Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	Some K1 Q's: Military member currently in Germany w/ Fiancee in Philippines	Thanks Scott.... It looks like I will be able to take 16 days of leave (give or take a day)...so we are looking at having 14 days in country. She is asking her church on Monday...as well as talking with the Civil Registrar about trying to start the license before I get there. I'm fully expecting them to say no though So hopefully I'll know more tomorrow... Scott...one more quick question.... Did you have to get 'permission from your commander to marry abroad', such as a letter or anything like that giving you the go-ahead? If so...did the US Embassy in Manila ask to see it when you went there to get the 'Affidavit in Lieu of Legal Capacity to Marry'? My friend who just did what I'm trying to do told me he didn't ask for permission, didn't bring any letters saying he could marry in the Philippines, and also that the US Embassy did not ask to see anything like what I'm describing. However, everything I read says that I have to bring this to the embassy before they will issue the Affidavit. So, color me confused on this one....	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2010-04-25 08:40:00
Philippines	Some K1 Q's: Military member currently in Germany w/ Fiancee in Philippines	Thanks for all the great information everyone...However........ We have now decided to marry in the Philippines...as I'm in contact with a fellow military member who just brought his wife over to Germany from the Philippines and it seems this will be the best route to go for us. The whole process for them (from marriage to her arriving in germany took roughly 4 months...and they said it could have went even faster had they know some of the stuff that I already know. They were also delayed a week with her stuck in the UAE due to the Volcanic ash shutting down all the flying here in Europe. We are now trying to prepare for a June wedding...and after the wedding, we'll just have to wait ~90 days for the I130 to process here locally in Frankfurt. Once that is approved, I can get her a SOFA stamp (as the wife of a military member) and she can come here after that. Lots of things to do both before the wedding and after the wedding but it will all be worth it. So, I have a whole new set of questions to ask....(SORRY!) 1) Marriage License application: I read where 'in some cases' she can apply for the marriage license application at the local civil registrar BEFORE I get there. We would like to do/try this...as I am fairly low on available leave/vacation days I have from my job...we would like to get this ahead of time to eliminate the need for us to wait the required 10 days after I get there. is this indeed possible? Has anyone tried/done this? What I read said we could do this, and then I would just need to get the 'Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry' at the US embassy in Manila - once I arrive in June. Then we take thatto the same place she applied for the marriage license where they should hand us our approved marriage license immediately. 2) Since we plan (or are required) to apply for the Marriage License in her home Province (Davao/Tagum City), must we get married there in the same Province....or are we allowed/able to travel to Manila for the wedding...or perhaps even Boracay (we both love it there!)? Or must it be completed in davao/Tagum. 3) What can she do now to help us ensure a June wedding happens? I'm thinking: CENOMAR Birth Certificate Baptismal Certificate Passport Photos (2x2 w/ White background) Get a Passport for her 3yo daughter Passport Photos (2x2 w/ White background) for her daughter CFO seminar (return after marriage for stamp/sticker) We don't know at this time if we would like a church wedding or a civil wedding...would love to hear your experiences on both! Thanks again everyone!	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2010-04-25 02:11:00
Philippines	Some K1 Q's: Military member currently in Germany w/ Fiancee in Philippines	Thanks for all the information and suggestions! I've just recently arrived in Germany - so I've got at least 2 years left here. And it will increase anadditional year after she would arrive (most likely anyway)...which is fine by me, as I love it here. I did look into bringing her here on a German visa, but it honestly looks more complicated than going the K-1 route...at first glance anyway. Perhaps I will take another look at it just to be sure though. I am aware I can request expedited processing - so I am hoping that will make things move rather quickly. Fingers crossed anyway. Additional Questions: 1) Say we get married in Hawaii....she flies directly from Manila to Honolulu, goes through immigration....and has her passport/K-1 Visa stamped...will she then be ok to leave Honolulu ( after the marriage) and travel to the mainland with me (before we head to Germany)? I'm sure the answer is yes on this, but just wanted to double-check to make sure this wasn't an issue. 2) Can she go ahead and start putting together all she will need for the medical exam and interview now? There aren't any specific date requirements on any of the required documents (birth cert, CENOMAR, etc.) are there?	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2010-04-12 01:50:00
