ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Philippinesafter the interview is over....what is

Never hurts to bring a few extra BCs to the States; don't cost much (140 P each), don't take up much room in the luggage (and won't tip the scale at check-in either wink.png  )  and are there at hand whenever you should want it.   Nice peace of mind.
 
No sure about the reason for griping every time someone wants to bring a few extra BCs to the States.   huh.png


At least now you are acknowledging that they aren't required for anything. That's progress!

If you need a "peace of mind" comfort blankie, you can order NSO birth certificates online and have them delivered to the U.S. in five to eight business days.



TahomaMalePhilippines2013-09-20 10:56:00
Philippinesafter the interview is over....what is

 
Yes, 5, Tahoma. smile.png  1 for the USEM interview and another one for the state marriage, then it will only leave me 3. Ok, now 4 since you said the state will return a copy of it. For us here, when we are asked to submit our NSO BC as a requirement to anything, they never give it back. I understand it may sound unusual for you guys over there in US, but being a Filipino, we've always been asked for original BCs when applying for tourist / business visas almost always wherever we go. Example: for the past 4 years, I used up 5 of my BCs which I requested in 2009.
 
Though with that, it will be really great if I won't be using up the remaining BCs in the future. It's never easy to process papers in Philippines, if you want to know. no0pb.gif 



Yes, 'pinas is very different than the U.S. in that regard. When Chinook lived in in 'pinas, she needed to submit an original NSO birth certificate whenever she applied for job.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-09-20 10:31:00
Philippinesafter the interview is over....what is

 
NSO releases Birth certificates the same day one requests for it. No issues. and it's only PhP 140 ~ USD 3.50 per piece. I requested for 5 copies. Will be useful in the future as well. smile.png


Five birth certificates?!? At most, you'll need only one birth certificate here in the U.S. if anyone requires a birth certificate here, they will make a copy of it and return the original to you.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-09-20 09:58:00
PhilippinesSt. Lukes

Went today (Monday) wife got there at 2:45a.m. with her son. She said they were serving elderly first despite it being first-come first-serve. they would not allow her to finish in one day. Possibly because her son needs to come back wednesday for reading.

She has to go back because her son had the TB skin test.  


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-09-16 14:23:00
PhilippinesSt. Lukes
Sleep in, then take a long shower, then have a leisurely breakfast. After you finish your second cup of coffee, wander over to St. Lukes about 10:00 a.m.

You'll still complete your medical in two days like most of the rest of the zombies who fell in line during the dead of night.


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-09-15 09:26:00
PhilippinesWorried about CFO

I don't think an approved I-130 has an expiration date similar to the I-129f.

1. Validity of approved petition. 8 C.F.R. 204.2 (h) and § 205.

Unless terminated under INA § 203 (g) or revoked under 8 C.F.R. § 205, an approved immediate relative petition remains valid for the duration of the marriage between the U.S. citizen and foreign citizen.

http://www.state.gov...ation/87848.pdf
http://www.tnvisabul...i-130-petition/

agree that if Op was in Bermuda, CFO would be a moot point.

Thanks, Roy. :thumbs:

If there's no expiration date on the I-130, it would certainly give the OP plenty of time to get an annulment if she ended up needing one.

An alternative to returning to Bermuda for her interview might be, when she receives her visa in 'pinas, she could travel to a country which doesn't require a Filipino to have a visa. Then, fly from that country to the U.S. However, I've read that it doesn't always work because the authorities at NAIA might not allow her to leave when they notice the U.S. visa in her passport. Just saying... :whistle:
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-03-18 16:58:00
PhilippinesWorried about CFO

Wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a qn on the above for me.

In the past years I've been a member here, there's been many conversations about how it's illegal to divorce in the Philippines, that there's only annulment, that a Filipina/Filipino isn't considered divorced by Philippines law just by a divorce overseas, unless the USC petitioned it and there's a process to go through to get it recognised.

In the OP's case, they're both from the Philippines and she never had the divorce recognised or an annulment done.

So, here's my question. How will her visa approval not be a problem when by Philippines law she's a bigamist? i.e. married to the Filipino and this USC at the same time? What am I missing here? Won't she get a CEMAR and it'll say she's married to the Filipino? And isn't the CEMAR required for the CR-1/IR-1 interview? So how will her visa be approved? Just for future knowledge. thanks in advance :)

Hi Vanessa...

Her divorce won't be a problem in regard to getting a visa approval because the U.S. Embassy goes by U.S. law. U.S. law recognizes divorce. Under U.S. law, she's divorced and remarried. There's been several cases here on VJ that support this issue.

