Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February filers at CSC	On the blue section on the top of this page....Click on IMMIGRATION TIMELINES> on the left there is an option for add/edit time line.... Click there after you set it up... view it and it will show you the "estimate"	jmmr	Female	Mexico	2008-07-07 01:38:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February filers at CSC	Aww no need to blame your fiance Look at it this way: your fiance was just making sure it was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! What's another week? Be Patient Your time will come really soon!! I know it! Good luck febz.	jmmr	Female	Mexico	2008-07-01 20:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February filers at CSC	HEY FEBZ! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you guys. I hope you all hear something this week or early July. It looks like they're slowing down a bit, but hopefully they'll pop out a TON of approvals out of no where! I STILL CANT BELIEVE JUNE IS ALMOST GONE!! That makes me soooo happy to know that time is flying. I'm really hoping Jorge will be here no later than late September. I always come here and check to see how you're all doing, even though I don't say much! I've said this before, this site rocks! SO many helpful people... Good luck to you guys. Maria	jmmr	Female	Mexico	2008-06-25 15:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	February filers at CSC	SWEET! Congratz!	jmmr	Female	Mexico	2008-06-06 00:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	August 2008 Filers	Hello you guys! Just wanted to say good luck throughout your journey!!!	jmmr	Female	Mexico	2008-08-09 21:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 approved !!!	QUOTE (Habibi @ Jan 22 2009, 03:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (laura819 @ Jan 22 2009, 03:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Habibi @ Jan 22 2009, 02:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Problem solved i am applying to USCIS LOL. i think if i worked there, i'd probably want to stay all night and day, because i'd feel bad not approving enough people or something, whether its k-1 or something else...thats what i don't understand about them. i would feel really guilty taking a long time. Unfortunately not everyone feels like you do and i. I think until they are in the same situation as us, they will never know. I think some of them probably look at it like a power trip...just like Consulate employees who have the power to determine who waiting in line that day gets a tourist visa and who doesn't. Or the TSA employees who decide to shake down Nanna and Poppa at the airport because they're carrying 3.5 ounces of shampoo. A lot of them are uneducated knuckle-draggers who get their rocks off knowing they can screw with people's lives with the stroke of a pen, all in the name of das Vaterland "Homeland Security."	Gage	Male	Russia	2009-01-22 16:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA2 approved !!!	QUOTE (Habibi @ Jan 22 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Bobby_Umit @ Jan 22 2009, 01:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Habibi @ Jan 22 2009, 01:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> congratulations, but man this is so unfair. People are waiting for over 6 months and without any touches or approvals. Yours was under three months? Unfair? You should be happy for the people Congrats to the OP Don't get me wrong i am happy that at least some people are getting approved. But i question the order in which people are approved. I don't see how VSC or CSC can put aside the petitions that they received in June, August and work on petitions that they received in September and October and so on. As for individuals who get approved i am happy for them, but i am not happy about the way USCIS handles our applications. They should be approved in the order they are received. If there is a problem with an application, they should concentrate on completing that application before they start working on others. I understand where you're coming from, and I don't know why it's so screwed up either. I got very lucky, and it certainly doesn't seem fair considering what some of you are going through. The only thing I can think of is that the service center you used and the country of residence of fiancee must impact it quite a lot, not to mention the difference from one USCIS employee to another. Some might be lazy, some might be lightning quick.	Gage	Male	Russia	2009-01-22 13:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	2 months from NOA1 and NOA2!	