St Lukes Medical Exam, Can my spouse do it early?

[Hank_ 9,173]

St. Lukes does not make appointments. They operate on a walk-in basis only.

By the way, how much money does St. Lukes make doing exams?

+ just a bunch of bad info there in that other post.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Hank_

[madtownguy 164]

+ just a bunch of bad info there in that other post.

The point being you are paying they don't care. Pre-register, appointment... it's the same thing like appointments matter at Drs offices you wait regardless. They make plenty of money, I would be willing you bet you could get an exam with out an MNL number, not sure why you would want to but I'm sure if you pay they will do it. I'm thinking about the OPs post and not worried about the next person who comes on and reads the information.

[Hank_ 9,173]

No pre-register and appointment are not the same; the pre-registering is just completing a form online, an appointment is what you get with a time and date scheduled - like the interview appointment (its not first come first served).

Handing out opinions such as trying to do the medical without the MNL # is just bad... stick with the facts. As for the OP they are IR/CR-1 and need to have their NVC Instructions Letter (which contains the MNL #) as NVC does the appointment scheduling for their interview at the embassy.

[Tahoma 2,291]

The point being you are paying they don't care. Pre-register, appointment... it's the same thing like appointments matter at Drs offices you wait regardless. They make plenty of money, I would be willing you bet you could get an exam with out an MNL number, not sure why you would want to but I'm sure if you pay they will do it. I'm thinking about the OPs post and not worried about the next person who comes on and reads the misinformation.

^^^ Corrected...

Okay...do I have this straight?

1. You don't know if SLEC cares or not.

2. You don't know whether SLEC makes any money.

3. You believe that walking into your doctor's office on any day you want to is the same thing as an appointment.

4. You don't know if someone can get an SLEC medical exam without an MNL number.

5. You don't realize that the OP is not a K-1'er.

6. You don't care if you misinform people.

[madtownguy 164]

^^^ Corrected...

Okay...do I have this straight?

1. You don't know if SLEC cares or not.

2. You don't know whether SLEC makes any money.

3. You believe that walking into your doctor's office on any day you want to is the same thing as an appointment.

4. You don't know if someone can get an SLEC medical exam without an MNL number.

5. You don't realize that the OP is not a K-1'er.

6. You don't care if you misinform people.

Well you got 5 and 6 right but the rest you are very wrong. I know you probably are one of those people who have no power in normal life and have to come on the internet to try to show off, it's sad but true. If you think you can't walk into SLEC and get an exam with no MNL number you're just stupid, and SLEC makes money the fact that it exists makes it obvious. I call things appointments that sometimes are not, my bad. You keep being the internet police if it makes you happy, they will get the right answer there are good guys like Hank that will link them to it. Then there's me who just comes on for the heck of it, some I'll help and some maybe steer in the wrong direction, but it's the internet if you treat it like the rule by natural selection the stupid will be weeded out. You can be a douche odds are it's gotten you no where in life already.

[kenyanqueen 1]

I would advocate for early medicals though I will suggest you wait until you have at least sent in the documents. sometimes the medicals can be hectic especially with the chest X ray that lead to a sputum test that takes 8 weeks for the results to be out. am talking from experience my appointment was on 28th march recieved my appointment on 1st feb went for my medicals on 11th march was told I have to do a sputum test that will take 8 Weeks, had to reschedule my app to 22may. sooo much regrets.wish I did my medicals earlier....was told by the doctors with the case number you can do the medicals.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Also, the one thing I haven't yet seen in your proposed timeline is the CFO seminar. Sorry if I missed it, but don't forget, she cannot leave the country until that is done. And you'll need the visa to do it. SO, either you'll have to 1) do your interview, stay in manila until you get the visa, and then you can do the CFO in Manila (and maybe in Cebu too), or if you were going to Cebu after your interview, come back to Manila, do the CFO before you can leave.

Be aware that there CAN be delays with the CFO. Sometimes they are real jerks. It can turn into an all day thing, so give yourself a little buffer there.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

