Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	Amending Philippine Passport After Marrying U.S. Citizen?	Hello - I went through the process of changing my name AND updating my passport but here in the West Coast so I am not sure how busy the Phil Embassy is in NY so timing might be a little different. Answers below Thanks for all your helpful answers! In general, I find that the PCGNY is a little inefficient, they are almost impossible to contact by phone, and they don't reply to emails. Same here. I e-mailed with no answer in 1.5 weeks. When I called them, I navigated the automated system to different menus, and no one ever answered. When I found the passport menu, it rang 15x with no answer, I got a message saying "That mailbox is full. Goodbye.", & they hung up on me! I don't know why it cost $13, maybe because I wanted express mail (not priority mail) and it was 1-day guaranteed delivery with signature. I didn't want to take any chances with my passport. And they return a lot of papers back to you, the Report of Marriage, your marriage certificate, etc.. so it wasn't just a passport I think it took 3 weeks in total for it to come back. Thanks for your help!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2011-09-15 22:59:00
Philippines	Amending Philippine Passport After Marrying U.S. Citizen?	I did both but through mail. It was a pain! Paid by money order and we had everything notarized, including the passport copy. I would think going in person is a much better idea than mailing it. What was a pain - getting everything notarized? The express mail, self addressed and stamped envelope cost me $13 (ny to pa) You don't get a new passport, just a sheet attached on it like a visa Thanks for the info! Wow, why $13? The passport isn't that heavy! Waste of money and time, unless you plan on travelling back to the Philippines, before she becomes a US citizen in about three years. We would like to have the option of traveling, and we were afraid that there would be a problem at the airport or a border crossing if we didn't use her married name. We would like to go to Niagara Falls, and from what I've seen, there is much more to do on the Canadian side. BTW, my wife is not in any rush to become a citizen.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2011-09-15 10:35:00
Philippines	Amending Philippine Passport After Marrying U.S. Citizen?	Has any Filipina here amended (or has any American husband helped his Filipina wife amend) her Philippine passport to change her name from her maiden name to her married name at the Philippine Consulate General in New York City? I was hoping someone could describe the process so we'd have an idea of how long it should take and what we will need to bring with us. My wife and I completed all the appropriate forms ahead of time and would like to know if it is possible to complete our portion of the process at the consulate in only half a day. This is what we are bringing: BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENDMENT OF PHILIPPINES PASSPORT: * Valid passport & 1 photocopy of passport data pages * Passport amendment application form (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official) * $20 fee REPORT OF MARRIAGE: * 4 original Report of Marriage Contracted Abroad forms (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official) * 4 passport-style photos each for my wife and for me * 1 original & 4 photocopies of Marriage Certificate * 1 original/certified true copy & 4 photocopies of my wife's & my currently valid passport or state-issued driver license * $25 processing fee * 1 original & 4 photocopies of Affidavit of Late Registration of Marriage (unsigned so we can sign in front of consulate official) * 1 Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals (signed) I have several questions: 1) Can we sign most or all of the documents in front of a consulate official or must they be signed & notarized before we arrive? The passport amendment instructions say forms must be signed & notarized if submitting them by mail, but I don't even know if that is an option anymore. 2) Is it true that all Philippine passports must now be amended or renewed in person, either at a Philippine consulate or in the Philippines? 3) Is it okay if the Information Sheet on Filipinos Marrying Foreign Nationals is already signed? I didn't see any note on that form saying the signature needs to be witnessed by a notary public. 4) Do you know what "certified true copy" of a passport or drivers license means? I'm assuming we can just bring my wife's original passport & my original passport (& drivers license) & that should be enough. 5) Do we need an appointment to fill out the paperwork for an amendment of passport or can we just show up during business hours (9 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 to 5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.)? 6) Does anyone know how we can pay the $20 passport amendment fee & the $25 report of marriage fee? Must it be cash? Check? Money order? Are credit cards accepted? 7) Approximately how long will it take for us to fill out the papers at the consulate? Is it possible to finish in a few hours? 8) Will the amended passport be ready by the end of that day or will it take up to 10 weeks like a new passport application? 9) Will my wife be issued a completely new passport, or the passport simply be corrected? If it is only corrected, how does it look? 10) If the passport will not be ready by the end of the day, can we submit a self-addressed stamped envelope so that the completed passport can be mailed to us (as with other legal documents)? If so, how much postage should we include? Thanks in advance for any help! Jason & Karen Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 13 September 2011 - 11:42 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2011-09-13 23:37:00
