CFO Cebu

[jac.flesher 1]

Hello!
My fiancée is scheduled for her CFO this Friday. On the appointment confirmation it says to line up for registration at 8am. But her appointment is 2-5pm with instructions to be there 1.5 hours early, 12:30pm. Shouts she go to the 8am? Will she be there from 8am to 5pm? That doesn't seem right to me. Is this some kind of instruction left from a previous time when everyone took the morning classes or should she just follow the instructions at the very bottom of the confirmations saying that all people registering should line up at 8am sharp? I'm confused I wish for once the instructions would make sense. I know from reading others reviews the CFO isn't 10 hours long.

Edited September 7, 2015 by jac.flesher

[Shai and Caz 8]

hi do u need the baptismal when u go there?

[Torete 121]

Follow the instructions to the T...arrive at 8am to register. My now wife's appointment was exactly like yours. Leave nothing to chance...arrive at 8am. It doesn't last 10 hours.

T

Edited September 7, 2015 by Torete

[Torete 121]

hi do u need the baptismal when u go there?

You may not "need" it, but IMHO, bring it. CFO can and has asked for obscure documents not listed on the requirements list. My wife saw a number of people tank and turned away because of some document that was requested and they didn't have.

Above, see item #4 under "Requirements for attendance to Guidance and Counseling program".

Edited September 7, 2015 by Torete

[jac.flesher 1]

hi do u need the baptismal when u go there?

My fiance does not have baptismal. what you need is everything in the letter, plus bring the NSO birth cert and a copy, NSO CENOMAR and a copy, visa packet, passport and copies of the Philippines passport photo page and a copy of the USA visa page which has been added into the passport. You also need letters of parental consent if 18-21 and letter of parental guidance if 21-25. we got both just in case. we are also bringing her parents' original IDs with photocopies of each. and a copy of my birth certificate.

From what i hear they usually only ask for the identification and appointment letter and they ask it from everyone at the same time while they are lining up, BUT people on here have told stories of them requiring crazy things not even on the list.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I am not that familiar with Cebu CFO but their is certainly uncertainly in the instructions. Give a call and see if you can sort things out. Let us know what you find out.

CFO Cebu
4th floor, K&J Building
#4 Don Julio Llorente Street
Capitol Site, Cebu City 6000
Contact Number: (032) 255-5253
Email: cfocebu@cfo.gov.ph
Website: cfo.gov.ph

There is more information here at my guide.

Yes, As jac.flasher states, they can and will ask for additional documents just to mess with you. Best advice I can give be sure to know your fiancée very well. At my guide there are some things that are important to know. Sort of the "gotcha" questions or request. Be sure you know the answer or your delayed.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Greenbaum

[Shauneg 762]

My fiance does not have baptismal. what you need is everything in the letter, plus bring the NSO birth cert and a copy, NSO CENOMAR and a copy, visa packet, passport and copies of the Philippines passport photo page and a copy of the USA visa page which has been added into the passport. You also need letters of parental consent if 18-21 and letter of parental guidance if 21-25. we got both just in case. we are also bringing her parents' original IDs with photocopies of each. and a copy of my birth certificate.

From what i hear they usually only ask for the identification and appointment letter and they ask it from everyone at the same time while they are lining up, BUT people on here have told stories of them requiring crazy things not even on the list.

8am

They asked her for my divorce decree, copy of my birth certificate, copy of my passport bio page....plus everything listed. I don't know why they would ever ask for a baptismal paper, what if you weren't baptized? It's not a requirement to be baptized....

[Zanby 1]

I don't have my birth certificate and never needed it all my life ... but hey, who's to argue??

Dude ... they are looking at a Filipina who is going to escape this misery and worse, they'd be staying in it. What do you think they will do?

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I don't have my birth certificate and never needed it all my life ... but hey, who's to argue??

Dude ... they are looking at a Filipina who is going to escape this misery and worse, they'd be staying in it. What do you think they will do?

I invite you to read this article and maybe a little education can help your mindset. My wife has a brother, who is a computer technician, was in servitude in the middle east but eventually escaped to a better life. It can happen to anyone.

http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/philippines

Edited September 8, 2015 by Greenbaum

[debi361 2]

Hello everyone. I have a question...What if I already have the CFO Certificate long time ago? Do I have to attend the CFO counseling again? I only need the sticker. Does anyone know the procedure if only for the sticker? Has anyone here have same experience or in the same situation?

I attended the CFO counseling seminar in Manila long time ago, because it is also one of the requirements if you want to use your husband's surname in your local passport (PH passport) and so we could travel and he could get a Balikbayan entry visa as US Citizen with Filipina wife.

But now, I just wonder if I need to attend it all over again or just show that I have certificate from before and automatically get a sticker.

I hope you can help me. Thanks!

Btw, we live in Bohol...so I'm planning to do my CFO sticker in Cebu, since its closer.

Any suggestions? Ideas? Thanks!

Edited September 9, 2015 by debi361

[Zanby 1]

To Greenbaum...

Two things...

1- Why do the CFO as the last departure step and not the first? Doing so, would spare a lot of people from other steps, headache and expenses.

2- Why not hire professionals to do this work, if it was so important and it is?

To debi361...

If you still have that same old certificate, then I would just take it after the interview to CFO and get the sticker. If they argue, then do the whole thing?