You're right. I did forget about the CFO. You are so correct, they are idiots! My wife had to go there three times to complete their stupid process. They kept making her get more documents even though she showed up on the first day with all the documents listed as required on the CFO web site. (W-2's, tax returns for the last 4 years, on and on and on...) and telling her to return next day. She finally did get the Certificate Of Completion. (This all happened before I was made aware by one government official that if you have money you can get things done very quickly and easily. After learning that the government employees all over the Philippines are such philanthropist's it was far easier to get needed documents if one just made a "donation" to said government employees, who would then, I am sure just turn the money over to their favorite charity. hahaha A few days later my wife received her passport and returned to the CFO office with the Certificate in hand they refused to affix the proof of the course to her passport now saying that they will not do that until she comes in also with the VISA. This was not what they told her on the first three trips there. And talk about a ridiculous course! They are teaching stuff about spouse abuse from the 40's and 50's for crying out loud. I am a Domestic Violence Investigator for the Prosecuting Attorney here in Hawaii and I could not believe the stories my wife told me that they taught in the class. Horror stories of Filipina that were beaten half to death and called the Police for help. The American Police arrive, the Filipina woman is bleeding, bruised and crying. The Police ask the American husband what happened and the husband simply tells the Police "Yeah I beat her. She had it coming. She stole money from me!" Of course the brilliant CFO instructors explain to the class that this is a normal occurrence in the US. The Filipina spouse ends up getting arrested for theft. The police take her in and she usually gets deported. What a joke! And waste of time. Hey, maybe they could hire me to teach their instructors about the VAWA Act. And VISAS that are available for women to stay in US alone if they are being abused. Well, anyway thanks for the reminder. So maybe we will have to hang out in Manila for a few days until the VISA is ready for pick up at the closest place. Then go to Cebu, back to CFO, joy, joy joy. Get the sticker affixed then head back to Manila and fly out to Hawaii. Wow, what a process this has been but I tell you what it will all be worth it once my beautiful wife is here and we are together. Mahalo for your reminder of CFO, that could have been a disaster. By the way I am trying to figure out if I can send my wife to St Lukes to take her medical exam now. We have the NVC number and an Identification Invoice Number but have not gotten the bills yet. But I can't imagine why St Lukes would not accept our pesos and give her the exam??? This make sense to you. I am getting very different responses. Even on the St Lukes website it says the patient should come with a few items, one of them being the NVC Completion/Appointment letter, but it also says "if available" so what??? Aloha

[YourHumboldtBud 2]

I'm curious how many people have actually entered SLEC and see how they actually operate the facility. The work staff in there are CHAMPS, imagine the sheer volume of people they have to accomodate over a span of time. SLEC is more efficient than clinics and hospitals I've seen stateside. You get what you pay for, in terms of medical service provided, in fact it's a bargain compared to what similar services in the US would cost. My wife who is an RN by profession even commented and how good the staff was, she was surprised by how smooth the process was from start to finish. When my wife and I went to our local Civil Surgeon to get her medical transciption for AOS, the facility here would charge up to $600 for similar services provided NOT including the X-Ray.

As far as the medical process itself is concerned, they won't just let anybody into SLEC, you need to have the proper documentation to enter. The guards will follow the same protocol for every person trying to gain entrance into SLEC. Schedule your interview date, from there you register online at SLEC with the link provided above in an earlier post, then you can print out your SLEC documents and have them ready to present when your wife arrives in Manila. Be aware the process usually takes 2 days to complete and is on a first come first serve basis. People line up around 5am to get a spot in line. You want to leave enough room between your interview at USEM and your Medical exam at SLEC just in case you encounter any problems along the way.

As for the interview, assuming everything has gone well up to that point. If you get approved, then you can have your wife complete her CFO seminar(which is also first come first serve, with limited amount of seatings based on which country) and get the stamp in it at a later date after your Visa arrives. Remember the stage after approval can take time as well, some people are fortunate enough to get the visa as little as 3 days while others on average can take up to 2 weeks, assuming there are no additional hang ups along the way. 2go service will be the courier for the passport. You can always opt to select a branch office where to pick up the passport like MOA(Mall of Asia) or an actual house address. If you want faster service select to pick it up at one of their branches, that's one less step they'll need to make for delivery, it can save a few days from what I've seen, and as far as 2go tracing system is concerned, it's pretty much fail, don't try tracking the package, you'll get very frustrated with how they operate/update status. Just wait until you get a confirmation text indicating your package will be ready for pick-up(usually the next day after the message)

[Hank_ 9,173]

You're right. I did forget about the CFO. You are so correct, they are idiots! My wife had to go there three times to complete their stupid process. They kept making her get more documents even though she showed up on the first day with all the documents listed as required on the CFO web site. (W-2's, tax returns for the last 4 years, on and on and on...) and telling her to return next day. She finally did get the Certificate Of Completion. (This all happened before I was made aware by one government official that if you have money you can get things done very quickly and easily. After learning that the government employees all over the Philippines are such philanthropist's it was far easier to get needed documents if one just made a "donation" to said government employees, who would then, I am sure just turn the money over to their favorite charity. hahaha A few days later my wife received her passport and returned to the CFO office with the Certificate in hand they refused to affix the proof of the course to her passport now saying that they will not do that until she comes in also with the VISA. This was not what they told her on the first three trips there. And talk about a ridiculous course! They are teaching stuff about spouse abuse from the 40's and 50's for crying out loud. I am a Domestic Violence Investigator for the Prosecuting Attorney here in Hawaii and I could not believe the stories my wife told me that they taught in the class. Horror stories of Filipina that were beaten half to death and called the Police for help. The American Police arrive, the Filipina woman is bleeding, bruised and crying. The Police ask the American husband what happened and the husband simply tells the Police "Yeah I beat her. She had it coming. She stole money from me!" Of course the brilliant CFO instructors explain to the class that this is a normal occurrence in the US. The Filipina spouse ends up getting arrested for theft. The police take her in and she usually gets deported. What a joke! And waste of time. Hey, maybe they could hire me to teach their instructors about the VAWA Act. And VISAS that are available for women to stay in US alone if they are being abused. Well, anyway thanks for the reminder. So maybe we will have to hang out in Manila for a few days until the VISA is ready for pick up at the closest place. Then go to Cebu, back to CFO, joy, joy joy. Get the sticker affixed then head back to Manila and fly out to Hawaii. Wow, what a process this has been but I tell you what it will all be worth it once my beautiful wife is here and we are together. Mahalo for your reminder of CFO, that could have been a disaster. By the way I am trying to figure out if I can send my wife to St Lukes to take her medical exam now. We have the NVC number and an Identification Invoice Number but have not gotten the bills yet. But I can't imagine why St Lukes would not accept our pesos and give her the exam??? This make sense to you. I am getting very different responses. Even on the St Lukes website it says the patient should come with a few items, one of them being the NVC Completion/Appointment letter, but it also says "if available" so what??? Aloha

