps in the immigration process:

Your NVC Case Number: MNL2013XXXXXX
Your Invoice I.D. Number: 330XXXXX
Your Beneficiary I.D. Number: 332XXXXX

Keep this letter in a safe place.

You will need the identification numbers again during the immigration process.
The first stage of visa processing is to establish communication with the NVC by registering an agent
and your agent's contact information with the NVC. Your agent is a person you choose to receive
communications from the NVC on your behalf. You may act as your own agent, or you may choose your
petitioner, a family member, a friend, an attorney, an immigrant assistance professional, or any other
person you trust to represent you.
If you decide to register another person as your agent, the NVC strongly recommends choosing a person
with e-mail capability and a postal mailing address in the U.S.A. because postal mail delivery can be
unreliable in some parts of the world. If you act as your own agent the NVC recommends e-mail as the
quickest and most efficient form of communication.
NVC Case Number: MNL2013xxxxx

Along with this was the i8nstructions to file for the CHOICE OF ADDRESS AND AGENT FORM. As you can see the above form provides three numbers. When the guard told my wife she needed her Embassy Appointment Letter she told him she did nit have one. She turned on her charm and the guard agreed to allow her in. Well, once at the US window the clerk there asked how she got in without the letter. She explained that she and her husband had called two days ago and we were both told by a male staffer that ALL SHE NEEDED WAS THE NVC NUMBER. THE US DESK CLERK THEN ASKED IF MY WIFE HAD ANY DOCUMENTS WITH THE NVC NUMBER PRINTED ON IT ALONG WITH HER NAME TO PROVE THAT SHE REALLY DOES HAVE AN NVC NUMBER. FORTUNATELY I HAD INCLUDED IN MY WIFE'S LAST MINUTE PAPERS A COPY OF THE ABOVE LETTER WHICH INCLUDED HER COMPLETE NAME, NVC NUMBER AND OTHER NUMBERS. The clerk looked at that form and said, okay no problem. So will we ever know if the US desk would have allowed her to the exam I guess we will never know. Here is her report on the services therein: She lined up at 4:00 a.m. outside St. Lukes. She said there were about 100 persons already in line when she got there. The guard began letting them in at around 6:30 a.m. My wife was pleasantly surprised to find that persons were divided into groups based on destination country. So my wife heading for the USA got the number 10. She got her chest x-ray first at about 6:45 a.m. She had completed all of her first days tests by 10:30 and waited for final instructions until about 11:00 a m. At 11:00 a.m. she was given instructions to return tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. for her immunizations, five (5) I think. They have told her that upon her return in the morning she will have her immunizations as follows: first shot on the first floor, second shot on the second floor and so on until she has her final shot on the fifth floor. Once she has had her immunizations they will have her stand by for a while while they finalize her report and when they have it completed they are going to give her something (not sure what) and she will be on her way. One word of caution, the medical expires in 6 months so if you believe that you Embassy appointment is going to be way off you might want to wait. I for one am very happy that we got the jump on this. Now when she gets her Embassy appointment we will not have to sweat the physical. So this is what happened. Oh and by the way. She said the staff had very serious face and acted very gruff, but she would smile and tun on the charm and as it turns out everyone was very professional, really no complaints. So in and out of the clinic in about four (4) hours. That was really great because she said she went thru 5 or 6 stations. Everything went very smooth, some waiting but it was understandable. Hopefully tomorrow she gets her shots and might be out of there by noon? Maybe earlier. If that is the case she can fly back home one day early. Does anyone know if Philippine Airlines will change her flight to an earlier flight? A day earlier. I purchased the flight and hotel thru Expedia so I am not sure Philippine Airlines is going to accommodate her wishes. I am sure we lose the hotel room but maybe we can save the return ticket? By the way Aloha and Mahalo to all who helped us along the way so far. God Bless

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-10 05:15:00

We are both going to call St Lukes again this morning at 7:00 a.m. to re-confirm that she does not need the letter. We will both get the name of the staff member that told her she could come without the letter just in case. I will let you know what happens. Yeah the reason we want to get this done now is because she is going to be in an intense summer school program for the next 37 days. She will not be able to leave Cebu so we are hoping that we can get this done this week so she is ready to do the embassy interview with the medical completed. Thanks for all your help. Aloha and mahalo

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-08 13:53:00

Hank, Well I hope it works out okay. She called St Lukes yesterday and so do I. The employee there told both of us that she did not need the letter from NVC. All she needed was to know the NVC Case Number and to have the St Lukes pre-registration forms (2) completed including the NVC number to hand in to the guards. Plus of course her passport, copies of passport, visa photos, ID, etc...
I hope this employee is correct because if he is wrong we are wasting a lot of money flying her up to Manila. I think I will call again and have my spouse call again today just in case, and we will get the name of the staff member/s we talk to just to be sure. I will let everyone know what happens.

