Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	NVC ?	Thanks, that is a really good explanation.. I just have a few questions though. After I (the petitioner) gather the affidavit of support, do i send it back to the philippines for my fiance to bring during the interview? And also, how do we pay through BPI? Is there an account # they have or something like that? thanks Yes, you send it to her via DHL or FEDEX or LBC. I used DHL to send Patty documents to Cotabato. Have your fiance go to a BPI branch and make her payment there. Make sure she has her passport. Make sure she tells the bank teller it is for a K-1 visa payment ($350.00) and what ever the conversion rate is for that day she will pay in peso.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-30 13:51:00
Philippines	NVC ?	Call NVC after about a week or so and and make sure you talk to a live person. Be sure to have your USCIS # (it starts with either WAC or EAC), petitioner's name & DOB, beneficiary's name & DOB. Ask if they've received your approved petition from USCIS. If they have, ask them for the manila case # and when it was shipped to US Embassy in Manila. It takes about a week for your approved petition to get to Manila through DHL. If not, not a big deal, but call them every other day until you get the information. You can also email them at NVCINQUIRY@state.gov. On the subject line of your email, put the USCIS # and on the body of the email, put petitioner's name & DOB and beneficiary's name & DOB on the body of the email. While awaiting for your manila case #, your fiance should already be gathering her Birth Certificate, NBI Clearance, CENOMAR, Police Clearance if she worked overseas for more than 6 months from the country where she worked, Annulment (if applicable). The petitioner should prepare I-134, employee letter, pay stubs, and tax transcripts for 3 years (you can order tax transcripts from IRS website for free), evidence of ongoing bonafide relationship, money remittance, and anything else that proves an ongoing/genuine relationship, and then send it all to your fiance as she will need these things for the interview @ USEM. When you obtain your manila case #, you can pay the visa fee through BPI. Be sure to have your passport when paying for the visa fee and keep the receipt. Wait til the next day and schedule your interview online. You do not have to wait for the eligibility letter from the USEM. Otherwise, you will be waiting for awhile. When you are scheduling online, you'll need manila case #, passport info, and the receipt # from BPI. Give enough time in between interview date and when she plans on getting her medical done when scheduling. There is no need to schedule an appointment for medical since it is walk in. You can register through the SLMEC and fill up the registration online and this will save you an hour and a half. if you don't fill it up, they will make you fill it up on the spot @ the clinic. A CFO sticker is needed to be affixed to your fiance's passport. If you do not have this, they will not let her board the plane. This can be done in advance and once you have the visa in hand, you can go back to the CFO office in Quirino Avenue and obtain it. Or, you can wait until visa in hand and then attend the CFO seminar and get the sticker the same day. Below my signature are very useful links that we used three months ago. Good luck! Edited by dindo and patty, 29 November 2011 - 12:14 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-29 12:14:00
Philippines	who are you petitioning? male or female	Most of the petitioners are male. However, you are not alone. There are other female petitioners here. There was a thread on this topic a couple of months ago here in the Philippines forum. Several female petitioners represented and, since then, I've noticed more of them. The beneficiary is the one being petitioned by the petitioner. The beneficiary can either be male or female or...fill in the blank...	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-30 14:04:00
Philippines	K-1 Co-Sponsor in Manila??	Yes it is allowed. I know of two couples who were on the same boat. Recent graduates and no previous income. They both got immediate relatives to be their co-sponsors for the I-134 and they were approved. The I-864 will be dealt with later on when the beneficiary is in the US and is adjusting status.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-16 22:29:00
Philippines	foreign credential evaluation	Thanks for the reply. I read that they have bad reviews but I might consider, maybe its only case to case basis. The evaluation will be for employment purposes but still needs course-by-course evaluation and GPA. Did your wife have hard time getting the results? We checked a few organizations and picked the one with the least complaints which was IERF. I also used IERF before. Patty got her evaluation documents within a week! We did not use WES because they want the schools to send the transcripts to them directly. We did not want to deal with that inconvenience and possible long wait. Patty already had sealed transcripts from the schools she went to. IERF did not require transcripts be sent directly to them and their rates are decent.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-02 15:47:00
