ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: East and PacificSending money to the Philippines
For 2 years I sent money over Westernunion. I don't know why they denied $500. I have sent as much as $2400 for a medical emergency although that had to be done over the phone rather than online. On my last trip I just gave her a ATM card from my bank. They only charge a $2 ATM fee and the exchange rate is the same as the official rate. Works very good for her.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-08-01 20:16:00
Asia: East and PacificPHillpines K1 Nightmare
I was told by my lawyer that if the fathers name isn't on the BC then the father would have to prove paternity before the child could not be removed. If the name isn't on the BC who would you need to get permission from? All you have to say is the father is unknown.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-12-25 09:01:00
Asia: East and PacificANY CHEAP WAY TO CALL PHILIPPINES OR INDONESIA???
There are several phone cards you can buy. Go to megaprepaid.com and they have a bunch. If you got your phone service through SBC or AT&T they have a "asia super saver plan" that worked well for me. If the person you are calling has broadband internet in their home the best thing is to get them a Vonage internet phone. I have one for Luz. She now has a local American phone number in her home. I can talk to her all day long and she can call me as much as she wants for the monthly charge of $15/month.

Edited by GaryC, 08 July 2006 - 06:09 PM.

GaryCMalePhilippines2006-07-08 18:05:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)IV Bill Update(For those of you who are still waiting)

I just spoke to someone from NVC and he informed me that even though the bill was GENERATED on April 3rd it may not have been mailed yet because they "try to avoid going to the post office everyday and instead wait until they accumulate several hundred packets and send them all in a batch"; he said normally it will take between 2-4 or 6 weeks before I receive it after its generated. :o So I guess all I can do is wait and be patient. Hope this helps anyone of you who are still waiting on the IV bill.
I guess we pay them to do what is convenient for THEM and we just have to suffer the pain of waiting.



Ummm... I always thought the post office picked the mail up?
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-21 00:14:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Delay with NVC sending info to Embassy! (repost)
Unfortunately some countries get a closer look than others. China and some of the mid-east countries get singled out for a more detailed look. I had a friend that married a woman from China. The security checks were a nightmare for him.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-26 00:22:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Finally Got A Positive Response from NVC
Still nothing for us. I hope things happen soon. The USCIS has been hard on Luz and I and I will be so glad to leave it behind.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-27 05:18:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Skipping the NVC?
I don't know if this is good news or not. The new case number gets assigned at the NVC. I have no way to track the progress or to even know if the embassy got it. I called the DOS and they said it is NOT the way it's done.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-04 13:34:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Skipping the NVC?
My K-1 petition was approved on Sept 7. I have been waiting for the NVC to get my case. When I called today the man on the phone asked me to read off the first line of my notice. It says:
"The above petition has been approved, and forwarded to the listed consulate."
He told me (the NVC) that some petitions are sent directly to the consulate and do not go to the NVC. I called the USCIS and they said the same thing!!!
Anyone else have this happen???
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-04 09:32:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Out of the last 100 k1 petitions....
I think I need to start a new chart for the CSC to NVC times and send it to my Senator that helped me with my petition. If it goes one more week I think I will.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-24 05:46:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)What does your NOA2 say?

So could he tell you the exact whereabouts of your petition and what would happen if it was sent directly to the embassy - would that create any problem for you? Can you get confirmation from the embassy that it is indeed there?