QUOTE (dogspot @ Jan 22 2009, 12:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Gage @ Jan 21 2009, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Oana31 @ Jan 22 2009, 01:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congratulations, and enjoy! You are one of the few lucky people. Yes, I feel very fortunate and I'm not sure where my luck came from. I'm sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now it will probably be 8 months before it gets sent to the Consulate. Congratulations! I hope the speedy process continues for you. Just so you know, our documents arrived at the Embassy in Moscow 7 days after NOA2. Now the wait REALLY begins. I have a heck of a time interpreting the time line charts and graphs. Do you know what the average time line from the Embassy receiving documents to date of interview is?	Gage	Male	Russia	2009-01-22 11:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	2 months from NOA1 and NOA2!	QUOTE (Oana31 @ Jan 22 2009, 01:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congratulations, and enjoy! You are one of the few lucky people. Yes, I feel very fortunate and I'm not sure where my luck came from. I'm sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now it will probably be 8 months before it gets sent to the Consulate.	Gage	Male	Russia	2009-01-22 02:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	2 months from NOA1 and NOA2!	Holy cow! Just the other day my fiancee was expressing sadness that we had received no news on our K-1 application, outside of the first NOA-1 we received 7 days after mailing it off. Since I just filed in November, I tried to explain to her that it could be many more months before we heard anything. Tonight I just received our NOA-2, just two months after filing! Not a single "touch" either. Strange...but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth either.	Gage	Male	Russia	2009-01-22 01:20:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	OMG - Petition Approved Already !!??	That's great! You two make a sweet couple.	susan_seth	Female	Ghana	2009-03-30 22:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	June 2008 Filers	Hi June filers! I sent my I-129f package 6/16/2008, delivered to CSC 6/18/2008 So we start a “visa journey” together! I must say thanks to this web site for all the information they provide so I Can get a K1 visa for my Moldova sweetie Vladlena. THANKS!! Does anybody have a “date” in mind for when this journey will end with a visa in hand? As a newbie I can only give a wild guess [hope] for sometime in January. Cheers, scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-06-19 20:04:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Whoo-hoo-visa in hand	QUOTE (andana_dj @ Dec 28 2008, 05:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> wow that was a tough one!!! i have my interview in Romania too in couple of months and now i am really scared already about it!!! sorry that you had to pass through all this! but at least you got what you were fighting for, your visa. Congrats and GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL Hi Andana, Don't be scared!!! They are USA and play by a rule and procedure book, in the end you will get the visa if you just follow the rules and be truthful. To ease your worries, in the two days we sat waiting for the interviews, we were the only ones called to "door #7" for a closed door interview, everybody else did their interview at the windows. That is interesting because everybody sitting waiting can overhear the whole interview, it is a quiet room. The security is overkill, you will wait on the street near the consulate, (just behind the Intercontental hotel) and they will call your name and check your passport before leading you to a waiting area outside the consulate, then one by one they ask you inside, metal detectors, purse search, and you are allowed to carry in only your documents, almost like airport security, then everybody ends up sitting in a room waiting for their name to be called, first for fingerprinting at the fingerprint window, then again for documents, and finally again for the interview. In all we waited about 4 hours the first time, and about 3 hours the second time, even though the interview itself only takes a few minutes. If you do not speak Romanian, or English, they require you to bring a approved translator with you to the interview, they will provide two names, we used Stefan, cost 100 Euro, and he did a great job. I'm still in Chisinau, at Puskin street across from the park, getting ready to celebrate new-years. If you are Russian, and want to talk to my sweetie about our journey, I'm sure she would love to tell you all about it from her view, she only speaks Russian. Send me a private message and I will give you our contact information here in Chisinau. Cheers, Scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-12-28 10:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Whoo-hoo-visa in hand	Whoo-hoo!!! Visa in hand!! BUT, not without a lot of run-around that was completely unexpected. My sweetie lives in