Accompanying US Petitioner to US Embassy

[ritbo 14]

I have already done my research that concludes that a US Petitioner may accompany a K-1 applicant should he/she wishes to do so.

My question is... Although it would be fine to me that I would not bring my cellphone to the US Embassy (because mainly it's not allowed) but I really have some trust issues when leaving our valuable stuff in the hotel room especially if there is housekeeping. I have read some forum that the US Citizen has this privilege to secure their valuables to a secured storage location in the embassy while the applicant cannot. Does anyone here had their valuables passed them to their US Citizen petitioner who is accompanying to deposit (recently as of July 2016)? Is there a quantity limitation on how many would one deposit?

Also, I would like to note here that the specific embassy I'm referring to is the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila, Philippines.

Edited August 11, 2016 by ritbo

[JeanLovesTracy 10]

I have been to USEM twice to accompany my fiancé for a tourist visa. The USC go through a separate entrance and you can leave your cell phone in what amounts to a kindergarten cubby hole, there is an embassy employee at the entrance as you pass through a metal detector. Secure is not a word I would use. We stay in a three star or better hotels that have an in room safe...yes I know these are not Fort Knox either. Just my experience and no we did not get a tourist visa and most people I talked to were denied and the guards told me, it is like a speed trap, just a $$ maker, with H1B1 and K1 visas being the exceptions, their words not mine.

I have been to USEM twice to accompany my fiancé for a tourist visa. The USC go through a separate entrance and you can leave your cell phone in what amounts to a kindergarten cubby hole, there is an embassy employee at the entrance as you pass through a metal detector. Secure is not a word I would use. We stay in a three star or better hotels that have an in room safe...yes I know these are not Fort Knox either. Just my experience and no we did not get a tourist visa and most people I talked to were denied and the guards told me, it is like a speed trap, just a $$ maker, with H1B1 and K1 visas being the exceptions, their words not mine.

[ritbo 14]

I have been to USEM twice to accompany my fiancé for a tourist visa. The USC go through a separate entrance and you can leave your cell phone in what amounts to a kindergarten cubby hole, there is an embassy employee at the entrance as you pass through a metal detector. Secure is not a word I would use. We stay in a three star or better hotels that have an in room safe...yes I know these are not Fort Knox either. Just my experience and no we did not get a tourist visa and most people I talked to were denied and the guards told me, it is like a speed trap, just a $$ maker, with H1B1 and K1 visas being the exceptions, their words not mine.

Hmm, the hotels with an in-room safe are priced a bit higher than those without, even though they're saying that they provide it for free. Any recommendation of a budget hotel near US Embassy with an in-room safe? I'm staying in Manila for three days and fly back then to CDO.

Wait, so you are saying I can leave my cellphone to a storage area in the embassy regardless my petitioner is accompanying me?

[Framework 4]

ritbo, I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to use the USC storage area without the USC petitioner being there, I have not personally been there myself though. I've read that there are vendors at the entrance used by non-USC applicants that will hold electronics for a fee as well as rent chairs and umbrellas.

Here is a link to a list of hotels near USEM, http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/328357-h0tels-in-manila/.

[ritbo 14]

ritbo, I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to use the USC storage area without the USC petitioner being there, I have not personally been there myself though. I've read that there are vendors at the entrance used by non-USC applicants that will hold electronics for a fee as well as rent chairs and umbrellas.

Here is a link to a list of hotels near USEM, http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/328357-h0tels-in-manila/.

I appreciate the link.

So you are implying that a USC petitioner can deposit their stuff in the embassy? Because if that's the case, I'll just let my boyfriend hand my stuff to deposit in the storage area.

I'm not privy yet with this kind of stuff and would appreciate if anyone who has this kind of experience would give me an idea what to do this coming interview.

[ritbo 14]

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Seriously, where is the delete button here? Obviously your post has nothing to do with my question. #epal

[TBoneTX 45,522]

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

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I have already done my research that concludes that a US Petitioner may accompany a K-1 applicant should he/she wishes to do so.

My question is... Although it would be fine to me that I would not bring my cellphone to the US Embassy (because mainly it's not allowed) but I really have some trust issues when leaving our valuable stuff in the hotel room especially if there is housekeeping. I have read some forum that the US Citizen has this privilege to secure their valuables to a secured storage location in the embassy while the applicant cannot. Does anyone here had their valuables passed them to their US Citizen petitioner who is accompanying to deposit (recently as of July 2016)? Is there a quantity limitation on how many would one deposit?

Also, I would like to note here that the specific embassy I'm referring to is the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila, Philippines.

I have been to the USEM Embassy (USC here) and I was able to secure my phone, a thumb drive and my wife's phone without any problems. I haven't heard of any problems with street vendor's holding your phone for a small fee. Then you could get a room with a safe. These are your choices to secure your electronics.

I have a website that will walk you through step by step on the Philippines process. It's free to use. I list the steps, documents and other pertinent information so that you avoid the "gotchas" that are presented while processing. Gotchas can cost you time and or money. I help you avoid those.

This is the link: http://tinyurl.com/ob9xoa8

Edited August 11, 2016 by Greenbaum

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

As stated above IF your fiance is coming to the Philippines to be with you for the interview then yes he/she can avail of that service and have the embassy hold on to there items until they get out. I have done this very thing and there was no issue at all. If you are going alone then you can keep it in your hotel room in a safe, or pay 200 pesos and have the street vendors hold on to it for you.