You're right: Her CEMAR will show her first marriage. However, her divorce decree will show her divorce from her first husband. The Embassy will approve her visa on the basis that, under U.S. law, she's divorced.

That being said, there are at least two remaining issues in a case like this. First, will the CFO ask for and accept her divorce decree? Second, of course she wouldn't be able to get married in the Philippines without first getting an annulment, but that's not an issue in her case.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-03-18 16:19:00
PhilippinesPetiton for recognition of divorce from foreign country

Tahoma,
So when we request CENOMAR it will just show that she is still married in Phils? Or will they deny CENOMAR because she is still showing as married in their eyes? Seems like I am asking same question again, I know. Just trying to be sure that I understand correctly. We are hoping she can interview in Japan. A trip to the Phils just for the interview would be costly. And I will have her inquire about the police report also. Thank you.

NSO will issue a CEMAR (Certificate of Marriage) instead of the CENOMAR because from their records it shows your fiancee to still be married, but as Tahoma said she will have the divorce decree. As long as you do this process from Japan you will be fine.

Toby...

Hank is correct. The NSO is a national office which collects vital statistics in the Philippines. We really don't have a national equivalent of it here in the U.S. However, it would be similar to you getting your birth certificate from the state where you were born. The NSO won't deny issuing a document. When your fiancée applies for her CENOMAR, the NSO will issue it to her.

However, since she has been married before, instead of the NSO issuing her a CENOMAR, they actually will issue her a "CRS Form No. 5 - Advisory on Marriages" which will show her marriage to her ex. That document, to the best of my knowledge, is also called a "CEMAR" or a "Marriage Index." You will submit that document in your I-129F petition to the USCIS, along with her translated divorce decree. That's also the document she will submit during her Embassy interview (although she will need an updated version of it for her interview), along with her translated divorce decree.

CRS Form No. 5 - Advisory on Marriages
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-03-05 12:02:00
PhilippinesPetiton for recognition of divorce from foreign country

Thank you Tahoma and Jasmine.
Jasmine,
You said you did not file a petition until 3 weeks before your interview. Did you already know that you would not need the CENOMAR ?
Tahoma,
Will they ask for proof of availability to marry at interview? If so , then divorce decree is sufficient?

To all.
Start to finish from time I file the I-129F petition to visa issue barring any setbacks will be 8-12 months?

Your fiancée will be required to submit a CENOMAR at her Embassy interview. The CENOMAR should be somewhat current, like within a month of the interview. The CENOMAR will show her marriage. However, her divorce decree will show that she's divorced and therefore single in the eyes of the Embassy. It will be the same with the USCIS: submitting the CENOMAR and the divorce decree together will show the USCIS that she's single and available to marry.

If your fiancée interviews in the Philippines, she'll also have to submit a CENOMAR and a divorce decree at the CFO seminar. However, the CFO more than likely will require that the divorce be recognized by a Filipino court. Getting the divorce recognized by a Filipino court can take a year and P50,000-120,000.

Right now, the USCIS is very slow in approving I-129F petitions. It can easily take seven months. By the time the petition is approved and the Embassy interview is complete and the visa is issued can easily take 9-12 months.

By the way, your fiancée will need to submit a Japanese police clearance at her Embassy interview. You might want to start looking into that process so you can be ready when the time comes.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-03-05 10:22:00
PhilippinesPetiton for recognition of divorce from foreign country
Here's my opinion:

1. Get the Japanese divorce decree and have it translated into English by a private professional translator.

2. Then, file the I-129F.

3. Have your fiancée interview for her fiancée visa at the U.S. Embassy in Japan.

4. Once she has her visa, have your fiancée fly from Japan to the U.S.

More opinion:

The USCIS and the U.S. Embassy in Japan will acknowledge her as being single and eligible for a fiancée visa because she's divorced, and the U.S. recognizes divorce. The Embassy will issue her a visa.

She won't need a "recognition of foreign divorce" from a Filipino court because she is not leaving from the Philippines after she receives her visa. If she were leaving from the Philippines, she would need the "recognition of foreign divorce" because she wouldn't be able to get a CFO sticker without one. She would not be able to board a flight in the Philippines to the U.S. without a CFO sticker.

If she leaves for the U.S. from Japan, she won't have to have a CFO sticker in her passport.

Edited by Tahoma, 05 March 2013 - 02:39 AM.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-03-05 02:39:00
PhilippinesCan We Make Our Own Embassy Appointment to Save Time?

