Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
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
Philippines	Medical Examination @ St. Luke's Medical Clinic	We're trying to estimate the traveling dates without having problems later on so I want to know how many days does it take for the St. Luke's Medical Clinic to complete the test required including vaccinations. I've read couple VJ members here saying 2days but the 2nd day is basically for vaccinations. Would it be done before noon? My fiance and I are going to try catch a flight to her province in the afternoon and want to find out if it's possible... Any help will be appreciated. Have you read this? Yes, the medical exams usually take 2 days. The first day is history, physical exam, chest xray. The second day is, hopefully, vaccinations. Will the vaccinations be done before noon? That is difficult to answer. It depends on the number of people waiting. In my case, my stepdaughter was there at 8AM, and was finished by 1:30PM. IMO, I wouldn't reserve a flight that day...but the following day. But that's just me. I hope this helps you some. Good luck with the medical! Edited by Markieboy, 10 March 2011 - 06:30 PM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-10 18:30:00
Philippines	bringing dried fish in america	im going to visit my family nextmonth im just wondering if i can bring some driedfish back to america.... Nope. Bawal yan. Also, no chicharon, longganisa, baggoong, balut, fruits or vegetables. They will confiscate them at Customs. Hope this helps!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-10 18:50:00
Philippines	Visiting The Philippines with my Wife	Hi Everyone, I have a couple of questions about our upcoming trip to The Philippines. I will be traveling with my wife who is still a Philippine citizen. There is a chance that we will be staying for more than 21 days. We are about to buy our airline tickets very soon. Our stay will be 21-23 days long. Since I am traveling with my wife, will I be allowed to stay longer than 21 days without applying for an extension? I believe this is allowed under the "balikbayan" program, is this correct? If so, where can we find out more about the balikbayan program and its benifits for my wife. She hasn't been back to The Philippines for about 3 1/2 years. Thanks for any replies, Kev n Jena Yes, you are correct. Since you will be traveling with your wife (Filipino), you will be eligible for Balikbayan visa. Philippine Consulate in Chicago states that "former Filipino citizens may stay up to one year without a visa, provided they present, at the Philippine point of entry, proof of former Filipino citizenship, such as old Philippine passport or Philippine birth certificate. Spouses and children of former Filipino citizens and of Filipinos who have been away from the Philippines for at least one (1) year may also stay up to one year without a visa, provided they enter the Philippines with the spouse or parent." I hope this is what you're looking for. Have a safe trip and enjoy the Philippines!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-14 11:47:00
Philippines	BALIKBAYAN PROGRAM, Travel Tax Exemption,	Hmm...I haven't heard of that. When my wife and I left Philippines a few months ago, she was NOT required to pay that travel tax. She is still a Filipino citizen. The only fee both of us paid was the terminal fee (~P750).	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-15 11:18:00
Philippines	Early Medical	Would a scanned copy, that I email to my wife be ok? Scanned copy of the letter? Sure, that'll work!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-10 19:01:00
Philippines	Early Medical	How do we go about getting the medical exam done early. Don't want any surprises (sputnum test). So we would like to get this out of the way ASAP. We just paid the IV. Trying to do the med early april. One can go anytime and have the medical exam done. Requirements would be 1) a copy of letter from NVC stating beneficary's name, NVC case number and 2) valid passport. In my case, we also had a copy of USCIS approval notice. But SLEC didn't need that. Hope this helps you! Good luck with your medical exam!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-10 18:53:00
Philippines	original copies of documents	Hey everyone, I know its says it asks for original documents for certain things for the K-1 visa. Do the CO end up keeping the original documents or do we get them back? Also, is photo copies of bank statements and tax transcripts ok to use for the interview? Usually, the Embassy will keep the documents submitted. However, after the successful interview, you can request they be returned. Photocopies of IRS tax transcripts and bank statements are fine. Good luck with the interview! Wishing you guys the best!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-17 08:39:00
Philippines	CFO	I see...... Thank you Markieboy You're very welcome!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-17 16:58:00
