ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
PhilippinesTravel with a US Citizen Child
thanks! yeah! thats where im clueless.. what are the things which are necessary. you know how these immigration people are. but can i/we do but to comply.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2011-10-04 20:20:00
PhilippinesTravel with a US Citizen Child
I am currently pregnant with my first baby to a US citizen father. I will give birth sometime around February and my BF will be there and will sign the necessary papers. We will report the child to claim the citizenship. Please note that the BF and I are anot married nor engaged.
He wanted us (the child and I) to go to the US in May 2012 for a vacation. Roughly around 2 weeks.
The question I have is, will I have a problem in US' POE when I travel with my US citizen child and I have a B1/B2 visa?
I have been to the US twice, 1 month being the longest stay, and I have never over stayed.
What are the possible document/s (Employment certificate, Credit card statements, Bank statements, etc) should I bring so I won't have any trouble in the POE?
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2011-10-03 15:34:00
PhilippinesOpening CENOMAR
Shouldn't be an issue. Costs about 1/2 if you go to the actual office and takes about 3 days. They will hand it over to you without the envelope - its open so you can check for errors. There are times that people learned that someone had used their name for marriage through the CENOMAR.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-07-25 10:50:00
PhilippinesPhilippine Passport
You can have her go to this site for the requirements for renewal:
http://dfa.gov.ph/ma...wal-of-passport

Once she have everything that is needed, have her schedule an appointment through this:
http://dfa.gov.ph/ma...ort-appointment

Here's the address:
DFA Consular Office: ASEANA Business Park, Bradco Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Paranaque City


Make sure she has everything and to arrive on time.

Good luck!
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-07-25 10:30:00
PhilippinesDelta airlines?

I've done the PDX (Portland, OR) to NIA (Tokyo) to MNL and back 3 times with Delta and never had a problem. They always seem to be the cheapest when I search for tickets, with 18-19 hours total travel time. If everything goes well with my wife's med exam/interview we'll use Delta again in September since they're one of the few airlines that will let her fly at 8 months pregnant.


Flying at 8 months pregnant - make sure to get a doctor's ok letter just to make sure everything's smooth! :)

During the flight have her walk around and drink water and raise her legs up.

Good luck and advance safe flight! :no:
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-02 11:10:00
PhilippinesDelta airlines?

I have found Korean Air to be cheaper to Atlanta from Manila rather than Delta with fewer connecting flights. Has this not been the case for you?


No, sad to say. I do wanted to try KAL because of their food. :no:

Probably because of the dates and timelines I was searching, IDK.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-01 12:32:00
PhilippinesDelta airlines?
I guess its not really a question of safety, but of price. I took Northwest/Delta going to the US as they always offer the cheapest going to Atlanta (at least in all my searches). Service is not 100% bad but I did expereince a luggage delay. I arrived hours before my luggage and had to go back to the airport to get it myself. :( I considered flying in to CA/Vegas and getting a domestic flight to reach ATL but it seems to be more expensive and a little scary as you will never know if you would be able to catch your domestic flight.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-07-27 12:01:00
PhilippinesForms of ID

I think she definitely doesn't have a driver's license. Passport yes. Postal ID I've never heard of, will ask him. School/work I'll ask as well. If anyone thinks of others let me know. TY.


Check this out: http://www.bendagger...e-requirements/
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-02 10:56:00
PhilippinesForms of ID
PI's Valid IDs:

•Passport including those issued by foreign governments
•Driver’s license
•Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) ID
•National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance
•Police clearance
•Postal ID
•Voter’s ID
•Tax Identification Number (TIN)
•Barangay certification
•Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) e-Card
•Social Security System (SSS) card
•Senior Citizen card
•Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
•Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) ID
•Seaman’s book
•Alien Certification of Registration/Immigrant Certificate of Registration
•Government office and GOCC ID (e.g., AFP, HDMF IDs)
•Certification from the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP)
•Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) certification
•Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
•Company IDs issued by private entities or institutions registered with or supervised or regulated either by the BSP, SEC or IC.
•Valid photo-bearing school ID duly signed by the principal or head of the school (for non-voting/minor age students).
•Similar IDs duly issued by the foreign government where the customer is a resident or a citizen may be presented (for non-Philippine resident).
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-02 10:54:00
PhilippinesJob in Philippines
I am currently working here in the Philippines. There are such contracts where you are binded to work for the company for 6 months and like what some of the posts mentioned in here - they can renew that contract. If they are not able to complete the 6 months - you won't get jailed for it. Document will say that you have to pay xxx amount of money when you do not finish the contract. However, the money that they will use to process everything (attorney's fees, etc) will be far greater than what they will get from you. So in the end, they won't sue you for that.

