questions concerning ir-1 and k-3 visa processing times and children's documents needed

[Andrew&Vangie 1]

hi, first thank you all for reading and helping us through our visa journey. I am the petitioner (u.s. citizen) and my foreign spouse is (filipino). We have two children, one 3yrs old the other due in may. The firstborn is born out of wedlock and I am her stepfather, biological father is unknown. So far we have managed to gather the following documents for my wife and children:

NBI (in her married name)

NSo birth cert ( wife)

Nso birth cert ( firstborn daughter)

Nso birth cert (of unborn) we will get after birth

Drivers licence ( wife)

our marriage cert ( married for 3yrs)

CFO seminar cert

voters id

postal id ( digital picture id)

Filipino passport ( in process) (wife,firstborn, and unborn)

Xoom money transfer of transactions from my bank to hers

facebook message/ skype calls

pictures of wife and I

pictures of me and firstborn daughter

plane ticket itineraries ( I have originals, she has copies)

Questions:

1. how long does a ir-1 take to process and a K-3?

2. which of the two is faster?

3. what proof or documentation is needed to prove my relationship with the firstborn child? ( I am her stepfather)

4. when second baby is born, do I need to sign the birth cert to prove I am the child's father in the Philippines?

5. what is the best courier mail service to choose when sending out a official document without it being lost to and from the Philippines?

6. Is there a predeparture orientation for Filipinos after the cfo sticker is obtained or are we good to go?

7. How do we register our children to the cfo to get them a sticker on their passports?

8. Where are there good vendors to have my wife and children get their u.s visa photos taken?

9. What documents will she need of mine when she is at the interview?

thank you all for your help, its greatly appreciated

[NikLR 13,234]

Highly suggest you forget about the K3. It's rarely granted (like less than 1%.)

hi, first thank you all for reading and helping us through our visa journey. I am the petitioner (u.s. citizen) and my foreign spouse is (filipino). We have two children, one 3yrs old the other due in may. The firstborn is born out of wedlock and I am her stepfather, biological father is unknown. So far we have managed to gather the following documents for my wife and children:

NBI (in her married name)

NSo birth cert ( wife)

Nso birth cert ( firstborn daughter)

Nso birth cert (of unborn) we will get after birth

Drivers licence ( wife)

our marriage cert ( married for 3yrs)

CFO seminar cert

voters id

postal id ( digital picture id)

Filipino passport ( in process) (wife,firstborn, and unborn)

Xoom money transfer of transactions from my bank to hers

facebook message/ skype calls

pictures of wife and I

pictures of me and firstborn daughter

plane ticket itineraries ( I have originals, she has copies)

Questions:

1. how long does a ir-1 take to process and a K-3? ~about 1 year

2. which of the two is faster? ~same time

3. what proof or documentation is needed to prove my relationship with the firstborn child? ( I am her stepfather) ~read the I-130 instructions.

4. when second baby is born, do I need to sign the birth cert to prove I am the child's father in the Philippines? ~the child will need a CRBA if born in the Philippines

5. what is the best courier mail service to choose when sending out a official document without it being lost to and from the Philippines?

6. Is there a predeparture orientation for Filipinos after the cfo sticker is obtained or are we good to go?

7. How do we register our children to the cfo to get them a sticker on their passports?

8. Where are there good vendors to have my wife and children get their u.s visa photos taken?

9. What documents will she need of mine when she is at the interview?

thank you all for your help, its greatly appreciated

Have you read the IR1/CR1 guides? Are both of you in the Philippines currently and living there legally? Or is the USC in the USA?

You're asking a lot of questions for further away than is needed depending on where you are in the process.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

https://www.uscis.gov/i-130

~~moved to IR1/CR1 process and procedures from K3 progress reports~~

[Ryan H 3,925]

Questions:

1. how long does a ir-1 take to process and a K-3?

2. which of the two is faster?

3. what proof or documentation is needed to prove my relationship with the firstborn child? ( I am her stepfather)

4. when second baby is born, do I need to sign the birth cert to prove I am the child's father in the Philippines?

5. what is the best courier mail service to choose when sending out a official document without it being lost to and from the Philippines?

6. Is there a predeparture orientation for Filipinos after the cfo sticker is obtained or are we good to go?

7. How do we register our children to the cfo to get them a sticker on their passports?

8. Where are there good vendors to have my wife and children get their u.s visa photos taken?

9. What documents will she need of mine when she is at the interview?

thank you all for your help, its greatly appreciated

Answers:

1. IR-1 is only possible if you have been married for 2 or more years, otherwise it will be CR-1. Plan on 10-12 months from the time the paperwork is filed to the time an interview takes place. Forget the K3, current USCIS and State Department procedures have rendered it virtually unobtainable making the actual issuance of one these days a rare occurrence.
2. See above
3. Your marriage certificate showing you married to the child's mother and the child's birth certificate showing your wife as the mother.
4. You need a Philippines specific answer with regards to Philippines birth certificates. However, you will need to file a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) at the Embassy in order for the child to obtain a US Passport.
5. Philippines specific answer needed.
6. Philippines specific answer needed.
7. Philippines specific answer needed.
8. Philippines specific answer needed.
9. None

[Andrew&Vangie 1]

To NLR,

(Have you read the IR1/CR1 guides? Are both of you in the Philippines currently and living there legally?)

Yes. I have read most of the guides for both, My Wife and two children, as I said in the post reside in the Philippines. The second unborn child will be born in the Philippines, not U.S.A. I am the petitioner residing in the U.S.A.

[NikLR 13,234]

I wanted to see if you were in the Philippines or not, because that makes a difference in how you file. Manila is one of the few places where there is DCF but only for petitioners who meet the residency requirements for there.

You will need a CRBA for your child after he or she is born. That will make them a USC upon birth as long as you meet the requirements to pass on citizenship in that manner. If not you will need to petition all the children and their mother via I-130s for EACH person immigrating. Follow the guides for IR1/CR1 and forget about the K3.

[Andrew&Vangie 1]

to NLR. thanks, I didn't know my unborn child could become a U.S. Citizen even as he/she is born in another country. So if I the USC file CRBA for the unborn child to the U.S embassy there, he/she can become a U.S. citizen and receive a U.S. passport?

[NikLR 13,234]

For a child already born yes, as long as the USC meets the requirements to do so. You cannot file anything for an unborn child.

[Andrew&Vangie 1]

To NLR. ok thank you for your knowledge on this matter.

[NikLR 13,234]

You're welcome. Any more questions feel free to ask