Chisinau Moldova, but since Moldova does not process K1 visas our interview was in Bucharest Romania. No problem, hire an interpreter who can translate Russian to Romanian or English was the easy part. Then it turns strange, I went with my sweetie to the interview, but instead of interviewing her at the window as all the other people, she was called to a separate closed room, then to my surprise I was called for an interview also. We had ample evidence of ongoing relationship, I have traveled to Moldova 5 times, every 2 months this year, and we lived together for 60 days this year. Receipts, boarding passes, Skype records showing that we chat 1 to 3 hours every day, email letters, photos, we had a ton of proof of an ongoing relationship. They denied the visa, they wanted more proof of relationship, specifically, they wanted originals of all our first letters which were done through an on-line dating service, and they wanted to see all the letters with the agency translations English and Russian. I asked, “Hey, we proved we had contact within 2 years with the original approved K1 visa application, all we need to prove is that we have an ongoing relationship....right? “NO, WE WANT TO SEE ALL YOUR ORIGINAL LETTERS”. Well in classic girl style my sweetie had saved them all, back in Moldova. So we made another interview appointment, quickly drove the 8 hour trip back to Moldova, then another 8 hour drive back to Bucharest to make the appointment time. Once again we were called to a separate room, rather than the standard interview window, then they interviewed us separately in a closed door room. They tried every way to deny her the visa, they told me she did not write the letters, I called bull sh*t on that, so then they say we failed to provide “hand written” letters, which never existed in the first place since in the beginning she communicated to me through an agency, who typed the messages into a computer, then translated them into English. Ugggg!!! My sweetie had be denied a visa to USA 3 prior times, her brother is a USA citizen and he tried over the course of 15 years to get her a visa to visit, all were denied. So they try to convince me that she is pulling a con on me just to get to USA!!! Once again I call bull sh*t on that, so in the end they give her the visa. If she had gone to this interview by herself, there is no way she would have been given a visa. As we sat waiting for the interview, both times we met other girls who were alone trying to get K! Visa approvals, most were denied!!!! Maybe this is just Romania / Moldova, but lesson learned, it was not as easy as it would seem, even when all your documents are perfect, and tons of relationship evidence is provided. Good luck all... Cheers, Scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-12-27 03:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	JUNE 2008 K1 FILERS CSC ONLY!!	QUOTE (Navid+Hediyeh @ Oct 28 2008, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> wow so u june filers arent really getting approved these days are ya? Well....I received approval on Oct. 23, I was expecting a RFE because I did not put any N/A's in the blanks, so I would be saying that the june filers should also expect approvals any day!! I have a June 18 date for NOA1, so don't give up hope!! Cheers, Scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-10-28 20:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	JUNE 2008 K1 FILERS CSC ONLY!!	QUOTE (HelloWorld08 @ Oct 28 2008, 09:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (villaspurs @ Oct 28 2008, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (pedia @ Oct 28 2008, 11:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (mnmarty03 @ Oct 28 2008, 04:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nothing to report here... still no touches or approvals or RFE's. I think the date you are in June doesn't matter so much anymore... so who knows when everyone will get processed! Hopefully after the election it'll speed up. Until then, I'm trying not to get my hopes up. It's too depressing! Have a great week! i know this might sound like a silly question, but how does the election slow down/affect the processing? A poster has a contact (brother-in-law, maybe?) at USCIS who said that they had shifted resources to approve a backlog of citizenship applications so that newly-minted citizens could vote in the election. By now, however, it seems unlikely that anyone could register, so hopefully they've sent them right back to I-129F adjudication! ^^^^^^^^^^^^ lets hope this is true, thanks for the info!!! Voting rights? My question is, when my sweetie moves here in the next couple months, when or how will she get the right to vote? Cheers, Scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-10-28 12:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	JUNE 2008 K1 FILERS CSC ONLY!!	