PASSPORT EXPIRY/ELIGIBILITY

[bclove 0]

Hi VJ Members,

I am the beneficiary and just received the approval of my petition (NOA2) last May 31, 2011. It is now on its way to NVC and my fiance already received the letter from USCIS confirming this. My fiance and I are shooting for August 2011 for when I would fly to the US. My concern basically is about my current passport which will expire in July 2012 (I know it's still valid for another year) but I will not be able to renew it by the time it expires 'cause obviously I'll be in the US when that time comes.

I hope you can help me on the following:

1. Will I be eligible to get a US passport after my fiance and I get married? If so, then how soon can I apply for one?

2. Upon applying for a US Passport, will I be needing a valid Philippine Passport at the time of the US passport application?

Thank you in advance for taking your time in reading my post and for your responses. I appreciate all your help.

Best regards,

BCLOVE

Edited June 6, 2011 by bclove

[belinda63 3,039]

You cannot apply for a US passport until you obtain citizenship which you will be eligible to apply for roughly three years after you obtain your Legal Permanent Resident Status if you remain married to the same US citizen (this is a basic explanation).

I do believe you can apply to renew your Philippine passport from within the US and am sure someone will be along to explain this.

[Harsh_77 718]

Most countries have their consulates in US and I am sure Philippines have a consulate in US too.

You will have to check with them the requirement for passport renewal and then get your passport renewed with them until you are eligible to apply for US citizenship.

[Bill and Vicky 25]

1. Will I be eligible to get a US passport after my fiance and I get married? If so, then how soon can I apply for one?

2. Upon applying for a US Passport, will I be needing a valid Philippine Passport at the time of the US passport application?

Plan to renew your Philippine passport next year at the Philippine Embassy in Washington or at one of the Philippine consulates in the U.S. For example, there is a consulate in San Francisco.

DO NOT let your passport expire. Not only will you have issues with USCIS, but it becomes very difficult to travel with an expired passport. Worry about the U.S. passport when the time comes.

My wife is Indonesian. We found the passport renewal application on the embassy's Web site, filled it out and hand-delivered it to the Indonesian consulate in San Francisco. One week later, we went back and picked up both her expired and new passport. (The I-94 is permanently attached to the old passport, so she needs to keep it.)

Care,

Bill

[Alcheringa 39]

Bill is correct. You must not allow the Philippine passport to expire. It can easily be renewed at a local consulate once you get stateside.

As indicated in a previous response, the normal chain of events is:

K-1 is granted in Manila > travel to U.S. within the allotted time > get married within 90-days > apply for social security card and adjustment of status > receive conditional green card > just short of two years later apply for lifting of conditions > receive 10-year green card > a year later you can apply for citizenship, at which point you would officially receive a U.S. passport

Until that point, you will use your Philippine passport to travel in conjunction with your green card. Meaning, if you fly into Manila you show both to get through immigration on both sides.

And the Philippine authorities don't give you any trouble if you're worried about that at all. We just came back from a visit to the PI, and we moved in and out with zero problems. Typically, when they see your permanent residence card it has the same effect as seeing a U.S. passport.

There is a debate as to whether it is better to get your social security card prior to marriage or after, but it worked out for us. One visit, and got her new surname put on it with no issues. But if you read the threads on that, mileage varies.

Anyway, good luck! Sounds like you are off to a great start!