Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Philippines	Luggage	I don't think this is a good idea. There was this lady I read over the internet who bought herself these luxurious brand for luggages and purses to show off, but then when she arrived in the US, the customs officer had to stop her for bringing in the imitation to the US. So I think you know now what had happen. So, I wouldn't suggest this. Yeah, I agree with Cutie_Patootie. If you attempt to bring in counterfeit items, especially your luggage, be prepared to be stopped by U.S. Customs. I have friends who had only their items confiscated. They were lucky. The risk is not worth the potential consequence, IMO.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-10 21:42:00
Philippines	Raising Fil/Am Children	For those who plan to have children or already have children.... 1. How much of their Filipino culture do you hope they will inherit? Language, customs, beliefs, attitudes? We hope they would inherit the best of both worlds. Languange, definitely the more, the merrier. My wife and I agreed that I should teach them proper English, and she would teach them proper Filipino, Ilokano, and alittle I'baloi. I say proper, meaning with the native accent and correct syntax/grammar. Customs and beliefs are a mixed subject really. There are some Filipino customs and beliefs that we both find ridiculous. On the same token, we both disagree with some American norms. We would only hope they inherit the Filipino attitude. Most children today have a care-free attitude and disregard many blessings that they have. I have noticed this in the American side of my family, as well as with other families. I suppose much of it has to do with upbringing, discipline and structure. 2. Do you speak to your child in your native tongue? (Bisaya, Tagalog, etc.). Does your American spouse support, encourage your child to learn it? Absolutely. I will speak to my child in English and try my Filipino. My wife will take more control with speaking Filipino and Ilokano, as well as English. We definitely want our children to hear the language as early as birth. They will become accustomed to the unique sounds, and eventually, will become comfortable speaking and understanding it. 3. Have you or will you bring/send your child to the Philippines to stay for any extended period of time? Summertime for example? Absolutely! When I was young, my family would spend many summers and Christmases in the Philippines. My father (Ilokano) stressed how important one's roots are. To actually visit the place your forefathers came from is such a humbling experience. We hope we can give the same experience to our children. It is wonderful to have all the luxuries in life, but it is also important to be grateful and humble for what we have. Visiting the Philippines really does this. I have also studied in the Philippines for part of my undergraduate, as well as my post-graduate. I had such a wonderful time during those years. And if my children shared the same interest to study there, we would not hesitate to send them. * Also - if you (the American spouse), chose a Filipina spouse because of certain qualities you found were lacking here with most potential spouses here in America, how do you plan to keep your children from becoming "Americanized" in that way? I chose my Filipina spouse because she is the most loving and loyal woman I have ever met. Generally, Filipinas are very loving and caring. My wife is extremely hard-working and innovative. These are traits that I have noticed more in Filipinas than I do in American women. Just my own observation. Parents are a child's first teachers. We should teach by example. My wife and I hope to teach our children to appreciate how lucky they are, to study hard because they are fortunate to go to school, and to become responsible, dependable and hard-working adults in the future. These are just some of the things we hope for our children.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-11 23:43:00
Philippines	AOS form I-864 : says form expires 10/31/10	form I-864 affidavit of support says it will expire 10/31/10... can i still use it today? i cant find any other updated form 1-864. any idea for a new form? thanks I had the same question before. I was advised to continue to use the form listed on USCIS website. So, even though it says it is expired, continue to use it until they issue a new one. Good luck with your journey!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-12 08:32:00
Philippines	CFO Class Completed & She's on Her Way Tuesday	Congratulations! And best wishes to both of you!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-12 19:22:00
Philippines	Pacquiao vs Margarito	Yahoo news stated that Manny let up in the 10th round and asked the referee to stop the fight. He showed some mercy for Magarito. It just shows you what kind of man Pacquiao is, inside and outside the ring. From humble beginnings to great fame and fortune, Pacquiao holds his country and his kababayans with great respect and admiration. It was fun for me even just reading the round by round updates online. Then seeing a photo of Margarito with a huge mouse under his left eye told the story quite well. Was much said about the 17 lb weight difference? It's even more incredible that Manny did so well with such a weight disadvantage. In the post-fight conference, Manny apologized to fans for being unable to sign autographs, because his hands were swollen and hurt too much. I don't know if that's typical, I suspect not. Just another indicator of how hard he hits. Were you able to watch the HBO 24/7 Pacquiao-Margarito? It really is a good series. Pacquiao said why he wanted to keep his weight at 147lbs, it was mainly to keep his speed. He felt that being heavier slowed him down.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-14 22:41:00