Yeah I thought so so I went ahead and scheduled the appointment on-line. Then I called NVC and was told that I cannot schedule my wifes interview, that the NVC must schedule interviews. One would assume that since the US Embassy had a web site and a way to create a profile that it only made sense that they would expect people to schedule appointments for interviews??  I mean I even selected where we want the visa delivered to.  So now I am wondering, if I go to Philippines to attend the interview with my wife will there be any problems. She has already completed her St Luke's Exam and they have made the proper notation in her passort.  After Embassy Interview all we need to do is go back to Cebu to the CFO to get the sticker placed on her VISA/PASSPORT.  (She already took and passed the class.)  I am a domestic violence investigator in Hawaii for the State and the stuff they are teaching at CFO is from 1940's, really outdated and they gave my wife such a hard time demanding more and more papers.  She had to go back three times, each time they asked for more papers, none of which were on the list of required documents by the way.  But she did ger her certificate.  There's a lot of a*s kissing that goes on in some of those offices.  Anyway thanks for the info.  Now I have you telling me it can be done and the NVC people saying it can't.  I wonder how I can be sure that my trip there will not be a waste.  It just seems like it can be done or why would the US Embassy have the web site and a way to do it??  Aloha and Mahalo


Oh and by the way. I hold in my hands a document that I printed out entitled APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION from the US Embassy Manila.



^^^. The OP can't schedule an interview. He's a CR-1er, not a K-1er.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-30 19:02:00
PhilippinesPhilippines – Name Change - NSO

only choice is to pull another NSO report and see if it has been changed.

^^^...good.gif good.gif ...

 

OP...I've never heard of the NSO calling anyone.  


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-02 11:10:00
PhilippinesMedical to interview

 

KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS

^^^  Guys...heed this warning if you don't want your sweetheart to wait to complete her medical until after her next period!  whistling.gif


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-30 12:18:00
PhilippinesEmailed USEM manila 1week after submitting I-130 petition
It' a mystery to me why the Manila USCIS didn't drop everything and approve your petition the moment they received it. You had better call them right away and remind them that it's been four whole days already!
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-02 18:26:00
PhilippinesNBI Certificate "Top & Bottom"

Best practice:  Fresh NBI clearance and fresh CENOMAR for the interview.


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-30 11:24:00
PhilippinesConfused about the wording on the Manila consulate guide

 

 If this info is incorrect and the NBI clearance doesn't need to be certified then that is good to know and I appreciate your correction Tahoma.

 

I think we are saying the same thing, but we are using different terminology.  Like Hank pointed out, if there's a "hit" on your NBI report, according to the U.S. Embassy Manila, you need to get an "official letter of explanation" from the NBI, not a "certification."  At least that's the terminology the U.S. Embassy uses.  Does the NBI call it a "certification?"


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-02 10:57:00
PhilippinesConfused about the wording on the Manila consulate guide
^^^. There appears to be a lot of misinformation In that quote.

You don't have to get an NBI clearance in Manila and you don't have to have it certified.

You do have to include all of the names you have used.

Edited by Tahoma, 01 May 2013 - 11:44 PM.





TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-01 23:41:00
PhilippinesConfused about the wording on the Manila consulate guide
Yup, the Embassy wants an NBI clearance that includes her current name and all the names she's used, including aliases and nicknames.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-01 23:03:00
PhilippinesSt Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

It is the internet, if you don't understand that I'm sorry that you feel that you are the internet police. I am willing to bet you any money that I can get into St Lukes with out an MNL number when you can afford to take the bet talk to me. I would not make the bet for the same thing in the US because people can not be bought as easily. Non-profits make more money than profits, you making that comment just shows how stupid you are. Seriously I just started thinking about starting a non-profit company just to make money. I'm really not sure if you are the USC or the immigrant but either way you have a lot to learn. I've seen you on numerous occasions be a ###### or a #######, it's hard to tell cuz you seem to be in a f-ed up situation I can only feel sorry for the person on the other end.

