Manila Visa approved! What happens when package received?

[jac.flesher 1]

Ok so I know this has been asked before BUT the responses I read sort of contradicted each other or just didn't make a lot of sense to me. When you receive your visa package back from the Manila embassy, it is wrapped in plastic and there is a yellow Manila envelope with corner cut off. Your passport is of course inside the plastic. My question is, are there TWO layers of plastic and you can take off the outer layer to retrieve your visa? Or can you take off all the plastic and just not open the envelope? But if that's the case and you remove all the plastic, won't all the documents be exposed and easily read by anyone? I mean the corner is missing!!! It makes absolutely zero sense to mean to seal an envelope with the corner missing. It's like wiping before you poop. It makes no sense. Im terrified to tell my fiancé to cut off any plastic or anything because once it's open its open and you will have to go through the long process of having it Resealed. A couple we met going through the same process accidentally opened their visa and had to have it Resealed. Took 2 1/2 months. I don't want that to happen to us. Please only respond IF you have actually received a visa and know by personal experience . No trolls.

[Liza and Chris 2]

You can remove your passport/visa and the enveloped package. That package is the one you don't open. You will be needing your passport to open and show at airports and such. They just come sealed for proof of tampering and for protection against weather. The second layer may be which the enveloped is sealed in already, and the passport will be outside of it. But I do know you must make copies of the papers on the backside of that package for CFO seminar, so I doubt it is something that if you open the first layer of plastic that they will deny you.

We are awaiting our package back from the embassy right now, but I already know this process enough to say you have to get your passport out of if, so no worries on that.

[TBoneTX 43,508]

*** Country-specific thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the Philippines regional subforum. ***

[chillin4me 15]

Ok so I know this has been asked before BUT the responses I read sort of contradicted each other or just didn't make a lot of sense to me. When you receive your visa package back from the Manila embassy, it is wrapped in plastic and there is a yellow Manila envelope with corner cut off. Your passport is of course inside the plastic. My question is, are there TWO layers of plastic and you can take off the outer layer to retrieve your visa? Or can you take off all the plastic and just not open the envelope? But if that's the case and you remove all the plastic, won't all the documents be exposed and easily read by anyone? I mean the corner is missing!!! It makes absolutely zero sense to mean to seal an envelope with the corner missing. It's like wiping before you poop. It makes no sense. Im terrified to tell my fiancé to cut off any plastic or anything because once it's open its open and you will have to go through the long process of having it Resealed. A couple we met going through the same process accidentally opened their visa and had to have it Resealed. Took 2 1/2 months. I don't want that to happen to us. Please only respond IF you have actually received a visa and know by personal experience . No trolls.

you can tear a small portion of the plastic just enough to get the passport, the yellow envelop must not be opened, but it already has exposed area on one corner and that is fine as long as you don't make a new tear or open it up.

[Brassballs 47]

Ok so I know this has been asked before BUT the responses I read sort of contradicted each other or just didn't make a lot of sense to me. When you receive your visa package back from the Manila embassy, it is wrapped in plastic and there is a yellow Manila envelope with corner cut off. Your passport is of course inside the plastic. My question is, are there TWO layers of plastic and you can take off the outer layer to retrieve your visa? Or can you take off all the plastic and just not open the envelope? But if that's the case and you remove all the plastic, won't all the documents be exposed and easily read by anyone? I mean the corner is missing!!! It makes absolutely zero sense to mean to seal an envelope with the corner missing. It's like wiping before you poop. It makes no sense. Im terrified to tell my fiancé to cut off any plastic or anything because once it's open its open and you will have to go through the long process of having it Resealed. A couple we met going through the same process accidentally opened their visa and had to have it Resealed. Took 2 1/2 months. I don't want that to happen to us. Please only respond IF you have actually received a visa and know by personal experience . No trolls.

By this stage of the game you should already know that not much makes sense, especially when dealing with governments, Phil or US.