Philippines	12/08/10 INTERVIEW DATE	congratulations and good luck on the interview! our case was completed last week so im crossing my fingers that hopefully we get scheduled for that December month. Congratulations on your case completion! Hope you get your December interview! Good luck and God bless!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-08 14:04:00
Philippines	12/08/10 INTERVIEW DATE	Congratulations! Good luck at the interview!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-08 13:26:00
Philippines	Can I be banned from the Philippines?	She would need to be pretty well-connected to ban you from the Philippines. Yeah, I think she is just scaring you. Good luck with your situation.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-15 10:30:00
Philippines	Passport Renewal: Catch-22?	Would the Philippine Consulate even renew a passport that is valid for a couple more years? Maybe not. It would probably be best to renew while in the Philippines. If the name on return ticket doesn't match her new passport, she can always show her old passport and/or marriage certificate. It should not be a problem.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-21 00:21:00
Philippines	HELP FORM I-134 FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY WENT TO THE INTERVIEW	While the PP's example is romantic, it's not... proper. The "I love her" and "consider it my duty" are over the top. Stick with the facts, don't over-dramatise or over-romantasise. It's not proper? Says who? Or is it just not your taste? Tahoma states that he loves her and considers it his duty. Those are, indeed, his facts. They may, however, not be yours. Did you go through the U.S. Embassy in Manila? I did, and it worked for me. Nicely done, sir!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-20 18:50:00
Philippines	Heartbroken and deceived---need help/advice		Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-18 23:54:00
Philippines	Heartbroken and deceived---need help/advice	I also don't have any advice to offer. I am sorry you are in this situation.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-16 07:37:00
Philippines	Korean insults Filipino Accents	You guys are too sensitive, she was doing a lot of accents. I thought it was funny, and you can tell she isn't doing it to purposely be offensive. Filipinos are too sensitive, The lady did American and English accents and you don't see us complaining. I tend to agree with you. I am an American, of mixed Filipino heritage. I was neither offended by the American accent, nor the "Filipino" accent. I know that is not how Filipinos speak, so why should that be offensive? It shows that the person trying to imitate Filipinos is failing miserably. Now, if she said something racial to Filipinos (ie Filipinos are monkeys because...), then that would be a different story. Several years ago in the Philippines, there was an commercial advertising Advil. One of the women pronounced "Advil" with an American accent (she was a Fil-Am or OFW). Her friends then imitated her, but grossly pronounced it nasally. Was this an example of Filipinos insulting the way Americans pronounce English? I don't know and, frankly, I don't care. It is too silly to be upset over.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-11 14:55:00
Philippines	sending packages to the philippines	The only thing I would send USPS are papers, anything of value will be either stolen, have an outrageous tax or be held hostage for ransom. I use to send my wife chocolates when we were dating and I sent extra bars as bribe to the postal officer in her hometown to release the box to her..........true story folks. I believe that. Unfortunately, that happens every day in most parts of the Philippines. Once you learn the system, though, things tend to run more smoothly. If you really get in good with the postal employees (like buying them merienda, making chikka about their family), they will even call you when your package arrives!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-27 20:28:00
Philippines	Tanduay Mini Oak Barrrel	Does anyone know where I can buy this particular Tanduay (aged 18, mini oak barrel) in the US online? Google isnt really a big help. You may want to try and contact Tanduay's USA distributor. If it is available here in U.S., they should be able to tell you where. Here's their contact information: MIDWAY TRADING CORPORATION Mr. Robert Cua #130 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111, USA Tel. No: 415-986-2600 Fax No: 415-986-1406 Email: robertcua@hotmail.com I hope this helps you. BTW, that's a great Christmas gift! Very classy!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-28 01:08:00
Philippines	Barcoded Coversheet	You can print your barcoded cover sheets at Immigrant Visa Invoice Payment Center. Once "Payment Status" shows "PAID," click on the button "Print Document Cover Sheet" I hope this helps you!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-28 16:57:00
Philippines	immigrant visas can now call to set appointments	Thanks for the update, maui23! Happy to see this new feature for immigrants!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-29 10:15:00