Philippines	Some K1 Q's: Military member currently in Germany w/ Fiancee in Philippines	Greetings everyone... I will be sending in a I-129F package very soon... I'm just waiting on my fiancée, who is in Davao, to send the required passport-style photo. As soon as I get that, the package goes in the mail! My Q's mainly revolve around my current duty location, which is Ramstein AB, Germany. I know we are months away from most of this - but it has been driving the both of us a bit crazy:) Here we go............ 1) After we are approved - and after we are married (in the US, possibly Hawaii)...will she immediately be able to come with me back to Germany and live here with me as a legal permanent resident and Military dependent? I've been told yes...from an Immigration attorney and also my MPF (personnel office). But nobody has really told me what I would need to do to make this happen. Does anyone here have specific info on what actions I would need to take to ensure this happens? 2) My fiancée also has a 3yr old daughter (who I adore!) from a previous relationship. Will the child also attend the Medical appointment with her mom in Manila (even if she will be joining us within 1 yr of being married as required)? That is all I have at the moment....I'm sure I will come up with a few more fairly soon! Thanks in advance for any/all help and information! M	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2010-04-11 13:08:00
Philippines	Wife & Daughter forced to pay 'TIEZA' @ MNL airport	Ok....guess I completely overlooked this fee... Perhaps it was indeed included the last time she flew (Cathay Pacific) and not this time (Gulf Air)... Thanks for the quick reply!	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2011-03-31 11:40:00
Philippines	Wife & Daughter forced to pay 'TIEZA' @ MNL airport	Very confused about this - the last time my wife departed MNL (SEP 2010) she was not required to pay this fee. A couple days ago - both her and her daughter were required to pay this fee. Both are Filipino citizens and were traveling to Germany on SOFA status (I'm US Military stationed in Germany). Just curious... Luckily she was able to use her ATM card and withdraw the money...but something seems fishy to me about this...what say you all? Thanks	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2011-03-31 11:29:00
Philippines	Any N-600 filers? US Citizenship for my Filipina Stepdaughter	Greetings all! I'm still a ways out from applying, I'm just trying to get my ducks all in a row as best that I can. My Filipina wife is a LPR currently. She will be able to apply for US Citizenship/Naturalization in 2015 (like I said...I'm a ways out still ) Once she (my wife) becomes a US Citizen, what do we need to do to get Citizenship for my 5 year old stepdaughter (she will be 7 at that time)? Do we need to file Form N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship? How did you go about getting your Filipina Stepdaughter(s)/son(s) to become Naturalized US Citizens? Thank you for your time! Edited by A&M-Forever, 11 April 2012 - 06:18 AM.	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2012-04-11 06:18:00
Philippines	Bringing Wifes Child / Father Abandoned Him	For me, this issue has reared its ugly head once again. I am Active Duty US Military with an assignment overseas to Seoul, South Korea. Since my dependents are not yet US Citizens, they most obtain either A3 or Tourist visas from South Korean consulate in Chicago prior to us departing to Korea. We submitted everything using the "Travisa" visa service (also in Chicago) but the Korean embassy wants some kind of document (what "EXACTLY" I do not really know) that shows that my wife and I BOTH have custody of her daughter. Is there such a document? My wife was never married to the father of her daughter and he has never had anything to do with either of them since the birth. I called the Philippine consulate in Chicago and they said the best that they could do would be to have them notarize a document that we typed up saying that we both had custody. I'm not sure if this would be good enough for the Korean embassy but I guess this is what we are going to try and accomplish in the next few weeks. I plan on sending them everything involving the family code law of the Philippines stating that the mother always has custody...but they still say they need something that says we both have custody. Any advice or suggestions for me? Thanks!	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-04-18 15:20:00