QUOTE (pedia @ Oct 24 2008, 10:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jeff & Olga @ Oct 24 2008, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (scott-n-vlada @ Oct 24 2008, 10:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Navid+Hediyeh @ Oct 24 2008, 09:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hey well i have a good feeling that next week is the week forsure! hope they finish june by next week too!! Woo-hoo!!! I was expecting a RFE because I did not put "N/A" in any blanks, but to my surprise, as I checked the USCIS web site for the millionth time: Application Type: I129F, PETITION FOR FIANCE(E) Current Status: Approval notice sent. On October 23, 2008, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service. http://cse.ssl.berke...du/igor/vjdata/ Igor's list Cheers, Scott THANKS VJ!!!!! Cheers, Scott Congratulations Scott-n-Vlada. We are 3 behind you on Igor's list. Today marks 4 months since our NOA-1, so we are hoping for a lot more June filers to receive their NOA-2's soon. Good luck to everyone who is patiently waiting. Where is this Igor's list and how do i get on it? Im a newbie. pls help	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-10-24 12:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	JUNE 2008 K1 FILERS CSC ONLY!!	QUOTE (Navid+Hediyeh @ Oct 24 2008, 09:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hey well i have a good feeling that next week is the week forsure! hope they finish june by next week too!! Woo-hoo!!! I was expecting a RFE because I did not put "N/A" in any blanks, but to my surprise, as I checked the USCIS web site for the millionth time: Application Type: I129F, PETITION FOR FIANCE(E) Current Status: Approval notice sent. On October 23, 2008, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service. THANKS VJ!!!!! Cheers, Scott	scott-n-vlada	Male	Moldova	2008-10-24 12:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NOA1!!!	Congratulations on your first step in the journey! Don't injure yourself trying to understand the arcane process by which the love of your life will be allowed to come here. Sit back, enjoy the moment, and have some popcorn! Good luck on your journey!	ready4ONE	Male	Philippines	2007-01-28 01:22:00
Philippines	Questions about my Wife's Philippines citizenship	Wrong... as in that is soooo false.  A U.S. citizen can obtain citizenship in a foreign without losing their U.S. citizenship... without issue.   http://travel.state....enship_778.html   Excerpt from the referenced site:   Administrative Standard of Evidence As already noted, the actions listed above can cause loss of U.S. citizenship only if performed voluntarily and with the intention of relinquishing U.S. citizenship. The Department has a uniform administrative standard of evidence based on the premise that U.S. citizens intend to retain United States citizenship when they obtain naturalization in a foreign state, subscribe to a declaration of allegiance to a foreign state, serve in the armed forces of a foreign state not engaged in hostilities with the United States, or accept non-policy level employment with a foreign government.   There is more information on the site that you can read and become enlightened but I will add this excerpt also:   In light of the administrative premise discussed above, a person who: is naturalized in a foreign country; takes a routine oath of allegiance to a foreign state; serves in the armed forces of a foreign state not engaged in hostilities with the United States, or accepts non-policy level employment with a foreign government, and in so doing wishes to retain U.S. citizenship need not submit prior to the commission of a potentially expatriating act a statement or evidence of his or her intent to retain U.S. citizenship    since such an intent will be presumed.   I stand corrected.       Hmmm now reading the dual Citizenship law, it does only apply to natural born Philippine citizens, but that deals with reclaiming Philippine Citizenship. I'd definitely not dump my US citizenship. I'm trying to see where the Philippines requires renouncing other citizenship, but I'm not finding it. There are still multiple references to the USA in their naturalization laws yet.   Correct.  I forgot to mention the dual citizenship law refers to natural born Filipinos.  Even if someone wishes to naturalize to Philippine citizenship, s/he cannot become a dual citizen (according to Philippine law.   Here's one reference which states the Oath of Allegiance in the Philippines. "...renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity..."     You don't have to dump your U.S. citizenship to acquire Philippine citizenship if that was your desire.  Read my post just above yours.   This is still a slippery slope, in my opinion.  The risks greatly outweigh the rewards.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-06 11:51:00