Hank I appreciate the information you gave me, but regardless I double checked everything and in the end I would have been fine if I told them I was a chicken. I submitted my first paperwork with no pictures, I have a huge red mark in my history and still everything was still easy sailing. You could have told me that I need to jump up and down and sing the macarena and still I would have gotten approved. I do appreciate your help but if I really wanted someone here from any country tomorrow I could have it, just remember it's not what you know it's who you know. I was just trying to give my advice in this post, not everytime I'm going to be correct, I"ve notice before Tahoma being a ###### or ####### and it's about time someone calls them out. I may have grown up with a silver spooon but that doesn't mean I act like a #######, when someone it wrong I simply say hey you are not correct here are the facts. I feel bad for others that feel the need to try to be superior. I gave bad information on the internet, I have been lumped into millions of others who have done the same thing. I could tear you both apart, but in the end Tahoma you look like a ####### well before this thread, and Hank I don't know why you didn't just stay out of it. If you only knew what might have been in store for you. I will throw some pictures up of the world I live in tomorrow, when you realize how far you are from my level then you can try to put me down. It's as if the court jester tried to put the king in his place, what a sad sad mistake. Again Tahoma if you want to take the bet that I can't get an appointment at St Lukes without and MNL. If the bet is under 1000 USD I won't take it that's a chumps bet.

^^^ To find a bigger pile of manure, I'd have to visit a stable. :lol:

Your Highness...I see that you can't provide any links. No surprises there. Thank you for confirming that you don't know whether someone can be admitted to St. Lukes without an MNL number. And I see that you're still stubbornly and wrongly calling pre-registration "appointments." The misinformation machine just keeps on rolling along... :wacko:

Also, it hasn't gone unnoticed that you've backpedaled away from your earlier argument about MNL numbers. Instead of being able to be admitted into St. Lukes without an MNL number, you've reduced yourself to bribing your way in. Not that you care, but suggesting that someone should bribe their way into St. Lukes appears to be a violation of the TOS:

Permitted Uses. You agree that you are responsible for any Content and communications that you Post and for any consequences thereof. You agree to use the Service (including but not limited to the discussion forums) only to send and receive messages, material, and in general Content that is in conformity with or permitted by law (legal), proper and if part of the discussion forums then also related to the particular subject matter. By way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree that when using the Service, you will not:

Condone or instruct, either directly or indirectly, others on how to commit fraudulent or illegal immigration activities in any way, shape, manner or method.

Also, thank you for confirming that you don't know the difference between "making money" and "making profit."

Now all that's left of your wrongheaded arguments is childish name-calling.




Oh, by the way, feel free to ignore what your hero Hank said about your posts:

+ just a bunch of bad info there in that other post.

No pre-register and appointment are not the same; the pre-registering is just completing a form online, an appointment is what you get with a time and date scheduled - like the interview appointment (its not first come first served).

Handing out opinions such as trying to do the medical without the MNL # is just bad... stick with the facts. As for the OP they are IR/CR-1 and need to have their NVC Instructions Letter (which contains the MNL #) as NVC does the appointment scheduling for their interview at the embassy.

Really? You who peppered me with questions wanting guidance? You would qualify as "the stupid" then? And you should have been weeded out not assisted? You don't care if you steer someone wrong by giving bad info? Would you have appreciated if I had constantly given you bad info? This is a momentous untaking for the ones on this journey, going where they have never gone before and those that find there way to VJ are hoping to find help and direction... just like YOU.

Wouldn't it be better to not say anything when you don't know the answer, spend your time reading more and learning... then you will have the right answer to help the person that comes behind you, the same as those before me help me on this journey and now I try to return the favor the best I can.

'Nuff said... :thumbs: :lol: :thumbs:
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-08 13:11:00
PhilippinesSt Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

Well you got 5 and 6 right but the rest you are very wrong. I know you probably are one of those people who have no power in normal life and have to come on the internet to try to show off, it's sad but true. If you think you can't walk into SLEC and get an exam with no MNL number you're just stupid, and SLEC makes money the fact that it exists makes it obvious. I call things appointments that sometimes are not, my bad. You keep being the internet police if it makes you happy, they will get the right answer there are good guys like Hank that will link them to it. Then there's me who just comes on for the heck of it, some I'll help and some maybe steer in the wrong direction, but it's the internet if you treat it like the rule by natural selection the stupid will be weeded out. You can be a douche odds are it's gotten you no where in life already.

Okay, I'm willing to treat this thread like the "rule" of natural selection... :whistle:

Why don't you link me up to all those people being admitted into St. Luke's without an MNL number. It should be a breeze for someone as smart as you! And while you're at it, I'm sure you wouldn't mind explaining how non-profits can exist even though they obviously don't make money. Then maybe you would care to explain how I'm wrong on #3 when you admit that you "call things appointments that sometimes are not." Sheesh...