Philippines	St. Luke’s Medical Exam Walkthrough	Thanks for this very helpful post!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-11 22:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	We had an absolute blast.. Got to hang out with her fam, wonderful beaches of Bohol, saw the tarsiers, and just loved every minute together.. Home makeover is on hold until I get over this jet lag 58 days and counting... Did you only go to the Phils for 1 week? Too bad it was so short, but I bet it was great seeing her! I haven't seen Karen in almost exactly a year! What happened to the photo of May with her visa in hand?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 23:24:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	For statistical purposes, I want to report that Cary's visa was approved. I don't have any details, I just got a text, she thinks that 75 cents an hour is outrageous to pay for computer time. She says she will have the visa in 10 days. Of course if there is any additional information that may be helpful I will pass it on to everyone. Cary and Jim Congratulations! Glad to hear your good news! Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I was buying plane tickets and making arrangements for my trip to the Philippines! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 10 May 2010 - 11:22 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 23:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	It seems like everyone else on here is having their interviews already... It hurts! I forgot to ask -- do you know how to check for touches on the USCIS Web site? It might be a good idea to check!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-27 23:22:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	Congratulations !!!!! Cary's interview is May 6th. I am not anticipating any issues, she could pass for Mother Theresa. I am not sure when I will be going to get her yet, but it will be May. Let me know when Karen gets the visa in hand, that may help my planning. Again congratulations. Cary and Jim Thanks! Karen's interview was really smooth and her consulate officer asked really easy questions! I hope your experience is the same! I'll be sure to let you know when she gets the visa. I think I can start tracking it soon! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 27 April 2010 - 11:20 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-27 23:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	It seems like everyone else on here is having their interviews already... It hurts! Sorry to hear that! If it's any consolation, Milagros won't be moving here for another 2 months after I go see her on Saturday.. Another 2 month stretch of waiting.. It's tough, but in the end, I think it makes us all stronger. You'll get your approval soon, just keep the faith! Tomorrow could be your day Our story is similar to Jared and May. Even though Karen passed her interview, we have to wait more than a month because I have to attend a scientific conference! Really bad timing for that since we've been apart for more than a year! Sorry you're stuck in limbo, but I'm sure your case will move soon! Just be sure to have all your papers ready (including your affidavit of support), so you can move quickly as soon as the USCIS accepts your petition! We were able to schedule Karen's interview a little more than a month after the NOA2, so it's certainly possible to move quick, even after a long wait! Let us know when you get any progress! I am so thankful this process moved quickly after trudging along slowly for so long! Especially since so much of it seems to be luck! Hang in there! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 27 April 2010 - 11:19 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-27 23:15:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	Karen passed her interview and her visa was approved! Thanks to everyone who offered help or advice! May every December filer get good news soon!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-26 23:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	We are right behind you, physical is next week, Interview on May 6. She wants me to come there and fly back to here with her so I am trying to figure out when she will actually have the visa. Yeah, it looks like you're hot on our trail, just behind us on nearly every step by about a week! I think both of us are setting a good pace, slightly ahead of the average. Karen wants to fly here with me too, since the only time she's been on a plane was with me from Manila to Calbayog. I don't blame her -- those 14-hour flights are long and can be scary! The Manila embassy says 5-10 business days to mail the passport back to the address listed, but I also read somewhere here on VJ that you can request to pick it up in person in only 2 days! I have not verified that yet, but it might be something you want to look into. They asked a lot of questions when I called to schedule the physical, her full name, address, phone number, Email address, etc. I just had to tell a little white lie that she received a notice from the embassy. Good luck to Karen on her interview. Same here about the questions -- I had to double-check her address, since I forgot the zip code! Karen still hasn't received her letter yet, but I'm pretty sure the Manila embassy sent it to her on April 7! But it was so hard sometimes to hear the Pinay at the U.S. Embassy, so I am not sure of the date they received her packet from the NVC or when they mailed out the letter. Thanks! Good luck to Cary on her interview! Is everyone experiencing our worthless dollar? When I met Cary in October, 2008, it was about 50 pesos to a dollar. According to Western Union the rate is 43.18. I know the actual is higher. I transfer in dollars cause WU is about a peso light per dollar and doesn't charge an additional fee, but still more then 10% against the Philippine peso? Yes, I remember 50 php/$1 US! Just to let you know, I use Xoom, which has lower fees than Western Union, and the rate last week was 44 php/$1 US. That rate still isn't great, but it's better than WU! Guess the Shakira posters are comming down and getting rid of the XXX Dvd's Mabye burn some old photos of the EX ..... Now you guys got me making a list and checking it twice...	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-18 03:48:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	My fiancee Karen passed her medical exam yesterday, and her interview is scheduled for April 27! One obstacle down, one more to go! All in all, at this time tomorrow, I should be in the air Congratulations and good luck! Thanks for your help! Found it, and expediting approval, should be sent out tomorrow.. The rep got tired of hearing from me!! Sometimes that's the only way to do it! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 15 April 2010 - 11:35 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-15 23:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	Milagros is going for her interview in about 3 hours.. I should hear back from her around 10/11 PM EST, so I'll let you know what they ask of her in terms of evidence. She printed out a bunch of e-mails, brought love letters I sent via snail mail, along with pictures, passport stamps, boarding passes, hotel reservations, etc. Best of luck to all. Good luck!