ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
US Citizenship General DiscussionCitizen Chinook !!!
Congratulations :) :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-11 21:49:00
PhilippinesPinoys/Pinays in the San Francisco Bay Area
Hey..I don't doubt that Sunny will meet pinays/pinoys in the bay area especially where I live in Vallejo. I was just hoping to find people in the area that have common ground with her. New to the country, don't know anyone. Or maybe they have been in her shoes before and can give her advice in adjusting to the bay area.

I can't wait for her to get here =)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-02-29 00:05:00
PhilippinesPinoys/Pinays in the San Francisco Bay Area
Hey everyone,

I just wanted to ask if there's any Pinoys/Pinays living in the San Francisco bay area. I know that we just started the K-1 Visa process, but I wanted to have a smooth transition for my fiancee once she arrives so she had people she can kick it with or talk or chat to people in the same boat as her (new to America, doesn't know anyone). If she interacts with people now, then she will definitely be more comfortable coming here and knowing she has friends in her new home. =)

Anyway, I live in Vallejo. So i'm pretty sure Max's, Jollibee, Chow King, Red Ribbon, Goldilocks, and Seafood City will be her favorite places to visit. HAHA.

Thanks for reading.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-02-25 02:22:00
PhilippinesOther Country Police Certificates

I did a little research and found the following

US Embassy:
As long as the ship did not stay in any port for 12 months. You do not require a police clearance from that country.

Police Clearance are required from countries in which the beneficiary actually "resided" for more than six months since reaching age 16.


Thank you very much for answering my fiancee's question. I just want to get everything in order for her while we are waiting for the NOA2. I'll let her know to check on the forums.

Thanks again. It's much appreciated.

Richie
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-02-29 11:14:00
PhilippinesOther Country Police Certificates
Hi Guys,

So my Hubby to be (Richie) gave me a homework today, so we can get the necessary documents doneahead of time. And I read thru this link http://photos.state....3__rtf2_003.pdf

And one requirement caught my attention which is G. Other Country Police Certificates. I worked on board Casino Ship which was based in Penang, Malaysia for 10months back in 2007. And I seldom go offshore. So it says there that I need to obtain Police Certificate if I have resided in a foreign country for more than 6mos.

Now I don't know if this is really necessary and I don't know where to get this if needed be.

Just trying to avoid being rescheduled for another interview due to lack of required documents. So might as well prepare it in advance. We would appreciate all the inputs and Thanks in advance :)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-02-29 01:34:00
PhilippinesAnyone in the San Francisco Bay Area?
What's up? Born and raised in the bay area, but currently living in Vallejo. I'm still in the middle of the journey waiting for the NOA2. Hopefully some time this month. ya if you want to meet up, i'm down. i'd like to meet more people going through the same journey. I think it will definitely help with the transition for my fiancee as well when she gets here.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-06 12:18:00
PhilippinesNBI Clearance
Hi Kat and Brett,

I took some time off today to process my NBI Clearance at Robinson's Mall in Ortigas. It would be best if you process your required documents as early as now to avoid cramming since it would take a year for it to expire. Altho it took me 4years to renew it and 4mos from the time we sent in our I-129, but I'm glad I had today to take care of it :) I had a "hit" tho, so got to wait another 10 business days for me to get my copy. :crying: I need to go back on July 9th to get it.

Oh and tips for you btw..Wherever you plan to get your NBI Clearance, make sure that you arrive their as early as 5am. Lots of people have been waiting on the line when I got there. You don't want to come at 8am or else you will be scheduled the next day, lucky if you can make it in the afternoon. Oh yes..you have to wait from 5am til 9am until they give you a number and have to wait for the mall to open at 10am. Make sure you bring something to eat and drink and something that will keep you occupied while waiting. I'm glad I had enough patience today. :P

No more renewal for NBI Clearances. Everything is considered as new applicants. So just bring two valid id's and payment and that's it. Once they start the process it wouldn't take you an hour to finish it.

I hope this information helps. :)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-06-25 04:02:00
PhilippinesBank Letter Necessary?
Hi Hank and Mogambi,

I make above the poverty limits too.

What exactly do I fill out on the 134? Just the annual salary part?

So I can skip the bank statements, personal property, life insurance, real estate, stocks and bonds, etc. sections?

So the only support document with the 134 I will need is the tax transcripts and employment letter?

thanks a bunch.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-12 10:48:00
PhilippinesWhat are your hobbies?

Where do you gamble? I think the best place is the stock market and they give the best odds.


Oh i like hitting up the tables at an indian casino nearby like cache creek, thunder valley, or hitting up reno, tahoe, or vegas. i'm ok at tables, but i shine in sports betting. too bad it's not legal in california.