Philippines	St Lukes and Embassy	My fiancee and daughter are in incheon right now waiting for their flight to atlanta, they arrive in atlanta at 9:20 am.... Wow, congratulations! What an adventure they are on! God bless you and your family!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-11-11 23:01:00
Philippines	Interview to visa in hand	Not a good idea. Book the tickets when she has the VISA in her hand. Excellent advice!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-03 19:30:00
Philippines	INTERVIEW PROBLEM TOMORROW!!	Good luck with your interview!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-08 09:25:00
Philippines	MY INTERVIEW ATUS EMBASSY MANILA	Congratulations on a successful interview!!! Happy to hear everything went well!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-06 20:25:00
Philippines	Question for those who have approved Visa's or greencards.	Yeah, it is absurd that photos must be timestamped. Nowhere in the DOS' instructions does it mention that as a requirement. If all else fails, you can always add the timestamp in photoshop. Of course, this is assuming you're certain of the dates.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-11 20:28:00
Philippines	Can't Schedule Appointment!!!	You need to wait until USEM Manila physically has your case. Once you know your case was delivered to USEM, allow about 3-4 business days. You should be able to schedule the appointment then. Good luck with your interview!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-14 22:14:00
Philippines	Have we gotten lazy?	Perhaps it is because most USCs have to work 9-5 and are tired to do immigration paperwork at the end of the day. While Filipino SOs are in the Philippines, many without employment, and have more free time to work on their petitions. Just my thoughts.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-08 20:24:00
Philippines	Philippines fire kills 15, many nursing students	How tragic! Our deepest condolences to the victims' families and friends.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-19 08:09:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	No such thing as being too cautious! I printed 3 copies of the appointment "letter" and saved the .pdf file on my usb drive. I too really had doubts about the "confirmation letter" being the appointment letter. But after clicking the "Download Appointment Letter," the appointment letter is, indeed, the confirmation letter. It has the name, date, time, UID and barcode on it.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-15 07:32:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	You are all very welcome! I (and I'm sure, Tahoma) are more than happy helping are kababayan. Yes, it is a confusing process, and any advice/help that we can give to make it smoother...we will. Visajourney has been a HUGE help to me and my wife, so it's only fitting that we return the favor. I hope you all get your interviews soon! You will all be in our thoughts and prayers!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-14 22:25:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	Congratulations Beth & Chard on scheduling the interview!!! Good luck and keep us posted!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-14 05:04:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	Thanks, thekfc! I will enjoy for all of you! Will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-12 14:59:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	Thanks, Tahoma, for your feedback as well as your well wishes. I will definitely enjoy my vacation here!!! Wife and I sure missed the fresh fish and vegetables (native). Hopefully, our interview will be successful! Will still check on VJ while I'm here, to be of any help to everyone. Good luck to everyone trying to schedule interviews! Be persistent and don't wait for USEM to send you an "eligibility" letter.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-11 18:34:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	Hi all! Sorry if the formatting is weird. I am using my blackberry while I'm here in PI. Just wanted to give an update re my case. I was able to schedule an interview 3am on Dec 9th...the morning my wife and I left to PI. The whole month of Jan is open! We picked the 11th for my stepdaughter because of previous committments and trips we have. Also wanted to confirm that the med exam is NOT required before making an appointment. My stepdaughter has yet to take hers. The USEM Manila must physically have your case, the wait mga 3 days for them to enter into system, the the online scheduling will work. I hope this helps those who are wondering!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-11 18:03:00
Philippines	Scheduling the Interview - Manila	I think I will just try scheduling at the end of each day, as a matter of routine and stop calling the call center. If I am able to schedule I will know we've been entered into their system. Nice! That's exactly what I'm doing now.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-12-08 13:46:00
Philippines	Renew Passport	my passport is still in my maiden name do i need to renew it and use the surname of my husband? he is gonna file me for spouse visa. is it ok to use my old passport using my maiden or i should need to get new passport using his surname? thank you so much You can use either surname. If you want to change it to your husband's surname, you will need to amend/renew your passport with Philippine Consulate. You will need to show your marriage certificate, in order to change your surname. My wife renewed her passport and had her surname changed at the same time. It was the easier option for her. After receiving her new passport, she was able to get her driver's license having the new surname. I hope this helps you somewhat.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-21 09:06:00