I called NVC today and the guy I spoke to today sounded like he had a bad weekend. He was kind of short. On the other hand almost every one I have spoken to there on a daily basis has been very kind and helpful. He said St Lukes will not do a medical until the Embassy appointment is set.

I guess we will have to see what happens. I know my wife will be devastated if she gets turned away.

Aloha Ke Akua, David

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-08 13:20:00

IF YOU READ CLOSELY ST LUKE'S WEBSITE YOU WILL SEE UNDER REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IT SAYS:

d. Appointment letter from the embassy or instruction letter from the National Visa Center (NVC), IF AVAILABLE

e. 2 copies of your appointment letter/instruction letter. (This of course is not needed as the paragraph above states IF AVAILABLE.)

Then when you fill out St Lukes on-line registration you will note where it asks you to enter your appointment date it states:

Interview Date (Format: mm/dd/yyyy) if none, please put '01/01/1970'

It asks you to enter your NVC Case Number at the very top of the on-line registration form. Yes in my case the NVC Number begins with MNL. That’s because my wife will be interviewing at the Manila Embassy, hence MNL. So really the number any embassy needs is the NVC Number, not the MNL number. MNL is the prefix for Manila bound NVC cases and only applies to Manila cases.

We will keep everyone posted.

Aloha and Mahalo for everyone's help.

d. Appointment letter from the embassy or instruction letter from the National Visa Center (NVC), IF AVAILABLE

e. 2 copies of your appointment letter/instruction letter. (This of course is not needed as the paragraph above states IF AVAILABLE.)

Then when you fill out St Lukes on-line registration you will note where it asks you to enter your appointment date it states:

Interview Date (Format: mm/dd/yyyy) if none, please put '01/01/1970'

It asks you to enter your NVC Case Number at the very top of the on-line registration form. Yes in my case the NVC Number begins with MNL. That’s because my wife will be interviewing at the Manila Embassy, hence MNL. So really the number any embassy needs is the NVC Number, not the MNL number. MNL is the prefix for Manila bound NVC cases and only applies to Manila cases.

We will keep everyone posted.

Aloha and Mahalo for everyone's help.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-08 12:24:00

Good news! My spouse and I both called St Lukes today by phone. We were both told that she can come in. Staff at St Lukes says all you need is NVC NUMBER. You do not need the letter from NVC. Of course you need the passport, passport photos, pre-registration forms, ID etc. but SHE DOES NOT NEED NVC LETTER OR APPOINTMENT. This is great! Wife will be going to Manila this week! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME...

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-08 04:17:00

BTW.....CFO can be done early and you only need to return for them to stamp the passport. I sent my wife a couple months ago and she completed CFO and was told just to return with passport after Visa Issued and they would stamp it.

Yeah thanks she did the CFO already. Would not be surprised if they want more info when she goes back for stamp...they gave her such a run-a-round last time it was ridiculous. But she has her certificate and passport and hopefully VISA in a few month. Now all of a sudden her former High School Principla is trying to give us the shaft. My wife has been attending a private boarding school to get the 3 credits she needs to graduate. All of a sudden the former high school principal wants to have a meeting with my wife and the new high school administrator. Sounds like my wife needs to carry some more cash. Mahalo

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-07 15:26:00

Wow, thanks for all the info. Only problem is we DO NOT have a letter from NVC in hand yet. Well except for the NOA 1 and NOA 2. We do have the NVC number as well as the "NVC Receipt number". The problem is this. I am guessing (and hoping) if all goes smoothly she will be scheduled for her embassy interview in the next 4 or 5 weeks. She is in Cebu and will be attending some very serious classes at school and will not be able to leave the school or dorm to go to Manila during this time. So what I am trying to accomplish here is to get her to complete the medical this week before her intense classes start so she will not be rushed at the last minute to do this. She cannot miss her school. I pre-registered her at St Lukes already and on the on-line form it states if you do not yet have an embassy appointment date you enter January 1, 1970 in the appointment date field. I have to assume this means that you do not have to have an embassy appointment to take the physical? This make sense to you? I have received most replies that she can go ahead and get the physical exam done as long as she has an NVC number but am not sure what the exact answer is. I guess my best bet is to call St Lukes tomorrow morning when they open and ask. Only trouble is communication is not always the best over the phone. But I would hate to fly my wife up to Manila only to have her turned away by the guards. Maybe I should scan and email her the NOA 1 and NOA 2 so she can show those to the guard???? Any thought about this?