Philippines	foreign credential evaluation	Im sure they will be able to do it. I read terrible reviews about WES and other evaluation agencies that is why I want to hear from others their personal experiences. Here is an organization Patty used to get her equivalency report: http://ierf.org/index.php/individuals/ If you want your credentials evaluated because you will continue school in the US, they recommend getting a detailed evaluation which includes a course-by-course report and GPA. For employment, they recommend equivalency report which is what Patty needed. Patty has a degree in Biology from Adamson University and a Masters in Biology from UP. IERF determined that Patty has an equivalent bachelors & masters degree from a regionally accredited school in the US.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-01 19:08:00
Philippines	Wants to give up and Return to Philippines?	It is going to require a lot of prayers, patience, understanding, and compassion. You've made it this far and both sides have made a lot of sacrifices. Be there for her and really listen and I mean just listen to what she has to say. It is very difficult, but you can do it. I know a lot of times you just so want to help and it is rather frustrating, but from my experience with Patty being here now for 7 weeks is to just be there and be the shoulder she can cry on and be the man she can rely on without any judgement. Do everything within your power to help her adjust. Communication is key! Hopefully, both of you will come to an agreement that it will require work and both of you will commit to making it work. Patty and I do a lot of things together such as taking walks after I get off work, cooking together, watch movies, go to places (we went to Lake Tahoe Columbus day weekend), this weekend we are going to Great America Park. She is constantly in touch with her family in Cotabato city and Bulacan through SKYPE, FB, and YM and we do have TFC and GMA channels. If you truly care about each other, you both will find a way to get through this. It won't be easy, but anything worth fighting for is never easy. I wish you the best and God bless the both of you!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-10-27 10:56:00
Philippines	Got the visa!!!!!waiting is all worthy	An awesome early Christmas gift! Congrats!!!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-09 14:30:00
Philippines	Embassy Appointment TODAY!!!!	Awesome early Christmas gift! Congrats!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-09 18:51:00
Philippines	Another Manila Approval	Awesome! I really hope they get there before Christmas.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-09 18:45:00
Philippines	better if fiancee attends the interview???	I was there back in August and it was worth it for me. The CO views the petitioner being there an absolute +. It was more like a conversation as opposed to an interview. It also was fun experiencing it with Patty and she was less stressed. Having said that, it is not necessary to be there as long as your fiance(e) has all the required documents. Good luck!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-09 18:41:00
Philippines	Anyone know about 1st time immigrant discount for airfair?	Dindo do you have a Website or number for that Agency? Tom, here is the information on VBTT: http://gohoto.ph/tou...btt-959445.aspx The gal we dealt with was Albie Sullano and her email address is:alecluanne@hotmail.com	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-11 20:47:00
Philippines	Anyone know about 1st time immigrant discount for airfair?	Based on our experience, Patty was able to get a one-way non stop ticket from Manila to San Francisco via Philippine Airlines from Virginia Beach Travel & Tours for $624.00 one way. This was with a 1st time immigrant discount. There is now way I could have gotten a ticket that cheap on my own through Philippine Airlines. Again, this is based on our experience. Patty was a K-1 visa holder. Edited by dindo and patty, 11 December 2011 - 12:26 AM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-11 00:26:00
Philippines	Employment Letter	I am assuming they kept your passport. They want the employment letter submitted and once they do that, they will begin processing your visa. I am just curious why you did not have the employment letter in the first place. At any rate, I think you're looking good as long as you provide them the employment letter ASAP. Good luck!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-12 11:36:00
Philippines	Quickest Safest way to mail to Mindano	I used DHL and it got to Cotabato city in Mindanao in 4 days. Other people have used LBC and as well as FEDEX. Either way, you will spend north of $50 to send documents. Check LBC as i think they are a bit less expensive than DHL or FEDEX. I will never use USPS sending documents to the Philippines. This is one of those situations where you just have to fork the $$$ to get the documents to your fiance(e) safely. Edited by dindo and patty, 18 December 2011 - 11:55 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-18 23:55:00
Philippines	Reciept #	My dear little Philippine fiance went to BPI and paid the fee for the Interview, we went to try and set up a interview and she is telling me there is no receipt number. and when she called BPI they told her there is no receipt number. we tried all the numbers on the paper to get it to work for online scheduling but no avail , What is going on here? That is odd. Patty paid her visa fee @ a BPI branch and she was given a receipt. The bank teller pointed out to Patty the 3 digit reference # on the receipt itself. That is the receipt # I used when I scheduled Patty's interview online and I did not have any issues. I did wait a day before I scheduled online.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-20 23:05:00