Philippines	Bringing Wifes Child / Father Abandoned Him	Good....no, GREAT news from the Frankfurt Embassy: They replied back to all the information (thanks to this thread!) with: The officer reviewed you email and attachments and decided that the information was sufficient. And the passports - we are then able to issue the visas for your wife and the stepdaughter. Thank you very much Kind regards Immigrant visa Unit thanks so much everyone!	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2011-10-26 12:11:00
Philippines	Bringing Wifes Child / Father Abandoned Him	Thanks for the help/support everybody. I am preparing an email right now that will hopefully resolve this situation. May I ask where I can find the Family Code of the Philippines on an official website of the Philippines? I'm searching now and cannot find it on an official PH source. Thanks again everyone! Edited by A&M-Forever, 25 October 2011 - 01:16 PM.	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2011-10-25 13:14:00
Philippines	Bringing Wifes Child / Father Abandoned Him	My Filipina wife and stepdaughter had their interview this morning in Frankfurt, Germany. We filed via "DCF" as I am US Military stationed in Germany. Things did not go as planned as they said we needed to provide 2 additional documents in order to process the Visa: The big problem being item #2 below: 1) Police Clearance letter (German): We had one form the Security Police Squadron on Ramstein and that wasn't good enough...they also need a German one. Luckily we fixed that on the way home and should have the proper "German" police clearance letter sometime next week. 2) Letter of permission from the child's father (who is listed on the Birth Cert as father) giving his permission for the child to travel to the USA. My wife and the father were never married and never lived together and the father has never been a part of the child's life. We explained this to the immigration officer but they still said we needed a permission letter or something from the Philippines Consulate/Embassy saying that the mother has custody. We are not even sure where the father is currently. We explained this...still did not matter. So we left the US embassy pretty upset and without an approved Visa(s). Since we were in Frankfurt, we decided to go by the Philippines Consulate. They would not produce a letter saying that my wife has custody of her daughter because the father's name was on the birth certificate. We finally got them to agree for my wife to complete an Affidavit statement and sign it (for 29 EURO) where she stated that she has sole custody of the child and did not know the whereabouts of the father at this time. We are supposed to get that mailed back to us at some point in the next week or two (I still don't understand why they couldn't give us the original Affidavit today though? - Oh wait, we are dealing with the Philippine Govt ) We are trying to get friends and family back in the PI to see if they can possibly locate the father to see if he would be willing to give his permission. But I'm not sure they will have success finding him, and even if they did, he might just refuse! Who knows! Does anyone have any advice for me? I would provide the documents linked in this thread, but since the child is not Illegitimate I'm not sure it would help us. Any suggestions??? Sincerely bummed! M & A	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2011-10-25 10:22:00
Philippines	Did your first green card have your maiden or married name on it?	I'm just curious....as my wife's green card has her maiden name on it.  Did I mess up?  She has already had it for almost a year and a half now...and we have not had any issues....I'm just thinking about it now for some reason   Thanks.... Edited by A&M-Forever, 22 May 2013 - 05:08 AM.	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-05-22 05:08:00
Philippines	Having all kinds of problems (Visa to Korea): US Military in Korea w/ Filipina wife and stedaughter in PI	louiep - Thanks so much for your post and for your help and information!  I am in complete agreement with you on everything that you mentioned!   To further infuriate and confuse me --- I received another email from the attorney in Manila:   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asuncion Law Office No. 6853 Washington Street, Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City 1230 Metro Manila Philippines   The crux of the matter is the father acknowledged his child in the child's birth certificate. There lies the difference between a father NOT acknowledging the child and no mention of his name is made in the birth certificate.   In view of that, the father's consent is needed to give full custody to the mother or a court order awarding full custody to the mother.   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   However, I still think they are wrong...and is likely just trying to get some $$$ from me  THE CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO USE THE FATHERS SURNAME (this is important down the line when estate matters come into play after the death of the biological father and also in child support issues).  