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-11 21:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	I'm believing what Jared posts, he seems very knowledgeable about this whole process. Did you lady attend the seminar that is required for anyone leaving the country, mine is going on Monday. There is a stamp that they put on her passport showing attendance. No, she hasn't attended the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) seminar yet. The CFO recommends attending the seminar before AND after the U.S. Embassy sends back the passport with the K-1 visa sticker, but I've read in many posts here that all you need to do is attend the seminar after the interview. That way you can attend the seminar and get your visa stamped on the same day. Karen plans to take her medical exam next week at the same time as the fiancee of VisaJourney member Johnny, from Wednesday, April 14 to Thursday the 15th. The 202-663-1225 number is to the Consulant Generals office in the US. I am guessing that they monitor receipt of the visa files to the various embassys and perhaps the mailing of packet 3 although I have also been told here that Manila doesn't require a packet 3. Thanks for the information about that number. I'll try both numbers later today to see if the Embassy has received Karen's petition yet. I will be spending this weekend in my office copying around 250 IM sessions. It is how we communicate. I didn't know anything at the time about this visa process so now I will use up a forest copying. I hope to send all my required documents out on Monday. Where are you from? I am in the Philadelphia burbs. Cary and Jim I don't think you need to print out all those sessions, but that is up to you. For our evidence of an ongoing relationship, I printed out screen shots of the following: my Yahoo Messenger archive (without any specific conversations highlighted, to protect our privacy), several cam-to-cam YM conversations (some with her relatives or my relatives in the background), a month of my YM Call History to show that I call her cell phone a few times every month, and a few months of my Aryty.com account history (I use that site to send Karen load). I also downloaded Excel spreadsheets for a few select months of text archives from Verizon Wireless and copied several envelopes, letters and cards that Karen sent to me. I tried to pick a few representative months for each category, rather than overwhelming them with a pile of the same evidence. When I return to the Philippines to go with Karen to her interview, I'll bring a few additional current pieces of evidence to show that we still communicate as often as before. I am in central New Jersey, about an hour East of Philadelphia.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-11 14:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	Also again, I think thanks to Jared, I have another number to call tomorrow. The number I have is 202-663-1225. The number I have for the U.S. Embassy in Manila is +63 2 301 2000. But Friday, April 9th is a Philippine holiday called "Araw ng Kagitingan," and no one will answer the phone at the embassy. I am in the same boat as you, so we will have to wait until Monday to call. I advise to call between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m. Manila time, since a U.S. Embassy recording said they only answer non-immigrant visa questions during that time period. I should be able to learn if Manila has received my file and if packet 3 has been mailed to Cary. I am a little confused about packet 3. I think someone said the Manila embassy doesn't require a packet 3. Apparently, the Philippines does not issue a Packet 3, but here is the online version of Packet 4. Someone on here said that Manila doesn't mail this Packet out any more, so you can download this version and/or print it out. I assume Manila still mails confirmation of receiving the visa petition from the NVC.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-08 23:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	December K-1 2009 Filers VSC	Also, send your fiance(e) off to St Luke's for the medical now... Again it just requires the MNL #, and then you're in really good shape. Are you sure all my fiancee needs is the MNL# ? Do I need to send her a copy of the NOA2 or the NVC paper in which she was assigned an MNL# ?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-08 23:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Questions about submitting the ORIGINAL copy of my fiancee's letter of intent and biography	QUOTE (JD63 @ Dec 18 2009, 11:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would send it. I think the 4 copies is part of the old form (2007?) There's nothing on the new version that says you should do it. I did just to be safe, but I don't think it has been a problem lately. Someone else please reply if it has been. Yeah, it does seem kind of foolish to make photocopies of a single signed form when they can easily probably do the same thing if they really need to! We need to save some trees, right?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-19 00:03:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Questions about submitting the ORIGINAL copy of my fiancee's letter of intent and biography	QUOTE I don't think you have anything to worry about with the letter of intent. It's the content of the letter that counts, and not who it is addressed to. USCIS just asks for a statement of intent from each party. They don't specify what format to use for the statement. The G-325A I submitted for my fiancee contained a combination of text entered on the computer, a bunch of stuff I wrote by hand, and my fiancee's signature. Her signature was the only thing she personally wrote on the form. It was accepted without any problems. The guides are telling you not to submit photocopies of forms that require a signature by either you or your fiancee. The director of the VSC has told Gary that a photocopy of the G-325A is acceptable, but people have gotten RFE's for sending photocopies of this form so it's probably better to be safe. How the form is actually filled out, whether by computer, or hand written by a complete stranger, is irrelevant, as long as the signature is authentic. Wow, thanks for the quick and thoughtful answer. I saw so much conflicting points of view here that it is hard to know for sure! I did see what the director of the VSC said, which is funny since he sounds quicker to accept a document than many of his subordinates. I only have one signed copy of the G-325A from my fiancee. Do you think I should only send that? My only other option would be to make 3 photocopies of her signed copy, which they could easy do if they so desire. OMG, all this fuss over minutiae! Minor details get amplified when it takes 2-4 weeks to receive mail from a SO! