Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	2nd interview in Abu Dhabi	what was the question he answered wrong?   She asked him why didn't I see him in 2011 when I came to visit since we started talking in dec. 2010.  The correct answered would of been: (he does not remember how he answered it all I know is that he was upset how he answered it, meaning the question caught him off guard.) I understand why she asked him the question as I've been going to UAE since 2005 and use to live there also. Staying there with my ex made things very difficult due to our son, So I didn't do any dating(UAE) till my dad came there and I could get away from the flat. My ex is remarried but very controlling, as he has my son too. I first started to talk to Rebecca  in the end of 2010, however we didn?t become serious till our first meeting, (Aug 2nd 2012) after meeting our parents.  Rebecca (my fiancé) did visit to United Arab Emirates in 2011 to see her son, but was not serious with me. Rebecca was still dating in America.  At this time Rebecca is only talking to Afzal in a romantic way and considers him as her fiancé, other half.  We made a commitment to each other in Aug of 2012.  (Meaning I would only see him and he would only see me as we were planning for marriage).   The embassy now has made two phone calls so far, one to his big brother and other to his dad and the call interviews went will and they confirmed our relationship and gave there approval to us getting married.	AfzalandBecca	Female	United Arab Emirates	2014-06-14 09:54:00
Middle East and North Africa	2nd interview in Abu Dhabi	What do you think? We are doing the K-1 visa and been on AP for over a year now.  He had his 2nd interview yesterday.  They asked him 50-60 questions from what I was told, and hr worth of interview questions and he still didn't get an approval or denial yesterday.  They said to give them two weeks for finial decision.  What do you think???? He did OK on his interview except for the last Question, I had to write to them to clear that up.  Not sure if they got my email or not.  If we get an denial I was told by a friend to go ahead and get married to him and start the process from there.  That means I would have to fly out to Pakistan and hang out for a while there and then come back to USA and do the waiting game again.  Any suggestions or comments????	AfzalandBecca	Female	United Arab Emirates	2014-06-11 13:55:00
Middle East and North Africa	Travel to USA	We got our visa and was wondering should we buy one way ticket or round trip?????  Any suggestions would be helpful.  Thanks.	AfzalandBecca	Female	United Arab Emirates	2014-07-25 15:11:00
Philippines	K1 Visa packet received but partly opened or damaged	My brown envelope does not have a cut corner or anything, it's an all sealed envelope...I wonder why this differs from Consulate to Consulate I'm sure that's not a problem...but it is interesting that you got one like that. I'm not even sure it's standardized for all consulates or should be. But as long as I've been reading about the visa packages from the Philippines, it's been like that. Main thing is that it doesn't look like somebody tried to open it...	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-29 18:24:00
Philippines	Can't track visa on 2GO website?	Alright after calling 2GO a second time this morning, they confirmed that it is ready for pickup. Still can't track it though... weird! She's on her way to get it now. I'll stop worrying once it's actually in her hands, but it looks like we're good to go now. It sounds like you're good then. I just tried it and it's working for my wife's visa. It's got a long trip to make and won't be there for an estimated 4 days.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-27 05:50:00
Philippines	yehey visa on the way (F2B CATEGORY)	Congratulations!	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-02 05:15:00
Philippines	Question about MNL # on Visa	Congratulations on receiving the visa! The MNL# on the visa is normal. Mine was the same. As for the apartment #, I wouldn't worry about it. Just have your wife make sure to correct it during POE. Have a safe trip to your sweety soon. Man, you're a lifesaver...wife was crawling the wall over those things (I got 2 phone calls over those questions) Thank you so much...stress meter should get back into the 'normal' range now.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-02 16:43:00
Philippines	Question about MNL # on Visa	Hey guys, Wife just got the CR-1 visa in hand yesterday She's going over it with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything is correct. She found 2 things that bug her. First, on the visa itself, there are 2 additional digits added to the case number (the MNL number) printed on the visa. Does anybody know if that this normal? Second, they left the apartment number off of our US address on the Immigrant Data Sheet. Is that a problem? I don't think either of these are going to be issues, but I thought it best to check here, with the folks that know best.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-02 04:48:00