The child does not receive child-support and never has (and never will!).  The father can sign the birth certificate, he is simply acknowledging the birth...but that still does not give him even an ounce of custody, unless they were married, which they were not and never were.   I guess I'll find out how it goes next week...she will be going to the Korean Embassy on Monday morning...   We do have a signed/notarized statement from the father saying that the mother has all parental authority and full custody of the child...as well as stating that the child is free to travel with her mother and stepfather to Korea (or anywhere she wishes to travel).  We had that done last week and it is at her sisters house in Davao/Tagum City...if the Korean embassy needs that, my wife will just book a flight to go get it and then fly back the same day.  We are hoping we don't need it though...   Today I had an invitation letter notarized in Korean (English translated to Korean) to go along with another invitation letter that was notarized on my base here in Korea.    Anyways, thanks again for all the help....I'll keep this thread updated with what happens next week.  Fingers crossed...	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-06-17 00:07:00
Philippines	Having all kinds of problems (Visa to Korea): US Military in Korea w/ Filipina wife and stedaughter in PI	Thank you...but they both already have command sponsorship approved (and listed on my military orders).  I received this before coming to Korea.  The Chicago Korean consulate didn't really care about this either....   Thank you though....	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-06-16 19:55:00
Philippines	Having all kinds of problems (Visa to Korea): US Military in Korea w/ Filipina wife and stedaughter in PI	Greetings all,   My wife and I are having all kinds of problems getting a visa for her and her daughter (my stepdaughter) to travel to Korea.  I am a US military member stationed here.  They are both listed on my military orders as being authorized to travel/live here with me during my assignment (3 years).   Background: Wife was never married to her daughter's father.  He did sign the birth certificate, acknowledging the birth.  The child does bear his last name (surname).  All of which is perfectly legal in the Philippines.  And since the mother and father were never married, no matter what...the child always belongs to the mother (full parental custody) unless the father attains a court order trying for custody (which he has not done).   My wife and stepdaughter are also LPR's of the United States (Green card holders), with Philippine passports.  They both lived with me during the past 3 years in Germany.   We first applied at the Chicago Korean consulate, and they require some sort of "custody" document that says that I have legal custody of my stepdaughter.  I explained to them, provided proof, even notarized proof (from the Philippines Consulate General in the Chicago) of the family code of the Philippines which states that the mother always has custody of their children - but they will not accept any of this.   My wife and stepdaughter will now be flying to Manila this coming weekend, and are set to apply with the Korean Embassy in Manila.  On their website, they list out exactly what is needed for both my wife and my stepdaughter...and nothing mentions "custody" documents being required - and we have everything required (per the list anyway).   Everyone keeps telling me that we need a court order for custody of the child...but for the life of me, I do not believe that to be the case.  The parents were never married.  Philippine law states that the mother has full custody.  Isn't that the end of story?    I was in touch with one attorney in Manila and first she said they could provide a Legal Opinion letter regarding the laws of the Philippines - and that this might help our case.  However, I heard again from her today that we will need a court order because the father acknowledged the childs birth (on birth certificate).  Again, this doesn't seem right to me, but what do I know.   Does anyone have any advice or information for me?  I'm so stressed...been dealing with this visa issue since January...   Thank you all for any/all help or info you migth be able to provide....   Edited by A&M-Forever, 16 June 2013 - 07:29 PM.	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-06-16 19:24:00
Philippines	H0TELS in Manila	Any recommendations for something near the Korean embassyin Taguig City (122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city 1634, Philippines)?   Would staying in Makati be ok for this....?   Would prefer something in the $75 per night range....but most seem to be $110+ in this area.   Thanks!	A&M-Forever	Male	Philippines	2013-06-10 05:50:00