Philippines	Anyone have Problems with Cebu Pacific or Philippines Airline with buying tickets Online?	I bought a ticket (Cotabato city to Manila) for my then fiance (e) from PAL and they required verification ID from me. I scanned the CC I used and my drivers license and sent it to her. I was a little leery at first but have had no issues with it.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-29 10:58:00
Philippines	Waiting..... Waiting	Does that mean you won't be wearing your wedding rings to your cousin Bob's house??? At any rate, I hope all goes well and Happy Holidays!!!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-20 23:25:00
Philippines	Visa pickup at 2GO branch Manila?	We picked up Patty's visa from 2go branch at the MOA. Visa approval was August 16, 2011 and visa pick up was August 19, 2011. We called 2go directly on August 19, 2011 as it was useless tracking it on their website. All they asked for was Patty's name and we were told it was ready for pick up. So, we picked up the visa and got to spend the rest of the day walking around MOA...	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-12-29 11:17:00
Philippines	Medical Interview Problem HELP!!	She said they did preg test and it was negative.. Just seems like they want to collect money for the vaccination then not give them to the girls they feel are passive and won't saying anything about it. She is very shy and soft spoken. Feel like they are just taking advantage. Vaccination in USA are very expensive. Very frustrating to pay for a full line of vaccination and then to receive NONE until you want to wait a month.. then have to buy a plane tick to go back. It is awfully odd that they would refuse to give her vaccination. At any rate, once she is in the USA and getting ready to do AOS, she will need to get the necessary vaccinations. I have heard other VJ members here that the beneficiary got their vaccinations from the local health department and the cost is minimal. So, this is something you can explore in your state. Good luck!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-01-30 18:03:00
Philippines	Close one!!!	Congratulations, you will see her very soon! In the grand scheme of things, it is a small price to pay for finally being together. Good luck!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-01-31 13:51:00
Philippines	Affidavit of Support	I don't exactly make enough money for the poverty line. I make around 10,000 a year because i am going to school full time and I had to stop work. My mom said she would be a joint sponsor for me. By doing her taxes, she made a little over 60,000 this year. The issue that I am curious about is that my mom has VA disability which is not accounted on the taxes and so do I. That is why my taxes are so low. I thought the smart thing would be to send the VA award letters with the packet I am sending to my fiancee for the interview. - not really needed because your mom makes more than enough to exceed the poverty guideline; though it won't hurt to include an explanation letter about the VA benefit along with the corresponding 1099 The forms that i am supplying with for the affidavit of support are as follows: 1. I-134 Affidavit of Support (Self) 2. I-134 Affidavit of Support (Joint) 3. I-864 Affidavit of Support (Self) - not needed until you file for adjustment of status aka AOS 4. I-864 Affidavit of Support (Joint) - not needed until you file for adjustment of status aka AOS 5. I-864A, Contract between sponsor and household member. - not needed until you file for adjustment of status aka AOS As for support for those documents: Checking and Savings Account (Self and Joint) - not needed because your mom more than exceeds the poverty guideline VA Disability Award Letter 40% and 90% (Self and Joint) - good idea to include IRS 1040, 1099-R (military retirement), W-2 and Property Tax Record (Joint) Yr 2011 IRS 1040, 2009-2011 (Self) IRS 1040, 2008-2010 (Joint) Joint Taxes are not ready to be done just yet for 2011 I would add a letter of employment from your mom's company verifying when she started working, what her position is, full time or part time, salary, and about a couple of month's worth of pay stubs. Would this be suffice for the Affidavits or does anyone else suggest extra paperwork. Also, I hear that the US embassy only requires one tax year (recent) instead of the last 3 which is a recent law change... When we went through this last August, I had 3 years worth of tax transcripts, but the USEM only took the most recent and my employment letter Also, what would be the difference between the I-134 and I-864 Affidavits? I am sending all on "just case" method. The I-134 is used for the K-1 visa process and it is not necessarily binding. The I-864 is used when you apply for AOS and it is a binding contract. Good luck! Edited by dindo and patty, 02 February 2012 - 06:49 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-02-02 18:46:00