If she really wants to work, during interviews - I suggest to not bring up plans of leaving the country as this will work against her.

If she does gets the job and would have to resign - I suggest to render 30 days prior resigning so that she and her employer can work on a transition of things to be done.

Let me know if you have any other questions. :)
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-02 11:23:00
PhilippinesDirect Flight

YES THERE ARE:

Philippine Airlines flight PR103 LAX-MNL and returing MNL-LAX on flight PR104. Both are non-stop.
Also Delta has a one-stop Detriot to Manila, flight 629, and the return, flight 630, is one-stop as well



The "one-stop" that Delta offers will have a stop at Nagoya, Japan. Sorry.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-16 11:51:00
Philippineswher can we get a pre paid credit card in Philippines quickly
for traveling kids/infants you can get a tax exemption at the department of tourism building. you just ned to bring the passport and birth cert. the certificate is p200 and youd save about p1,600+?
another cost would be terminal fee. prepare about 800/pax.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-17 12:47:00
PhilippinesAnyone traveling to the States in the next few weeks?
ill be flying on 9/21 delta, not really near tho. ill be flying with my son to visit. destination ATL,GA.
edt:625am mnl-detroit (has a stop in nagoya) then detroit-atl.
let me know.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-27 13:07:00
PhilippinesGoing to the USA
flew to the usa through delta (they seem to be the cheapest whenever i go). trip is okay, food is not that great but you def can eat it. :) complain: there's only one "big screen" for entertainment but i guess thats an old plane. other than that, they are okay. im flying out in 9/21 and my poe is detroit too.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-31 10:40:00
PhilippinesGifts To Take With Me
[quote name='miSSingMyBabyMuch' timestamp='1346826711' post='5661470']
Yeah I was thinking of pearls too. I have a question though. The pearl shops in Greenhills, do you know if they are real pearls or just cultured? I don't wanna give my mom in law fake ones coz for sure she'll know. Thanks for the suggestion!



cultured pearls are not fake. most of the stores in gh doesnt offer fake pearls. you can actually do simple tests on the pearls to make sure they are not imitations.

Tooth Test

Rub the pearls lightly along the biting edge of your upper front teeth. If they feel gritty or sandy, they are real pearls. If they feel smooth, they are probably imitations.

- Friction Test

Take two pearls then lightly rub one against the other. If they feel gritty or sandy, they are real pearls. If they feel smooth, they are not real.

- Flaw Test

Examine the pearls for flaws. If they appear flawless and unnatural perfection, they might be imitation.

- Matching Test

Observe the whole pearl jewelry piece, their shape, luster, size, and color. Imitations can perfectly match while real pearls tend to be variations.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-10 13:00:00
PhilippinesGifts To Take With Me
dried mangoes. and if you have some money - pearl earrings. ill be getting my bf's mom some pearl(black) set [necklace. earrings. ring?]. its not that expensive here but hella expensive there. youd be surprise with the price diff. thats what i always bring to my USC friends.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-04 15:43:00
PhilippinesPOE Questions, etc.
reposting here in regional.

So I will be traveling to the US under a b1/b2 visa. Currently my bf and I started the k1 process (we are awaiting on the NOA2). I will bring necessary docs such as the NOA1 printed email, certificate of employment, vacation leave approval, and my itinerary that covers return date/tix.

