Emas CFO experience

[Fight for Love 98]

Sounds like it was a lot.. Lol!!!

I was in CFO yesterday at SMEF-COW here in Manila.. The requirements they got from me are:

2 photocopy of my passport

2 photocopy of my birth certicate

My fiance divorce decree

my fiance birth certificate

And 2 parents consent..

They ask for petitioner birth certificate?? How about? The petitioner wasn’t born in US. But earn US citizenship by naturalized. Which document they need now? Birth certificate (Philippines) or the US citizen naturalized certificate? Or both?? Now I’m lost

Also, my fiancé this yr. he'll be 28yrs old. Does he still need parent consent? That will be funny if they still needed it

Edited August 9, 2012 by takis

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

Takis, I would give both the birth cert and the naturalization cert.

Nothing parental is needed if the fiance(e)' is over 25.

[Kathy and Jesse 16]

Yes DavenRoxy is right.. It's better to bring your BC and naturalized certificate.. I was ask for parent consent because I am just 21.. So funny because she almost forgot to ask me that consent until she double checked my BC and told me that "wait a minute, you are just 21 y/o? May I have the letter from your parents?" ha ha luckily I was prepared.. Thanks god!!!

[AlohaBabes 5]

Yes DavenRoxy is right.. It's better to bring your BC and naturalized certificate.. I was ask for parent consent because I am just 21.. So funny because she almost forgot to ask me that consent until she double checked my BC and told me that "wait a minute, you are just 21 y/o? May I have the letter from your parents?" ha ha luckily I was prepared.. Thanks god!!!

Hey!! Congrats, you ve done your seminar.. Same here too. Ive done it last wednesday.. It went fine for me.. Good thing I brought everything with me... Thanks again and good luck for us in the interview!!

[AlohaBabes 5]

Yes, that makes sense that she might get questioned upon her immediate return...

And if one was previously married and divorced in the US, a divorce decree would show that "status"... but what if one were never married? Not much that I can think of that would show that in the US. I guess a 1040 "kind of" proves singleness. But never really thought about it. Then again, I never heard of a CENOMAR until a year or two ago! People just kind of took my word when I told them I was married or single!

Some Filipinas who underwent tragic experience can go to CFO for counseling.. CFO will help them..

Ive done my seminar this week and it went fine.. Your right the 1040 Document can show your status. and thats what i used when she ask me on how to prove if my fiance is really single.. Good thing i brought everything he sent me at the seminar..

[AlohaBabes 5]

Hello all,

Ema just completed her CFO seminar session. She will do her medical on monday the 6th and will have her interview

on the 16th. She was able to complete the seminar before hand to get it done and out of the way.

I will type her experience.

She called the CFO office in Cebu (032 255-5253) inquiring about the certification and they told her to call

St Mary Euphrasia Foundation-COW in Ayaay Archade right across USC campus in Mango for Guidance & Counseling Office

(032-235-3745). They told her to show up at 8am and have these requirements Valid ID with photocopy, passport with photocopy, NSO birth certificate with photocopy, photocopy of fiance's passport, CENOMAR with photocopy, a photocopy of fiance's document showing his status, 3 pictures of you together.

She showed up before 8 and the guard told her to write her name on the list and come back at 8am. At 8 they were allowed

inside and went to the 3rd floor of Ayaay Achade. There were 10 attending today. She went inside the seminar room according to

the list and took a chair. She was given a small piece of paper and was asked to write the maiden name of her fiances mother

on it. They were then called one by one to a window. # 1 to window one. # 2 to window two. They were asked if she had her visa or

it was still in process, what kind of visa, fiancee or spouse. They were looking at her documents that she brought.

Make sure you have the last page of the passport photocopied as well. Then stapled all the documents with the forms to be filled out.

They were asked to go to window three to have their photos taken. Be seated and then fill out the forms. They asked her the

name of the company I work for along with the address of the company and the course in college I had taken. After the forms were

completed they were turned in and checked. They went into another room for the seminar. There they talked about various abuses and

things you might encounter, customs and traditions. All the personel were polite and treated them well. They were given a

departure check list, what to bring, what not to bring, what to remember, exit clearence, arrival and also talked to about how

some filipinas coming to be married to foreigners could be unpredictable.