Philippines	CFO	There is one requirement that i dont understand,can somebody explain what is this? A photocopy of Immigrant Data Summary for USA-bound emigrant Immigrant Data Summary is the document attached to the sealed envelope, containing the applicant's medical results. 2GO will mail her visa package. Advise her to open it carefully, as to not tear any part of the envelope inside. Good luck with the rest of your journey!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-17 16:55:00
Philippines	My birth certificate	It isnt a requirement for the USC's birth certificate, but my wife had mine when she went to the interview. Copy of birth certificate or passport was part of the original submission of the I-130, so you should be fine...but I was paranoid and gave my wife everything I could think of. I didnt want her to be held up. I'm the same way. It is always best to have it, and not need it.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-17 15:24:00
Philippines	can family member pickup wifes cfo stamp with her visa	Ok sorry Markieboy I agreed with your post, guess it was removed cause u quoted the one giving the false information It happens.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-19 08:12:00
Philippines	Affortable/safe hotel in Malate	There she is again! That crazy dancing woman! Do you see her? I do!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-18 11:21:00
Philippines	Signature	Oh ok, thanks. I thought she could send the package with her signature on it directly to NVC but I guess I'll ask her to just send me the requirements and I'll sign the form. Thanks again. Usually, a person (other than biologic parent) can sign if s/he is the legal guardian. Otherwise, the parent is the person who signs. When you do sign: place (on behalf of minor child) after your signature. This isn't necessary, but it reminds the USCIS personnel that the applicant is, indeed, a minor. Good luck and keep us posted!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-23 09:05:00
Philippines	Signature	Who signs for the 3 yr old child's documents? Like DS-230 and DS-3032. She's still in Manila and my husband filed her petition and is now in CSC. Can my sister sign them? The IV package will be sent directly from Manila to NVC..Thanks. The biologic parent usually signs. I doubt your sister (the applicant's aunt) can sign.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-23 08:50:00
Philippines	march 2011 filers...here we go!!	You're going to love it here...it's beautiful...and there's lots of good Pinoy food too. I agree with Tahoma's sentiments. It was just beautiful today!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-20 23:50:00
Philippines	Wooaahhhaaa NOA2!!! :))	Congratulations!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-25 08:26:00
Philippines	Thanks All	Congratulations!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-25 08:27:00
Philippines	Sending money to your wife's family for hospital expenses	Truth About Me: Good Looking Sexy Attractive Envy of most male Heartbreaker to most females Great Bass Fisherman Savy BusinessMan Worshiped like a Greek God in Philippines Tall Handsome What a great recipe for an emetic! Thanks for sharing!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-24 17:32:00
Philippines	Sending money to your wife's family for hospital expenses	My wife was just recently in the hospital for Dengue Fever. Philhealth paid barely a third of the bill. My wife was panicking on how she would pay the bill at discharge. What was kind of humorous was that the hospital did not have some of the antibiotics so her sister had to go the pharmacy and buy some. This is very common, especially in the government hospitals. Their inventory of medications and supplies is regulated by DOH. Patients' family/friends going out and buying medications for the patient...because the medication was out of stock in the hospital. It is ridiculous. But that's how the system is right now.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-10-27 19:15:00
Philippines	Sending money to your wife's family for hospital expenses	My wife has asked me to send money to her family in the Philippines for medical expenses. She says one relative was a patient in the hospital. When my wife's relative was due to get released from the hospital, her family couldn't pay the bill, so the hospital wouldn't allow her to leave. My wife says that's normal in the Philippines - they keep you imprisoned in the hospital until you pay the medical bill. It doesn't make sense to me. If that were true, people who were out of money would flock to the hospital all the time and then live at the hospital. That would clog up the hospitals and those who needed medical care wouldn't be able to get any. Can anyone shed any light on this? This is true to a certain extent. Yes, most hospitals will not discharge the patient until their account is settled. However, the hospital does not hold the patient indefinitely. Many patients have PhilHealth, the local medical insurance. However, many patients are self-pay. These patients usually seek payment via family or friends. After about 7-10 days, if the patient does not settle his account, the patient is eventually discharged. The patient may be required to sign a promissory note. But this usually does not mean anything. Most of the time, the patients find some way to get the money (utang) for payment. The other patients just disregard their obligation, whether by choice or circumstance, to the hospital and to the health care workers that provided the service. The physician and the hospital usually write if off as a loss. Edited by Markieboy, 27 October 2010 - 06:47 PM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2010-10-27 18:43:00