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 23:59:00

Just to add my experience:

We're also a CR-1/IR-1. We did the medical early because I wanted to be absolutely sure that she wouldnt be flagged for sputum and delay the process. So as soon as we got her passport, I went with her to do st. lukes. You can go any time, just bring the NVC letter that she first received(and 2 copies!!), Passport, and the photos. They are very picky on the photos so make sure she is not wearing earrings -- my wife had earrings on and they made her retake the pictures(there is a place right across the street luckily). She does NOT need an appointment. I would recommend pre-registering online before you go and have her bring 2 copies of the registration paperwork. Bring copies of passport bio page just in case(cant remember if we needed that). Also, Their fee is due in Pesos only, not USD. She will need to stay over-night, as it is a 2 day procedure. We showed up kind of late at around 10:30am, and her first day was finished around 7pm. They scheduled her to return the second day at 2:30pm, and she was done with that by 4pm(they made her come back 2 weeks after for immunization since she was in a bad part of her menstrual cycle apparently?). Even with having to return later the second day they still gave us the chest x-ray CD and a receipt for the immunization schedule so your second day may take longer if she needs the shots done that day.

If everything is clear(no sputum) the medical(and in turn her visa) will be valid for only 6 months, so since you plan to leave as soon as you get the visa/cfo done im sure that is more time that you'll need. And im pretty sure they WILL turn away without the NVC letter in hand as they have so many people to process they cant simply take people off the street to 'make money' as someone else seems to think.

Good luck to you! Also, if you are looking for a hotel nearby we stayed at Best Western La Corona -- The big suite(with hottub, king bed, 2 TVs, Dining room, etc) was only $106/night! Only maybe half a kilometer walk(2 small blocks) away. Any questions feel free to message me.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 23:39:00

Because as far as I know St Lukes is the only medical facility in the Philippines that is certified by the US Government to do this physical. There is not other place...

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 21:15:00

someone on the forum is suggesting the medical could be done at St. Lukes without even a MNL case number, based on his gut feeling.
even if so, why would someone just go to SLEC for an exam, when it could be done at some other clinic for less money.

Because the only clinic in the Philippines is St Lukes. There is not where else to go,

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 21:08:00

You're right. I did forget about the CFO. You are so correct, they are idiots! My wife had to go there three times to complete their stupid process. They kept making her get more documents even though she showed up on the first day with all the documents listed as required on the CFO web site. (W-2's, tax returns for the last 4 years, on and on and on...) and telling her to return next day. She finally did get the Certificate Of Completion. (This all happened before I was made aware by one government official that if you have money you can get things done very quickly and easily. After learning that the government employees all over the Philippines are such philanthropist's it was far easier to get needed documents if one just made a "donation" to said government employees, who would then, I am sure just turn the money over to their favorite charity. hahaha A few days later my wife received her passport and returned to the CFO office with the Certificate in hand they refused to affix the proof of the course to her passport now saying that they will not do that until she comes in also with the VISA. This was not what they told her on the first three trips there. And talk about a ridiculous course! They are teaching stuff about spouse abuse from the 40's and 50's for crying out loud. I am a Domestic Violence Investigator for the Prosecuting Attorney here in Hawaii and I could not believe the stories my wife told me that they taught in the class. Horror stories of Filipina that were beaten half to death and called the Police for help. The American Police arrive, the Filipina woman is bleeding, bruised and crying. The Police ask the American husband what happened and the husband simply tells the Police "Yeah I beat her. She had it coming. She stole money from me!" Of course the brilliant CFO instructors explain to the class that this is a normal occurrence in the US. The Filipina spouse ends up getting arrested for theft. The police take her in and she usually gets deported. What a joke! And waste of time. Hey, maybe they could hire me to teach their instructors about the VAWA Act. And VISAS that are available for women to stay in US alone if they are being abused. Well, anyway thanks for the reminder. So maybe we will have to hang out in Manila for a few days until the VISA is ready for pick up at the closest place. Then go to Cebu, back to CFO, joy, joy joy. Get the sticker affixed then head back to Manila and fly out to Hawaii. Wow, what a process this has been but I tell you what it will all be worth it once my beautiful wife is here and we are together. Mahalo for your reminder of CFO, that could have been a disaster. By the way I am trying to figure out if I can send my wife to St Lukes to take her medical exam now. We have the NVC number and an Identification Invoice Number but have not gotten the bills yet. But I can't imagine why St Lukes would not accept our pesos and give her the exam??? This make sense to you. I am getting very different responses. Even on the St Lukes website it says the patient should come with a few items, one of them being the NVC Completion/Appointment letter, but it also says "if available" so what??? Aloha

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 15:16:00

Also, the one thing I haven't yet seen in your proposed timeline is the CFO seminar. Sorry if I missed it, but don't forget, she cannot leave the country until that is done. And you'll need the visa to do it. SO, either you'll have to 1) do your interview, stay in manila until you get the visa, and then you can do the CFO in Manila (and maybe in Cebu too), or if you were going to Cebu after your interview, come back to Manila, do the CFO before you can leave.