Philippines	I-134 for K-1 Visa- What Documentation is Needed	My fiancee is a Filipina, and we will be seeking a K-1 visa for her. I can prove that my employment provides more than enough income needed for support. I understand that I need to provide that proof with the I-134 along with savings account statement. Given sufficient proof of stable employment providing more than enough proof, as well as proof of savings, can anyone with direct experience with the Manila Embassy please tell me what else will be asked with the I-134? If sufficient employed income proof, do they demand latest tax forms, or other documentation? Thank you. When I went to my then fiancee's interview last August, I had 2008, 2009, and 2010 Tax transcripts, employment letter, a few pay stubs. I did not bother with the bank account since I exceeded the poverty guideline. Generally, bank accounts are used to supplement your financial status if you're just below or right at the poverty guideline. They took the 2010 tax transcripts, employment letter, and remittance receipts. I was surprised the CO actually asked if i was sending her money. So, the lesson here is be prepared. It wouldn't hurt to bring the savings account statement. I just wanted to share our experience with the US embassy. Good luck!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-02-13 20:49:00
Philippines	USEM doesnt know abt our papers	Go to this thread and see Wally Greene's post regarding the steps to take. All the info you need is there...http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/354086-got-our-mnl-case-whats-next/page__p__5179324__fromsearch__1#entry5179324 Good luck to you!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-02-27 21:41:00
Philippines	Balikbayan Box from LA to Cebu through LBC	No issues at all with using LBC to send boxes to Cavite & Cotabato from Northern California. For Cavite it took 30-35 days & 45-50 days for Cotabato. Edited by dindo and patty, 02 March 2012 - 03:28 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-03-02 15:28:00
Philippines	I’d like to bounce some thoughts around	If there is no deviation on the baggage fee for domestic flights, then I think traveling by boat is your best option. Then staying in an Apartelle until all the process is done is also a good way to save monies. The possibility of a positive result during medical is what it is. Hopefully, you won't run into that. We selected to have the visa delivered to 2go outlet at the Mall of Asia and got the visa within 3 days. Good luck! Edited by dindo and patty, 16 March 2012 - 04:23 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-03-16 16:22:00
Philippines	Thank You All	Wooohoooo!!! Congrats...	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2012-03-17 15:40:00
Philippines	Helping her to adjust to life here	Patty has been here since September 2. We were quite busy the first 2 weeks since we were preparing for my parents' 50th anniversary. She's been obviously homesick and I've noticed even though she tries hard to hide it from me. Before we left, we made sure she can send and receive text from her family. When they text from PI it only cost 1 peso, however when she text back, it is 25 pesos. So, she uses Chika messenger to send messages on her family's CPs and then they text back. I am not entirely sure how the Chika messenger works. if you want to know more about it, either google it or send me a PM and I will find out from her. She also uses FB & Skype a lot. Additionally, we have TFC (ABS-CBN) and GMA channels on our cable. Most importantly, ensure her you are always there even if just to listen to her and I mean really listen. I asked her the other day if her homesickness is getting lesser and she mentioned that it is not as bad as the first 2 or 3 weeks. It doesn't mean she won't have moments when she feels really homesick, but, I am glad it is getting lesser. I think, ultimately, it is up to each person on how they will deal with the homesickness. We just need to make sure we are there and do everything we can when they need us. Oh, she's already put a woman's touch in our master bedroom as far as adding decorations and such... Aside from all that, we try to do a lot of things together, like walking after I get off work, going to the mall, watching movies. This weekend, I am taking her to Lake Tahoe. She will hopefully see snow up in the mountains. I got her under my health insurance (Tricare Prime) coverage and it will be effective November 1. We are going to a Civil Surgeon this Saturday on our way to Lake Tahoe and will submit the AOS next week. Good luck! Edited by dindo and patty, 04 October 2011 - 10:00 AM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-10-04 09:56:00
Philippines	To have or not to have a joint-sponsor	Thanks everyone! Really appreciate all your inputs. I am just wondering what is really enough (CR1 visa applicant here). Because I've read in some posts there were those who satisfied the income requirement, but didn't get an approval because apparently, even if the requirement was met, it wasn't "sufficient". Of course having an income that is double the requirement is more than enough. How about 10%, 20% or 30% above the poverty line? But then again, given your inputs, in Manila, they are strict about co-sponsors? What if the co-sponsor is going to be the sister of my husband? Still not acceptable? I really don't think it makes any difference who the co-sponsor is provided they are qualified and meet or exceeds the poverty guidelines.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-06 20:31:00