Philippines	NVC LETTER	Hi Guys, I just received an email from NVC. Is this the email that I need to present for medical. I attached the file. Thanks. I didn't use that letter. I used NVC's final letter, which stated an approval. However, many beneficiaries use any NVC letter, containing their NVC case number, for their medicals. Good luck with your medical! Keep us posted!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-24 20:30:00
Philippines	Original signatures	Actually, quite the opposite is true. With a digital signature, the person signing must have the digital certificate, as well as the password for it. NO ONE can duplicate my digital signature, but it's not that hard to forge my pen/ink signature. I'm not talking about signing and scanning, I mean an actual digital certificate. It's how I log into computers, sign documents, etc. This would apply if these documents were sent electronically. However, the majority of applicants send their documents using hard copies. With these hard copies, ANYONE can duplicate your signature (ie signing and scanning, as you mentioned).	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-26 10:29:00
Philippines	Original signatures	All the forms require original signatures, letter of intent requires original signature. Really anything that requires a signature should be an original unless it is a requested copy. Hoping that with digital technology, some of the archaic rules are being changed. It is because of this reason they require original signatures. With digital technology, anyone can copy and paste signatures on federal documents. Just my $0.02	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-26 09:46:00
Philippines	any filipinas here that went for a vacation in the Philippines using a 2 year green card visa?	We spent our Christmas vacation in the Philippines. My wife had no problems with her conditional green card. You shouldn't have any problems. I agree with TCO's advice regarding passport and airline tickets. Enjoy your vacation!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-29 10:45:00
Philippines	My New Job in Philippines - Airport Police	I hope you didn't pay those guys more than P10 to pose with you.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-14 08:57:00
Philippines	Philippine TV	Anyone know of a web based Philippine TV / movie site that is reliable, cost effective and not a scam. I want my fiancée to have familiar show to help in her transition here. John DirectTV offers a variety of Filipino channel packages. They seem pretty reasonable. Personally, I do not have these channels, so I am unable to vouch for them. However, based on our Kababayan's reviews, it is a Godsend. I hope this helps you.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-15 13:35:00
Philippines	INTERVIEW PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	Congratulations! Excellent news!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-04 07:21:00
Philippines	Information on flying here requested.	PAL has the CC requirements Thanks for the heads-up! I won't be flying with them anymore. I'll stick with Delta, Asiana and Korean Air.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-07 13:11:00
Philippines	Information on flying here requested.	Looking around I noticed that most airlines are making this reqirement: The person named on the credit card used to purchase flights to and from the Philippines must be one of the passengers traveling in the booking. The traveler's name must match the name on the Credit Card used to purchase the ticket(s). At check-in, the credit card must be shown to the agent to receive boarding passes. I called Hawaiian airlines and was told by an agent that the only way to get around this was to show up at my local airport and purchase the ticket from the airlne ticket counter. Any thoughts on the info they gave? It's something you might want to look into. First time I've heard that. Last year I booked tickets for both my mother-in-law and stepdaughter. I had no problems. Of course, I booked through another airlines. A couple months ago, I booked tickets for them...again using my credit info. No problems whatsoever. I'm guessing that just their (Hawaiian Airlines) requirement.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-06 19:23:00