One story she was told how a filipina called her fiance and told him her flight would be 2 hrs late. When she arrived in the US

her finace wasn't there to pick her up, she called him and he said he wasn't coming. She called her sister back in the Philippines and asked her what should she do. So her sister called a chat mate in the same city as her sister, he went to pick the girl up at the airport. She stayed the night then the guy called her fiance the next morning, he said he would never come get her. So the guy paid for her to return to the Philippines. ( Nice guy ). Just so happend as fate would go, the man that helped her

kept in contact and they developed a relationship and they ended up being married.

She said the seminar finished around 11:30 and dismissed till 1 pm and they were called one by one for counseling. They were asked about the relationship between you and your finace. Personal details.

Afterwards she was given her certificate of completetion and was told to go get it photocopied and then she took a copy to the CFO office in Cousing-Lozada Bldg. osmena Blvd corner MJ Cuenco St Cebu City. She was told once she has her visa to return and they will attach the sticker needed.

Hope this helps those that are in processing and maybe save some time by getting it done early.

Rob

Funny! Thats what ive heard in there too..hehe.. Went there last wednesday at 1pm.. i have my schedule at 2pm.. but i will go to the CFO if I already have my visa on hand.. :-) Thanks for your post.. It will help others who are planning to have their CFO seminar in Cebu .

[Kathy and Jesse 16]

Hey!! Congrats, you ve done your seminar.. Same here too. Ive done it last wednesday.. It went fine for me.. Good thing I brought everything with me... Thanks again and good luck for us in the interview!!

Yes.. My seminar was done at August 1.. Went well because I have everything w me.. I even memorized all of my fiance info's..

Yes good luck to us!!!

[newbster 4]

Do they just need to see stuff like fiance's divorce decree and birth cert at CFO or do they actually want a photocopy that you can give to them?

Also it's not clear to me what time you have to go to CFO in Cebu to take the class (or do you go somewhere else like SMEF-COW?). I've heard 8am and 1pm. Also I think that the CFO office and the place you actually take the class (SMEF-COW) are different places right? So where do you go exactly and what time exactly do you show up there in Cebu?

Lastly, I have prepared what I think is a list of things to take to CFO Cebu:

400p

Passport with 2 photocopy of bio page

1 other photo ID with photocopy of that picture ID

1 photocopy of fiance passport bio page (you can photocopy this from the embassy packet but do NOT remove it from your embassy packet or folder)

CENOMAR with 2 photocopy

Birth certificate with 2 photocopy

2x2 passport size photos (3 of them I think)

Some pictures of you and your fiance together

Your entire embassy packet to show to them if they need anything like divorce decree, tax return, birth cert of fiance or anything else. But it's extremely important to not remove anything from your embassy packet - only show it to them at CFO or photocopy if they want any copies (still not sure if showing only or actual photocopies are required). Keep your embassy packet or folder intact so you don't fail your embassy interview due to lack of documents....

I hope that list helps someone else.

Thx

Edited September 13, 2012 by newbster

[Hank_ 9,173]

CFO:

ALL exiting required to attend. There have been changes regarding CFO so for sure read through their website.

http://www.philembassy.no/sites/default/files/downloads/new_gcp_flyer.pdf

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348:fiancee-spouses-and-other-partners-of-foreign-nationals&catid=140

Required documents & "OTHER DOCUMENTS" they ask for at CFO: copies of; CENOMAR, certified birth certificate, bio page of passport, visa page from passport, pictures together, from USC - bio page of passport, birth certificate, divorce decree (if been married before) are the most common. The "other documents" clause can be ANYTHING with those nit-wits at CFO.

** From the Family Code of the Philippines: it's 21-25 years old for advice and 18-21 years old for consent.

Art. 14. In case either or both of the contracting parties, not having been emancipated by a previous marriage, are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, they shall, in addition to the requirements of the preceding articles, exhibit to the local civil registrar, the consent to their marriage of their father, mother, surviving parent or guardian, or persons having legal charge of them, in the order mentioned. Such consent shall be manifested in writing by the interested party, who personally appears before the proper local civil registrar, or in the form of an affidavit made in the presence of two witnesses and attested before any official authorized by law to administer oaths. The personal manifestation shall be recorded in both applications for marriage license, and the affidavit, if one is executed instead, shall be attached to said applications. (61a)

Art. 15. Any contracting party between the age of twenty-one and twenty-five shall be obliged to ask their parents or guardian for advice upon the intended marriage. If they do not obtain such advice, or if it be unfavorable, the marriage license shall not be issued till after three months following the completion of the publication of the application therefor.A sworn statement by the contracting parties to the effect that such advice has been sought,together with the written advice given, if any, shall be attached to the application for marriage license. Should the parents or guardian refuse to give any advice, this fact shall be stated in the sworn statement.