Philippines	Questions about my Wife's Philippines citizenship	I doubt I would ever bother getting (dual) Philippine citizenship, getting the 13A visa is more than adequate for living there long term.  The second you obtain Philippine citizenship should you have a serious "issue" the option of contacting the embassy will be tossed out the window.   Foreigners cannot get dual citizenship.  Dual citizenship is only for former Filipinos.  Not their spouses. You can get Philippine citizenship by way of renouncing your U.S. citizenship.  You will lose your U.S. citizenship, and will become a Filipino citizen...not a dual citizen.   I agree, the 13A visa is great if living there long term.  For me, even the Balikbayan visa is adequate.    There is one important thing to remember for foreigners getting Philippine citizenship and giving up their U.S. citizenship.  If ever you needed to return to the U.S. (e.g. death in the family), you will most likely need to apply for a tourist visa.  Remember, you will be a Filipino now...even if you are white.    U.S. will treat you like any other citizen of a foreign country.  And you will need certain types of visa to lawfully enter the U.S.  Just something to consider.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-06 10:45:00
Philippines	Questions about my Wife's Philippines citizenship	K-1 entry Marry Report marriage to Philippine consulate AOS ROC Citizenship Take oath to reaffirm citizenship with the Philippines   Retire Repeating a reverse process You apply for permanent residence status before going to the Philippines Get Conditional Residency 1 year Get multi-year residency After 5 years, if you've learned a major native language, you can get citizenship in the Philippines. Make bar bets with Filipinos that you're a Filipino to, then show your Philippine passport to win free beers.   Well at least thats my 20 year plan      Are you referring to you?  Or your wife?   Once your Filipino spouse reaquires Philippine citizenship, the person has dual citizenship (U.S. citizen and Philippine citizen). If you're referring to yourself, you most certainly can attain Philippine citizenship.  BUT...this would require renouncing and giving up your U.S. citizenship.  The dual citizenship is only for former Filipinos.  These applicants do not renounce their U.S. citizenship, but do swear allegiance to the Philippines. IMHO, renouncing your U.S. citizenship for Philippine citizenship is not a good idea.  Just my thoughts.      I do like the idea of free beers, though!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-05 11:42:00
Philippines	Questions about my Wife's Philippines citizenship	Good question. I'm not 100% sure but throwing it out there so someone who knows will answer. If she gets a US passport she still has her filipino passport. I believe you never lose citizenship In the Philippines just because you become a US citizen as they are allowed to have duel Citizenship. Make sure you send the documents in to recognize your marriage in the philippines.   Congratulations on your recent marriage!   Your wife will first receive her permanent resident card (green card).  She can be a permanent resident for years and years...and never apply for U.S. citizenship. However, if she chooses to become a U.S. citizen, she renounces all allegiances (Philippines) and effectively loses her Philippine citizenship.   According to Philippines' Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act, you may then maintain your Philippine citizenship.  Under their modified Oath of Allegiance, applicants for dual citizenship swear to support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.  Nowhere in the Oath is there any renouncing of allegiance.      Hope this helps you some.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-05 07:57:00
Philippines	petitioning a stepdaughter	Hi huys thanks for all the replies. I appreciated. Markieboy I do not get it? So it's not I-r2? My husband petitioned me as his fiance back then. And we have been married for 9 months now. My daughter is 5 years old. She'll be six on August.   No, if you and your husband are married less than 2 years, the visa classification would be CR. If you both are married more than 2 years, then the visa classification would be IR.   For example, I was married to my wife less than 2 years.  We applied for her AOS.  Her green card had CR-6 on it.  But when I petitioned my stepdaughter, my wife and I were married almost 3 years.  My stepdaughter's green card had IR-2 on it.   It's just the visa classification.  It really doesn't affect the permanent residence status...only that you must remove conditions later on.      Hope this helps.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-05 19:12:00