Philippines	Recent Medical and Interview	Congratulations Thanks, marriedtomrg! tnx for sharing... and congratulations!!!! Thanks, godsgift! Congratulations!!! Thank you, happyndinlove~! Congratulations Markieboy! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and for the tips. I'm happy for you! Well done! Thanks, Angeli! We feel very lucky. Congratulations! My 2 kids just got here 2 months ago and without Visajourney i wouldn't have made it. VJ is a great help so it won't hurt if we will also help fellow members who are just starting on their journey. Good luck to y'all. Thanks, happyme'11'! I agree with you 100%! Congratulations also with getting your family here! What a blessing! Congratulations Marc!!! Thanks for sharing the medical and the interview experience. Thanks, Tahoma! Your advice was spot-on correct! Thanks for sharing, I'll let my parents read this. Their interview is fast approaching. You're very welcome, J.W.! Good luck with the interview! DS 230? hmm, sucks cause i dont remember reading that one in their instructions. Thanks Yes, the DS-230 application. I don't remember the instructions stating that, either. But I was asked to submit a completed copy during the prescreening. Luckily, I have OCD...and printed copies of EVERYTHING. So, I had a copy ready to sign and submit.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-22 04:19:00
Philippines	Recent Medical and Interview	Hi everyone! I just wanted to share my stepdaughter's experience with the medical at SLEC and the interview at USEM Manila. On December 9th, I was able to schedule her interview online for January 10th. The online system was very buggy at first. The techs on the phone were not yet fully familiar with the online scheduling. However, through patience and persistence, I was finally able to schedule an interview date. The key here is to wait till the USEM physically, not electronically, has your case file. After arriving in the Philippines, the first issue to sort out was the menstrual period. I let my wife handle this. It is imperative that the applicant is not menstruating. On the Dept of State website, it states that the medical exam can be performed even if the applicant is menstruating. This is not true for USEM Manila. Urinalysis will be performed. If the applicant is menstruating, even just spotting, she will be asked to return at a later date. So, be aware of this. The medical is a two-day ordeal. The first day was history collection and physical exam. My wife and stepdaughter arrived at about 9AM. There was a short line, nothing major. (Thanks Tahoma for your advice of going later in the morning!) They were there until noon, and asked to return after lunch (1PM). They returned and were there until 4PM. They were given a receipt and asked to return the following day for immunization. The next day, after breakfast, we returned to SLEC. It took about an 1 1/2 hours to receive her immunizations. All in all, it wasn't such a bad experience. We then returned to Manila for her interview. We arrived at USEM Manila at 5AM. There were quite a few people waiting. I thought it wouldn't matter...as we had a scheduled interview for 6:45AM. I was wrong. They opened the front door at 6AM and started allowing people in. We finally made it inside at about 6:20AM. We were then told to take a number. It seemed as if they were calling numbers in the order. Our number was called at 8:30AM for prescreening. The interviewer verified some information that was placed on the applications. He then told us to have a seat and wait for our number to be called. Our number was then called at 9:15AM for fingerprinting. After, we were told to sit and wait for our number. Finally, at about 9:50AM...we were called for our interview. The CO swore us in, and asked a few questions. How did I meet the beneficiary's mother? How long have we dated? What's your occupation? I was somewhat surprised that the questions were more focused on my wife and I...rather than the my stepdaughter, the beneficiary. After the questions, the CO said that he has all he needed. He then instructed us to wait outside for our number to be called. No word of a decision...not even a smile! When our number was called, we went up to the windows. The person had our file in hand. He detached my stepdaughter's passport and placed it in a plastic bag. He gave my a courier's (2go) application to fill in my mailing address. So it was then that I knew we were approved! What a relief! So here's my advice for future applicants. If and when you schedule your interview online, it really does not matter what time you choose. I chose 6:45AM as opposed to 7:15AM. And yet, I was not interviewed at the scheduled time. Don't worry though, you will have your interview. Also, remember to bring original NSO documents and copies of ALL your USCIS/NVC applications. They will ask for a completed DS-230 from you. Bring at least 10-12 photos, showing the petitioner and beneficiary together. Other than that, everything went very smooth. I hope that my experience will be of some help to future applicants. Thank you guys for being such a help to me, too! I have you all and Visajourney to thank for my family's success with their immigration process!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-21 08:58:00
