Costs that we should plan for in Visa process

[Tahoma 2,291]

Which of these are realistic fees that we should plan for? Are there any fees that are not listed here that should realistically be added?

(all costs in PI Pesos)

STEP 1: Medical exam trip and fees:

10,500p Medical Exam/Vaccination fees paid to St Lukes extension hospital clinic in Manila <--- Outdated information. The exam costs $223.00 (about PhP9500.) for those 15 and older.

10,500p same for child <--- The exam costs $185 (about PhP7860.) for those under 15 years old.

900p Verification Fee - Delbros (no idea what this means) <--- Outdated information. No longer applicable.

900p same for child <--- Outdated information. No longer applicable.

9,000p plane ticket Cebu -> Manila -> Cebu for medical exam

9,000p same for child

10,000p meals/transport/misc expenses in Manila during medical exam trip incl child

10,000p 3 night hotel stay in Manila during medical exam trip

-------

60,800p for STEP 1

STEP 2: Embassy interview trip and fees:

15,750p Visa application fees<--- Outdated information. The visa fee is $240.00 (about PhP10,200.).

15,750p same for child <--- Outdated information. I think it's the same as above.

13,500p ENTRY FORMS: DS156, DS157, 157K,DS230A AND B <--- Misinformation. These don't cost anything.

13,500p same for child <--- Misinformation. This won't cost anything either.

675p AIR 21 Visa mailing fees (I assume to have Visa mailed from Embassy to Cebu <--- Outdated information. This is already included in the visa fee. Also, the Embassy does not use Air21 for visa deliveries. They use 2GO.

675p same for child <--- More outdated information. This is also already included in the visa fee.

3,600p IDD FEES - US EMBASSY APPOINTMENT <--- I have no idea what this is.

3,600p same for child <--- I don't know what this is either.

9,000p plane ticket Cebu -> Manila -> Cebu for embassy visa appointment

9,000p same for child

3,500p meals/transport/misc expenses in Manila during visa trip incl child

3,500p 1 night hotel stay in Manila during visa trip

-------

92,050p for Step 2

STEP 3: departure

3,500p meals/transport/misc expenses in Manila mandatory guidance counseling day before departure to U.S. from Manila

3,500p 1 night hotel stay in Manila <--- Two nights instead of one night, so as not to rush the CFO thing.

1,350p Attend CFO Guidance Counselling (Commission on Foreign Workers Overseas) IN MANILA 1 day before departure (I assume this can be arranged to be before day of departure

1,350p same for child <--- Not sure if this is needed. Probably just register the child at CFO. How old is the child?

9,000p plane ticket Cebu -> Manila -> Cebu for guidance counseling mandatory session

9,000p same for child

??????? plane ticket from Manila to U.S.

??????? plane ticket from Manila to U.S. for child

-------

27,700 for Step 3 (+ U.S. plane tickets from Manila)

Total: 180,550p at conversion rate of 41p = 1USD = $4403

Does all of this sound right? Thanks for opinions/insight. Oh also if anyone knows of a decent inexpensive hotel option near the embassy and near St Luke's in Manila that would be great. Any experience/advice would be great as well. ---> Click here to read about hotels near the Embassy and St. Lukes.

[adiiann 163]

Back in 2009, medical and interview fee cost me less than $500. My husband (fiance then) spent around $400 for K1 visa for the process plus calls he made in the embassy. Roughly, around $1000 was our cost to have things including the CFO, but plane ticket going to US one way was around $700. So, roughly around $1700 from K1 visa process to getting here in US was our cost.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Back in 2009, medical and interview fee cost me less than $500. My husband (fiance then) spent around $400 for K1 visa for the process plus calls he made in the embassy. Roughly, around $1000 was our cost to have things including the CFO, but plane ticket going to US one way was around $700. So, roughly around $1700 from K1 visa process to getting here in US was our cost.

visa = $240 + medical = $223 Still less than $500 gotta like it!!

Might still be able to do it for about what you spent, except for airfare.

[adiiann 163]

visa = $240 + medical = $223 Still less than $500 gotta like it!!

Might still be able to do it for about what you spent, except for airfare.

Yeah, I even teased my husband for only spending around $400 during our visa process because whatever expenses we had in the Philippines were my responsibility, and whatever expenses here in US was his responsibility... hehe... which included our wedding here. My husband living with paycheck to paycheck with pretty high mortgage, so we can't afford to be extravagant.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Yeah, I even teased my husband for only spending around $400 during our visa process because whatever expenses we had in the Philippines were my responsibility, and whatever expenses here in US was his responsibility... hehe... which included our wedding here. My husband living with paycheck to paycheck with pretty high mortgage, so we can't afford to be extravagant.

So he had the "joy" of paying for AOS ... You did good with that arrangement!

[Caryh 5,206]

Delbros fee was a fee that used to be paid to a private company for document verification and delivery. That information is a couple years obsolete.

[adiiann 163]

So he had the "joy" of paying for AOS ... You did good with that arrangement!