For you its the NVC Instructions Letter as NVC makes your embassy appointment. For K-1 they need to bring their appointment letter/confirmation as they make their own appointment.

As for CFO, not sure if you got it done and have the certificate for the sticker or not but here is the info I have:

CFO:

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

Update: Please check the schedule of the counseling session before proceeding to CFO because it is country-specific and the slots are limited only to 15 per session (two sessions per day) for Manila and 12 per session (only one session a day) for Cebu. It is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

CFO Online Registration Form: http://www.cfo.gov.p...trationform.pdf Complete this and print a couple copies to bring to the CFO seminar, it will save you time.

http://www.philembas...w_gcp_flyer.pdf

http://www.cfo.gov.p...onals&catid=140

Required documents & "OTHER DOCUMENTS" they ask for at CFO: copies of; CENOMAR (CEMAR and marriage certificate if married), certified birth certificate, bio page of passport, visa page from passport, pictures together. From USC (copies of) - bio page of passport, birth certificate, divorce decree (if been married before) are the most common requests. 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. (Some are posted on VJ that they were not asked for this, yet others have been asked, so be prepared)

Edited April 6, 2013 by Hank_

[Tahoma 2,291]

Well you got 5 and 6 right but the rest you are very wrong. I know you probably are one of those people who have no power in normal life and have to come on the internet to try to show off, it's sad but true. If you think you can't walk into SLEC and get an exam with no MNL number you're just stupid, and SLEC makes money the fact that it exists makes it obvious. I call things appointments that sometimes are not, my bad. You keep being the internet police if it makes you happy, they will get the right answer there are good guys like Hank that will link them to it. Then there's me who just comes on for the heck of it, some I'll help and some maybe steer in the wrong direction, but it's the internet if you treat it like the rule by natural selection the stupid will be weeded out. You can be a douche odds are it's gotten you no where in life already.

Okay, I'm willing to treat this thread like the "rule" of natural selection...

Why don't you link me up to all those people being admitted into St. Luke's without an MNL number. It should be a breeze for someone as smart as you! And while you're at it, I'm sure you wouldn't mind explaining how non-profits can exist even though they obviously don't make money. Then maybe you would care to explain how I'm wrong on #3 when you admit that you "call things appointments that sometimes are not." Sheesh...

What is truly sad is your outright admission that you don't care whether you misinform people, and that you selfishly expect someone else to sweep up after you. Having no regard for others on the Internet is a reflection of who you are in life.

[Hank_ 9,173]

Well you got 5 and 6 right but the rest you are very wrong. I know you probably are one of those people who have no power in normal life and have to come on the internet to try to show off, it's sad but true. If you think you can't walk into SLEC and get an exam with no MNL number you're just stupid, and SLEC makes money the fact that it exists makes it obvious. I call things appointments that sometimes are not, my bad. You keep being the internet police if it makes you happy, they will get the right answer there are good guys like Hank that will link them to it. Then there's me who just comes on for the heck of it, some I'll help and some maybe steer in the wrong direction, but it's the internet if you treat it like the rule by natural selection the stupid will be weeded out. You can be a douche odds are it's gotten you no where in life already.

Really? You who peppered me with questions wanting guidance? You would qualify as "the stupid" then? And you should have been weeded out not assisted? You don't care if you steer someone wrong by giving bad info? Would you have appreciated if I had constantly given you bad info? This is a momentous untaking for the ones on this journey, going where they have never gone before and those that find there way to VJ are hoping to find help and direction... just like YOU.

Wouldn't it be better to not say anything when you don't know the answer, spend your time reading more and learning... then you will have the right answer to help the person that comes behind you, the same as those before me help me on this journey and now I try to return the favor the best I can.

[sunandmoon 450]

someone on the forum is suggesting the medical could be done at St. Lukes without even a MNL case number, based on his gut feeling.

even if so, why would someone just go to SLEC for an exam, when it could be done at some other clinic for less money.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

someone on the forum is suggesting the medical could be done at St. Lukes without even a MNL case number, based on his gut feeling.

even if so, why would someone just go to SLEC for an exam, when it could be done at some other clinic for less money.

Because the only clinic in the Philippines is St Lukes. There is not where else to go,

[David & Diana R 1,005]

Because as far as I know St Lukes is the only medical facility in the Philippines that is certified by the US Government to do this physical. There is not other place...