For drinking, i like red horse better than san mig when i'm in the philippines, but my favorite beers are guinness draught and new castle. fav mixed drink is redbull/vodka when i'm in the casino and just for taste is an irish car bomb (tastes like chocolate)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-23 19:55:00
PhilippinesWhat are your hobbies?
Sports, Drinking, Gambling. I'm glad my fiancee is ok with my vices. HAHA.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-21 09:59:00
Philippinesprincess rose
woohoo..congratulations to the both of you.

i pray for a speedy recovery for gretchen.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-06 12:35:00
PhilippinesLast min check list

Great Thread by the way...

I do have a question ( or sanity check ) regarding the Banking info..

Hank added "If you income alone exceeded the minimums... don't DO-DO when DO will DO. " to the Statment from Credit Union with a letter from them stating I have been in good standing for 15 yrs

For personal and fiscal reasons I changed my banking preferences this year. With my annual income greater than $80k ( as shown on previous 1040 and also current pay stubs projecting the same which I will send), am I to assume that I don't have to provide a detailed breakdown of my account, balances and how long I have been with my particular bank?

Thanks

Ed


I'm actually planning to send my 134 with just income to my fiancee. So only employment letter, 2 months of paystubs, 4 years of tax transcripts stating 4 years of stable income. If they ask for more, i can provide those items, but ya I decided why add all that if my income is suffice.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-24 11:24:00
PhilippinesTotally Awesome Day!!!!
congrats. cool deals on both fronts.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-27 07:10:00
PhilippinesJust 10 more days!!
Congrats and yup it's only the beginning...
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-30 08:19:00
PhilippinesCouriers
I ended up using DHL and it cost me $103.50. It got there less than a week but ya that was pricey. LOL. I guess I really front loaded the i129F. The package i gave was maybe a little over an inch thick. I'll keep johnnyair and lbc in mind next time. I heard about both as well, but since it was a involving stuff I really wanted to get to her I went with dhl since NVC uses it to send to manila. whatever is good for them is good for me. HAHA.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-30 08:25:00
PhilippinesCouriers
Thank you all for the responses. I've heard everything from USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Johnny Air. It sounds like people have had good success with DHL so I'll try them out. I guess i was overestimating the size and weight of the documents so it was saying that my shipment was going to cost like $150-$250. $50 doesn't seem so bad.

Thanks again. It's really appreciated.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-17 21:04:00
PhilippinesCouriers
Ok now that we have received our NOA2 and waiting for our case number, I'm gathering all my information for my fiancee so I can submit it to her.

So I'm wondering what couriers everyone are using to send a copy of the i129f package and the i134 with supporting documents to the Philippines.

I'm looking for something safe (won't get jacked once it arrives in the PI), reliable (will get there under 2 weeks), and will not cost more than the visa fee. HAHA.

Is there a favored courier among VJ members to use since these are important documents?

Thanks in advance.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-17 17:47:00
PhilippinesFinally will be leaving tomorrow, thanks you vjers
woohoo...congrats and have safe flight.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-27 07:08:00
Philippinesany pinays live near vallejo area?
If all goes well with her medical and interview, my fiancee is going to arrive in Vallejo some time in late October. I'd like to find some friends for her that she can hang out with and help with her adjustment. I'll send you a PM.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-01 15:44:00
Philippinesdual citizenship

My husband applied for a "Report of Birth, Child Born Abroad Of Philippine Parent/Parents" at NSO. That's how he got his Philippine passport.

My understanding is that you DO lose Philippine citizenship when you naturalize, and yes you can re-acquire it, but you aren't considered a Philippine citizen until then.



To be a dual citizen by birth, I think your parents MUST HAVE BEEN Philippine citizens at that time:



There's another clause saying that you can be included in your parents' application for reacquisition of citizenship, but it specifies that the child must be UNDER 18.


Ya I was reading that and i feel like I'm SOL because my parents became US citizens through naturalization prior to my birth, but I was hoping there was a way of qualifying for dual citizenship by showing the Philippine consulate my birth certificate as it shows my parents place of birth as the Philippines.

It sucks to be penalized because i was 24 by the time the 2003 law passed (born in 1979)and my parents wouldn't have naturalized so quickly in 1978 if it didn't benefit their parents and siblings (you can't bring family over unless you are a US citizen) so I'm asking VJ to confirm if I read the dual citizenship correctly and if I qualified for dual citizenship under a loophole I'm not seeing.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-06 23:54:00
Philippinesdual citizenship
I am a US citizen by birth. My parents were both born in the Philippines. My parents arrived in the US in the early 70s and became US citizens about a year before I was born so they could sponsor their parents and siblings, which I guess means they gave up their Philippine citizenship? Then in 2003 i guess the Philippine government says you can't lose your Philippines citizenship due to naturalization in a foreign country and gives them the opportunity to re-acquire it. My parents have not applied for dual citizenship but will do so eventually.