According to the CFO website, there is no expiration on their certificate hence, it's for life. Which means it's still valid.

However, to have a direct answer (if there was such one in the PI), contact the CFO and get it from the source. Don't forget to get some name or confirmation of what they'd tell you. Not that it will help

[Mike&Imelda 3]

Hello!

My fiancée is scheduled for her CFO this Friday. On the appointment confirmation it says to line up for registration at 8am. But her appointment is 2-5pm with instructions to be there 1.5 hours early, 12:30pm. Shouts she go to the 8am? Will she be there from 8am to 5pm? That doesn't seem right to me. Is this some kind of instruction left from a previous time when everyone took the morning classes or should she just follow the instructions at the very bottom of the confirmations saying that all people registering should line up at 8am sharp? I'm confused I wish for once the instructions would make sense. I know from reading others reviews the CFO isn't 10 hours long.

There is another thread here that raised the same issue a month or so ago. You should be there by 8am (be there before that by 1/2 hour to 1 hour, but nothing crazy). She will pay the fee and go through other registration procedures and interviews. She will be free to go get lunch when she is done with the morning procedures and told to come back at a certain time for the seminar. The 2-5pm time is for the country specific seminar/sessions (in your case US/Canada).

Here is a CFO CEBU walk thru: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/446027-cfo-cebu-step-by-step-process/page-1

Edited September 9, 2015 by Mike&Imelda

[jac.flesher 1]

So I thought I would share how her day went yesterday. I apologize for the order in the following statements lol

-YES! even though she has an appointment at 2pm, she HAD to be there by 8am. While there she seen many people turned away. In fact, she was the first on in line that wasn't turned away and she was number 8. Here is a list of the papers they asked to see while she was there:

1. she was asked multiple times for copies of MY passport. people without multiple copies of their petitioners passport were turned away or told to leave and go print it and come back.

2. she met a lady who had to reschedule the whole class just because she didn't bring a paper copy of the confirmation

3. she was asked by the counselor for PICTURE OF ME, HER, AND HER FAMILY together with each other. This is not something i have seen ANYONE mention on any of the forums yet.

4. She was asked to tell them something she doesn't like about me. She just said im very OCD about being on time and getting things done (TRUE!)

5. She seen a woman who was there with a spouse visa get turned away and told she could not take the cfo seminar because her husband and her had not yet gone on a honeymoon and the counselor said they need to have honeymoon if they are married. (WOW are you kidding me, how can they turn someone away for not having a honeymoon yet????)

6. she was asked for my 10-40 to prove my singleness.

7. she was asked for her NSO, NBI, CENOMAR, Passport

8. they never asked for the parental advice or consent, or her parents' IDs. ( i guess maybe because she had pictures of me and her parents together. her parents love me

9. For anyone wondering, she was able to get the certificate and sticker in the same day, but some of those getting the sticker had to leave to get more copies, mostly of the petitioner's passport because during the first registration you do not get the first copy returned to you, so bring lots and lots of copies!!!

she arrived at 7:30am. Registration started at 8am. At 10:30 she left to go have lunch and had to return by 12pm (2 hours early for her 2pm appointment). she was finished by 4:30pm with the certificate and the sticker, but like i said, she was one of only very few who weren't lacking in some documentation. She said many of the girls there were very mean to her when she got the sticker and they didn't.

BE PREPARED!!!! they are just as hard, if not harder on you, than the embassy interview. I recommend taking ALL the same things you brought to the embassy interview. PLUS pictures of the petitioner with your family. If it wasn't for having those, she would have probably been rejected because we are both young and still needs her parents' blessings (she's 19).

[jac.flesher 1]

Hello everyone. I have a question...What if I already have the CFO Certificate long time ago? Do I have to attend the CFO counseling again? I only need the sticker. Does anyone know the procedure if only for the sticker? Has anyone here have same experience or in the same situation?

I attended the CFO counseling seminar in Manila long time ago, because it is also one of the requirements if you want to use your husband's surname in your local passport (PH passport) and so we could travel and he could get a Balikbayan entry visa as US Citizen with Filipina wife.

But now, I just wonder if I need to attend it all over again or just show that I have certificate from before and automatically get a sticker.

I hope you can help me. Thanks!

Btw, we live in Bohol...so I'm planning to do my CFO sticker in Cebu, since its closer.

Any suggestions? Ideas? Thanks!

The CFO certificate is good for life.

[jac.flesher 1]

Two things...

1- Why do the CFO as the last departure step and not the first? Doing so, would spare a lot of people from other steps, headache and expenses.

2- Why not hire professionals to do this work, if it was so important and it is?

1. Because they have to place a sticker on your visa which is now part of your passport. they cannot place a sticker on it if you don't have it, obviously. Also, not everyone who starts the visa process will finish it. Some will be denied and some will just give up halfway through.

2. I don't know what this question is really asking, but if you mean attorneys, i wouldn't waste your money. its not worth it. A lawyer's job is more about convincing you that you need them than actually doing any foot work. you will still have to compile all the same documents yourself, and scheduling appointments with the online systems is very easy.

I started the visa process with an attorney and fire him when he took more than a week to fill out my application. Im not just going to sit around and wait for someone to pick their nose when i can get it done in 1 day.