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 18 December 2009 - 11:27 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-18 23:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Questions about submitting the ORIGINAL copy of my fiancee's letter of intent and biography	I'm almost ready to submit the I-129F visa petition, but I'm a little worried by this statement on VisaJourney's Guide for the K1 visa, "All Forms that you submit must be originals with original signatures. Supporting Evidence that you submit may be photocopies." I think there's a chance I'll get an RFE for my fiancee's letter of intent and G-325A biographical information form, especially if I submit them as they are now. Please feel free to give me your advice and opinions. She signed and mailed me the version of the letter of intent that I'd intended for her to bring with her to the visa interview. The only difference between this version and the version for the I-129F visa petition is that the address above the body of the letter is to the US Embassy in Manila, not the USCIS in Vermont. Do you think that will be a problem? Should I submit her signature with the wrong address or have her mail me another copy? Is there a way I could edit out the wrong address and put the correct address? She also forgot to put a date on her signed copy of the G-325A biographical information form. So I put the date on it, not giving it much thought, and realized my handwriting looks nothing like hers! I think I ruined the ORIGINAL! I did make some copies of the form before I'd added the date, but if I include a "better looking" date on it, will I get an RFE because I submitted a photocopy without her signature in ink? Which copy should I submit -- the original with my "bad looking" date or a copy with a "good looking" date? Should I have her mail me another signed copy? Thanks in advance! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 18 December 2009 - 10:09 PM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2009-12-18 22:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can my fiancee take her Medical Exam before the Embassy mails out her letter?	Just scan in her NOA2 and email that to her and get her the MNL case number. She can take medical with those two items. Good call! I was trying to think of a quick way to get those forms to her, but I don't have a fax machine at home or work! I forgot my coworker has a scanner! I was hoping the Case Number would be enough, but having a copy of the paperwork is better and this is pretty quick and easy! Thanks!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-08 21:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Can my fiancee take her Medical Exam before the Embassy mails out her letter?	My fiancee's I-129F petition was approved in mid-March, forwarded to the NVC, and sent to the Philippines more than nine (9) business days ago. The paperwork hadn't arrived yet on Monday, April 5, but I have a strong feeling it is there now since other people with similar timelines have said their paperwork has already arrived. I could not reach the Embassy yesterday, and today is a Philippine national holiday. My question is -- can my fiancee take her medical exam now? I have not yet sent her the NOA1, the NOA2, or the letter from the NVC in which her Case Number (MNL...) was assigned, in part because I plan to go with her to her visa interview and will bring all those papers with me. Another thread about the Philippines Medical Exam suggests "if you don’t have your appointment letter yet, you may bring a photocopy of your NOA2 letter and NVC letter showing your MNL case no." Do you think the Alien Number and Case Number should suffice? Or will St. Luke's clinic specifically require a photocopy of those documents? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-08 20:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Which, if any, ORIGINAL documents does my fiancee need for the K-1 visa interview?	I sent all original forms to Wilma in case the consulate asks for the backup. I sent by FEDEX (I hope you didn't send USPS..they loose things in PH)....but I sent originals as follows: Too late! I always send by USPS, and luckily so far, nothing has gotten lost. USPS always seems to be 1/2 the price of FedEx, and I can't afford to pay $45+ every time I want to send some documents. But my mom sent Karen some inexpensive jewelry in an envelope for a birthday gift via USPS, and that was "lost." Original Birth Certificate for me "" signed I-134 and original 1040, W2s, letter from my company "" Divorce Certificate "" receipts to backup I-129F (boarding passes, ferry tickets, hotel receipts, etc) "" photos of us printed on photo paper "" all her 156, 156K and 157 forms filled out with photos attached to 156 "" my signed letter of intent to marry (embassy addressed)....and printed one for her to sign I sent a newly signed and dated original Fiancee Letter of Intent and the original letters from my employer and banks, but only printouts of my 1040s (filed online, so there is no original) and photocopies of my birth certificate, W2s, and all boarding passes and receipts. Didn't you feel nervous sending one-of-a-kind receipts in case they got lost? Do you really think the Embassy needs my original birth certificate? I thought they'd only need hers. I sent photocopies of my passport & birth certificate -- you would think that would be enough to establish my citizenship. Did you order another copy of your birth certificate? I've heard this can be done, but I've never done it before and thought a photocopy would suffice. Do you know how long it generally takes to get a copy of a birth certificate? She'll need originals (not copies) of the following: NSO Birth Certificate printed on NSO paper NBI Clearance Certificate CENOMAR And she'll need evidence of the relationship: emails, letters, photos, engagement ring, chat logs, letters of intent to marry, evidence of support, etc. All Karen's documents are original. I only sent an 8.5"x11" collage of photos I'd printed from my work computer, but if they really need to see them as actual photographs, Karen does have 1 or 2 I sent her (but intended for her to keep). Sadly, I asked this question mainly because I rushed on Friday to send my Affidavit of Support & additional evidence, but I'd accidentally left the only original Affidavit of Support at my job & sent a photocopy! Do you think it's worth it for me to send it again? Did you send 1 or 2 copies of the Affidavit of Support?