Philippines	petitioning a stepdaughter	Hi guys. I know it has been posted many times but I have been so busy and behind w the topics here in VJ. I would like to know some information regarding the petition for stepdaughter. Is it called I-r2 petition? My husband might end up petitioning my daughter as his stepdaughter. How much the fee, the requirements, and how long it takes? Lastly, does my daughter needs to apply for AOS when she gets here? Hope to hear from you soon.. Thanks in advance. .   I see that you were married less than two years.  Is that correct? If so, then the visa classification would be CR-2 rather than IR-2.  CR is the conditional resident, while IR is immediate relative. It would be best for your husband (the USC) to petition your daughter.  BTW, how old is your daughter?  How old was she when you were married?  Have you ever been married to your daughter's father?   Your husband would file the I-130 petition, as she would be considered his child.  Current filing fee is: $420.  The petition takes up to 6 months to be approved.  After approval it is sent to NVC for further processing.  I highly recommend reading this guide.  If outlines the basic steps during USCIS, NVC and US Consulate stages.  Please, please, please be proactive during the latter stages (especially NVC).  It will drastically reduce the processing times.    Once your daughter is admitted to the United States, she will arrive here as an immigrant.  Her permanent resident card (green card) will arrive in your mail within 3-4 weeks (usually).  There will be no need to AOS anymore.      I hope this helps you some!  Good luck with your journey!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-05 13:24:00
Philippines	My fiancee passed her interview! Thank God!	Congratulations!  Wonderful news!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-03 11:02:00
Philippines	st lukes discussion	Hey Markieboy, Sounds like you've been to CA DMV before!! Bob Hey calibob! I sure have! Used to live in Stockton. Their DMV was terrible!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-09-11 17:55:00
Philippines	st lukes discussion	As a person living in the philippines ive learned you just have to accept whatever it is. Even if its backwards by our standards or makes no sense (which is often) , you just dont have a choice but to endure it. But while you are in manila find some nice things to do, Mall of Asia, Robinsons mall are both nice, plenty of things to do and places to eat. Check out intramuros, its cool and the area is nice (has a starbucks) Also keep attitude in mind, the more you panic and feel out of place the more you will be treated that way. I think its just the initial shock of being here , takes about a week to get over it. My wife has to hear me complain all the time, i try to keep it at a minimum though Just be happy you dont have to do any banking here Very sensible advice. It is so much easier to change yourself, than to change, say... ~94 million people. The sooner you accept it, the better. I definitely agree with you about panic and feeling out of place! It's like sharks sensing blood. OTOH, if you embrace the culture and show a desire to learn more about it, the more people are accepting of you. Banking IS a pain! I really don't miss that part. Waiting literally hours to make a transaction. But you know...some Dept of Licensing/DMVs here in the U.S. are just as bad!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-09-08 08:34:00
Philippines	st lukes discussion	I WAS CONSTANTLY HOUNDED by Peddlers and beggars the REST OF THE DAY WHILE WAITING. This is WHY I AM SO IRATE. IT BECAME VERY OBVIOUS I HAD MONEY. YOUR POLICY PUT ME AT RISK AND IN TERRIBLE DANGER WHILE WAITING ON HER. Are you f*cking serious? You really sent this email??? You really felt "in terrible danger?" If you're so afraid of "peddlers and beggars," how much more when you're in the States? MAJORITY OF THE TIME The US CITIZENS ARE PAYING ST. Lukes for the MEDICAL. THERE IS A PETITIONER AND A BENEFICIARY. The MEDICAL IS RARELY PAID BY THE FILIPINOS. I strongly recommend changing your policies to allow the petitioner and the beneficiary. What's your point? Whoever pays gets to dictate policy and procedure? Completely absurd... REMEMBER WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM. I PAID FOR HER MEDICAL TODAY. It is HIGHLY OUTRAGEOUS TO DENY A PERSON PAYING - THE PETITIONER -- FOR A SERVICE FOR THE BENEFICIARY. WHAT IF I HAD CHOSEN NOT TO PAY SINCE I WAS NOT ALLOWED IN? What if I refused to hand her money in front of St. Lukes? I AM VERY VERY VERY VERY UPSET. YOUR POLICY PUT A US CITIZEN IN DANGER. This is the kind of thinking and attitude, which subjects a certain society/people subservient to another. I'm happy that you seem financially secure, but money (and where it comes from) isn't everything. You need to follow rules and regulations, regardless if they are backwards to you. If you refused to give her the payment, then this would only delay your medical...and, eventually, your interview, as well. Not a very intelligent choice. This thread seems more like a TANTRUM than a valid complaint. I completely agree with the previous comments. You may have been allowed to enter had you taken a more diplomatic approach. Have you ever heard of sipsip? You should try it sometime. It works wonders. Anyway, good luck with your upcoming interview!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-09-05 21:17:00
