hey fellow Philippine VJ'ers, another quick q as we get all our docs ready to submit. we are doing the IR1/CR1. will my wife be asked to submit a CENOMAR? we r thinking no based on what we read on the manila embassy site, but don't want to assume anything and avoid any unnecessary delays. thx, bernie and sherwin

It would be very difficult for a married woman to obtain a CENOMAR since it is a certificate showing she is not married.

They won't ask for it.

If the embassy thinks it's necessary they will make their own request to the NSO and normally that holds things up.

Actually this policy has changed. They now ask K-1s to bring the CENOMAR with them to the interview. It's on their new instructions letter.

Since the CENOMAR doesn't apply for the OP, they won't be asked for it.

So you are saying the embassy no longer puts people on admin review while they check with the NSO for any unended or unreported marriages?

That's not what I said. I said they changed their policy. When we went for the interview, the consulate would not accept a CENOMAR submitted by us and sent for their own. Now the CENOMAR is accepted at the interview and is even on the list of documents to bring. I'm also saying the consulate won't be looking for a CENOMAR for a married person--it wouldn't make any sense. They may request evidence that any former marriages have been terminated and may put people on admin review while they check for unended or unreported marriages.

The OP asked specifically about CENOMAR. For them, it is N/A because they are married.

But you didn't read what I said

"If the embassy thinks it's necessary they will make their own request to the NSO and normally that holds things up."

So it may apply in his case, just that it's not needed for the interview and it will hold things up if the embassy makes the request.

Why would the consulate make any request for a CENOMAR for a married person? CENOMARs are only available for single persons. I know you prefaced your sentence with "If the embassy thinks it's necessary" .. but does not serve this question well. The OP is concerned about whether he should try to obtain this document that is listed among the documents to bring to the interview. Your response does nothing to clear up the situation for the OP.

Maybe technically what the embassy requests is not a CENOMAR, but it basically serves the same purpose and I was just trying to let the guy know what could possibly happen even though his wife didn't need to provide a CENOMAR for the interview.

right! CENOMAR has nothing to do with a married applicant. CENOMAR is simply required for K1 and your SO is already good in terms of required NSO papers IF she already have the AUTHENTICATED MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

ty all 4 ur input n advice, yup, got d auth mc. didn't think we needed cenomar, just wanted 2 b sure so things go as smooth as possible. thx again, bernie n sherwin

text message much?

yup! gud i

As much as I try to understand the "official" rules for gathering the necessary documentation in the Philippines, I'm always reminded that there are curious exceptions that can and do occur, so prepare for any possible scenario.

During our marriage license application process, her local registrar office wanted the CENOMAR from her, but she didn't have one, so they applied for it. She received her CENOMAR with a date well after our wedding day. It was requested using her maiden name. It came back as no record of marriage. I have an original copy of this. She also received another NSO document that indicated that she was indeed married, using her married name, but this was not the NSO marriage certificate. (We also have the MC, but it took several months to get this, too.) It was odd because NSO botched the name of her husband (me) on this document omitting my given name and instead using my middle name and surname, which happens to be my father's name. She's looking into correcting this, but we're not sure what this document is since it didn't say CENOMAR in the upper left corner. Anyway, I'm sure you won't need the CENOMAR for the visa application or the interview, but having it handy wouldn't hurt.

Our next great adventure will be next week when she applies for her passport. There is evidently a mobile application submittal unit that travels to the distant provinces to serve those who do not have the means to go to the regional application office. That "passporting seminar", as she calls it, is next Saturday. She has been told by the mayor's secretary that she can apply, pay the fees, present her documentation (BC, MC and NBI) and her photos, and can get her passport on the SAME DAY!!! She will apply using her married name and she has been told that she will NOT need the CFO seminar certificate. (I know we'll still need to do the CFO thing, but if she pulls this off, we'll do both seminars after she receives her visa.) So, I'm very skeptical about this and have told her so, but I won't be surprised if she gets her passport anyway. There are some very odd things that happen deep in the provinces. I'll post the results next week.

Here's the update I promised. Yesterday my asawa indeed applied for and received her Philippine passport at a one-day passport seminar at her very small barangay deep in the provinces. She was able to get this in her married name WITHOUT the CFO guidance and counseling session seminar certificate. The Bureau of Foreign Affairs representative asked my spouse if she had the certificate and she replied that she did not. She was then asked when she expects to go to the USA and she replied next year. The rep stated no problem and that she still had time to do that. She was told that she would be okay without the CFO certificate by her friends in the municipality office. I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Well, she has her new passport now. We'll do both CFO seminars in Manila after her visa is issued early next year.