My questions are:
1.) When i talk to the CBP, is it necessary to refer to my bf as my fiance? Will it be a "lie" if I just refer to him as my bf?
2.) since we are undergoing the k1 process, i have read that immigration usually calls the sponsor for verification and the like. my dilemma is that my bf will be on a plane the same day/time i will touchdown my POE. (we will meet at the airport of his home state - he will be arriving 20 mins before i do). i will be bringing with me his itinerary. will that be a problem?

Another thing, since my son is a USC when I go back home (PI) do I need an authorization from his dad? His dad and I are not married but the dad is on the PI BC.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-13 10:59:00
PhilippinesTravelling with my nephew who is a Minor
That should be good. :-)
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-13 23:06:00
PhilippinesTravelling with my nephew who is a Minor
travel clearance came from dswd?
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-13 11:00:00
PhilippinesNew Home Finally
Lucky! Congrats! Compared to the other states- california is like the US' PI!
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-09-15 18:24:00
PhilippinesANYTHING I MISS DOING?
also, if you got her the tix - check with delta if they would need a copy of the cc or if you would ahve to go to a delta office about that. be at the airport at least 3 hours before the flight and if its possible, check in online. :)
and enjoy every part of the trip. bring books if she likes to read. :)

safe travels!
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-08-27 13:31:00
PhilippinesPaying tax??? CFO said so???

From the Philippines Embassy website:

TRAVEL TAX AND AIRPORT FEES
Philippine Nationals are expected to pay for the Philippine Travel Tax upon departure from the Philippines. It is usually paid at the airport upon departure or; oftentimes, already included in the cost of the ticket when purchased. US Nationals and Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) are exempt from the Philippine Travel Tax. US Permanent Residents need to secure a Travel Tax Exemption Certificate from the Philippine Tourism Authority at the Department of Tourism Building at TM Kalaw Street, Ermita Manila. The Philippine Travel Tax is PHP1,620.00 (approximately $35.00).

All passengers departing from the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) are expected to pay the Airport Terminal Fee of PHP750.00 (approximately $17.00). No one is exempt from paying the Airport Terminal Fee.

Philippines Embassy link.

Note: The terminal fee was lowered earlier this year and currently is PHP550.00


As Tahoma mentioned, its not the CFO that instructs Filipinos to pay for the travel tax. It is the law. Usually if you change the "location" of the website to Philippines, they would incorporate the travel tax. That's what I do/my bf did when he bought my tix at Delta.
mrsSpitzeFemalePhilippines2012-10-24 12:47:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionHave you EVER been arrested, detained, or cited by the police or any other law enforcement officer?

I understand that One thing is YOU DON'T HAVE TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION, and other thing is the REPORTING on the N-400.

 

I'm 100% sure you should report the traffic tickets. Actually I made the mistake of not reporting them and then I found out I should have to.


Javier PMalePeru2013-05-15 12:36:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionUpdate SSN previous Getting Passport?

Thank you! It's clear now.

 

Javier


Javier PMalePeru2013-05-20 13:56:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionUpdate SSN previous Getting Passport?

Hi,

 

I have to travel 3-4 days after my oath ceremony. I'm thinking to go the same day to get my passport in person.

 

The question is, Should I update the SSN (Social Security number) as citizen BEFORE getting the passport?

 

Thanks,

 

Javier


Javier PMalePeru2013-05-18 14:13:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November 2012 Filers

I applied on November 2012 but I didn?t know about this forum, that?s why I have not completed the timetable.

 

I?m scheduled for the Oath ceremony on June, so do my wife and daughter. We?re very excited to be US Citizens soon!

 

I've found this forum very useful so maybe my experience can be helpful for someone.

 

I applied with my wife and my 18 years old daughter. (I have another daughter, she is 14). Since my income is low, first I applied for a waiver based on my income and also because my daughters are in Medicaid. I send all the documents with the 3 applications and after a week or so the waiver was approved and the N-400 process started. BTW I live in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

I had three concerns about my application:

 

1. I was wondering if the waiver and the low income could work against us. It?s clear now that it is a separate thing. I wasn?t even asked on the interview about that.

 

2. My family had a trip of 181 days outside US. Actually it was the first trip as permanent residents and the first one we made before we moved to the US definitely. I had all the documents that proved that after that trip we stayed on the US. We got the green cards in our country, so we needed a time in order to quit our jobs and sell everything.
The officer didn?t ask neither of us about that trip.