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-18 21:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Which, if any, ORIGINAL documents does my fiancee need for the K-1 visa interview?	Read this. Basically - anything you send them with a signature (yours or your beneficiary) should be "original". Everything else can be copies. However, they can ask to see the originals at anytime - so you should have them available. Depends on who is looking at the documents - if your signature looks "photocopied", I have seen them kick them back (RFE). Thanks for the link! Very helpful! I've seen it before, but somehow I'd forgotten how to find it again! But will the forms I sent to the USCIS for the visa petition, like the G-325A and the Fiance(e) Letters of Intent, be forwarded to the Embassy for the interview? I ask because I already sent them the originals then, and now I only have photocopies. I already sent Karen a newly signed Fiance Letter of Intent because I heard it's good to do so again closer to the interview, but I didn't plan on sending another "original" G-325A!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-18 21:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Which, if any, ORIGINAL documents does my fiancee need for the K-1 visa interview?	I just mailed the I-134 Affidavit of Support and some additional "Evidence of an Ongoing Relationship" to my fiancee in preparation for her visa interview, but I realized afterward that I haven't sent her every ORIGINAL document that we plan to submit. In fact, I think I'd accidentally sent some of the originals to the USCIS with the I-129F, such as the "Fiance Letter of Intent" that I'd signed. Now, my fiancee and I only have Xeroxed copies of that letter with my signature. At the time, I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I've recently seen some VisaJourney hints that suggest my fiancee will need all of the original documents during her interview. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure which documents need to be original, nor if they are really required. Here are two suggestions from different parts of VJ, one that says the originals MAY be requested and the other that implies originals are REQUIRED: Be sure that you have the original documents for any item that you submit as a photocopy in your original petition. The original documents may be requested (even though they allow you to initially submit a copy) by the USCIS and even embassy as part of the adjudication process. Send all originals of the documentary proof that you submitted for the I-129F to your fiance(e) for their interview at the embassy. Does the NVC forward the entire I-129F visa petition to the embassy so it can be supplemented by documents and evidence my fiancee brings to the interview, or will my fiancee need to bring every piece of evidence with her, even those forms that were already submitted to the USCIS? If the petition is forwarded, my fiancee will have the original I-129F and my original Fiance Letter of Intent, so that is a start. She will also be bringing many duplicates, since I mailed her copies of everything I sent to the USCIS for the petition. The problem is, I can't remember right now who has the originals of each document. One thing that confuses me is that most of the documents we need to submit (e.g. I-129F, G-325A, I-134, DS-156, DS-157, DS-156K, & in our case, the Fiance(e) Letters of Intent) are filled in using a computer, so the only part of those documents that makes them "original" is the handwritten signature. I've made copies of some of these signed documents and accidentally submitted some copies instead of the "originals". For example, I just realized that I accidentally sent the Xeroxed copy of my I-134 -- I still have in my possession the only copy I signed! So apparently it would have been better to make many blank, unsigned copies and then sign them all in ink so that they're ALL original! But in all honesty, is it really that important that the Embassy sees the original signature for EVERY document? Or do they only mean "important" documents like my birth certificate? I only sent a copy of that! Did they REALLY want me to send my original birth certificate? Or did they only mean my fiancee's "important" documents? She will bring new NSO copies of her birth certificate as the Manila Embassy requests, and her NBI certificate, passport, and CENOMAR will all be "original". However, for "Evidence of a Meeting" and "Evidence of an Ongoing Relationship", I did not send original photos (I'd sent a computer printout of a collage of six photos from my trip to the Philippines with my fiancee, her family, and I), nor my original passport with stamps showing travel to the Philippines (I'd sent Xeroxed copies), nor original boarding passes or hotel receipts (Xeroxed copies). I was reluctant to send any of these since they are all one-of-a-kind documents. I figured I would only send the originals if requested. So how important is it that the U.S. Embassy sees all original documents? Which documents need to be original and which don't? Has anyone been denied or held up at the interview stage because of a lack of original documents? Or am I just being paranoid now? Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 18 April 2010 - 03:15 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-18 03:11:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	G-325A Help and questions	My fiancee also forgot to date her G-325A next to her signature, along with a few other details. I filled in the date and those details myself, and my petition passed through the Vermont Service Center with no problems! I assume the U.S. consulate shouldn't have any objections either, but I won't know that for sure until next week! The U.S. consulate didn't even notice!