Both the NVC and the USCIS said there is no way to know where my petition is. It could be sitting at the CSC, sitting at the NVC, somewhere in between or on it's way to Manila. :angry: My lawyer is sending an inquiry to Manila to see if it made there. My only hope is that it's still at the CSC or on it's way to the NVC. Without a MNL case number it's unlikely that the Manila embassy will do anything with it.
AARRRGGG!!!!! What does the CSC have against me????
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-04 17:49:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)What does your NOA2 say?
I just called the USCIS again and talked to a supervisor. He said that unless they changed something and didn't tell him (IMBRA anyone?) that ALL K-1's still go through the NVC. He had no explanation for the wording on my NOA2, he had no explanation for what the NVC told me and he could not explain why the first level support at the USCIS told me what they did. I think I going to be sick. :dead: After 6 months of waiting for my NOA2 and a month so far waiting for the NVC to get my case, now this!!!!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-04 17:08:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)What does your NOA2 say?
I have a real strange situation here. I have been waiting for 4 weeks now for the NVC to get my case. Today when I called the person asked me what the first line of my NOA2 says. It says:
"The above petition has been approved, and forwarded to the listed consulate."
When I told them that the person said that it will go straight to the embassy. When I said that isn't the usual order they said that some go that way. I called the USCIS and they said the same thing. I asked how I could track my case without a new case number and they directed me to the DOS. I called the DOS and they never heard of such a thing!!!
So here is my question. Please look at your NOA2. Does the first line say it's been forwarded to the consulate or the NVC? If it says the consulate has you gotten notice that it went to the NVC anyway?
Thanks!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-04 15:10:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)I made a NVC timeline
I updated it again today.
http://garyandluz.co...e/NVC_10-5.html

Edited by Iniibig ko si Luz forever, 06 October 2006 - 04:25 AM.

GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-06 04:24:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)I made a NVC timeline
I made this so we can see the progress of the CSC to NVC K-1 petitions. It is for NOA2's from Sept.
http://garyandluz.co...e/NVC_10-5.html

Edited by Iniibig ko si Luz forever, 05 October 2006 - 12:22 AM.

GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-05 00:21:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)CSC to NVC timeline updated

Gosh, some cases with the later approved petition get to NVC earlier! I can't find any logic in this entire immigration process.

Logic? hehe, don't get me started.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-07 03:11:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)CSC to NVC timeline updated
Here is the new timeline for today.
http://garyandluz.co...e/NVC_10-5.html
Enjoy!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-06 22:48:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)NVC NOTICE
When you call the NVC press 1 for english and then press 5 to talk to an operator. If you hear someone speaking in spanish that means the lines are busy and you should just hang up and hit redial. It sometimes took me 6 or 7 tries but you will eventually get through. I got my NOA2 on Sept 7 and the NVC didn't get it until Oct 10. But it did go out 2 days later on the 12th. 3 days later the manila embassy got the petition. Have patients, it really takes it to deal with all of this.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-16 03:51:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)NVC time frame 90 days?
Mine took 5 weeks. NOA2 on Sept 7 and the NVC got it on Oct 10. Hang in there, it will come!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-16 23:55:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)What's going on at NVC!?
I just did a little timeline search. It seems that only one NOA2 in Sept has gotten to the NVC from the CSC. For some reason all of them are getting held up.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-18 23:51:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedureserror on Case I130!
Bummer! Can I ask, who is your lawyer?
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-20 06:12:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMarried in the US on a visitors visa

I do believe she is able to do AOS and thus remain in the states if immigration was not the intent prior to arrival.

Does she have any ties to her country?

He admits that it was intended that they get married when he got the visitors visa. I told him it is best not to lie about it.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-22 02:26:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresMarried in the US on a visitors visa
Hello! I have a friend that I work with that just married his fiance here in the US. She was on a visitors visa. He didn't know that there are a lot of hoops to jump through and now he is in a real bind.
They have known each other for 4 years, he lived with her (Brazil) for a year or two and he got her a visitors visa. They married last week and now he finds out it was the wrong way to go about things. I told him that I would ask here what the best way to do things is.
The first thing I told him was to get a lawyer!
So his questions are:
What is the best visa to try for. K3 or CR-1
Do they have DCF in Brazil?
How long does the process take?

I told him that his wife would probably need to go back home while all this is going on. She has a 6 month visa. Can she stay for the rest of the visa's duration?
Thank you for your input.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-22 02:23:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionI GOT MY VISA!!!! YAHOO
Congrats!!! :D
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-08 20:47:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionVisa Approved :)
Congratz and welcome to America!!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-30 05:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionMay 9 club?
Good for you!!! Congratz!!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-10 08:44:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionApproved K1 Applications Being Recalled!
Dwfunk, did you file a Criminal Affidavit with yours? If you did where did it tell you to do that?
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-15 05:34:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionApproved K1 Applications Being Recalled!

You are missing your Criminal Affidavit. Did you file one with you original Petition??

