ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesGot CR-1 Visa, what's next???
With CR-1 nothing to do for two years until you file for the 10-year green card. Just be sure and keep your address up to date if you move. If you checked the box for them to issue your wife her SSN, you should get it in a couple of weeks.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-08-24 16:55:00
PhilippinesSuggestions on Bible Translation
I am wanting to get my wife a new Bible as a gift, right now she only has an old Gideon's New Testament that she brought with her. With so many different translations, I am unsure what to get.

The version she has now is a New King James, but I think a more modern version would help her understand. I have a New International Version which I think is pretty easy to understand.

She wants to keep improving her English, so that is why I want to get her an English version instead of Tagalog or Visayan.

So if you have any suggestions or want to let me know what version you have please let me know.

Thanks!
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-08-31 08:30:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Kathlene received her visa yesterday, she told me the DO NOT OPEN envelope has a mark where she opened the main envelope, but it is not open. how picky are they about the brown envelope? She is going to show me the next time we chat to see if I think we need to get it re-packaged.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-09-26 12:08:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
The co-sponsor's papers will be submitted to the embassy Monday, how long before they should send Kathlene her visa?

This is the only thing they requested and the gentleman was very happy with Kathlene's answers at the interview. They had her pay Delbros, so I am hoping they will release the visa after reviewing my co-sponsor's info.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-09-14 11:40:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
I have sent the requested papers for a co-sponsor today to Manila and the embassy should receive them by next week.

They had Kathlene go ahead and pay Delbros, so does that mean they will go ahead and process her visa once they review the co-sponsor? There should be no problem with his income since it has been well over the requirements on the past three years tax forms.

Should I hope for Kathlene getting a visa in the next few weeks, or will they take their time on reviewing her case?
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-09-05 19:01:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
I may be wrong, but I thought if you could show six months of pay stubs showing you earn over the minimum, that was good enough to meet the requirements, or is it up to the individual doing the interview?

But I have a couple of people who I think are willing to co-sponsor, so everything will work out fine.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-08-09 16:11:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

Did they give your fiance other paper aside from pink slip?


They gave Kathlene a letter explaining what they need, but the counsel told her she did very well at her interview and she would just need to bring the original form from the co-sponsor to the embassy anytime, no appointment needed. After we get a co-sponsor, they should process her visa.

Kathlene is going to either email me or fax the letter to me once she gets home from Manila
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-08-09 10:18:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Just got off the phone with Kathlene, she did fine with her interview, but the counsel decided to ignore the paycheck copies from the first of the year and go off of my income on my 2006 return only so they are going to require a co-sponsor.

Once I submit the co-sponsor, they will issue her a visa, so hopefully this will only be a short delay.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-08-09 01:08:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Kathlene should now be inside the embassy for her interview ! ! !
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-08-08 17:24:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Kathlene's interview is August 9th at 6:30am. We have a friend in Manila who has a boarding house and will take Kathlene to the Embassy. I have two quick questions. (sorry if the answer is already somewhere, the search is not working)

1. Does Kathlene need to get there about an hour before her scheduled time, or earlier?

2. She lives outside of Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao, how much should she bring to make sure she has enough for Delbros payment?

Thanks for everyone's help! We both are so excited as the interview draws near and are hoping to be back together by September!
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-07-26 17:37:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Kathlene got her packet and interview letter confirming August 9th as her interview date yesterday! So for everyone who was worried about the appointments disappearing off the website, that is good news!

Since she has her medical done already this is our LAST step before we are together again!

We are going to miss spending our anniversary together next month, but this is a pretty good anniversary present!
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-25 12:03:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

hi everyone,

on 6/14 we finally received our medical and appointment dates from the embassy website

July 26
August 2

but now the embassy shows our case # not on File... What gives??? Anyone else have this problem ??? Is it time to start worring ??? :blink:

I noticed the same thing with our case number...the site was down for a while earlier, perhaps the database got corrupted? :wacko:


It has done the same thing with us, it now shows our first appointment time, not the rescheduled appointment in August I saw after Kathlene finished her medical.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-18 23:57:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Question, I just went to the interview appointment site and double checked and it is now showing Kathlene's original interview date of June 6th! I went after she got her all clear from St Luke's and it gave me an appointment date of August 9th for her interview.

Should I call the embassy to confirm the right date? I went back a couple of times when I saw the new date and it came up every time, is this a computer glitch or should I be really worried? (I'm already worried a little now)
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-18 10:48:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
OK, the website is working again! They have rescheduled Kathlene's appointment. Though we hate to wait until August, but we are still on track with what we were originally thinking anyway. At least we have the medical behind us. But a visa would have been a wonderful anniversary present for us this July!

Case Number: mnl200681XXXX
Visa Classification: CR1
St. Luke's Appointment Date: Thursday, August 02, 2007 (7:00:00 AM)
Embassy Appointment Date: Thursday, August 09, 2007 (6:30:00 AM)


And this trip she will only have to fly in for a few days and then back home to wait for her visa!