Philippines	Wife & Daughter forced to pay 'TIEZA' @ MNL airport	Its called traveller's tax, and travellers are required to pay them. Well, you can call it whatever you want. The Philippines give names to a variety of fees and taxes. You name it, they have it. It doesn't mean anything, IMO. I'm quite sure the "traveller's tax" does generate quite a large revenue. However, I would dare say hardly any of it goes to the Philippine economy. It is yet another reason for the government to corrupt people's hard-earned money. If you paid tax to cover several people's wages, great! You're more than entitled to do that. I'm sure most travelers, though, find the Philippines' travel tax and terminal fees absolutely ridiculous.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-11 22:31:00
Philippines	Wife & Daughter forced to pay 'TIEZA' @ MNL airport	If it is booked online and travel tax had been included then you dont have to pay anything except terminal fee. Buying ticket varies, there are some online sight that already included travel tax when you buy a ticket and some dont. If they bought ticket online and travel tax is not included in their fare, the airline personnel is not doing their job in monitoring tickets. This is not a normal case and unfair to the rest of travellers paying their proper dues. I respectfully disagree. The Philippines charges a tax for everything under the sun. Although it is unfair for travellers to pay that fee, it is NOT their proper dues.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-11 20:12:00
Philippines	Wife & Daughter forced to pay 'TIEZA' @ MNL airport	Just an addition: My stepdaughter (IR-2) and mother-in-law (tourist) arrived from the Philippines yesterday. Neither of them paid a travel tax when leaving NAIA. They only paid P750 (terminal fee). Both are Philippine citizens. Tickets were booked online. Hope this helps.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-11 06:07:00
Philippines	US Embassy in Manila DNA	Wow, I'm sorry to hear your situation. What a shock to both you and Anna. Here's more information regarding DNA testing from USEM, if you haven't read this already. We'll keep both of you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult situation. Edited by Markieboy, 18 March 2011 - 11:59 AM.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-18 11:55:00
Philippines	VISA IN HAND	Congratulations!!! Wonderful news!!!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-04-09 20:25:00
Philippines	Daily food cost and tranportation in manila	Just have to say i am like my relatives little kids when it comes to eating at Jollibee, love it along with eating outdoor barbecue chicken on the boardwalk With that said any tips f my wife were in Dipolog no taxis, for catching taxis and to make sure not getting riped off. already told her to make sure they use the meter. Wondering if anyone has approximation in peso or otherwise geting around manila You gave excellent advice! Make sure they use meter...even before getting into the taxi! Not sure what mode of transportation you're using to get to Manila. A metered taxi from Victory Liner Pasay to SLEC is ~P85.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-17 17:36:00
Philippines	Daily food cost and tranportation in manila	You can bring snacks inside the Embassy. If she doesn't bring a snack with her, she can buy a snack inside.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-16 20:18:00
Philippines	Daily food cost and tranportation in manila	If wifes Embassy appt is at 630am, what time dose she need to be there, and is that the true time of her appt or am i dreaming. No, unfortunately...it is NOT true. My stepdaughter's "Interview Reporting Time" was at 6:45AM. We were there at 5:30AM, fell in line (as per guard's instruction). People entered the building on a first-come, first-served basis. Once inside, we were given a number. Numbers were called out, but seemed to be in no particular order. We finally had our interview about ~9:30AM. We left the embassy at about 10:30AM. IMO, it is fine to be at USEM 30 minutes before your scheduled "interview." Some people arrive as early as 4AM...which I think is ridiculous. Good luck with whatever you decide! Wishing you and your wife the very best!	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-16 18:16:00
Philippines	Daily food cost and tranportation in manila	Helps me out a lot, my wife is not a heavy eater but i thought her daily cost would cost me a lot more food wise. You have given me peace of mind. A friend suggest that i ask a moderator to put this in another area, so if any moderators out there fill free, i am doing good just to post lol. I'm glad it did! No, the food there is pretty cheap. Like john & jean mentioned, $25/day is more than enough! I'm assuming that is in dollars.	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-15 19:36:00
Philippines	Daily food cost and tranportation in manila	Just to give you an idea how close Robinson's is...	Markieboy	Male	Philippines	2011-03-15 19:19:00