[ritbo 14]

I have been to the USEM Embassy (USC here) and I was able to secure my phone, a thumb drive and my wife's phone without any problems. I haven't heard of any problems with street vendor's holding your phone for a small fee. Then you could get a room with a safe. These are your choices to secure your electronics.

I have a website that will walk you through step by step on the Philippines process. It's free to use. I list the steps, documents and other pertinent information so that you avoid the "gotchas" that are presented while processing. Gotchas can cost you time and or money. I help you avoid those.

This is the link: http://tinyurl.com/ob9xoa8

I hope the embassy's policy on securing stuff there hasn't been changed now. I checked your timeline and your situation happened around 2013. Also, I couldn't think of myself to trust all our stuff to a street vendor unless they are connected to the embassy because what happens if they runaway with our stuff? Although, I haven't knew such incident shared in VJ. ?

Anyway, I appreciate all your suggestions and will put that in mind. Thanks.

As stated above IF your fiance is coming to the Philippines to be with you for the interview then yes he/she can avail of that service and have the embassy hold on to there items until they get out. I have done this very thing and there was no issue at all. If you are going alone then you can keep it in your hotel room in a safe, or pay 200 pesos and have the street vendors hold on to it for you.

Hmmm, hopefully situations like this didn't change as of now. Would be nice if somebody from VJ who had their interviews recently with an accompanying USC who deposited their stuff share here. I checked the US Embassy's website and there were no any news related to a change in embassy policy. Thanks for sharing though because it eases my mind a bit.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

I hope the embassy's policy on securing stuff there hasn't been changed now. I checked your timeline and your situation happened around 2013. Also, I couldn't think of myself to trust all our stuff to a street vendor unless they are connected to the embassy because what happens if they runaway with our stuff? Although, I haven't knew such incident shared in VJ. ?

Anyway, I appreciate all your suggestions and will put that in mind. Thanks.

Hmmm, hopefully situations like this didn't change as of now. Would be nice if somebody from VJ who had their interviews recently with an accompanying USC who deposited their stuff share here. I checked the US Embassy's website and there were no any news related to a change in embassy policy. Thanks for sharing though because it eases my mind a bit.

Ok, so you are going to say we do not know the current situation at the embassy because our interviews dates were a couple year ago? The embassy rules don't change that much at all at any given time. There are NO vendors outside the embassy that is "Legally" connected to the embassy. They are selling a service for people like holding on to items, and extra passport photos etc. There is no incident that people would take the stuff because that would then get around and hurt other people's business there as well.

[ritbo 14]

Ok, so you are going to say we do not know the current situation at the embassy because our interviews dates were a couple year ago? The embassy rules don't change that much at all at any given time. There are NO vendors outside the embassy that is "Legally" connected to the embassy. They are selling a service for people like holding on to items, and extra passport photos etc. There is no incident that people would take the stuff because that would then get around and hurt other people's business there as well.

I'm saying that your situation happened years ago (judging by your timeline > interview date) and odds are a policy on securing stuff there might have been changed unless someone from VJ who had their interviews done recently would say that it's the otherwise. Unless, of course, if you happened to visit the US Embassy recently.

Anyway, I came up with a Plan B. For better or worse, I'll let my boyfriend handle my stuff outside the embassy in case if there's actually a new policy that prevents anyone, including the USC, to bring in not-allowed items inside. And still I won't trust the vendors outside because they would not assume any responsibility should the stuff get lost or damaged there.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

I spend countless hours on VJ helping people process through their medical, CFO and USEM to finally get their visa. I spend time creating a website to help, so those who are interviewing at USEM can AVOID any pitfalls that others who have gone before you have shared or what I had experience. I read countless postings here so that I can keep abreast to any changes and so I can alert folks like you and to keep myself and my website update with the most CURRENT information. I keep all the current information on file in Microsoft's ONENOTE so when a question is asked it's probably been asked before and I can retrieve the answer and post it for their well being. This I do so YOU AND OTHERS don't have any problems.

I wish you much success.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Greenbaum

[ritbo 14]

I spend countless hours on VJ helping people process through their medical, CFO and USEM to finally get their visa. I spend time creating a website to help, so those who are interviewing at USEM can AVOID any pitfalls that others who have gone before you have shared or what I had experience. I read countless postings here so that I can keep abreast to any changes and so I can alert folks like you and to keep myself and my website update with the most CURRENT information. I keep all the current information on file in Microsoft's ONENOTE so when a question is asked it's probably been asked before and I can retrieve the answer and post it for their well being. This I do so YOU AND OTHERS don't have any problems.

I wish you much success.

More people like you should be here in VJ. This morning, I read most pages in your website which covers halfway to my paperwork process and I personally don't want you think that I ignored every link you share here.

I appreciate your assistance here and with that, you have my gratitude.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

How much stuff do you have if you don't mind me asking? It sounds like you have alot of stuff. If it is a few things like a thumbdrive, cell phone, possibly a small tablet then he can avail of that service for him at the embassy. If it is more than that then I would say no he can't because the slots aren't that big at all to hold things like a large tablet or laptop. Also to have your fiance just wait outside the embassy is pretty inconsiderate and would negate the whole reason of him trying to be their for the interview.