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-27 00:21:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	G-325A Help and questions	Also, my fiance sent me some of the paperwork for the filling and she signed but did not date the G-325A, the attachment to the 325A or the intent to marry letter (the letter does have the date in the header format). She also forgot to put her mother's birthdate on the form. Other than these small hickups every thing is fine. 2.) My question is that can I manually fill in the dates on the forms? My fiancee also forgot to date her G-325A next to her signature, along with a few other details. I filled in the date and those details myself, and my petition passed through the Vermont Service Center with no problems! I assume the U.S. consulate shouldn't have any objections either, but I won't know that for sure until next week!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-19 19:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Income Requirements?	Yes, you need to make 125% of the federal poverty level, regardless of whether you're a student or have a full-time job. It doesn't matter if your fiance(e) can work or not, you need to be able to support him or her on your salary alone. For 2 people, 125% of the federal poverty level is $18,212. Here is a link from the U.S. Civilization and Immigration Services Web site: USCIS Poverty guidelines Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 27 April 2010 - 12:28 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-27 00:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Birth Certificate Question	Original certified copie's w/raised seals are required at the Embassy for the interview. This is for the original poster: I mailed an original certified copy of my birth certificate to my fiance for her interview, but the officer never asked for it! I guess it depends on the embassy/officer!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-28 00:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Birth Certificate Question	I just found out that my Fiance (the american) sent in a copy of his BC with our I-129F. We just started this process and the package was sent in at the end of March. We've not heard anything yet (no NOA) so should we be expecting a request for an original document instead of an NOA? No, I wouldn't expect an RFE. I sent a photocopy of my birth certificate for our I-129F, and ours passed quickly (in only 3 months) with no touches! I do not know, however, if the Embassy will require the actual birth certificate or not. I am at that stage now and a little worried that they might!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-04-18 21:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Photographs	Is it ok to hand write the date and location on the back of the photos or does it have to be more professional? I printed out a single page of 6 digital photos, with typed captions detailing the date and who was in each picture. That worked for us! No traditional photos, and no handwritten dates or locations!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 22:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Does VO keep the documents?	jackc - it's my understanding, for a K-1 - it all goes into the sealed 'do not open' envelope that yer fiance receives back via EMS. Thanks for the info -- I hope that's the case! Do you think that the documents the beneficiary brings with him/her to the interview, such as the police clearance, certificate of no marriage, and a birth certificate, will also be in that envelope? Or only the documents that were forwarded to the embassy from the NVC after the petition process?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-10 22:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Passport Stamps	Hello, i actually skipped this step, and only sent in pictures and hotel itineraries and flight itineraries...but now i wish i had done the passport stamps...i remember reading that if you do send the photocopies in, you should send in every page of your passport...good luck, i hope skipping this stage doesnt get me a RFE. I only copied the pages of my passport that were stamped, and it didn't get me an RFE. But then again, I didn't use if as proof of citizenship -- I just used it as evidence of our meeting. There might be a difference. I used a photocopy of my birth certificate as proof of citizenship.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-20 00:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Contents of the "Do Not Open" brown envelope from the U.S. Embassy	The immigrant's entire file. In original form, of which no copy exists. If opened or lost, the immigrant starts from square one. Thanks for the answer! Does anyone know if we can keep any of the documents from that envelope after she passes the POE? Or should we get additional copies of the NBI clearance and CENOMAR while we are in the Philippines before she comes to the U.S. for good?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-21 16:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Contents of the "Do Not Open" brown envelope from the U.S. Embassy	My fiancee gave her only copy of the NBI clearance and CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) to the consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Manila during her visa interview. Although I don't think she necessarily needs a copy for herself, it might be nice to have a copy for our own records. Does anyone know if either of these documents are included in the brown envelope marked "Do Not Open" that she received from the embassy along with her passport? If so, will we be allowed to keep those documents after the agents at the POE let her through? By the way, does anyone have a comprehensive list of what's included in this envelope? Is this specific to each embassy or the same at all of them?	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2010-05-19 23:58:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Yesterday I found out that we are in line for an interview in the Newark Field Office too, we don't have a date yet but I'm assuming is going to be after yours since we sent everything after you and I'm a november 2012 filer. Please let me know how yours goes...    I have like 10 pages of possible questions that I printed because he always gets my birthday wrong and it's clueless about certain things in the house because I take care of the bills.    