(Kathlene texted me earlier and said her phone is low bat, so you guys heard it before she did!)
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-12 23:47:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

Tell Kathleen not to be upset, this is just part of the challenge in your life. I think it will also be better to call USEM and ask for your Interview (re)schedule. That way, they know you're also following up on your case. Call Lorraine: (632)528-6300 loc. 5184. Good Luck on your Interview! And congrats that you're finnaly over with your medical exam. :thumbs: You're getting nearer and soon you'll be together and start your family... :blush:


THANKS! I will call them tonight after I get off work and touch base. I guess that is one good thing about the 13-hour time difference, I can make the phone calls I need after I get off my day job!

:wacko: 13 hours ahead . . . Now if I could just get her to find out the Kentucky lottery results on Saturday morning and call me with the numbers when it is still Friday night here . . . :wacko:
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-12 12:28:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Kathlene got her official medical papers yesterday, so she is now ready for her interview. They told her at St. Luke's that the embassy would contact her with her new appointment date since they canceled the first appointment due to her having to undergo additional medical testing.

Will the embassy automatically reschedule her appointment or do we need to call? I will send them an e-mail, but I know it could take longer to get a response than it will to get a new interview.

Kathlene is upset that she couldn't get her interview, but on the good side, with the early appointment we got (less than two weeks from sent to Manila to date of interview!) even with the delay, we are still ahead of when we originally thought she would get her interview.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-12 10:46:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

They have asked Kathlene to come back for the next three days at St Luke's, because they did a second CXR and want to follow up with sputum tests. The told Kathlene they informed the embassy that she would have to re-schedule her appointment.

Will the embassy re-schedule automatically after the tests if they give her an all-clear or will we have to request another interview?

We are both so sad now because we were so excited about the early appointment and now we are afraid we are looking at a several month wait again for another appointment, plus we are worried about the test results now as well.

Sorry to hear you're going to be delayed and hope everything comes out okay with the test results. Hope others who see this do an early medical just so they don't get stuck if there's a problem that takes more than a week to resolve.


Agreed! That is why we were so worried when we got such a short notice about the interview! Her case was transferred on May 22nd, I saw the interview date on May 25th and did not receive the notice in the mail until the 26th for her June 6th interview date. So we had to scramble for Kathlene to get there from where she lives.

So keep checking for your transfer date and AS SOON AS YOU SEE IT HAS BEEN TRANSFERED, check the website for an interview date!

(In fact, start checking as soon as you find the papers are completed in the US! The interview letter was dated BEFORE the case was transfered.)

Edited by Dogwood_Poet, 04 June 2007 - 09:25 AM.

Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-04 09:21:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
They have asked Kathlene to come back for the next three days at St Luke's, because they did a second CXR and want to follow up with sputum tests. The told Kathlene they informed the embassy that she would have to re-schedule her appointment.

Will the embassy re-schedule automatically after the tests if they give her an all-clear or will we have to request another interview?

We are both so sad now because we were so excited about the early appointment and now we are afraid we are looking at a several month wait again for another appointment, plus we are worried about the test results now as well.

Edited by Dogwood_Poet, 04 June 2007 - 02:13 AM.

Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-06-04 02:12:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

hi dogwood, i got my nbi clearance for 3 hours only at the parksquare 1-makati city kiosk(manila)..there are actually 4 kiosks where she can renew her clearance, and it is located in:

1)Park Square I, Makati City
2)SM Mega Mall (Bldg. B. Basement), Mandaluyong City
3)Gotesco Grand Central , Monumento Caloocan City
4)Tutuban Center Mall 1, Divisoria

while, she is waiting for her medical and interview, she can obtain her clearance as all these kiosks are located in Manila, all she needs to bring is a copy of her old certificate and pay the corresponding fee..for details, here is the nbi website -NBI CLEARANCE


for the bc, she can choose to get it from nso online and just have it delivered to a place where she is staying, it normally is delivered within a week's time...website for the online request can be accessed here.. -NSO birth certificate/ cenomar/others yes it is a little expensive but it is convenient..

hope i am able to help you..goodluck! :thumbs:


Thanks for the info! Kathlene will try and get another bc & NBI while she is in Manila, but what I was wondering is if she needs to have them for her interview. on the 'Notice To Visa Applicants' it says they have received the originals of her bc & NBI so she may not need another copy, but it would be good to have them anyway.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-28 12:26:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
My wife just called me and she was going to get a new NBI clearance and certified copy of her birth certificate, but they just told her there were too many people in line and she would not receive her papers today. Her flight for Manila leaves tomorrow, so she cannot return. (We just got our interview appointment last week, which is why we are in such a rush)

According to the interview letter I received it says they already have approved the NBI clearance and certified birth certificate I sent in with her application. I sent in originals, not photocopies.

Does that mean she does not have to have another copy, she was just getting them in case there was a problem with the ones they received?