Philippines	Time from visa approval until delivery Manila Embassy	Update: received Visa July 27th. Date of visa issue though, showing on the visa, was the 21st. So It was printed/issued like 6 days after we were approved or something, and then given to the 2GO messenger service. We bugged the messengers every single day for like two weeks, hehe...good people though, they were very nice about it. Anyway, we are in the states now...thanks to God really. We joke to each other: "dear, your single blessedness is really over now" THANK YOU GOD Yeah, that's something to keep in mind...visas don't go straight to the printer on the day of the interview. Often they seem to linger for a few days for a final review and sign-off by a senior CO. Then they go to the printer which takes some time 1 to 3 days. Then it's turned over to 2GO for delivery. That's what happened in our case.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-02 17:34:00
Philippines	IR-1 visa appointment scheduled today	Great news. Good luck!	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-02 20:34:00
Philippines	Interview - passed	Ha! You 2 and us have very close timelines! Congrats Enjoy this feeling...it's the best!	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-04 18:44:00
Philippines	HELP ME!!	I was told to go to the US embassy to report it,my flight is on august 7.. Quick question...who told you this? I'm checking with my wife now to see if she detatched hers too	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-05 18:40:00
Philippines	What did I do wrong?	This is what really stands out for me. This is huge: She is now mad at me saying she wants to leave me because I was rude. She says she wants to leave me saying that she doesn't love me anymore. Aggressive and violent acts aside, that is not culturally normal in a happy FilAm relationship. That is very significant. Impossible from the distance of a web site to diagnose that, but the OP should take that very seriously. It may be medication...it may be something far worse, but that is not normal. That requires professional attention...a priest, marriage counselor or heavier. I'm not making excuses for her behavior either...just a big red flashing neon sign on this one that something is going very, very wrong and the OP needs to find out what it is. Edited by magdasal, 17 July 2011 - 09:08 PM.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-17 21:04:00
Philippines	What did I do wrong?	I know it's been said here before, so I'll just add my vote along with those who have already said it...what the OP is describing here is definitely not tampo. It's well beyond that and serious and I don't know the answer.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-17 20:36:00
Philippines	What did I do wrong?	Some of the men have said they find it to be a desirable trait. If she remains silent when she disagrees with the husband, that's a golden ticket for a guy who likes to have the final say. Well, it's certainly an open path for misunderstandings. One if the big things I learned, knowing quite a few guys married to filipinas (and Asians in general), is that silence is most definitely not consent. A filipina may not openly disagree with her man, especially in public, but that in no way means he's carried the day. The dissenting opinion just gets expressed in more subtle and perhaps sometimes, more destructive ways. Bottom line, like any married couple, both sides have to come to an understanding or one way or another, there will be trouble.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-17 19:16:00
Philippines	What did I do wrong?	You think that's healthy? That's sounds to me like emotional withdrawal. It might be cultural that Filipinos generally shy away from confrontation, but I can see that trait being exploited and interpreted as emotional immaturity (she's can't handle the tough issues within the marriage), while the husband can just take it on the chin. Well, at least there is a cultural explanation for that behavior and it's normal within the culture...no psycho behavior. I can't stand it myself...and managed to find a filipina wife who doesn't do tampo...or throw things around the room. They are actually out there. Nevertheless, the reasons for tampo make sense and it's a lot better than dodging dishes, pots & pans, laptops or knives.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-17 18:58:00
Philippines	Dumb question about police certificate	I got very confused about this at one point and had a very painful thread, after I had my wife jump thru hoops to get some local Philippine clearances she didn't need...trust me, I've been there. You need an NBI, but an NBI is all you need. Really. Get that and you are golden.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-09 20:39:00