 

3. After I send the application, I realized I made a mistake. I had had two traffic tickets years ago and I didn?t declare them. That freaked me out when I found several posts saying I must have declared those. I had two options on the interview, to wait the officer asks me about it, or to say him in advance I made that mistake. I opted for the second one. I told him the tickets were less than $500, not alcohol related and I wasn?t arrested. He only asked me if I paid the tickets and nothing happened.

 

We had the interviews the same day. April 22nd.

 

The officer that interviewed me was extremely polite and very nice so I was 100% comfortable all the time. My wife and my daughter had their interviews with another officer. According to them, she was professional and very serious and they felt a little bit intimidated. (they were interviewed separately, it was a coincidence the officer was the same)

 

We did well on the interviews.

 

After two days my status on the USCIS webpage was updated and waiting for being scheduled for the Oath Ceremony. I received another update two weeks later, saying I was scheduled and now I?m waiting for the ceremony on June 5th.

 

My wife and daughter had to wait 3 weeks for an update (they were worried about that), but this one was the final one and they are scheduled for June 10th.

 

Now I?m not sure what to do for my younger daughter. Should I apply for the N-600 or should I get her passport? I?ve read the second one is easier, take less time and it?s less expensive and has the same result: A document that certify the citizenship.

 

The best to everybody who is in this process!


Javier PMalePeru2013-05-15 12:01:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November 2012 Filers

Hi Javier,I was told to wait in the waiting room to pick up my oath letter. I ended up waiting well over 2 hours after I finished the interview, but finally someone came out, called my name, and gave me the oath letter. It seemed like they were doing that for most people (the waiting for ages and the getting the letter eventually, except for a couple that were getting same-day oath ceremonies, I assume because they don't live in the area). I rode the elevator down with 2 other people who also got the same oath date as me.

AusToUS,

Thank you for your response!

My interview was at 7:15am and they told me they didn't have system ... maybe that's why I didn't get an oath ceremony date. Hope to receive the letter soon. Thanks again and congratulations!

Javier
Javier PMalePeru2013-04-23 17:00:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionN-400 November 2012 Filers
Hi everyone! I registered to this forum today and I found it very... very useful. (I spend the last 3 hours reading a lot of great stuff).

Today I had the interview in Atlanta and was approved.

AUSTOUS ... I see you also had the interview today in Atlanta, and your process is almost identical to mine, almost the same dates. May I ask you how do you know the oath date? I was told I had to wait to receive the letter.

I hope to get mi oath ceremony soon!

Thanks!

Javier
Javier PMalePeru2013-04-22 20:19:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaTourist Visa Denied In Bogota

Thanks for the replies.. our intention was just to spend time in both places.. seems that's not going to be so easy. The thing that aggravates me is I keep hearing how the embassy is giving a lot of tourist visas out lately to people don't have a job or real estate at all. I'm not sure how that is possible. I would accept consistency in how they hand them out but it seems pretty random how they do things. So the CR1 might not be best? I was thinking it might be but maybe like you guys said, wait 6 months and try again.. the thing is I need to travel back once in a while and will have to do so without her.. not going to be fun.


hlkNot TellingColombia2014-02-08 19:55:00
Mexico, Latin & South AmericaTourist Visa Denied In Bogota

My wife had her tourist visa denied this week. She came prepared with documents showing we live in Colombia and are married. She even showed my passport and my Colombian visa. The agent said we were married too recently( just a month) and not enough evidence that we have a life here in Colombia. It's really a shame because I think being married to a US citizen actually hurt our chances of getting the visa. She said don't reapply till we have further documentation. What that means to me is that she needs a job or we need to buy real estate. So I guess now my best option is the CR1 visa and not mess around anymore. I suppose using an immigration lawyer might be the best route as I don't want to take chances. The reason we wanted the tourist visa is because we don't want to live in the US full time.  .. any opinions appreciated.


Edited by hlk, 08 February 2014 - 09:08 AM.

hlkNot TellingColombia2014-02-08 09:06:00