Be aware that there CAN be delays with the CFO. Sometimes they are real jerks. It can turn into an all day thing, so give yourself a little buffer there.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 14:48:00

Darnell, I am getting mixed messages here. Others are telling me you cannot do medical exam until CASE COMPLETE STATUS AND INTERVIEW IS SCHEDULED. I don't want to send my wife to Manila for nothing. Of course I cant call St Lukes now they are closed for the weekend I am sure. How can I get a definite answer. I mean it makes sense to me that St Lukes would not care about when my wife came as long as she has her Passport, photos and of course her pesos! But how can I be sure? She has gone thru so much to get this far. If I send her to Manila and she is denied she will be so upset. I am not sure what to do. Is there any way you know of or who I can contact to get a definite answer???

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 00:56:00

ya, sure - can go early, with just the MNL casefile #... no worries there, for getting in the door.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-06 00:52:00

Darnell,
Mahalo for the quick reply. But I can assure you the day she receives her VISA is the day I pick her up and we fly off to Hawaii. In fact, I will most likely schedule my next trip to Manila from Hawaii to coincide with her interview date (not yet set of course) Following her interview we will fly to Cebu to pack up and give away some of her belongings. We will say good bye to her family and friends over a few days time. I had planned on telling Manila Embassy to hold her visa there. Once the visa is at Manila Embassy we will fly back to Manila, pick it up and jet off to Hawaii. Ambitious? Yes, I guess but I am the luckiest man in the world. I am so in love it's crazy! Well you can see in our profile photo that I have been blessed with a very beautiful wife, thanks be to GOD for that. So now that you have this information is there any reason why she cannot go to St Lukes and get her medical? Of course she has her passport, passport photos, and we have an NVC number as well as an Invoice Identification Number. Does she need anything else before she goes to St Lukes??

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-05 23:54:00

She won't be interviewing prior to May 15th, so I think a rush on the medical is useless at this moment.

remember, the validity of the visa is tied to the medical exam date,
so if you get an earlier medical exam, the duration on the validity is less.

Which, of course, sucks if you were counting on having 6 months after visa issuance date to do something in the PI before jumping on a plane.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-05 23:43:00

We are at the stage now where the NVC has received our package from USCIS, they have given me an NVC Case Number and an Invoice Identification Number. The bill is not yet prepared and the DS-3032 have not been sent out yet. (I have the DS-3032 already in my hands signed by my spouse with the upc code prepared and attached already. Thanks to the VJ web site...) My spouse in the Philippines has some very important schooling that she cannot miss that will run from April 15, 2013 through May 15, 2013 in her home town of Cebu. I was wondering, is there any reason that I cannot send her to Manila this coming Monday and have her complete her medical exam? I am quite confident that our VISA will go smoothly but in the essence of time I want to know if I can send her to complete the medical exam now? Do I need any number from NVC for her to get the physical other than the NVC number and the receipt number? Can she just show up at St Lukes on Monday and ask and pay to have the medical exam? I know she has to bring her Passport and three (3) Passport size photos. Is there any reason why I can't send her now? Does the embassy hand the records over to her after the exam or do they send it directly to the US Embassy in Manila? Please help...

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-04-05 22:58:00

Google Translate now does Cebuano

It seems secrets are still safe. With all the abbreviations and texting slang I'm lucky if I get half of a sentence translated and then it's hard to tell what the real meaning is anyway.

If you are having trouble with Cebuano translation try Binisaya.com. http://www.binisaya.com/

Real people (volunteers and you may have to wait for a while but there are many helpful people willing to help out) will translate complete conversations for you including most facebook abbreviations, text shortcuts, etc.... AND IF YOU'RE NICE IT'S FREE! I have found Google translate to be almost useless when you compare it to this website. These are real people that will translate for you out of the kindness of their hearts. There are still people in this world that care about others. Isn't that great!? Aloha Ke Akua

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-13 19:41:00

CFO Certificate Earned in Cebu...Can We Get Sticker in Manila or Angeles City?

My spouse completed her CFO class and got her certificate in Cebu a few months back. We will be meeting in Manila for her interview, hopefully soon. Once she is done with her embassy interview we will be going to Angeles City to complete some dental work at my dentist there. Can my wife get her CFO sticker in Manila or Angeles City or do we have to go back to Cebu to get the sticker? I am thinking of having her VISA sent to a local 2Go shop in Angeles City so we can both complete our dental work while we wait the 3 of 4 days for the delivery of her visa? It would be great if we could get the CFO sticker placed on her passport in Angeles City also. This way when we go to Cebu to pack up her things and move her out of her dorm we can spend more time with her family and friends saying our goodbyes, etc... Does anyone know if this is possible?

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-13 20:10:00

Can you believe everything is booked in June?

Marco and Maria,

How did you make the interview appointment with a CR-1? I have been waiting and waiting for NVC to schedule and interview appointment for my spouse in Philippines and I have been told by everyone that I cannot make the appointment. That only the NVC can make the appointment in Manila. How did you do it? I sure could use some help in this as my wife is in serious danger in the Philippines as we speak and an expedited interview dates was denied. I read now that interviews are filled up for June and it looks like July or August before an interview. We need help...

