PDOS? why is this not in the guide?

[Jimbo_in_GA 17]

my fiancee just passed her medical and her interview is scheduled for sept. 13th. I thought we were good to go and only had the interview to complete for her to get her Visa. Now she just told me that a friend of hers told her she had to have a PDOS? I don't even know what that is and I've seen nothing about it in the guide. Can anybody clue me in on this? this close to being able to purchase my love's plane tkt to Atlanta, I don't want any more surprises!

[Inky 1,111]

Never heard of that, the only thing I have really seen that is unique to the Philippines K-1 process is they have to have a CFO sticker/stamp and counsel before they are allowed to leave.

[Kathryn41 3,207]

This thread should help you: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/155397-confuse-about-pdos-and-cfo/

Your fiancee's friend is well-meaning but a bit mis-informed. PDOS is a departure orientation session for Philippine citizens who are going overseas for employment purposes. Philippine spouses and Fiancees attend a CFO session instead of a PDOS.

[bigdog 377]

Pre-Departure Seminar in her country. I here space is limited get there early.

[Inky 1,111]

I just looked it up too and found the same thing that Kathryn did. She doesn't do a PDOS. She only does the CFO session and gets the CFO sticker.

[Kathryn41 3,207]

Actually, a correction - there is one PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) for non-spouse/non fiancee Filipinos leaving the Philippines and another referred to as the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) Guidance and Counseling Session (GCS) that will secure the GCC (Guidance and Counseling Certificate) and CFO sticker that are required for her to leave the country.

Here is the source site for the information for CFO: http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348:fiancee-spouses-and-other-partners-of-foreign-nationals&catid=140

and here is the information about PDOS: http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1347:for-filipinos-leaving-the-country-with-an-immigrant-visa&catid=139

[Anh map 2,098]

my fiancee just passed her medical and her interview is scheduled for sept. 13th. I thought we were good to go and only had the interview to complete for her to get her Visa. Now she just told me that a friend of hers told her she had to have a PDOS? I don't even know what that is and I've seen nothing about it in the guide. Can anybody clue me in on this? this close to being able to purchase my love's plane tkt to Atlanta, I don't want any more surprises!

Country specific items don't make it to the general guide. The CFO is a Philippine government requirement, not US.

Looks like you got the proper link already in the thread.

[me@hubby 4]

she really need to attend cfo or else the immigration here wont let her passed..she need to have sticker from cfo to her visa..

[Jimbo_in_GA 17]

thanks all, especially for the links. looks like the GCC and CFO sticker is what she needs. another added process. I should have thought about PH specific steps in this process before now so that's my bad. Doesn't seem like a huge deal, just another delay before buying her plane tkt. thanks again!

[TooBig 0]

Never buy the ticket early man ....... Better safe than sorry ........heard of too many snags there ........ she will get it all but sometimes s@#t happens.

She will be here before ya know it

[Jimbo_in_GA 17]

Never buy the ticket early man ....... Better safe than sorry ........heard of too many snags there ........ she will get it all but sometimes s@#t happens.

She will be here before ya know it

oh believe me! I will not be buying a plane tkt until she has visa in hand and whatever else we need. No way can I afford to eat the cost of a non refundable tkt in case something keeps her from making the flight. I've known that much from the beginning of this process :-)

[bigdog 377]

Country specific items do not meet VJ USA guides, even though information in out there in VJ and Google.

[Tahoma 2,298]

Jimbo...

Mary Jean can complete the CFO seminar at any time. The seminar itself takes only a few hours. There are two places in the Manila area that give the seminar, and one in Cebu. However, in order to get the sticker attached to her passport, she has to have her visa first.

The CFO seminar is pretty easy, but be warned...the CFO people can ask for any kind of paperwork they want to. So, it's a good idea to take every scrap of paper from this entire process with her to the seminar. She'll need a copy or two of the bio page of her passport if the Embassy still has her passport. She may also need your divorce papers if any. And they might ask her your mother's maiden name...I'm not kidding! Just take everything.

Check out the CFO web site too. If you have any questions, you can google the info on VJ...there's hundreds of threads about it...or you might want to post your questions in the Philippines regional forum.

Best wishes for a smooth and speedy visa journey.

[paul_kay 31]

Don't forget to tell your fiancee your mother's maiden name because they ask for it at the seminar.

[KT and Xyrena 4]

A little on the side - I recently attended the CFO seminar, which is the counterpart of PDOS for Overseas Filipino Workers. The reason they ask for mother's maiden name is they put it as the petitioner's middle name. You see, in the Philippines, being a Spanish colony for 300 years, we all use as middle name our mother's maiden name. It is not the US culture/practice as I have observed where the middle name is normally a second name if you have one, and so when the lady did it in front of me (wrote down my future mom-in-law's maiden name) I said - "weird that you're teaching/counseling cross-country culture when what you just did was not a US culture at all" I could have not gotten my sticker or certificate but I could not hold myself back as most of it was more of another interview than a counseling. I think the OFW PDOS could have been more helpful for first-time immigrants.

In addition to mother's maiden name, make sure to give your fiancee/spouse a landline number. If you don't have one, Give that of your parents/siblings even if you dont live with them. THey just want that box filled up.

Don't forget to tell your fiancee your mother's maiden name because they ask for it at the seminar.