Philippines	Decent, mid-priced, hotel in Manila?	You may want to check these ones out, too. City Garden Suites City Garden Hotel Yep, my wife stayed there during her medical...it was a nice place, but they overcharged her by about 1000 php, so she refuses to stay there again.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-13 11:15:00
Philippines	Decent, mid-priced, hotel in Manila?	Thank you all..very much, for these great selections! These all look pretty good. Now I've got to pick one..	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-13 08:27:00
Philippines	Decent, mid-priced, hotel in Manila?	Hi folks, Wife is headed to the US a week from today and she's gonna need to stay in Manila for 2 nights on her way here. I've been looking around for a decent, mid-priced hotel in Manila that takes online reservations, but there are a lot in that range and many are not too good. I tried to reserve a room at the Pearl Lane hotel, where we've stayed before, but they never responded to my online reservation form or an e-mail I sent...and I won't give business to any operation that treats potential customers that way. So, I'm looking for a $40 to $50 a night hotel, maybe close to a mall in a relatively safe part of town, that you guys can recommend. Bonus points if it's closer to a CFO (wife needs to grab the stamp on the way out) or the Airport. I appreciate it! Edited by magdasal, 12 August 2011 - 04:51 PM.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-12 16:51:00
Philippines	2GO Online Tracking Is Not Reliable	Well, I didn't know that - I thought 2-weeks meant 2-weeks. When you are told 2-weeks, you kinda figure you're safe to schedule a flight for a month out. She was interviewed on the 4th of August. It has been 2-weeks since then. My vacation is scheduled for August 31st - September 14th. On September 14th, we would be coming back together if the Embassy finishes/releases her Visa. I don't know what the issue could be. The interviewer indicated to her that our case looked good. We have well-documented proof of having known each other for going on 12 years. She has no record. Nothing came up with Medical. What could be the hold up? The screen-readers at the customer service line know nothing - or wont say why. She lives on Negros Oriental, her place is kinda rural. I had scheduled for her to pick-up her visa in a city, but apparently she somehow changed that to home-delivery. So that's going to ADD days... But it's still at the Embassy and we cannot find out why! Are there cases where it takes a month or longer for spotless cases? Any advice on how to find out what the hold-up is? For us, we were waiting on the Hong Kong Police clearance to arrive at the embassy...so that added 2 weeks to our wait...so we interviewed on July 7 and go the visa on 1 August. Many things can delay the visa once the interview is finished. They sometimes do additional checks after the interview...a lot of things can cause these delays. Also, the visa can go into AP, which can delay it a month or longer. Just keep calling the Embassy every few days...they won't really tell you anything until the Senior CO approves the visa, then they'll tell you it has received final approval and is at the printer	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-20 11:52:00
Philippines	2GO Online Tracking Is Not Reliable	You're right...it's not reliable. It was accurate about when they picked up the visa from the printer, but over a 5 day period, it never once was updated...until 2 days after my wife received her visa. At least they get the visa there though...my wife's place was way out in the boonies and they went right to it. FedEx and DHL had a hell of a time getting anything delivered to her.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-18 21:31:00
Philippines	What cost for simple Filipino wedding in province ?	mine cost 120k pesos..so its like 3k dollars..but everything is all good.. There are a lot of variables there, but just about everything for a wedding is unbelievably inexpensive compared to here. The church fees you've been quoted are a 'special' price just for you...no way the locals pay anything like that for that kind of service from the church. It should be in the 3 - 5k USD, depending on the number of guests and how many extras you throw in.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-18 05:36:00