I have everything ready... once I have the medical next week, we're good to go...

but we'd have to wait a month because everything is scheduled in june... I think this only goes for the immigrant visa... cause non immigrant visas have a lot of openings in june... from what I've read.

I made our appointment on July 3...

sigh...

Slow and steady wins the race huh?

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-21 20:04:00

To David and Zoila.... are you absolutely for sure that you see it with your two eyes that her families been harrassing her? It just sounds so fishy to me. Did you give your wife a cash to pay the security, dorm fees etc etc in terms of cash flows? Just my thought don't get offended.

I know it does sound fishy. Actually I pay the school directly (tuition) as well as the pastor that runs the dorm.(Room and board) My wife gets an allowance of only 1000 pesos a week and handles it very well. I found this school and dorm situation and although it sounds suspicious I have checked everything out and it all adds up. I have seen the facebook threats and the text messages myself. I actually as a precautionary measure had some of the messages interpreted and the story my wife tells me checks out to a T. I take no offense. My wife's mother died when she was six months old, her father when she was 2. All 9 children were dispersed around the Philippines. This cousin "raised" her and used her as the whipping post. She has the scars of years of abuse to prove it, yet she is the most loving caring girl I have ever met in my life. Thanks for the input. God Bless and Aloha

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-23 00:01:00

Actually we are already married, CR-1. Yes you're right the security is only good when she is at the dorm or at school. I don't want her to feel as if she's being held prisoner but at the same time I want her and her sister to be safe. Unfortunately because of the area in which she grew up she just doesn't see the danger there, even though she has had two attempted "snatching's" while we were talking on the phone in the last 3 months. Plus she's 19 and immortal like I suppose I was when I was 19. She has had to keep her current whereabouts secret from all but 1 of her sisters because the cousin that raised her inevitably gets her phone number and gets a hold of her time and time again. Harasses her and threatens her. We have had to change her phone number/Sim card 6 times in the past 7 months. No one else knows where she is. There is one good thing about it though. She has gotten some great education while in hiding at a very nice private school. She has discovered that she has some incredible artistic talent and her teachers have contacted me and have encouraged me to have her follow up in her art studies when she comes to US to join me.This has been good for her so if we want to discuss silver linings I guess that is one of them. I am sometimes just so sick with worry for her safety. I pray every day that she will be safe. Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it. You have caused me to think about some positive things. Mahalo

If you haven't gotten an appointment yet that means you likely will not get one until sometime next month and it will likely be for July or in the worst case August.

I still suggest you may be better off moving your wife and your sister-in-law to another city. Armed security is nice but is not as much of a deterrent as you may believe. Your fiance still likely moves around outside the dorm (just to eat and shop if nothing else) and armed guards are not a perfect defense even if they watch the doors 24/7.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-22 20:16:00

Well this is going to be interesting. I wonder if the NVC considers the 15th to be within the 1st half or the second half of the month? hahaha

Do NOT attempt to re-schedule a CR-1 visa appointment. After I got my wife's initial appointment I rescheduled her appointment by calling the Embassy in Manila. When we showed up at the Embassy on the appointed date we waited for a couple of hours before we were called up and told that my wife would have to come back on the original date that was scheduled for her. I was told this was due to them not having the paperwork in hand (the NVC apparently doesn't send it out until just before the interview date THEY schedule). One of the moderators here mentioned I could have asked them to use the electronic copies in the system. When I asked about this at my wife's actual interview a couple of weeks later I was told that they will only process a CR-1 with the hard copies regardless of the situation as a matter of policy. I also found out that because I had rescheduled I had run the risk of losing the initial interview date and could have had the process punted back to the NVC to reschedule for the NEXT month.

It is important to remember that the NVC usually only schedules CR-1 visa interviews during the first and second weeks of the month. If you were approved in the last half of the month they will schedule you early the next month for an interview the month following after that month. So if you were approved in late May, they will schedule an appointment in June for July or August if July is already full.

While I empathize for your wife's situation it is not something for which the US government is going to care, especially if there is no police report. If you are especially concerned with her safety (and that of your sister-in-law) you should move them to a different major city (Cebu if they are in Manila or Manila if they are in Cebu for example). That way there is far less of a chance of her cousin using old-fashioned social networking to track her down and paying a few bribes to resolve his issues. If you are that worried about her perhaps, honestly, the best thing to do is take a leave of absence from work and move to the Philippines for a couple of months.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-22 19:37:00

Wow! Thanks for the heads up on this. As you may see I have been getting various responses. I really appreciate your first hand knowledge response to this question. Looks like I am going to have to just sweat it out for a couple more months paying ridiculous room and board fees to keep her safe, hopefully. She could stay in an apartment for about 1/4 the expense but I want her to be safe. It is draining us financially though. I need to be able to afford the airplane tickets. Mahalo and Aloha

