ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Philippinespls advice
QUOTE (YuAndDan @ Feb 13 2009, 08:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You travel to the USA before the visa expires (6 Months).

A few weeks after arriving in the USA you can apply for a SSN, and perhaps driver's license.

If you are married less than 2 years when you enter the USA, you get a 2 year conditional green-card. You will need to file to remove conditions within 90 days before the card expires.

No minimum stay in the USA, however to maintain LPR status in the USA you do need to LIVE in the USA.



Does this mean that we have to deal with the USCIS again?
club royaleFemalePhilippines2009-02-23 23:54:00
Philippinesnearing the end
I'm on the same boat as you are. I guess it's just natural to feel the stress level getting higher'coz we are almost there and many things are going on in our mind at the same time . Whenever i feel like I'm getting stressed out, I usually walk away from the computer( which have been my bestfriend 24/7 throughout this whole process! lol) and watch a feel-good or comedy movie. When we are not focused, our tendency is to read and surf more in the internet hoping to find the answer to all the questions that we have and we just end up getting more stressed..

Most of all, I pray for God's guidance in every step and decision that I make.

Goodluck to all of us! yes.gif
club royaleFemalePhilippines2009-02-23 09:32:00
PhilippinesINTERVIEW APPROVED!!!!!!!!
Congratulations!
club royaleFemalePhilippines2009-02-24 07:09:00
PhilippinesFilipinas
QUOTE (ScottNelyn @ Nov 21 2007, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Can anyone tell me why Filipinas are the most beautiful women in the world?


I can't comment on ALL Filipinas, but MY Filipina is certainly the most beautiful woman in the world.

Muuaahhhh!!! I love you Ganda.
Mike and ElisaNot TellingPhilippines2007-12-19 11:48:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionUnsuccessful biometric walk-in
QUOTE (Nanusia & Lukaszek @ Oct 23 2007, 04:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm with Kez on this one, and don't understand why people feel they should even try to do walk-in Biometrics. I mean they schedule you for a reason, right? They try to manage their schedule, and set dates for you to come for... hence why they didn't take you, and a valid reason according to me. We are all eager to get our cases moving, but if everyone started doing this, and showing up just as soon as they knew they could, the messy system would turn into a complete super mess and cause further delays down the line.


Although they probably have a reason for scheduling biometrics of applicants, sometimes their scheduling is not so reasonable. Case in point: my and my son's biometrics schedules. We were given two different appointment dates. It meant I had to miss work twice in one week as the appointments were one day apart. I could have dragged my son out of school during my appointment date and had him do a walk-in biometrics. But, I didn't want to do that and risk having him turned away and told to return on his actual appointment date. If I had known for a fact or through somebody's experience, that our ASC would accept walk-ins, then I would have taken my son along with me during my appointment and saved time and a tank of gas.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-23 20:39:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionUnsuccessful biometric walk-in
This is good information though as a lot of people ask about walk-in biometrics.

I tried to do a search about that for our ASC in Charlotte, NC but could not find any. When I went for my appointment, they had a big sign that said they will only take those with appointments that day.

When I was chatting with the lady who was doing the actual prints, she said that they've been slow the past couple of weeks and they would have taken my son the same day as my appointment (even though his was for the following day). She said that they will allow families to get their biometrics done on the same day so as to minimize trips.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-23 13:48:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionRenewing Driver's License with extension letter-
QUOTE (rocky @ Jan 15 2008, 01:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm in the same boat too. My drivers license expires on Feb.8 and my green card expires on may 8,2008 but i'm going to renew my drivers license on Jan.22 lets see what's gonna happen ok! good.gif By the way guys, how can i apply for extension letter just incase my gc will not arrive early after applying for new one before the exp. date?

Any reply is highly appreciated! Good luck and hope&pray everything will be fine in our I-751.


Which extension letter are you asking about?

You should get a NOA for your I-751. This NOA extends the validity of your gc by another year.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-01-15 10:51:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionGeneral FAQ's for Removing Conditions


If I may, I wanted to post here so people could use scans of my documents in my signature and to make sure newcomers know following for sure

PLEASE DO NOT SEARCH CASE STATUS FOR THE CASE NUMBER THAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON YOUR CASHED CHECK!!! This is a temporary one, wait for your NOA and it will have a different case number that can be found online.


Unless things have changed you couldn't check the status of an I-751 online. About all you could do is check the Service Center processing dates to have an idea of where you stand. Has this been changed to allow the case status of an I-751 to be checked online?


I can't find a direct link to it anywhere.


I just checked this one and it works
https://egov.immigra.../jsps/index.jsp (click on the first link from the top "you can check the status of your case online".)