Philippines	Legal Guardianship for a child left behind	Markieboy...I saw your questions...but they no longer appear here. Maybe they were deleted when you edited your post?   To address your question, my fiancee was never married to the father of the child. We fully understand she has full legal custody of the child...but this was not my question. My question is about transfering her authority as legal guardian to someone else...such as her mom...temporarily or with the ability to revoke this authority. What is the best way to do this?   One lawyer told me that the person that is to become legal guardian must petition to the court for this. Minimum attorney fee is 40,000 pesos - plus court costs...etc. When I later asked if some sort of temporary transfer of legal guardianship (or a power of attorney), can be used, he replied, "Yes...a specific power of attorney can be used...but it is not the same as what the court will grant. (Yes...of course it is not the same...it's probably 35,000 fewer pesos for a power of attorney :-) )   Any thoughts from anyone that has done this...or has knowledge of this... will be appreciated.   Sorry, I spoke too soon.  Lately, I have been doing this.  IIRC, you would need to involve the courts.  But I do not have any experience with this.   Good luck with your situation!  I hope someone with experience will guide you in the right direction.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-26 13:43:00
Philippines	Legal Guardianship for a child left behind	Edited by Markieboy, 26 June 2013 - 12:51 PM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-26 12:49:00
Philippines	Birth certificate and baptismal of my son is needed for his CFO registration?	When my stepdaughter had her CFO, she did not require her baptismal certificate.  Her birth certificate was also registered late (more than 1 year late).	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-30 10:48:00
Philippines	Drivers Lic for Washington State	My Fiancé has a current drivers license from the Philippines, does anyone know what the rules are for driving legally in Washington State once she arrives...   I know that once she has established residency (when we get married) that she then has to go through all the normal licensing tests to get a WA State license...but what about her driving before that ??   Thanks in advance for your help.   cjmc   I am not certain if Washington honors a Philippine driver's license.  However, my wife applied for her International Driving Permit.  This permit was accepted at the WA DOL.  She was able to legally drive here in Washington.  I highly recommend your fiancé apply for one before coming here.    I hope this helps you some.  Good luck!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-07-15 12:40:00
Philippines	Parental Advice	Is there a need for the parental advice to be notarized by an attorney?   The parental advice has been inscribed by the local civil registrar and when I went to an attorney to have it notarized, they asked me on which part are they signing given that the registrar has signed the advice. They said that they would have to remove the civil registrar's name if I want it notarized.   According to USEM website, it states that documentation regarding parental consent or advice is to be presented.  It does not say notarization is required. If I were you, I would keep the document you have (with the local civil registrar's name) and not have it notarized.   I hope this helps some.  Good luck with your journey!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-05-30 08:12:00
Philippines	Has anyone here used FOREX as their cargo service for sending Balikbayan box?	Seasons greetings! I wonder if anyone here in Philippine forum had sent a package to the Philippines using FOREX. I was scouting around for cargo services to send some goodies to PI then and I came across FOREX that has service in Baton Rouge, LA area through the Filipino Store named Pinay Gigi. I would love to hear some reviews about their service. Thank you! I use Forex to send Balikbayan boxes to the Philippines. We send a couple boxes on October 16th, and they arrived on their front door on November 27th. We paid $80 per box. It wasn't too bad, considering there is no weight limit. More importantly, nothing was "removed" (stolen) from the boxes. We're quite happy with their service and will use them again. Hope you have the same experience!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-07 18:53:00