We had our interview and passed! It wasn't really hard at all, minus all the waiting and the nerves just to get it over with! The only questions he asked us were when did we meet, when did we visit the Philippines, what is our address, and what trips have we taken together. We brought tons of evidence, but all he wanted to see was photos from our trips. Bring lots of photos! Good luck!     Once again, the NSA is listening to your calls and reading your emails.   I wasn't really worried about that. Complaining about incompetent government isn't a crime. If anything, our case is airtight, so bringing attention to it could have only gotten us accepted quicker!     Gone through your posts... Mine is also the similar case except that I filed the I751-waiver alone myself due to divorce... My file was scheduled for the Interview at the Newark Local office after sending my reply to the RFE in May 2013.... In June 2013, I took the Infopaas at the Newark office and asked about the status of my case and the IO said the same thing to me that it's going to take 5-6 months to schedule for the interview as my file is still in the line for the scheduling of the interview and when I asked him why this much time... he said, becasue we don't have that many officers who take the i751 interviews and there are many files which are still pending... But after  3 weeks I received a Interview scheduled mail from the Neward USCIS office and my interview was on August 20th 2013... Here are the details of the interview...   Update of my I751 Waiver (Divorce) filing... Received RFE in Febraury 2013.. Sent the RFE with few documents in April 2013... Called USCIS customer care number and requested the customer representative to transfer my call to the next level Immigration Officer and came to know from him that my file has been scheduled for the Interview.... Received the Interview notice in July 2013... and the Interview date was scheduled on August 20, 2013 at 10:30 AM....   20th August, 2013 - Went to the Interview with my attorney at 9:00AM.... Called for the Interview at 1:00PM (As there were quite people who were scheduled for the interview on that day and also there were few people who were scheduled for the Oath ceremony for the Citizenship on the same day... So, thinking might be that could be the reason why it took that much time...   Anywayz... Officer came out and called my name and took us to room... Before I sit.. he asked me to raise my hand and took the Oath... then we sat... he opened my file and start looking at my file... Looks like he didn't get a chance to look at my file before that... but, my attorney asked the officer that did he got a chance to go through the file, to which he replied... Yes... I just look at it for 20 mins... He started asking me the questions like... where I'm living right now, My current address, My name, When I filed i751, when did the divorce took place, did you guyz travelled any where while in the married, why I have less documentation ( to which I replied that as the marriage was very short, so, we didn't had that many evidences of living together)..., R U married right now, Name of my current wife, Date of my current marrriage, Status of my current wife.... Everytime I reply to his questions, he was noting down in the computer... The other questions which I think were the red light and I didn't get the chance to explain the reason behind that was: - Who filed for the divorce ( I replied, My wife but didn't get a chance to give him the reason behind this as he wasn't interested in knowing the reason) - When was the last time when you saw your wife (I replied, when I left to California... to which he said... So, you left her... and when I wanted to give the reason, he moved to the other question) And I remember he noted that in the computer... And the last questions were, Have you any time got arrested or got deported or got arrested in any country... To all of those questions, my answer was... NO...   Then he said... Ok! you will here from us in 4-5 weeks...   That's it and he got up... While going out, my attorney asked the officer that whether he had any interviews after me... to which he said.. No, this was the last one... and we went out...   After coming out, I asked my attorney about how the Interview went.... To which, he said that the Officer was asking for the more documentation to approve the case, but as we didn't had any more documents, So, not sure what decision they might be making...   It's 4 weeks now and still didn't hear anything from them...   Hope this helps to those who are expecting for their interviews...   Also, Please give me any updates or anything regarding the interview results which took more time for the decision... and also plzzz pray for me...     We wish the best for you -- what happened? It's been 6 or 7 weeks by now...     We're in a similar situation except we haven't really been waiting that long, but definitely past the 6-month mark. We applied in Jan, got called for biometrics in Feb, then heard nothing till July, and went in for a 2ND Biometrics in beginning August. So it's been about 8 months and we're still in the 'biometrics phase' and initial review.    From your experience do you recommend we take any action at this point so as to push USCIS to handle our case sooner than later? E.g info-pass appointment, or call to ask for info on delays...I'll be traveling in December and hope to have heard from them before then. what's the best course of action to take to encourage them to tackle our file sooner than later?  I'm not sure I'm qualified to tell you what to do to get approved any quicker. For your travel, I can recommend you schedule an InfoPass appointment with your local USCIS office so you can get an I-551 stamp on your passport, which extends your green card's expiration date while the USCIS is working on it and allows you to return to the US after your travel. Unfortunately for us, Karen may not actually receive her new green card until we are in the Philippines!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-10-08 14:52:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Awesome at least you know it almost over. I hope i get my letter soon!   Yeah, I guess so. But don't worry -- USCIS still managed to screw me, the US citizen husband. The date of our interview just so happens to overlap with a science conference I'm scheduled to attend at the National Institutes of Health, which means I won't be able to meet with scientists there who might want to hire me. Basically, I'll miss the job interview, the main reason I wanted to go. We thought about rescheduling, but found out we'd be put at the back of the line again!       