Americans who want to get their wife and kids into the USA.

[shing 0]

Americans who want to get their wife and kids into the USA.

I-130 direct-file at Manila US Embassy, expedite procedure.

The Manila US Embassy has been empowered to adjudicate Immigration visa applications that have been submitted by American citizens directly to the Manila US Embassy. The procedure to follow is not documented any where and you must keep in mind that doing a direct-file puts your application outside the normal automated process so you have to continuously make trips to the Manila US Embassy to expedite your application or it will become stalled resulting in extended wait times.

First download the I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (spouse).

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c67c7f9ded54d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD

Fill out this form and collect the required documents. Visit the Manila US Embassy before 12 noon. You will need your USA passport to enter. Once inside go to Immigration Section, window “35”, Pick up your queue number from the door into the “35” window. Your I-130 and required documentation will be reviewed and if accepted as complete you will have to go to the casher and pay the $355.00 filing fee or the Peso equivalent. Checks are not accepted, but USA based credit cards are accepted. There is a medical checkup fee of $215 which you pay directly to the Saint Luke medical clinic, a $404 visa application fee, and a Air21 courier deliver fee of 247P to have your spouse’s passport delivered home after the Embassy stamps in the visa stamp, both which you pay on the day of your scheduled interview at the Manila US Embassy.

2 weeks after you direct filed your I-130, you should start calling to check on its status. From any cell phone call the Manila US Embassy at 00632-301-2000 and then Ext 2224 for window “35”. Give them your last name and ask for status of your I-130. When you are told it’s been approved, then within 14 workdays the Philippine mail service should deliver your official approval notification letter. Near the bottom left side of your notification letter should be your application receipt number, It’s a 13-character number prefixed with MNL. If you do not receive your approval letter within the 14 workdays, visit the Manila US Embassy go to Immigration Section, Window ”X” and tell them you want a copy of your approval notification letter because it never came and while there, file your DS-230 at the same time.

As soon as possible after receiving your I-130 approval notification letter, download and fill out the DS-230 (Application for Immigration visa) form, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81807.pdf make 3 copies, you will need to show one on your scheduled interview date.

Visit the Embassy again and present your approval notification letter to Window “X” in the Immigration Section, and submit your completed DS-230. Window “X” is to the right of the cashier window. The filing of the DS-230 (Application for Immigration visa) is the event that enters you into the interview-scheduling queue. Scheduling for your spouses medical and the visa interview happens on the 20th of the month for the proceeding month. You can use https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do to check if you have been assigned scheduling dates by entering your application receipt number. You should receive a letter in the mail with your schedule dates. Do not wait for this letter. After you see your scheduled dates at the Internet website above, return to the Manila US Embassy Window “X” and request a copy of your spouses schedule letter. It’s on the computer and only needs to be reprinted. With this schedule letter and the other medical required documents your spouse can choose to have the medical checkup on a date more convenient before the scheduled medical checkup date. The location of the medical checkup is 2 blocks away from the Manila Swagman Hotel and on the same street as the Swagman Hotel. Your spouse will have to surrender their passport during the medical registration.

On the day of the visa personal interview it is best that the American citizen sponsoring the I-130 also accompany the spouse to the Manila US Embassy and that you get their 1.5 hours before your scheduled time. That’s like 5am in the morning. The whole process will be over by 10am if your there early. Your spouse will need to show the interview schedule letter to enter the US Embassy. Once inside go to Immigration Section, on the right is small booth where you have to show your spouses medical receipt, interview schedule letter and copy of your DS-230, your papers will be reviewed and you receive your queue number. When your queue number shows upon the info board go to the window shown next to your queue number. This is your preliminary documentation review. You will be asked to submit the http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864.pdf Affidavit of support. This is basically a legal contract between the American citizen sponsoring the I-130 and the U.S. government that you are responsible for repaying any government benefits such as “welfare” your spouse may apply for if you divorce within 10 years or before becoming a US citizen. Also your Filipino spouse will have to submit their NBI clearance.

From there you have to go pay the $404 visa application fee and wait for your name to be called after which you will be finger printed. Watch the board again for your queue number and this time you enter a closed-door room for your personal interview. The American can accompany the spouse all the time except when getting finger printed. The interview is really simple, was only asked 2 questions, “how did you meet” and “when did you get married”. Interview was completed in 4 minutes and the person conducting the interview tells you if your visa is approved or not. You then wait for your name to be called again and go to window “Y” where you are given a pink colored authorization slip which you give to Air21 along with the 247P fee for the secure courier service to deliver your passport and immigration folder to your home. The visa is good for 6 months only, so make plans to enter the USA before it expires. Most visas are delivered in 3 to 5 working days if delivery is on Luzon Island.

Keep in mind that most I-130 applications are submitted in the USA, and the USA automated process is designed to facilitate that. Doing a direct-file at the Manila US Embassy puts your application outside the normal automated process, so you have to continuously make trips to the Manila US Embassy to expedite your application or it will become stalled. Also any packets of information you receive from the Embassy will be worded as if everything is originating in the USA, which in a direct-file case is not what is really happening.

In the cases of 3 Americans with Filipino wife’s from Angeles city, all filed there I-130 form on the same day. One was approved in 20 workdays, another at 26 workdays, and the last at 37 workdays. They all went together to window “X” to file the DS-230 and 10 workdays later all had the same scheduled medical and interview date. From filing the I-130 to the interview date was 96 days. From other direct-filed I-130 people talked to while waiting for interview found they all waited for the automated system to issue the info packets and it took over 8 months from I-130 to interview date.

Take Note: Even with the USA Immigration visa in your spouses passport they still need Immigration clearance from the Philippine government to exit the country. You can start this process in parallel with the I-130 filing. Your Filipino spouse must register with the CFO (Commission of Filipinos Overseas) in Manila. City Gold Center, 1345 Quirino Ave, Corner of Osmena highway, Manila, phone 561-8321 ext 102. www.cfo.gov.ph Get there early (7am) and have copies of all the papers submitted with the I-130, will have to endure a 4 hour lecture on the USA to receive a certificate of completion. After receiving the USA visa stamp in the passport have to return to receive a red exit stamp to leave the country. 400 P filing fee.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

Yeah that is great for an american that lives in the PI and has the residency requirement for DCF. I wanted to DCF, but of course I didnt meet the residency requirement and I was there for the time to do all the running to the embassy. We were approved in 5 months from the time of filing (from sending in the I-130 to visa in hand). Could have been about a month faster if we didnt get and RFE. Yes you are correct...it is much better to DCF than to send it through the US channels if you qualify.

So how long has it been since you DCF? Mind filling in your timeline?

Edited August 8, 2010 by Scott and Mhay