What is truly sad is your outright admission that you don't care whether you misinform people, and that you selfishly expect someone else to sweep up after you. Having no regard for others on the Internet is a reflection of who you are in life.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-06 19:07:00
PhilippinesSt Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

The point being you are paying they don't care. Pre-register, appointment... it's the same thing like appointments matter at Drs offices you wait regardless. They make plenty of money, I would be willing you bet you could get an exam with out an MNL number, not sure why you would want to but I'm sure if you pay they will do it. I'm thinking about the OPs post and not worried about the next person who comes on and reads the misinformation.

^^^ Corrected...



Okay...do I have this straight?

1. You don't know if SLEC cares or not.

2. You don't know whether SLEC makes any money.

3. You believe that walking into your doctor's office on any day you want to is the same thing as an appointment.

4. You don't know if someone can get an SLEC medical exam without an MNL number.

5. You don't realize that the OP is not a K-1'er.

6. You don't care if you misinform people.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-06 12:11:00
PhilippinesSt Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

You can do it before interview is set. It is not a problem my fiance didn't have the interview set when we made the appointment. You are however wrong about the ability to pick up a passport/visa at the embassy. You will have to wait a few days after interview for it to be sent to 2go location. They will ask you where you want visa sent, if you do it online you can view the location.

I personally don't think you need and MNL number, they make good money doing the exams why would they turn someone down? We did have MNL number when we scheduled exam though. Good luck!

St. Lukes does not make appointments. They operate on a walk-in basis only.

By the way, how much money does St. Lukes make doing exams?
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-06 10:44:00
PhilippinesURGENT!!!! Postal ID

In that case, maybe the barangay captain would accompany your fiancée's parents to a local notary's office and vouch for them.

 

By the way, since PRISM and St. Marys no longer handle CFO seminars, I've noticed that the CFO often doesn't ask for parental advice forms.  However, I still believe it's better to go fully prepared.  

 

If all else fails, have the parents waiting outside of the CFO with you.


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-07 12:07:00
PhilippinesURGENT!!!! Postal ID

Why the sudden urgency?


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-07 10:56:00
PhilippinesSending Documents to the Philippines

USPS/PhilPost???  

 

Some people love to gamble...eb0dfafc.gif


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-01 11:14:00
PhilippinesCFO Certificate

That should be how it is....no double dipping by the CFO protest6wz.gif


I think Pedrito Papa had to pay a double-dipping P400 revalidation fee.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-08 20:34:00
PhilippinesCFO Certificate
VJ member Pedrito Papa recently reported that his wife got a CFO sticker in her passport in 1995 in order to live in Japan. Since she didn't have the old passport anymore, and she didn't have the old CFO sticker in her new passport, and they wanted to go to the U.S., she went to the CFO and explained the situaion, the CFO found their record of her sticker, and they allowed her to file for a new one. So, maybe it's true that you only need to complete the CFO seminar one time.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-08 18:53:00
PhilippinesCFO Certificate

Your fiancee needs to get new certficate since the first one she got was for her first marriage. The country of destination is printed on the certificate.

Yes, the destination country is printed on the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate as well as the CFO sticker.  However, I have not seen anything on the CFO website that answers the OP's question, nor have I seen anyone here on VJ ask the same question as the OP.  

 

I wonder what country is printed on the certificate and on the sticker of those who amend their passports to their married name and who plan on living in the Philippines.  

 

OP...You might want to visit the CFO and ask them your question.


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-29 12:20:00
PhilippinesTotting all the Document to USEM

She can leave her cell phone at home in Cebu.idea9dv.gif


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-30 11:06:00
PhilippinesSend money to the philippines for free!
Yes, Xoom makes money on their exchange rate too.

Today, Remitly's exchange rate is a bit over a tenth higher than Xoom's.

Xoom = 40.23

Remitly = 40.36

Remitly's higher exchange rate alone makes them a better deal.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-22 15:01:00
PhilippinesSend money to the philippines for free!
It won't be free. They'll make their money on the exchange rate.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-22 13:28:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

Mission accomplished.  This morning my wife got a new CFO Certificate and Stamp in her passport.  We are all set to move to the U.S. in July.  Thanks again to everyone who commented on this thread.  You were a great help!!! 


Excellent news!!! And thanks for the update.

TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-08 20:25:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

If you already had a certificate and sticker before, then maybe you can just request for a new sticker for the new passport. When I went to get my certificate, they told me that that is my certificate for life unless I get married to a different person other than the petitioner. The certificate should have been transferred from the old passport to the new one.