I'm not talking about case status. I'm talking about the removal of conditions info that used to be in the "How Do I" section of the Website. The old "How Do I" section is gone and the have moved sh*t all over the place and it some cases the only way I have found to location some info is through the Search fuction and then wade through pages of hits.


I agree. It's so hard to find anything on their new website now!!
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2006-11-10 15:11:00
Philippinesnew USCIS fees go into effect July 30th

AP is not desired for us plus we wouldn't have to file any EAD renewals.

Question about AOS and the 2 yr anniversary...do you have to be married 2 yrs before filing for AOS or married 2 yrs before AOS is granted to get the 10 yr green card?


It's 2 years of marriage on the day the AOS is approved.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-05-29 16:18:00
Philippinesnew USCIS fees go into effect July 30th
Dang it! I was hoping I'd be able to file my I-751 before the increase came into effect.

Posted Image
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-05-29 13:41:00
PhilippinesNew Philippines Regional Forum .. WoOhOo .. :)
Wow.. awesome!
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-05-18 20:15:00
PhilippinesTrying to learn Visayan, any tips?
I taught my husband "survival" phrases like:

(gi)Gutom na ko = I'm hungry
(gi)Uhaw ko = I'm thirsty
Kapoy kaayo ko = I'm very tired


Aside from the usual

Maayong Buntag = Good morning
Maayong Hapon = Good afternoon
Maayong gabi-i = Good evening
Salamat

:D

When we visited Cebu last year he bought an English-Cebuano dictionary from the National Bookstore.

Edited by eau_xplain, 21 May 2007 - 04:08 PM.

eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-05-21 16:06:00
PhilippinesI know, I know .. but I did it anyways ..
Good to see that you're an optimist! :)


Just a couple of comments. I think that trying to catch the July 30 cut-off for the fees is a bit too optimistic. Within two weeks of Mylene's and her daughter's arrival you have to:

a ) get married
b ) get a civil surgeon to issue the I693A (vaccination supplement) for Mylene and her daughter
c ) Have the certified marriage license/certificate on hand

All that on top of Mylene and her daughter trying to cope with jet lag. :)

BTW, you can file AOS for Mylene's daughter without you having to adopt her. She is already defined as "your child" by virtue of her being your stepchild. You can work on the adoption after the AOS has been filed.

Good luck! I hope everything will fall into place for you, Mylene and your new family. :)

Edited by eau_xplain, 28 June 2007 - 12:19 PM.

eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-06-28 12:18:00
PhilippinesVisa to return to Phillipines
When I renewed our passports (at the Phil. Embassy in Washington D.C.), they expedited processing because we were from out of town. We submitted our application in the morning and my son got his in the afternoon. There were some complications with mine (because of the name change) so i wasn't able to get mine same day. But if hers is straightforward, she can have it done same day too. I hope she can find a way to get to the consulate in Los Angeles or have someone process it for her there.

Edited by eau_xplain, 23 August 2007 - 01:28 PM.

eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-08-23 13:27:00
PhilippinesCR1/IR1- Married in the US
QUOTE (michael_nc @ Aug 29 2007, 10:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I will have to check with the city to find out if they "automatically" forward marriage licenses to the appropiate embassy..If it has been forwarded, then it could possibly show up at NSO on the CENOMAR, but most likely it won't...So I'm in a predicament



Michael, the city/county does not forward marriage licenses automatically.

We were married in NC too and we went to the US Embassy in Washington D.C. to file my Report of Marriage. We did this since I also applied to have my passport show my married name. If your wife can get it done in the Philippines, then she should do so.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-08-30 11:55:00
PhilippinesCheapest flights from US to Cebu?
QUOTE (jasman0717 @ Sep 9 2007, 08:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (garya505 @ Aug 17 2007, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (niceguy26 @ Aug 17 2007, 04:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Anything other than bt-store.com out there? Anyone know any discount agents? I wish i could fly to Cebu for the same price as some of the Manila fairs... Best I had so far was my 1st trip. $1300 round trip... I wish i could fly for around $900!!!



You can't fly from the US to Cebu.




LAX to Hong Kong to Cebu good.gif


Yup! That's our route when we went on our vacation last year. The 2+ hour lay-over in HKG was great as it gave us a chance to shower/freshen up before our last leg to Cebu! smile.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-09-10 09:18:00
PhilippinesThings to do for a K1 bearer once arrived in US
QUOTE (George and Jenny @ Sep 17 2007, 09:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
7. report of marriage/passport amendment

Should I have her new name on the passport too?