Cut a slit in the plastic wrapper above the passport to slide it out. She'll need it at the cfo seminar. I'd recommend taking the whole package in case someone there wants a copy of another piece of paper inside.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Ok so I know this has been asked before BUT the responses I read sort of contradicted each other or just didn't make a lot of sense to me. When you receive your visa package back from the Manila embassy, it is wrapped in plastic and there is a yellow Manila envelope with corner cut off. Your passport is of course inside the plastic. My question is, are there TWO layers of plastic and you can take off the outer layer to retrieve your visa? Or can you take off all the plastic and just not open the envelope? But if that's the case and you remove all the plastic, won't all the documents be exposed and easily read by anyone? I mean the corner is missing!!! It makes absolutely zero sense to mean to seal an envelope with the corner missing. It's like wiping before you poop. It makes no sense. Im terrified to tell my fiancé to cut off any plastic or anything because once it's open its open and you will have to go through the long process of having it Resealed. A couple we met going through the same process accidentally opened their visa and had to have it Resealed. Took 2 1/2 months. I don't want that to happen to us. Please only respond IF you have actually received a visa and know by personal experience . No trolls.

The slit on the side of the brown envelope is normal. Just ignore it. Your fiancée should take a razor blade and slide it along where the passport is, just make a slit long enough to remove the passport. Done.

Take the plastic envelope and make a copy of the document that is inside (only document that you can see without opening the packet, back side). Just lay the packet down onto the scanner glass and make a copy while holding the bag flat. You'll need that for CFO.

DON'T ever let anyone open the plastic bag until you are front of the Immigration Officers at your POE!!! They are the only ones that need to open your visa package. I can't express that anymore than that. NEVER!!

More about that and other items can be found in my guide. Chose the link in my signature below at the twisting arrow.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Greenbaum

[jac.flesher 1]

The slit on the side of the brown envelope is normal. Just ignore it. Your fiancée should take a razor blade and slide it along where the passport is, just make a slit long enough to remove the passport. Done.

Take the plastic envelope and make a copy of the document that is inside (only document that you can see without opening the packet, back side). Just lay the packet down onto the scanner glass and make a copy while holding the bag flat. You'll need that for CFO.

DON'T ever let anyone open the plastic bag until you are front of the Immigration Officers at your POE!!! They are the only ones that need to open your visa package. I can't express that anymore than that. NEVER!!

More about that and other items can be found in my guide. Chose the link in my signature below at the twisting arrow.

This is very helpful!! thank you! but i am still a little confused. first you say to cut the plastic with a razor blade and then then you say to never open the plastic. since i am not going to be there with her to open it, i don't want to give instructions that even i do not understand...

let me see if i understand clearly:

there are two layers of plastic.

cut a slit in the outermost layer of plastic to remove the passport.

Leave the rest of the package intact and as-is.

On the back of the package, a document is visible that needs to be copied (while still left in the package). The copy of this "visible" page will be handed in at the CFO seminar.

Thanks again everyone!

[Greenbaum 12,259]

This is very helpful!! thank you! but i am still a little confused. first you say to cut the plastic with a razor blade and then then you say to never open the plastic. since i am not going to be there with her to open it, i don't want to give instructions that even i do not understand...

let me see if i understand clearly:

there are two layers of plastic.

cut a slit in the outermost layer of plastic to remove the passport.

Leave the rest of the package intact and as-is.

On the back of the package, a document is visible that needs to be copied (while still left in the package). The copy of this "visible" page will be handed in at the CFO seminar.

Thanks again everyone!

That's absolutely correct. Good luck.

[Hank_ 9,173]

This is very helpful!! thank you! but i am still a little confused. first you say to cut the plastic with a razor blade and then then you say to never open the plastic. since i am not going to be there with her to open it, i don't want to give instructions that even i do not understand...

let me see if i understand clearly:

there are two layers of plastic.

cut a slit in the outermost layer of plastic to remove the passport.

Leave the rest of the package intact and as-is.

On the back of the package, a document is visible that needs to be copied (while still left in the package). The copy of this "visible" page will be handed in at the CFO seminar.

Thanks again everyone!

Seriously. You can open the plastic bag anyway you choose, but DO protect the DO NOT OPEN envelope, you want NO tears in it.

I suggest after removing your passport to keep the DO NOT OPEN envelope in the plastic bag, tightly wrapped and keep this inside the carry-on bag you will be taking on the airplane with you.

There is NO page to copy on the outside of the envelope for the K-1 visa to take to CFO. Only with the immigrant visa (which the K-1 is not) is there an immigrant data sheet.