Ummm... I have seen this same reply in several threads now. Unless you know something that the rest of us don't there was never a need to file a "Criminal Affidavit" with our petition. That comes later for the fiance at the interview.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-15 05:21:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionApproved K1 Applications Being Recalled!
In reality this law should only apply to people that MEET after March 6. And at that it should only apply to people that met through a marriage broker. This is all very bizarre. I still think that the embassys are having a panic attack and it will all die down in a few days when they get some direction from the DHS.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-12 14:20:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionAR in the Philippines?
You might want to have a hair follical test done in addition to the outside mental evaluation. That would prove that she hasn't done shabu in the last 6 months. It might be expensive there in PI but it would add to your proof that she is not a drug user.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-04-26 06:15:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionWarning for Those with Interview in Bogota Colombia
Thats good advice for just about any country. Don't want to get caught without your passport. Major headache getting it replaced.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-16 09:05:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionMy case k1 visa


Anyone heard of someone sueing USCIS/NVC/Consulate for their damages?

There are quite a few around these parts who wouldnt mind sueing for mental anguish... :lol:

you can sue anyone. proove it and you win.

The government is immune from lawsuits resulting from job prefomance I believe.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-05-17 06:36:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionDenied Petition
Sorry to hear the way you were jerked around there. Congratz on getting the petition reaffermed though. I think they will think twice about denying you again. You have proved to the US Gov that you have a real relationship and the embassy would have a hard time saying the USCIS is not right with their findings twice. There is a lesson here though. I know it is very expensive and hard to visit more than once but if it is in your means then it's a good idea to visit multiple times and document it totaly. I have been to see my love 6 times now and my fiance LOVES to buy me clothes and dress me up. I think I can show hundreds of different clothes in my pics so I should be good there.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-06-18 10:50:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionQuestion about DS-156 form
On the DS-156 form question 36 asks "Has anyone ever filed a Immigrant visa on your behalf?" Since a fiance petition is a non-immigrant visa do you need to put down any previous I-129f pettions that were filed?
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-07-05 06:28:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionThis is too much to even believe
Wow! Sorry to hear about all your troubles. It does sound like they are setting you up for a bribe. I have a friend that married a Chinees woman a few years ago. They went into their interview for the first time and were accused of fraud. Keep in mind that he owns his own business and was able to go their and stay for months at a time, he built her family a new house and worked on their farm. They went into their first interview and he was asked for a tape of him speaking chinees for 20 minutes. He managed to stumble through that. They still put him on AR. 6 months later he went back to another interview with her. They still accused him of fraud and said he was getting paid to bring her to the states. They were put on AR for another 6 months. He contacted his Senator and managed to get another interview. When they walked in the CO, and american, told him flat out they were not going to give her a visa. He got very angry right there and finally asked the magic question, "what can I do to change your mind?" She looked him straight in the eye and said "2 thousand dollars in US $100 bills will change my mind". He said he wanted to talk to her boss. She said "Who do you think is getting this money?" He forked over the money and a week later she had the visa.
It sound like they are gonna do the same to you. You might want to go there and ask that "magic question", "what can I do to change your mind?". If they offer to take a bribe then you will know.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-07-07 20:58:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionLAST YEAR OR 3 YRS TAX RETURN
I read on the USCIS web site that they just changed it to one year. Go to the USCIS web site and confirm it though.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-07-11 05:37:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionHow long for interview date?
How long is it taking now from the time the embassy gets the petition until she gets packet 3 and an interview date?
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-07 21:29:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussionhelp
Congratz on your NOA2!! Go to the guides section for information on what is next.
http://www.visajourn...mp;page=k1guide
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-20 21:08:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionK-1 Visa is Approved!!!!!
Good for you William!!!! Congratz!!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-09-26 00:07:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionOur visa's APPROVED!!!!
Congratz!!
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-10-16 23:49:00
US Embassy and Consulate DiscussionNervous wreck. Interview date - can it be moved?
My NOA2 is in Sept and I am hoping for a jan or feb interview. Realistically it will prolly be around mid Feb. (Valentines day for an interview?)
So you should be good for a april interview date.
GaryCMalePhilippines2006-11-05 08:00:00