Philippines	Welcome to America my love!	Congratulations, Stevephoto!  Great review...wonderful news!    Good luck with the rest of your journey!  Safe travels!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2013-06-06 07:08:00
Philippines	i need help	MY QUESTION IS,WHEN A FILIPINA GET MARRIED HERE IN THE US,HOW DO HER NAME APPEAR IN THE MARRIAGE LICENSE. IN MY CASE I AM STILL USING MY MOTHERS MAIDEN NAME.AS A SECOND NAME HERE,AND MY LAST NAME WAS DROP OFF. FOR EXAMPLE. MY SISNGLES NAME IS: JANE BALANSAG ADELAN(JANE IS MY FIRST NAME,BALANSAG IS MY MIDDLE NAME,ADELAN IS MY LAST NAME) AND I GOT MARRIED HERE AND IT CHANGE IT TO JANE BALANSAG BROWNING (BROWNING IS THE LAST NAME OF MY HUSBAND). IM SO CONFUSE ABOUT IT. PLSS..SOMEONE MAKEME UNDERSTAND? You can change your name to whatever you like. In the U.S., by convention, your maiden name is replaced with your married name once married. Your middle name remains the same. OTOH, in the Philippines, once married the woman's maiden name become her middle name. My wife had to explain this when she applied for her driver's license. Initially, they had her name as First Middle Married. She told them that that wasn't her name...it was First Maiden Married and furnished a copy of the marriage certificate. She was issued her driver's license according to Filipino convention. She then was able to use her state-issued I.D. to apply for SSN and, eventually green card, in that name. Hope this helps.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-10-25 14:42:00
Philippines	CR2 - NVC Case Completed-What's next?	Hi Everyone, My husband petitioned my daughter as CR2. I rang NVC today and the automated message said case was completed last Feb. 3. How many weeks before paperworks arrive in USEM? You can track the NVC package via DHL. Use reference number 9294829305. Once delivered, allow 5-7 business days for USEM to enter your file into their system. What will I receive next? Will NVC send us a letter with an interview date? How long before an interview is set? How about the medical exam? I read on the US Embassy website in Manila that it takes 3 to 5 months for an interview date to be set. Has this been the case? How far apart are they scheduled? Will I schedule the medical exam or they be the ones scheduling it.ALso, how long will the visa be valid for once it's been issued? You will receive a letter from USEM that you are eligible to schedule the interview. DO NOT WAIT for that letter. I received the letter one month AFTER my interview. You can actually schedule your interview by online or by calling (214) 571-1600 7PM-7AM EST. The beneficiary can take the medical exam, even WITHOUT the interview letter. All that is required is: copy of NVC letter showing MNL case number. I showed this and had zero problems with medical. So, if your case is approved, I would suggest getting the medical exam done. Remember, there are no appointments for medical exams. It is first-come, first-served basis. Availability of interview dates depends on the volume of applicants. Typically, it is 3-5 months...if you wait for the interview letter. But, being proactive has its benefits. In my case, after the embassy received my case, I waited about 1 week to schedule a date. I was able to schedule a date as early as 3 weeks (just to give you an idea). Immigrant visas are valid up to 6 months. My daughter who's 9 years old is still in school, so if it's 3 months at least school is over by then. I plan to go home when medical exam and interview dates are set.I need an idea so I can book my flight. I have not read much info about CR2 and a bit confused about people's experiences because it's different in every country. The process can be sooner than 3 months if you are proactive. However, if time is not an issue, then no worries. An additional thing to remember is that your daughter must attend a "peer counseling seminar" at CFO. I am so happy about this as my AOS was approved yesterday. These couple of days have really been wonderful. Thank God!!! Your inputs will be appreciated. Congratulations on your approved AOS! Good luck with your journey!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-02-13 22:52:00
Philippines	Where's your hometown?	I was born in the States. My father was born and raised in Ilocos Sur. I married my longtime friend and classmate. She is from Baguio. So for about eight years, I considered Baguio my home. Baguio is a beautiful and serene place. I sure miss the people, the culture and the food!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-02-22 10:24:00
Philippines	H0TELS in Manila	Nice one!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-09-07 12:21:00