Philippines	So My Case is on its Way to Manila and...	Called NVC today and they said it was forwarded to Manila today. Just wondering how long it usuallly takes to get to manila and when i will prolly be able to schedule my interview? Called the Embassy in manila and they are no help (last night). from what they said maaaaybe we will have a date for teh second week of febuary. thanks, You can also try DHL tracking. Use reference number: 9485149354. Like Tahoma said, give it up to a week for them to enter your case into their system. I hope this helps you.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-22 05:04:00
Philippines	Share some Filipino Recipes!	Marc... Chinook and I have had good luck finding the ingredients for Filipino dishes in the Seattle area. One of the places we shop for Filipino groceries is at Fou Lee market on Beacon Hill, at the corner of Beacon Avenue South and Alaska Street. Another place we shop for groceries is at the new Seafood City at Southcenter. Also, there is a Tokyo Tokyo, as well as a Chow King, Jollibee, and Red Ribbon at that location. Ranch Market in Kent at the Great Wall shopping center also has Filipino groceries. Our two favorite Filipino restaurants in the Seattle area are the Kawali Grill in Rainier Valley at Columbia City, and Inay's on Beacon Avenue South. There's also a good Filipino bakery one block from Inay's called Delite Bakery. Maybe you have tried some of these places. Tahoma, I've been Delite bakery, Ranch 99, and Seafood City (thanks to your update last October!). Seafood City is where I go for fresh blood...I have cravings for dinuguan every so often. My wife and I tried Chow King, and was somewhat disappointed. Nowhere near the same as Chow King in Philippines. Jollibee was pretty good. Red Ribbon represented pretty well. I love their coffee crunch cake! We haven't tried their Tokyo Tokyo yet, though. Thanks for recommending Fou Lee market! We'll definitely try that soon! Thanks again for all the recommendations!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-25 11:46:00
Philippines	Share some Filipino Recipes!	I was hoping we could use this thread to post tried and tested recipes, I know there are many online but I would to try a recipe that people can vouch for. And also, what filipino food does your USC husband enjoy? He doesn't like sinigang??? That's just blasphemy! Just kidding. I'm the USC husband, and I'm also half Filipino. So I suppose my answers will be biased. But here are a few that I find delicious: 1) Adobo (pork or chicken...or both) - Most everyone seems to love adobo. 2) Sinigang - I still can't believe he doesn't like this! 3) Kare-kare - You can use boneless beef, if he doesn't want to try oxtail. 4) Pinakbet - Definitely one of my favorite recipes! If he is a fan of veggies, this should be the winner. 5) Lumpia - Another excellent dish. More of an appetizer though, IMO. 6) Giniling - A basic dish of ground pork, diced potatoes, carrots, and some crushed garlic. 7) Inihaw na liempo - One of my favorites! Hard to beat Andok's, though. 8) Kaldareta - Traditionally made with goat. But I would stick with beef or even lamb. Goat has a very gamey smell that may turn him off to trying. 9) Bicol express - a sweet and spicy dish. Shrimp is very good, but ground/diced pork is great, too! These are more exotic recipes that, hopefully, he would try: 1) Dinuguan aka chocolate meat - Excellent, excellent dish. Easily a top five dish, in my book! Hopefully, you have access to fresh ingredients. 2) Sisig - Born in Pampanga, Philippines. One of the best polutan dishes ever! Best served with some alcohol. Well, this is my $0.02. I sure hope he finds at least one he likes. My wife and I also cannot survive on fast foods here. She and I both grew up eating rice daily. Good luck with cooking here in the States. The ingredients may be, at times, challenging to find. But it is very do-able. All the best!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-01-22 04:42:00
Philippines	Naturalization of Illegitimate Child?	Once your wife naturalizes her daughter will become a US Citizen if she is already a LPR. The legitimization clause is regarding illegitimate children of US Citizens. Great! Thank you for the clarification, Bob 4 Anna! Appreciate it.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-02 16:55:00
Philippines	Naturalization of Illegitimate Child?	Hi guys! It's been awhile since I've posted. I was hoping someone with experience could chime in. I recently petitioned for my stepdaughter's IR-2 visa, and it was approved. My wife has her permanent resident status, and will be eligible for naturalization in 2013. According to USCIS, "a child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen when all of the following conditions have been met under section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Child Citizenship Act (CCA). To qualify as a “child” for purposes of this section 320 of the INA, the individual must be unmarried. Also, a person who was born out of wedlock (meaning that the parents were not married at the time of the person’s birth), must be “legitimated” while under the age of 16 and while in the legal custody of the legitimating parent. See section 101©(1) of the INA. Finally, a stepchild who has not been adopted does not qualify as a child under this section." On my stepdaughter's birth certificate, there is an "Affidavit of Acknowledgment/Admission of Paternity" where the biologic father signed. Question: Is this proof of legitimation? If not, how can she be legitimated since her biologic mother (my wife) and her biologic father were never married? My stepdaughter has been in her mother's custody since birth. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-02 16:01:00