If she has to, she will have a few days between her medical and her interview where she can go and get the papers while she is in Manila. I am hoping she will get her medical done this Wednesday and Thursday, then her interview is next Wednesday, June 6.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-28 02:14:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
I sent everything Global Express Guaranteed at the main US Post Office here, but the package is delivered by FedEx.

Guaranteed delivery plus it can be tracked online all the way to its destination unlike Global Express mail which only will tell you when it arrives in Manila.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-27 04:52:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Thanks guys AGAIN for all of your help! I thought they would be closed. I expressed her documents to a friend in Manila today and they will get there by Friday so she will have my current pay records, phone logs, letters, etc.

Of course AFTER I get back from sending everything, (had to send everything before noon since it is Saturday) I get her packet in the mail! I will fax her interview letter to her so she will have it when she gets to Manila and can get started on her medical.

I will still call and see if they will send a packet to St Lukes so she will have all the info from it and an original appointment letter for her interview.

(HEY, I paid $18 for that phonecall, I may as well use my 'free' second call!)
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-26 23:53:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Since Monday (May 28th) is a holiday here in the US, will the embassy be closed as well?

I tried to find out what holidays they observe on their site, but could not find it. I am guessing they will be closed as well.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-26 06:58:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

A printout of the schedule from USEM is accepted at SLEC if you still don't have your appointment packet yet. You can also use a copy of your NOA2. You can also request to pick-up your appointment packet at SLEC.



Thanks! I think I will call and see if they can forward her packet tonight, that should give them time to get it there by early next week!

(Yes, I used the "$18.00" so I will use my second call to see if they can forward her packet.)
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-25 16:29:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Has anyone used a printout of their appointment info from the embassy website to get in at St. Luke's?

Kathlene's interview is June 6 and neither one of us has received her packet with the interview letter. I am wanting her to leave this weekend for Manila and get her medical as soon as she gets there.

The NVC call center said she had to have the original letter, but I have heard others say they will accept a printout of the appointment info.

I still can't believe they forwarded the papers on the 22nd (this past Tuesday!) and set her interview for the 6th! But if she can get her medical in early next week, I will express all the other paperwork to her in time for her interview.

Edited by Dogwood_Poet, 25 May 2007 - 11:17 AM.

Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-25 11:15:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
OK, so if we try for June 6th, how much earlier does she need to get her medical, so they will get everything to the embassy in time?

If she gets there next week and has her medical by the end of the week, will that be soon enough?
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-24 15:29:00
PhilippinesManila Embassy Interview/Visa Status
Has anyone had their interview scheduled before Manila even gets the papers from the NVC?

The NVC info line told me the case was forwarded on May 22, I checked the embassy interview appointment page last night and it tells me Kathlene's appointment is JUNE 6th ! ! !

Can this be right? I still have a lot of the papers I was going to send to her still here with me, pay stubs, phone records, etc. so I could sent them the most up-to-date information for her interview.

If this is the right date, how far back would it put us to reschedule?

I had been looking and being lucky to get scheduled in late July or August and then I see this and wonder what is going on!
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2007-05-24 14:51:00
Philippinesneed help...
As long as you going to be outside the country for less than 6 months and it is not close to the expiration date of your green card there is no problems with traveling, just carry your passport and green card with you as you travel.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-09-01 16:59:00
PhilippinesWife and I returning in January, but she is staying longer . .
Thanks for the advice, that was what I was thinking, there are still many seats available according to the online charts. I may just open two windows and book each ticket in a different window, that way I could see the seats open and make our choice at the same time so there would be less of a chance of the seat being gone by the time I booked the second ticket
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-11-15 13:57:00
PhilippinesWife and I returning in January, but she is staying longer . .
We are going to Kathlene's hometown in January for the fiesta, but she wants to stay longer than I can (only 2 weeks vacation) and I am trying to figure out the best way to book our flights.

I called 'customer service' at one of the travel sites and they suggested I buy two one-ways there and two one-ways back so we could be guaranteed we would sit together. (at higher prices, I'm sure!)

Should I try and book both flights at the same time in different windows and hope I can pick adjoining seats before they are gone, or book both flights the same and pay the penalty to change her return date?

I tried to contact a travel agent I used in the past, but she has not returned my e-mails.

Any suggestions would be welcome as I am hoping to go ahead and get our flights booked in the next couple of weeks.
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-11-13 12:52:00
Philippinesphilippine grocery store, WHERE? ? ?
We live in western Kentucky and we go to Nashville to the InterAsian Market & Deli. They have a pretty good selection so it may be worth the drive.

Check them out on the web:

InterAsian Market
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-09-12 12:50:00
PhilippinesPhilippines plane ticket cost
January fares from Kentucky to Manila about $1,300 round trip for mid-January according to most travel sites, and that is leaving from our local airport!

Paducah - Memphis, Memphis - Detroit, Detroit - Mania
Dogwood_PoetMalePhilippines2008-11-16 22:37:00