My question is assuming they get their Philippine citizenship back because they never should have lost it in the first place and knowing that any child born to a Philippine mother makes them a Philippine citizen, does that make me qualified to apply for dual citizenship as well? If no, can I do anything?

I guess the reason why I'm asking this is because of

1) Almost all of my fiancee's family and some of my family live in the Philippines and so I may have extended stays over there.
2) Eventually I'd like to purchase land and/or property with my fiancee so we wouldn't have to rely on staying with her family or my family when we visit.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-06 15:48:00
PhilippinesManila Airport?
woohoo congratulations. she will be here soon. :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-08 20:53:00
PhilippinesYour First Movie Together?
We watched Expendables. Who knew there would be a sequel? LMAO
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-17 21:38:00
Philippinesyahoo,,visa approved
yay congrats :dance:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-19 23:00:00
PhilippinesOur Son is born!
Congratulations. :dance:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-12 21:32:00
Philippinesanyone who got their NOA2 last Aug 15?

did u guys call everyday? would they be pissed if I do that? just wondering ?


I started calling a week after we received our NOA2 and called several days straight (1-2 times a day) until they gave me my MNL case #. They don't mind and on the most part they are nice. I think the worst part was just being on hold for 15-30 min.

Good luck to everyone. You will receive your MNL case #'s soon. :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-23 10:47:00
PhilippinesGot my visa.. Anyone flying on the 2nd of Sept?
congrats and have a safe flight. :dance:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-25 11:15:00
PhilippinesWhat courier did you use to send a copy of the petition
Yup went with DHL. A little pricey but it got it there.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-25 11:10:00
PhilippinesUSEM Manila Visa Interview
Yay! Congratulations Carol and David :dance: So happy for you and thanks for sharing your experience, its very much helpful! :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-23 18:23:00
PhilippinesK1 Visa Interview - Approved!
Congrats again Jhed, I know you really wanted to hear that magic word APPROVED, and so do I. hehe :P Tho we didn't, we'll have our visa mailed soon. yay! :lol: :yes: :dance:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-28 17:02:00
PhilippinesFinally Getting Married September 7th
congratulations and best wishes :)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-04 23:00:00
PhilippinesInsanity
I've seen the infomercials too. It looks doable. Good luck and do send us your updates.

I decided to do Tapout XT. I'll start it in July so I can look good for my wedding. haha. It's a 90 day program. I like mma and i figure i'd be motivated to do all the punches and kicking if it's something that keeps me interested.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-06-26 00:22:00
PhilippinesNOA2
congratulations :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-25 11:11:00
PhilippinesJust arrived in Colorado (September 02 2012 Usa date)
Welcome to the US and woohoo for no jet lag. :thumbs:
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-09-04 23:05:00
PhilippinesInterview Experience
Wow! Congrats Pat and Leoni, we are so happy for you guys. See you soon! :) :)
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-12-29 14:17:00
PhilippinesWhere's your hometown?
My wife to be is from Dumangas, Iloilo City, Visayas. She currently lives in Quezon City for work.

I was born and raised in the states and currently live in Vallejo, California. My parents are from Pangasinan. My mom from San Carlos and my dad from Calasiao.

Please to meet everyone.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-02-19 01:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsReceived MNL# today from NVC
that's awesome news. I've called the past 3 days and they have yet to receive it from CSC.

From what I understand, CSC are getting fast approvals but it's getting bogged down in NVC. VSC are slow with the approvals but they are getting filtered through the NVC quickly. I'll send an email next week to see if that helps. It will be 2 weeks since we received NOA2 by then, but I'll continue calling and hoping they have a case number so my fiancee can schedule her medical and interview and all that good stuff.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-21 09:33:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsNVC Question- Additional Processing
Yup I called into NVC to see if it got sent out and I got the additional processing and no timetable. That's definitely a downer. I hope it will be only a couple of days. Good news we got a case number but doesn't this throw a wrench into things in terms of setting up appointments for medical and interview if it's stuck at NVC for indefinite amount of time?

Should I even have my fiancee set up appointments if I don't know how long my case will be stuck with NVC?
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-24 19:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsJust checked USCIS website - got an RFE
Dang...I'm sorry to hear you got a RFE. I look at the bright side. Someone looked at your i129F :) and I'm sure it will be a quick turn around to get your approval once you resubmit the info they request. Good luck.
Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-07-30 20:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress ReportsRFE I got was simple and silly
That's great that it wasn't a difficult RFE. It should be a quick turnaround and you can continue with your visa journey. Good luck buddy.

Edited by Sunny_Richie, 03 August 2012 - 08:23 AM.

Sunny_RichieNot TellingPhilippines2012-08-03 08:22:00