Not necessary. It is ok to wait until her passport is expiring before getting her one in her married name. Several people have travelled on "maiden name" passports and a copy of the marriage license/certificate.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-09-17 09:21:00
PhilippinesONLY in the PHILIPPINES...
Family, FOOD and having help around the house. I try to cook Filipino food as often as I can but there are just some things we can't get here ...not fresh anyway. I mostly miss the fruits ... lanzones, "real" bananas, jackfruit, mangosteen, rambutan, marang .. and many more.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-09-22 12:40:00
Philippinesmarriage in the USA
Try this direct link to the Report of Marriage document.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-03 15:13:00
PhilippinesReport of Marriage and Passport Amendment
I just filed:

Report of Marriage
Passport Renewal

Each with a separate form and separate fee.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-31 10:00:00
PhilippinesFirst Celebration of Birthday in America
Steven, since Jinky is pretty social, perhaps you can get in touch with her Filipina friends and ask them to help you put together a surprise bday party for Jinky? They can prepare all the Filipino dishes that are usual for parties...especially the pancit (for long life)!!!
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-10 14:59:00
PhilippinesThanksgiving in America
QUOTE (CountryBoy @ Nov 13 2007, 09:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Mylene made some rice pudding for an early Thanksgiving party Sunday .. yummy ..

For thanksgiving day we will be at my sisters home, but Mylene is planning on making Bico (sweet rice) and Lumpiang Shanghai .. they have all had her lumpia before and absolutely love it, but I think that the bico will be another crowd pleaser.

CB


Ooohhh.. I love bico!!! good.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-14 10:59:00
PhilippinesThanksgiving in America
QUOTE (Mister Fancypants @ Nov 13 2007, 02:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For those who've never eaten a turkey before - who's cooking the bird? tongue.gif


Here's a list of what my family (mom) would traditionally prepare for Thanksgiving:


Roasted Turkey
Honey Baked Ham
Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole (with mini-marshmallows on top)
String Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy (made from the broth of boiling the neck and heart)
Ambrosia
Sweet Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Rolls

....

Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Apple Pie
Minsmeat (sp) Pie

...all of which were topped with whipped heavy cream. tongue.gif


Yummmm!!

First Thanksgiving dinner that I prepared we had:

Roasted Turkey
Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole (with mini-marshmallows on top)
Green beans (with dried onions on top)
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Seafood bisque
Cornbread


For dessert we had:

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie


The turkey came out pretty good considering it was my first attempt.


This year it's just going to be hubby, myself and my son. Not sure yet if my stepson will be joining us. So, we just got a small turkey and maybe just have a small dinner for us.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-13 16:39:00
PhilippinesDamn!
Will the Philippines and her people never get a break? cray5ol.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-13 16:19:00
PhilippinesChristmas here vs. in the Philippines
waaaahhhhh... I want some lechon and dinuguan!!!! crying.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-15 10:45:00
PhilippinesChristmas here vs. in the Philippines
A nativity set and perhaps a parol (or two)

Here's a website that tells how to make a simple parol.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-11 14:52:00
Philippinesrenewing passport to married name
You first submit a Report of Marriage. Then you file for a passport renewal. You can submit both at the same time at the Consulate in Los Angeles or at the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C.

Edited by eau_xplain, 20 November 2007 - 04:53 PM.

eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-11-20 16:52:00
PhilippinesSurvey Says?
My main native language is Cebuano. Like most Filipinos, I also speak Tagalog and English. I was also fortunate enough to spend some time in other places in the Philippines and learned to speak some Hiligaynon, Waray (mostly N. Samar version) and Chavacano.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-28 21:23:00
PhilippinesHow can I make her transition easier?
QUOTE (Mike and Elisa @ Dec 29 2007, 12:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks everyone for a lot of really great suggestions.

I love her, I know she loves me. I know that she will fit in and make the transition just fine. That doesn't mean it will be a simple process or that there won't be bumps along the way. I just want to do everything I can to make it as easy for her as possible.

Can anyone offer any suggestions on finding a local Filipino community or even a few nearby Filipino families? I've been to the local Asian grocery and asked there. Most of their customers are Chinese and they couldn't offer any help on finding Filipino families.