Philippines	ATTN: Philippines Portal members	If you can fly anything other than Delta, do it. I've flown Pal, Jal, Asiana, and Delta to the Phils. When I flew Delta, it felt like I was fying in 1985. The plane was outdated. No flat screens on the seats. Just a big blurry prjector screen. They gave us a menu for our dinner meal, and it was wrong. We had a choice of two entrees. One had chicken with rice and the other had beef with potatos. Well it turned out backward. So everyone that wanted chicken with rice got chicken with potatos and the potato people got rice. It was not a very happy meal. Couldn't tell where in the world you were at all. No flight map to look at. Guess I just got spoiled with the Asian airlines. Toothbrushes in the CR. Great service (with a smile every time). Nice clean planes that dont smell like they are 30 years old. Manila-Narita-Detroit-Chicago. Just sayin. I agree..Delta sux. I made 1 roundtrip with them last year (first trip was when the route was still Northwest). The last trip with them was hell...the worst flight attendants in the industry...just rude and ugly (in both senses of the word). But, the schedule is pretty good and they were the best deal for getting the wife to my door step. I hope she forgives me	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-12 17:06:00
Philippines	You're apporoved!	Yep, you definitely have have it. We got the same e-mail when they released my wife's visa. Congratulations	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-28 08:55:00
Philippines	Steps to do in the PH to get an ITIN	So she doesnt have a voter's registration card ? You could amend your return and just do married filing separately IIRC. You shouldnt need an ITIN for that, but you will need to paper file and put "applied for" in the SSN box. Even with getting the ITIN, it will take quite awhile to get your amended return (we are still waiting on ours and I filed it back in november). I think I've got another 'approach' to this. I'll just get a 'true certified' copy of my wifes passport at the nearest DFA and just forget about sending her on a week long sojourn to Manila to get this stuff. The NVC said as long as I've filed what I'm sending to them with the IRS, they're fine with it...so I'll just file the amended return with the w-7 using the 'true certifed' copy from the DFA and send that both to the Austin IRS office and a copy of that to the NVC. The ITIN/Return will be a 'work in progress' but the NVC doesn't seem to mind that...as long as they have a signed copy of a return that was submitted to the IRS. That way the NVC get's to finish up the I-864 while the IRS ponders whether or not to grant her an ITIN. If the IRS decides not to issue the ITIN...well, we tried. I can get that cleared up with another amended return...maybe by the time that happens, my wife will be here and have an SSN and it's all moot anyway.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-04-24 17:22:00
Philippines	Steps to do in the PH to get an ITIN	just for your info, you can use other forms of ID other than the passport. That was the one thing I was stuck on...so we didnt do it. We tried to get the copy from the DFA, but we didnt get the copy with the seal and red ribbon. They gave us a letter stating that my wife's passport was authentic. They glued a passport photo and listed all her bio info on it...it did have a raised seal though. I ended up filing single and just amending the return. I needed the extra cash for my wife's ticket to come here at the time. Hi Scott, Yes, I looked at that list of other IDs in the instructions...my wife doesn't have any that meet the requirements. The passport is the only thing with her picture on it. And now it seems anything else you send with the W-7 has to be red-ribboned anyway (or use the original). And we're stuck at this point...the whole reason I'm doing this now is that I got RFE'd on my I-864 for filing my 2010 taxes as single. I was trying to do things just the way you did them, but they busted me. So, I'm going to have to figure something out.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-04-23 18:09:00
Philippines	Steps to do in the PH to get an ITIN	Did this awhile back for ITIN for my wife. She went to DFA and got an aunthenticated copy of her passport (It is decorated with a red ribbon and a gold seal). According to the US Embassy, they do not notarize foreign documents or certified copies. They also assured me that the IRS will accept the authenticated copy from the DFA. So far, I haven't received any notice from the IRS. Hi RommelandApril, Did she have to go to the DFA in Manila? They are the only ones I read that do handle the Red-Ribbon copies...my wife was going to try an Cagayan De Oro, where she got her passport.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-04-23 16:43:00
Philippines	Steps to do in the PH to get an ITIN	Thank you both for the replies! I filed my original taxes a month ago, so I'm filing an amended return as Married filing jointly to make the NVC happy. I've got an IRS office right across the street from me (they have terrible hours though) and I thought I would take an hour off work and just get the ITIN from them when I get the paperwork.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-04-18 19:00:00