Do NOT attempt to re-schedule a CR-1 visa appointment. After I got my wife's initial appointment I rescheduled her appointment by calling the Embassy in Manila. When we showed up at the Embassy on the appointed date we waited for a couple of hours before we were called up and told that my wife would have to come back on the original date that was scheduled for her. I was told this was due to them not having the paperwork in hand (the NVC apparently doesn't send it out until just before the interview date THEY schedule). One of the moderators here mentioned I could have asked them to use the electronic copies in the system. When I asked about this at my wife's actual interview a couple of weeks later I was told that they will only process a CR-1 with the hard copies regardless of the situation as a matter of policy. I also found out that because I had rescheduled I had run the risk of losing the initial interview date and could have had the process punted back to the NVC to reschedule for the NEXT month.

It is important to remember that the NVC usually only schedules CR-1 visa interviews during the first and second weeks of the month. If you were approved in the last half of the month they will schedule you early the next month for an interview the month following after that month. So if you were approved in late May, they will schedule an appointment in June for July or August if July is already full.

While I empathize for your wife's situation it is not something for which the US government is going to care, especially if there is no police report. If you are especially concerned with her safety (and that of your sister-in-law) you should move them to a different major city (Cebu if they are in Manila or Manila if they are in Cebu for example). That way there is far less of a chance of her cousin using old-fashioned social networking to track her down and paying a few bribes to resolve his issues. If you are that worried about her perhaps, honestly, the best thing to do is take a leave of absence from work and move to the Philippines for a couple of months.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-22 19:33:00

Thanks for the encouragement and info. Yes ironically I already scheduled an interview date for June 3. I have a document that was generated online that gives the interview date, time, etc... Of course after doing so I read the fine print and saw that I was not allowed to schedule and interview as long as the case is at NVC. My error. Now I try to log back in to cancel the interview and I can't get back in. I guess I will have to call them on the phone now. How did you get on the site to see the available appointments? Maybe I just need to create a new account? Or are you saying that once NVC schedules the date I will be able to log in at that point?

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-21 18:03:00

Sorry but I fear for my wife's safety every day. She is in hiding in Philippines from her cousin who raised her. Her cousin has threatened to burn down the apartment my wife is living in. (Was living in. I have since moved her three time) She says she will kill her. But of course neither my wife or her sister who have both received this threat have reported to Police. They say that this kind of thing is not reported to Police in Philippines. I already requested an expedited interview date and was denied. My wife is in imminent danger. I have her hidden away in a private school/dorm situation with armed security. I fear every day that this mentally unstable cousin will find her and do something. But this is not good enough to get an expedited interview date. So we live in fear for another 2, maybe 3 months just praying that my wife does not get hurt or killed. I'm sorry but I am just a little frustrated. Please forgive me for being upset at this bureaucratic mess. Ironically I work for the US Government and our division is so much better organized that the visa system

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-21 17:16:00

Yeah what kind of a stupid statement is that they they make? "A SOON AS AN APPOINTMENT DATE BECOMES AVAILABLE, NVC WILL FORWARD THE CASE TO EMBASSY MANILA." What the hell does that mean? I mean don't these people use calenders? I mean what happens, does Manila only make appointments available in some secret manner? I mean would it not make sense for the bozo that reads the file and says CASE COMPLETE to just schedule the appointment? It's just such a messed up system if you could even call it that.

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-21 17:09:00

Okay called NVC on 05/15/2013. They say they have everything needed, it's all approved and all we are waiting for an interview date at Manila Embassy. Why the heck doesn't the bureaucrat that reads case and declares CASE COMPLETE just email or contact Manila for an interview date and set it up? I mean what the heck is happening now? NVC says they are waiting for an interview date to become available in Manila. How does that make any sense? I mean would it not make sense for someone to just set the appointment date and time? Isn't that what appointments are? I guess I am just so frustrated at this whole process. It has been so stressful for myself and most importantly my beautiful loving wife. So much of it makes no sense at all. Is our file at the bottom of yet another stack of applications waiting for the next bozo to read it and finally call the embassy in Manila or what? I mean seriously.... Sorry I guess I just needed to vent a little but I sure wish someone could give me an idea on how long it will take them to pick up our file and make the call to Manila. I would be happy to call for them. I can go on-line all day and see when appointments are available in Manila. So it's been 1 week since we got the verbal CASE COMPLETE status from NVC. I hate this waiting.....