Philippines	To have or not to have a joint-sponsor	For K-1 Visa, it is on a case-by-case basis whether a co-sponsor is accepted. I know of at least 2 couples whom their husbands to be were both recent college graduates and so no recent income. Both had their immediate family members co-sponsor them. Both got approved and are now in the US. So, it is definitely possible.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-11-05 13:42:00
Philippines	How did you meet your Filipino Fiance?	Patty and I met on Filipina Heart now known as Filipino Cupid on May 22, 2010. I know this will sound like a cliche, but, within a few days we knew we were meant to be together. It is as if we've known each other for a long time. We chatted everyday through Yahoo Messenger and Skype and then a lot of video chatting. I met her personally in Cotabato city October 16, 2010. She teaches at Notre Dame University in the Science Department (Biology is her forte). We spent three glorious weeks together visiting Eden Nature Park and Samal Islands in Davao, Coron & Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Manila. It had been 26 years since we immigrated to the US of A. I had almost forgotten how beautiful Philippines is. We got engaged October 17, 2010 while I was there and submitted the petition April 1, 2011 with NOA1 April 5, 2011. Our prayers were answered when we were notified that as of June 24, 2011 we are approved!!! Now onto the next steps. God willing I will be there for her interview and we will be together within a couple of months. I cannot wait to see my "babe ko" again! By the way, beautiful video and good luck on your journey. You will get there no doubt in God's time! Edited by dindo and patty, 26 June 2011 - 07:16 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-26 19:14:00
Philippines	Link of Pretty Ladies in FB?	Patty joined that group back in April and she was member 156. Now they number in the 600's maybe 700's now. The main purpose was to help fellow Filipinas going through the same thing. As with anything, the intent is good, but as the group grew, there were of course members who would post non immigration stuff and just blabber about nothing. If you can ignore the bickering and smart remarks and just weed this out, you can get good information there to help you out in your journey. If some drama is your cup of tea, you can find it there, too...	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-10-05 10:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	APPROVED	Congratulations! On to the next part of your journey. GOD's timing is perfect ALL THE TIME!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-05-14 15:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Are the USCIS processing times fair?	Why is it that people get faster processing, even though they sent their application later than others? Doesn't USCIS claim " Applications are processed in the order they are received???? I completely understand your frustration. There are a lot of factors that determine the processing times for a petition. I am sure each Service Centers do the best they can with what they have to deal with. Some petitions get approved quicker than others may be because the beneficiary comes from a low fraud country, may be they have everything that is asked for and some petitions lack information or comes from a high fraud country...either way, they eventually get to someone's petition...the process is what it is and does require a lot of patience...it does you no good to drive yourself nuts about the waiting...it is frustrating to you as well as to thousands of petitioners that goes through this process...in the end when the desired result is at hand...it is all worth it...keep the faith and good luck on your journey... Edited by dindo and patty, 18 June 2011 - 02:26 PM.	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-18 14:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Visa approved!!!	CONGRATS!!!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-22 16:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Wow, Wow Noa 2	CONGRATS WE JUST GOT APPROVED TODAY, TOO...IN 80 DAYS...TO GOD BE THE GLORY!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-24 22:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Approved	Congrats! We also got approved today. Good luck to the rest of our journey. God is great!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-25 02:35:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Approved in 80 days!!!	Thanks everyone! I am grateful for this website! The light at the end of the tunnel just got a lot brighter. Keep the faith and the patience for all those who are still waiting to be with their loved ones, your time is coming!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-25 02:41:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Approved in 80 days!!!	GOD'S TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT...NOW I KNOW HOW IT FEELS...I JUST TOLD PATTY THROUGH SKYPE...WE CAN HARDLY CONTAIN OUR ELATION, HAPPINESS, JOY...YOU NAME IT...WOOOHOOO... THANK YOU LORD!!! FOR THOSE STILL WAITING, BE PATIENT AND YOUR TURN WILL COME. NOW ON TO THE NEXT PHASE!!!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-24 22:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 APPROVED	CONGRATS!	dindo and patty	Male	Philippines	2011-06-27 18:07:00