You bet.... Hahaha... Aside from wedding expenses, he also saved for my aos, so apparently it's a good arrangement. CO in my visa interview before, asked me why its more than a year since his last visit, I answered we're having catholic wedding in US, ceremony and reception cost a lot, so we need to sacrifice and one year isn't that bad.

[gretchen_darren 67]

wow.... need to do more research on the costs..... please note my costs are excessive in some ways because I include costs to support the family. But I msut say, some of your costs I never encountered....

MAde 3 trips to Philippines in 2011.

Trip 1) meeting: cost with airfare: $4,000

trip 2) santacruzen, quick weekend: $2,300

trip 3) manila/usembassy/CFO with parents/bring Gretchen back home: $6,000

wedding: $2,500 ($700 on chairs/tables, $1,300 on food, $100 on pastor, $250 on photographer, $100 on cake, $75 on bouquet, nothing on videographer, married to a wonderful Filipina: priceless )

Total spent last year: $18,000 (trips, visa, wedding, family support, etc)

total spent this year: $5,100 (no trips yet, includes family support, have 2 upgrade certificates with PAL this year to use as well. Will probably continue to get at least 2 upgrade certificates per 6 months from now on.)

Expenses for visa:

1) passport for gretchen: $40

2) NBI/birthcertficate/ppostal: $40

3) vaccinations: $150

4) Visa application fee: $350

5) st.lukes: $250

6: us Embassy: $340 (forms no cost, mailing visa in passport, no cost)

7) CFO: $20

8) plane tickets: Domestic (free for all of us) used airline miles transferred to parents and Gretchen for free round trip tickets for them. (it pays to fly PAL from US, each round trip from US = 1, almost 2, free round trip domestic tickets)

9) City Garden hotel manila: 1 week, 2 rooms: $700

10) hotel in Butuan: 10 days: $330

Edited June 13, 2012 by gretchen_darren

[neodragon0l 6]

Yes, like I mentioned, you can do all the cost yourself and book everything yourself. There are so many ways to cut costs. Just save your dollars for the honeymoon.

wow.... need to do more research on the costs..... please note my costs are excessive in some ways because I include costs to support the family. But I msut say, some of your costs I never encountered....

MAde 3 trips to Philippines in 2011.

Trip 1) meeting: cost with airfare: $4,000

trip 2) santacruzen, quick weekend: $2,300

trip 3) manila/usembassy/CFO with parents/bring Gretchen back home: $6,000

wedding: $2,500 ($700 on chairs/tables, $1,300 on food, $100 on pastor, $250 on photographer, $100 on cake, $75 on bouquet, nothing on videographer, married to a wonderful Filipina: priceless )

Total spent last year: $18,000 (trips, visa, wedding, family support, etc)

total spent this year: $5,100 (no trips yet, includes family support, have 2 upgrade certificates with PAL this year to use as well. Will probably continue to get at least 2 upgrade certificates per 6 months from now on.)

Expenses for visa:

1) passport for gretchen: $40

2) NBI/birthcertficate/ppostal: $40

3) vaccinations: $150

4) Visa application fee: $350

5) st.lukes: $250

6: us Embassy: $340 (forms no cost, mailing visa in passport, no cost)

7) CFO: $20

8) plane tickets: Domestic (free for all of us) used airline miles transferred to parents and Gretchen for free round trip tickets for them. (it pays to fly PAL from US, each round trip from US = 1, almost 2, free round trip domestic tickets)

9) City Garden hotel manila: 1 week, 2 rooms: $700

10) hotel in Butuan: 10 days: $330

I would probably start crying at night because it hurts in the pocket. Btw, your wedding is really cheap.

[razorbackhog2 0]

she can take the cfo in cebu. cebu to manilla roundtrip promo 2452 pesos.

[kangofu101 0]

ST LUKES MEDICAL

$223.35 adult

$185.35 child

PDOS Php 400

VISA $230

TERMINAL FEE/TRAVEL TAX Php 1620

NBI CLEARANCE Php 115

POLICE CLEARANCE ???

AIR 21 DELIVERY Php 675

Davao-Manila Airfare ???

Manila-US Airfare ???

what else do I need to prepare for?

please, help me find the cost for the following. as far as i know, these are the current fees for each processing/documents, but if you have the correct amount please let me know. I'm saving money for my dad and 7 other siblings. i know, i'm gonna need a lot of money for this. not including the airfare and other expenses.

[bxman 13]

Is it required that departure must be from Manila?

Can she depart Philippines from Cebu instead?

[Hank_ 9,173]

I know of nothing that requires flying from Manila.

[neodragon0l 6]

Lolz. I would include Fedex for the I-134 and probably other requirements that your dad may need. I spent around $148 dollars, but that included a ton of paperwork. Like any budget, I would add some cushion for emergencies and miscellaneous expenses. For example, my fiancee is running around now to get an annoying medical certificate. The cost is outside what we initially anticipated.

By the way, Cebu is an international airport and there are PAL and other airlines that fly to the US. That may save you some cash.