Philippines	Steps to do in the PH to get an ITIN	Hi folks, I need some advice...I have to get an ITIN for my wife and I want to confirm the steps she'll have to take in the Philippines to get a certified copy of her passport to accompany the W-7. As I understand it, she has to go to the DFA to have them give her a certified copy of her passport (it can take some time, I've heard) and then to the Consulate or Embassy and have it notarized. Then send that back with the signed W-7. So, she lives in central Mindanao. There is a DFA office in Cagayan de Oro and a US Consulate in Cebu. Does anybody know if she can get those tasks accomplished at those places. They are the closest ones to where she lives...she's going to be doing a heck of a lot of travelling to get this done...much worse if she has to go to Manila and take care of this. Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-04-18 17:11:00
Philippines	NBI Clearance Update	Whoa! Man am I glad my wife got hers updated on June 30th for our interview on July 7th...just missed that mess. We had no idea either. Talk about dumb luck...I'll take it every time.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-07-05 20:39:00
Philippines	Anyone Self-Employed and Passed the Interview at the US Embassy in Manila?	Yep, I'm self employed and did it several months ago...in some ways, it's easier...no letters or anything...the biggie is the complete tax transcripts and clearing the minimum level with a bit of room to spare. I only had 1 year self-employed too...but had sufficient liquid assets to sponsor with no income.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-07 19:54:00
Philippines	Anyone Self-Employed and Passed the Interview at the US Embassy in Manila?	I'm writing this in The Philippines section so I know exactly what the US Embassy in Manila wants from petitioners who are Self-Employed. I currently have the following for my I-134: I-134 Form filled out 2008, 2009, and 2010 IRS tax transcripts 2008, 2009, and 2010 Income tax returns (Form 1040 with Schedule C) Personal Checking/Savings account bank statements for the entire 2011 year Warranty Deed, Appraisal, Property tax bill, and Mortgage Satisfaction for a land I own free and clear. I'm still sort of confused with the Employment letter, obviously I'm self employed... so do I make a "self-employment" letter stating that I'm currently self employed and have been self employed for X years, my projected/current income for 2011, my type of work/business is xxx, etc.??? Will all this be enough??? I am not currently LLC'ed or Incoporated and I currently operate as a sole proprietorship. I do plan to LLC and have done the paperwork, but do not plan to submit it until after I file my 2011 income tax.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-07 19:51:00
Philippines	Pacquiao - Marquez Fight	Loss and dissappointment. Neither really won even if Pacquiao technically pulled out the victory. These Marquez fights are always so frustrating. Is it Marquez's style or is he just in Pacqiuao's head? Freddie Roach, himself, said that Marquez had Manny figured out. After 2 previous fights, you would think so. I don't think it'll be easier next time. Manny was definitely not in top form, probably because of his foot problems...he was much stronger in the last 2 fights.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-13 15:27:00
Philippines	Pacquiao - Marquez Fight	Ahhh, that link is dead	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-12 21:03:00
Philippines	Pacquiao - Marquez Fight	http://www.ustream.tv/trboxing#utm_campaign=synclickback&source=http://www.mayweather-ortiz.com/2011/11/manny-pacquiao-vs-juan-manuel-marquez.html&medium=2654293 try this... You rock!	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-12 20:32:00
Philippines	Pacquiao - Marquez Fight	Yeah, we're looking too...	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-12 20:25:00
Philippines	Anyone here who was rejected at first?	Why some applications are rejected (not just RFE)? CLICK HERE Please state the visa you are trying to obtain What went wrong How long you have to wait for the retry Also tell us the status Let's educate ourselves and have fun while waiting for our application's feedback. I always thought you had to be jected first...	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-11-17 19:52:00
Philippines	I avoided girls from Mindanao	Wife is from Bukidnon...I spent several months there. No more or less dangerous than any place else IMO. I'd say 75% of Mindanao is as safe as anywhere in the Philippines. This thread seems odd to me, BTW...just saying.	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-08-05 17:16:00
Philippines	4 days ......	Congrats Daren and Gretchen. Happy wedding and best wishes!	magdasal	Male	Philippines	2011-12-08 16:03:00