Is there a Filipino store near where you are? That would be a good place to initiate contact with other Filipinos. You can also check out churches, especially a Catholic church. I remember when I was on a short trip to Sweden a long time ago, we attended mass at a Catholic church and managed to hook up with several Filipinos who reside in the area.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-12-29 16:38:00
PhilippinesWaiting for the Greencard
Unless your case was transferred to CSC, your next step in the process is the AOS interview. Have you received your interview appointment letter already?
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-01-17 10:51:00
PhilippinesTax trascripts
You can request copies of W2s from the IRS but they take longer. It would be easier and quicker to ask for a copy from the employers directly.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-01-17 10:23:00
PhilippinesAnybody know a good online study program?
I would suggest looking at community colleges near you. They might have online courses that might be interesting to your (soon to be) wife.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-01-24 11:28:00
PhilippinesLeaving tomorrow to California
Hope you'll have a safe and pleasant trip!
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-02-22 11:48:00
PhilippinesOne year ago today, Jinky and Job arrived here in the states
Steven,

That was beautiful. Best wishes to you, Jinky and your growing family. rose.gif

-Xenia

Edited by eau_xplain, 03 March 2008 - 10:58 AM.

eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-03-03 10:57:00
PhilippinesWho among you have tried eating BALUT?
and no....I have not (and don't think I ever will) try Balut.

So, my husband was relieved that I didn't "force" him to try it. biggrin.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-02 13:12:00
PhilippinesWho among you have tried eating BALUT?
QUOTE (RandyandRina @ Oct 1 2007, 04:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Everyone in the family loves balut but not me. Can someone tell me what's the difference between BALUT from PENOY? laughing.gif



Penoy is a "kind" of balut. The embryo has not turned into a chick yet. If you read the article about how Balut is made you will see that the Penoy is a duck's egg that has been incubated for 12 days.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2007-10-02 13:10:00
PhilippinesWorking using SSN
Agreed it is illegal.

But to post untruth is downright wrong also. I am not advocating for the OP or anyone to work illegally. But I cannot stand something that is untrue to be spread around as if it's the truth.

Go to the USCIS website and do a search on AOS + overstay and unauthorized work and read up on it. Go to the IRS website and you will see that they do not report to USCIS. All they care about is that you pay your taxes. Go to the SSA and you will see that it is they who will report to the USCIS.

OP, any company who will hire someone without caring whether you are authorized to work or not is just out to exploit you. They are companies that survive because they take advantage of people who are desperate to work even without USCIS authorization and even at or lower than minimum wages.

You have done everything else legally from the very start, why do something unauthorized at this point? Your unauthorized work might not affect your immigration process at this point but it might have an impact on your family members who are still in the Philippines. Think about it.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-03-22 08:55:00
PhilippinesWorking using SSN
QUOTE (charisma1 @ Mar 20 2008, 08:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's what I thought... but still not worth the risk! but what if a company REALLY wants me and cannot wait for me 3 months? What ways around it? what about if it was UNPAID training? ;-)

And how can they find out anyway?


Back in the days when the USCIS website had more information up front (and you don't have to spend hours doing a search) they defined the different categories of "work" that do not violate the "work with DHS authorization only" rule. Unfortunately, working unpaid, for a job that you will ultimately be paid for is considered work that will need DHS authorization.

Unlike what some people think USCIS and IRS do not communicate. However, the SSA has established a new system wherein they are supposed to submit to USCIS a report on SSNs that have the "work with DHS authorization only" restriction and have earned work credits. Under this new system, there is a greater possibility of USCIS finding out if you worked without authorization.

As I have mentioned before unauthorized work and overstay are usually "overlooked" by USCIS when they process AOS. Any penalties for unauthorized work will fall on the employer for hiring somebody who has not been granted authorization. A good employer would not want to jeopardize the company by hiring somebody without DHS authorization.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-03-21 13:01:00
PhilippinesWorking using SSN
QUOTE (Sheriff Uling @ Mar 20 2008, 03:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (charisma1 @ Mar 20 2008, 06:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kezzie @ Feb 27 2008, 12:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You are not authorized to work unless you have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or a Greencard..... your SSN Card will have written on it "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION." so any employer will know that you need to have a EAD to be able to work....

Starting work without a EAD would be working illegally....


Kez

what's the risk for that?

DEPORTATION! Kinda like being arrested then kicked out of the country. Actually, I suspect that the beneficiary's AOS request will be denied accompanied-by or followed-by a formal letter basically telling you to "Get Out" by a specific date. I do not know the deporation or AOS denial procedures, but it's definitely not a procedure the beneficiary want to experience.



Actually this is blatantly untrue. If you are married to a USC and applying for AOS, any overstay and unauthorized work will not cause denial of your application. However, if your AOS is denied for any other reason and you have to leave the USA, both overstay and unauthorized work will count against you when you apply for another type of visa.
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-03-20 16:09:00
PhilippinesGinintuang butil
laughing.gif

Sorry Charles, you'll have to learn Tagalog to appreciate it. smile.gif
eau_xplainFemalePhilippines2008-03-24 10:14:00