^^^ good.gif good.gif

 

 

 

Yes, it is.  I would like to thank everyone who commented on this.  Your comments were very helpful in helping us formulate a strategy to approach the CFO with on this.  It is hard to remember exactly what happened and who we reported to 18 years ago, but all of your comments helped to jog our memories.  Thanks again.

 

I will post again when we have the CFO certificate and passport stamp in our hands.  I hope there are no more surprises.

^^^  Excellent news about the replacement sticker!  star_smile.gif

 

Keep us posted.  


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-29 11:42:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

 

 

I sure hope so.  That would be great.  My wife will go to CFO on Monday and try.

apple21 has a good idea.  I hope you keep us posted about what happens.


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-27 09:31:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

We talked to the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong. They said if you report your marriage today you can get the Report of Marriage the next day.

Will the NSO accept the authenticated marriage certificate from you, or will you have to wait for the Hong Kong Consulate to forward the info to the NSO in order for you to get an NSO annotated marriage certificate?
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-26 22:20:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

That's true that the HK officials won't be looking for the CFO sticker, but the Manila Imigration Officials think will when they see the US visa in her passport. That is the problem, I don't think they will let her fly to Hong Kong. And I am overseas working on a ship and won't be back to the Philippines until July. We are working on sending a representative to Hong Kong to report the marriage at the philippine consulate in Hong Kong for us. There is a process described on their website where you can do that.

Thanks for the replies.

I too think there's a high likelihood that Manila officials will be looking for a CFO sticker along with your wife's visa. I think you are doing the right thing in reporting your marriage.

Your representative should ask the Philippines Consulate Hong Kong about expedited processing for your report of marriage. I spoke today with an acquaintance who worked in two different Philippines Consulates in the U.S. and he said he believes Philippines Consulates offer expedited processing for a fee.

How is it that your wife does not already have a CFO sticker in her passport? You've been married 18 years. Has she never had her passport amended to her married name (which requires a CFO sticker)? Did she amend her passport to her married name before the CFO requirement existed? Or, maybe she still uses her maiden name.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-26 01:24:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

Man, this is a huge problem. How long is the visa valid for once issued by the US Embassy Manila? My wife medical was approved on March 6, 2013. Also, if she can not fly to Hong Kong I wonder how long it would take to register our marriage in Hong Kong with the NSO in Manila?

Thank you again everyone for the help.

Generally, the visa is valid for six months from the date of the medical. The expiration date should be on the visa.

I'm not sure if the process would be much faster if your wife flew to Hong Kong to register the marriage. Even if she flew to Hong Kong, it's my understanding that the Philippines Consulate would still have to authenticate the marriage certificate and forward the info to the NSO. I'm not sure, but I don't think she would be able to leave Hong Kong with the authentication in hand, and then take it to the NSO herself.

The same thing goes if you were the one to fly to Hong Kong and report your marriage. I'm not sure that you would leave Hong Kong with the authentication in hand. I think the process involves the Consulate forwarding the information to the NSO. However, this is something you may want to ask the Consulate. Also, if you can't get the authentication yourself, maybe there's a way that the Consulate can expedite the process.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-25 12:29:00
PhilippinesCFO - Need Advise

Also, will the Philippine Immigration in Manila Airport let my wife fly to Hong Kong to do the Report of Marraige at the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong if she already has a US Visa, but no CFO stamp? Maybe they will think she is trying bypass the CFO. That would be a real catch 22.

Thanks again.

I haven't read the Philippines Consulate Hong Kong website, but if reporting your marriage to them is anything like reporting your marriage to a Philippines Consulate in the U.S., then you can report your marriage by mail.

The way I understand the process is that you report your marriage to the Philippines Consulate which has jurisdiction over the place where you got married. In your case, that would be the Hong Kong Consulate. Then, the Consulate forwards the information to the NSO where your marriage is recorded. I understand the process can take up to a few months. I hope you can find a shortcut.

On the other hand, I've seen posts where the fiancée/spousal visa was issued by the U.S. Embassy Manila and the visa holder tried to fly to a non-U.S. destination, but were not allowed to leave the Philippines because there was no CFO sticker in the passport.
TahomaMalePhilippines2013-04-25 10:41:00
PhilippinesSt Lukes in Manila

But who screens St Lukes to ensure they are doing their job correctly?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

 


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-12 14:16:00
PhilippinesPre Departure Orientation Seminar

Maybe you already have a CFO sticker in your passport.  Did you ever amend your passport to your husband's name?  


TahomaMalePhilippines2013-05-12 14:26:00