You are really lucky.... I am still waiting and based on your info, this won't be before 15months.... I wish you good luck and keep us informed.   I hope I am wrong with my calculations. I've been waiting for the site to update with July's numbers. Maybe Dallas will pick up the pace soon! We will all get there sooner or later, it's just a matter of how to stay sane while we wait! Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 30 August 2013 - 01:11 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-08-30 01:10:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Update: we received a letter from USCIS telling us that we are scheduled for an interview in Newark, NJ on Tuesday, October 8. Looks like my estimate based on the Newark Field Office's stats on http://dashboard.uscis.gov/ was correct! October can't come quick enough! We just want this whole process to be over!	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-08-24 01:33:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Guys, don't forget to try e-request at USCIS.GOV after normal official processing period - currently 6 months.   Link - https://egov.uscis.g...giOtDVW-fRCKccu   Thanks for the info! Since we'd last filed a service request more than 30 days ago (July 15, 2013), I tried an e-request just today. However, there is some sort of error with the system. I copied and pasted the I-751 Receipt Number directly from our USCIS "track case status" account, but we got this error message: The following error(s) need to be corrected: You must select the Form Number associated to your Receipt Number. The Form Number you selected does not match our records for that Receipt Number. The form is pretty simple -- just receipt number, form type, date filed, and mailing zip code -- so what gives? Any suggestions for what to do next? When we got USCIS to put an I-551 stamp on my wife's foreign passport, they took her I-797 NOA1 form and unfortunately we hadn't made a copy of it, but shouldn't the receipt number on the USCIS case status page (and the matching receipt number also on the RFE I-797 form) be correct?     Just got back from my info pass appointment. I Got the I-551 stamp, but no other information about my case except its being schuduled for an interview. She advised me not to file for naturalization. lol   In the same boat. Look at my post above (link here: http://dashboard.uscis.gov) to check the stats for your Field Office.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-08-23 02:27:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Hi everyone, I am completely lost and confused. I filed joint I-751 on April 15th, 2012 (Vermont Center). On december 19th, 2012, I received a RFE and submitted the addotional document on March 1st, 2013. By May 2013, I realized that I did not get any feedback and contacted them (05/06/13), they replied to  me 2 days letter to inform that my case was transfer to the local Office ( Dallas, TX) and that I have been RANDOMLY selected for an interview which just confused me as I received a RFE. Then on May 27th, I went to USCIS to stamp my passport and asked if they have any udate and all he could told me was that my file was there, awaiting for an interview date. I contacted them in July and all they could say was that my case was in suspence until a date for interview is available. I don't know what to do anymore, I wnat to apply for citizenship, but my attorney told me not too. How lond would it take them to schedule me? Is it a random selection? Am really confused....     Sorry to hear your story. I can't offer specific advice about your particular problem, as I'm sort of going through the same thing at the moment (although not as delayed as you), but I did find a minor resource to show statistics from individual field offices. It was sort of hidden on the USCIS web site, so here it is: http://dashboard.uscis.gov/   It looks like the number of pending cases at the Dallas Field Office has been steadily increasing from 343 in Nov. 2012 to 590 in Jun. 2013, with only ~20 cases being completed every month. It looks like there is a major slowdown there for some unknown reason. At that rate, if your case was transferred to Dallas in early March, you'd be number 500 in line and they wouldn't get to your case until ~20 months from March or ~15 months from now (the rate increased slightly to ~25 cases/month from Mar. to Jun. 2013)! If you're tired of waiting, maybe you should try something else. In contrast, although my wife and I are about number 600 in line at the Newark Field Office, the average rate of completions has sped up greatly (~125/month) over the last two months listed on the chart (May-June), up from ~100/month over the previous 5 months of 2013. At that rate, it'd take ~5 months from May 29, so we probably still have to wait another 2 months or so. Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 23 August 2013 - 02:12 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-08-23 02:05:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	After 11 months, case transferred to Newark Field Office - what to do about no timetable?	Also forgot to say that when we told an agent that our reason for visiting the Newark Field Office was because it's taken 1 year to remove conditions on permanent residence, he said that removal of conditions takes an average of 2 years. Since I'm familiar with everyone else's experiences here, I told him that most others are approved in only 3-6 months. I don't know if he meant that cases that get transferred to Newark normally take 2 years total or if he thought that the average in general was that long, but it really took me by surprise. Just the way he said it sort of shot me down. Now that I checked the AILA estimate from the VisaJourney link, I see that the I-751 at the Vermont Service Center takes about 6 months. What the hell was that Newark USCIS agent talking about? Does anyone know a place where we can see processing times from the Newark Field Office? The link from VisaJourney (http://www.visajourn...m/content/times) only showed estimated times for I-485, N-400, and N-600. It also looks like VisaJourney doesn't have a graph for processing times for Removal of Conditions? The charts seem to stop after Adjustment of Status and Advanced Parole. Edited by Karen_and_Jay, 13 August 2013 - 02:57 AM.	Karen_and_Jay	Male	Philippines	2013-08-13 02:53:00