Signed, Frustrated in Hawaii

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-21 14:44:00

getting legal capacity to contract marriage in US embassy manila

Not sure about Manila but I got this form on a walk-in basis in the US Consulars office in Cebu. No appointment was needed in Cebu. Good luck though. We got married in September and are now awaiting the interview date for Manila. Aloha Ke Akua

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-24 15:36:00

Anybody noticed a slow down at NVC

So excitedly we received our NOA2 16 days ago. I started calling NVC daily after about a week hoping for the number. Each time I was told (no surprise) that it takes about 15 days. I called the next day anyway. Same answer. Since yesterday was 15 days, when told that we were still not in the system, I replied that it has been 15 days. The response I received, "we are slow now and it will take 3-4 weeks." Has anyone else heard this or are they just trying to save their butts?

Of course now that I am bitching about this, I will probably get the number today

They always told me 20 working days. 4 weeks? It worked out to 19 word days in our case. ALOHA KE AKUA

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-06-20 19:19:00

Did not pass CFO seminar

I paid an attorney to help with the filing for our marriage license. We did the marriage classes and had all the legal requirements. We were married in Dasmarinas. When we received the marriage certificate it listed San Juan as the issuing municipality not Dasmarinas. The marriage is registered with the NSO. When my wife went to the CFO seminar they did not issue her certificate of attendance I think because of this. They also had many questions about why we got married 8 months after we met. My wife is shy and was very upset and left without asking why they did not issue to her the certificate of attendence. What do we do now?

CFO is a joke! My wife had to go three times. Each time she went they kept asking for more papers. I think they really wanted some extra pesos but she just kept going back with the papers they kept asking for. Yes they get way too involved with their clients. Is it possible that they told her to go and get more papers and return with them? Thats what my wife had to do. They just kept asking for more documents, none of which by the way were on the list of required documents. But my wife persevired and she got the "diploma". Now we can only hope they dont give her any more ####### when she comes in with the certificate and her visa. Lets all pray. Also I am a government investigator for the Stae and my only function is investigating spouse abuse. The stuff they are teaching there is a joke! They are teaching stuff from the 1950's. They apparently have no idea of VAWA or any of the protections offered to women, inludgin immigrants. Maybe I can get a job there bringint the instructors up to date. One word of caution: I WOULD NEVER SUGGEST that your wife should "Stand up to anyone at the CFO". I have been in the Philippines long enough to know that this does not work. Unfortunately she has to go back with her tail between her legs and kiss ###. Thats how they run there. If she challenges anyones authority there they will mess with her for weeks or months. But anyway good luck to both of you. Aloha

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-05-12 02:21:00

CFO sticker requirements

Once you have your passport with visa (make two copies), take that and your certificate back to CFO and they will affix the sticker in the passport.

I see the CFO website is now asking for a 2X2 passport photo. If you didn't bring one earlier, bring one now.

Thanks

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-07-09 09:52:00

CFO sticker requirements

Hello, Good day everyone I just want to ask if someone know the requirements for the cfo sticker of pre departing. Actually I'm already done with the Cfo seminar and the certificate is already in my hand. But the CFO told me to come back once my visa is already release for my CFO sticker. And I'm also approved in my interview this morning. So I just want to make sure that I got everything before I go there at the CFO office.. Thanks

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-07-09 09:40:00

VISA Delivery to MOA??

Okay CEAC web site just changed to ISSUED. Of course me forever the optimist have already called the airlines twice to make sure we will not lose our tickets. We were supposed to leave tomorrow but obviously not going to make that because even if visa is at MOA tomorrow I doubt very much that we can make it to CFO and then airport by 5:30 P.m. So we will just cancel our reservation for tomorrow and wait until we actually get the visa in hand then remake the reservation. Hopefully the change fees and no doubt increased fares don't kill us. I know I should have waited for the return flight but the airlines I made arrangements would not allow an open return flight so here we are. It will all be worth it once we land in Hawaii. Aloha Ke Akua...HE is good all the time!

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-07-15 04:32:00

VISA Delivery to MOA??

^ Hank is correct. It would also be wise to reschedule your flight. Sorry.

Just to give you an idea, but keep in mind that every case is different.

I was interviewed on June 13th and was issued a 221g. Complied and was approved on July 5th (Friday).

June 13 (Thursday) - AP

July 5 (Friday) - Ready (Probably means getting ready for Final Processing)

July 8 (Monday) - AP "Final Processing" Said to check back after 2 days.

July 10 (Wednesday) - Issued

July 12 (Friday, TODAY!) - Ready for Pick up at MOA. Tracked it through UStraveldocs.com and 2GO using UID found in the confirmation letter. Got the 2GO text at 5pm.

So from CEAC Status "Ready" to "Pick up" text from 2GO = it's 5 business days after for me.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the info. I have one more question...you mention tracking the visa through ustraveldocs and 2Go. You refer to a UID number you found on your confirmation letter....what is the confirmation letter you are refering to? The interview appointment letter, or something else? I can't find any UID number anywhere, maybe I am looking at the wrong docs? Can you give more details on the confirmation letter? Aloha Ke Akua

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-07-12 18:50:00

VISA Delivery to MOA??

