Filing AOS-Spouse here-Children not

[SpongebObiWan 0]

After having met online in October 2007, my (now)fiancee, a Filipino citizen (though legal resident of Italy) has visited me in the United States three times. She has been here now since September on her third visit, and was due to return to Italy in April. Her second visit included her two young children who spent the entire summer of 2008 here, and she returned to Italy with them to get them enrolled in their school for the new year before she returned here again. She is visiting here on a 10-year multi-entry tourist visa and actually has until mid-June before her 6 months time-limit for this visit actually runs out.

She obviously had every intention of returning to Italy and no intention of using her tourist visa status to immigrate as both the return flight ticket and her children still being in Italy, (as well as the rest of her yet unsettled affairs of properties, etc.) would certainly demonstrate. However, be that as it may, somewhere along the line, our well-intentioned plan got waylayed and us being together for the time that we have, has absolutely ruined our desire or ability to live without each other anymore, and we therefore decided to get married and file for an AOS. Actually, there were some other factors involved as well, including some medical issues that I won't go into detail about here).

Our question is regarding her children who are still in Italy, and are also both citizens of the Philippines but legal residents of Italy. If my memory serves me correctly, it seems to me that as I was going through all the necessary forms, particularly the I-130, the petitioning process for the children becomes almost an automatic part of this whole process as long as their names and all other information is accurately listed and appropriate documentation provided and fees paid. Somebody correct me if I am mistaken about this.

Anyway, what I am wondering is at what point in this process will the children actually be allowed to be brought over here to the U.S? Would it in fact be upon final approval many months down the road? Bare in mind, they already have their 10-year multi-entry visas as well as passports. So I am wondering whether or not they would be allowed to come over for a visit prior to the actual completion of the entire process, should the process take a long time. Any feedback would be appreciated.