[newbster 4]

CFO:

ALL exiting required to attend. There have been changes regarding CFO so for sure read through their website.

http://www.philembassy.no/sites/default/files/downloads/new_gcp_flyer.pdf

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348:fiancee-spouses-and-other-partners-of-foreign-nationals&catid=140

Required documents & "OTHER DOCUMENTS" they ask for at CFO: copies of; CENOMAR, certified birth certificate, bio page of passport, visa page from passport, pictures together, from USC - bio page of passport, birth certificate, divorce decree (if been married before) are the most common. The "other documents" clause can be ANYTHING with those nit-wits at CFO.

** From the Family Code of the Philippines: it's 21-25 years old for advice and 18-21 years old for consent.

Art. 14. In case either or both of the contracting parties, not having been emancipated by a previous marriage, are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, they shall, in addition to the requirements of the preceding articles, exhibit to the local civil registrar, the consent to their marriage of their father, mother, surviving parent or guardian, or persons having legal charge of them, in the order mentioned. Such consent shall be manifested in writing by the interested party, who personally appears before the proper local civil registrar, or in the form of an affidavit made in the presence of two witnesses and attested before any official authorized by law to administer oaths. The personal manifestation shall be recorded in both applications for marriage license, and the affidavit, if one is executed instead, shall be attached to said applications. (61a)

Art. 15. Any contracting party between the age of twenty-one and twenty-five shall be obliged to ask their parents or guardian for advice upon the intended marriage. If they do not obtain such advice, or if it be unfavorable, the marriage license shall not be issued till after three months following the completion of the publication of the application therefor.A sworn statement by the contracting parties to the effect that such advice has been sought,together with the written advice given, if any, shall be attached to the application for marriage license. Should the parents or guardian refuse to give any advice, this fact shall be stated in the sworn statement.

Hank thanks for the reply but honestly it doesn't answer my questions. Reading those official CFO pages is nearly useless. It's still not clear to me where to go in Cebu, what time to go there (partly because the offical page says 2pm but Ema's experience was 8am so there are conflicting reports about what time to show up for the class), what docs you actually need copies of to give to CFO, how many copies of each doc, and which docs just need to be shown there to them but you don't need to arrive with a copy already made of.....

Edited September 13, 2012 by newbster

[AlohaBabes 5]

Hank thanks for the reply but honestly it doesn't answer my questions. Reading those official CFO pages is nearly useless. It's still not clear to me where to go in Cebu, what time to go there (partly because the offical page says 2pm but Ema's experience was 8am so there are conflicting reports about what time to show up for the class), what docs you actually need copies of to give to CFO, how many copies of each doc, and which docs just need to be shown there to them but you don't need to arrive with a copy already made of.....

You will have your seminar at SMEF COW.. its at MAngo ave, Ayaay Arcade. just in front of San Carlos Boys High. beside Cherry Court. they have 2 schedule. 8am and 2pm.. I went there 1pm for the 2pm schedule.. but on the seminar there are also some people who are already been there in the morning.. So i will suggest you to go there for the afternoon Seminar so you will not spend a lot of time in there.. Im done with my seminar and counseling at 4:20pm.. just 3 hours.

Regarding your requirements... I think your okay.. Just bring everything the Divorce Decrees, ITR of your fiance. If they need copies of it they will ask you to photocopy it.. there are photocopiers around. no worries.

[newbster 4]

Great answer - thank you AlohaBabes - that really helps.

[AlohaBabes 5]

Great answer - thank you AlohaBabes - that really helps.

Your welcome goodluck!! They will also ask your fiance's Mothers maiden name.. but the counseling is just easy. She will ask you about your relationship with your fiance.. How much you know him and she will give you advice too.. So dont worry.. you will be fine..

Just be there an hour earlier!

[adonian 4]

so they want my mom's maiden name.... WHY? She has all the documents that show my info, and adding my mom's maiden name to that list will give them 100% of my info, making it easy to steal my identity. #######

The embassy never asked for my mothers maiden name?!