Okay my wife passed her interview on the 9th. It is now the 11th and we called MOA office of 2Go. Not there yet. Called embassy and they said it had not left the Embassy yet. Anyone know how long it takes to get the visa to 2Go at MOA? Our flight is scheduled for Tuesday, we will have to go to CFO to get her sticker put on her visa. CFO class already completed and she has certificate in hand. CEAC site says this:

U.S. Department of State
IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

Ready

Immigrant Visa Case Number: MNL201XXXXXXX 01 MNL Case Creation Date: 02-Apr-2013 Status Updated Date:

11-Jul-2013 (Does this date indicate that something is happening?)

Anyone got any info??

Aloha Ke Akua

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-07-11 08:04:00

Quack, Quack, Quack, HONK

Okole...I just read that a realized you are from Hawaii. I am on Maui. Yeah you are right, the CFO people really suck! They gave my wife so much grief, made her come back 2 times. Then when we had to return to CFO after she received her visa it took 3 frickin' hours just to get the CFO sticker put into her passport. And the stuff they teach there is from the 1950's. Pre-VAWA. What a joke! But in the end it was all worth it. My wife and I are here together on Maui now for almost 1 month and I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER.

Aloha,

David

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-08-15 12:14:00

Quack, Quack, Quack, HONK

Think we got most of our ducks lined up, just one possible problem.

Got all the documents we'll need, NBI Clearance (took a month since she has a "common name" , CENOMAR, BC's, the Japanese Police Clearance (took almost 2 months!) got our interview scheduled for Aug 26 at 7:30am, I booked my trip 22-27 Aug, hotel reserved. I'm going to print out all our DS forms and the rest of the package this weekend.

April did the CFO yesterday, sorry no review, didn't get any feedback from April except that she went. She's going for the medical today, staying at a nearby hotel with her Mom for support. Hope it goes okay, cause she was sick last Friday and said she still has a cough. I also hope she doesn't get anyone else sick!

After that I'm planning on going back next month to bring her back sometime after the 15th (haven't bought tickets yet) so that she can stay for her Sister's and Aunt's birthdays.

Thanks to everyone here whos' offered advice and support!

Congrats and good luck

Aloha Ke Akua

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-08-14 15:48:00

Online matchmaking to be criminalized under proposed bill

Unbefrickinbelievable!!!

Are they saying that sites such as DIA and Filipino Kisses are included? I met my wife on a web site and I never bought her. We are living happily ever after now in the US. Sounds to me like the Philippines Government is looking for yet another source of bribery and income. Can you see all the cops at the airport watching for Filipinas to be exiting the country with their fiance or spouse...then pulling the couple aside and asking for a payment??? I sure can.. Everyone in Manila was stealing from everyone. Filipinos stealing from Filipinos all day long. I can see the airport Police rubbing their hands together on this idea.

What a joke!!

I wonder if meeting someone on Facebook will make you a criminal now?

Online matchmaking to be criminalized under proposed bill

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 08/19/2013 3:48 PM | Updated as of 08/19/2013 3:48 PM

MANILA, Philippines - In an effort to protect the image of the Filipino women, a new bill (House Bill 222) seeking to amend the Anti-Mail Order Bride Law will criminalize matchmaking of Filipinas and foreign nationals on internet websites.

Under Republic Act 6955 or the Anti-Mail Order Bride Law of 1990, mail-order bride services are illegal in the Philippines.

But according to Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list representative Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales, author of HB 222, mail-order bride services are now flourishing in different websites and have largely replaced traditional paper-cased classifieds.

"A new era of professional prostitution or high end pornography through the web was born which downgrades the integrity not only of Filipino women, but of the country as a whole," said Cruz-Gonzales.

"Filipino women are gravely abused by syndicates who conduct business and make women a commodity to be bought either through the Internet, websites or other written materials," she added.

Under HB 222, violators will face an imprisonment of 20 years and will have to pay a fine of not more than P100,000.

"If the offender is a foreigner, he shall be immediately deported and barred forever from entering the country after serving his sentence and payment of fine," warned Cruz-Gonzales.

The bill also penalizes persons who advertise, publish, print or distribute any brochure, flier or any propaganda material including those distributed and made available through the Internet.

Likewise, it shall be unlawful to use the postal service and the Internet to promote the mail order bride business according to the measure.

Filipino women who voluntarily engaged themselves in matchmaking activities and those who patronize the mail-order bride business as an accessory to the offense charged will also be penalized.

The manager, editor in chief, or advertising manager of any newspaper, magazine, television, radio station and other media including those of internet websites are likewise prohibited from allowing or consenting to the unlawful acts mentioned.

Under the RA 6955, any person found guilty of violating the law shall suffer an imprisonment of not less than six years and one day but not more than eight years, and a fine of not less than P8,000 but not more than P20,000.

http://www.abs-cbnne...r-proposed-bill

David & Zoila

Male

Philippines

2013-08-20 20:29:00