Time to receive K1 and passport

[whatdoyouwant 0]

My fiancee is having her interview at the US Embassy in Manila on November 27.   I am planning to book her plane soon after. Assuming she is approved at the interview, how long will it take for her to get her K1 visa and to have her passport returned.

 

Also, can she pick it up somewhere to ensure she gets it faster?

Thanks.

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by whatdoyouwant

[payxibka 10,044]

3 minutes ago, whatdoyouwant said:

My fiancee is having her interview at the US Embassy in Manila on November 27.   I am planning to book her plane soon after. Assuming she is approved at the interview, how long will it take for her to get her K1 visa and to have her passport returned.

 

Also, can she pick it up somewhere to ensure she gets it faster?

Thanks.

 

Everything is shipped via 2go.  She can have it delivered or pick it up at a 2go office .  Up to 2 weeks typical 

Edited November 6, 2018 by payxibka

[jcra615 53]

I can't give Philippines-specific advice, but I can say air on the side of CAUTION. After my now-husband had his K1 approved we had a much longer than expected time for him to actually receive his physical visa, which included him having to go back to the embassy two additional times, just because the embassy had issues processing things on their end. Don't assume the second she gets her approval she will be able to travel!

Edited November 6, 2018 by Carley

[payxibka 10,044]

4 minutes ago, Carley said:

. Don't assume the second she gets her visa she will be able to travel!

Why not?

 

To the OP.  Don't forget she must take the CFO GCP seminar or they won't let her on the plane

Edited November 6, 2018 by payxibka

[jcra615 53]

Just now, payxibka said:

Why not?

Haha whoops... I mean the second she gets her visa approval. Sorry, my bad. I just edited the post. 

[Crazy Cat 39,183]

There is always a possibility of a mistake on the visa.......doesn't happen often, but it is possible.........good luck.

[Ontarkie 13,902]

~~Moved to the PI forum, from K1 P&P - Passport and visa returns vary from one country to the next.~~

[Hank_ 9,171]

12 hours ago, whatdoyouwant said:

My fiancee is having her interview at the US Embassy in Manila on November 27.   I am planning to book her plane soon after. Assuming she is approved at the interview, how long will it take for her to get her K1 visa and to have her passport returned.

 

Also, can she pick it up somewhere to ensure she gets it faster?

Thanks.

 

"approval" at the interview is not actual approval of the visa.    Actual approval isn't until you see ISSUED status on the CEAC website.

 

From the embassy:    Do not finalize arrangements for travel to the United States, dispose of property, or resign from your job until a visa has been issued and delivered to you. Generally, a single-entry fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa is valid for six months from the date of issuance, unless its validity is limited by medical or other restrictions.

 

Did your fiancee complete CFO already and only needs to get the sticker after receiving her visa, or does she still need to attend the seminar?

 

Fastest place to pick up the visa, after it is issued,  is at 2GO in MOA

 

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/k-1-visa-application.html

[John & Rose 7,237]

19 hours ago, whatdoyouwant said:

My fiancee is having her interview at the US Embassy in Manila on November 27.   I am planning to book her plane soon after. Assuming she is approved at the interview, how long will it take for her to get her K1 visa and to have her passport returned.

 

Also, can she pick it up somewhere to ensure she gets it faster?

Thanks.

 

I recommend not booking any flight until she has VOH and the CFO stamp.  Too many people have lost lots of money by assuming things will be faster than they actually are.  The CFO stamp is critical so make sure that she does the GCP and gets the certificate now.  That way all she will need to do is get the stamp.

[Scott Br 164]

52 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

I recommend not booking any flight until she has VOH and the CFO stamp.  Too many people have lost lots of money by assuming things will be faster than they actually are.  The CFO stamp is critical so make sure that she does the GCP and gets the certificate now.  That way all she will need to do is get the stamp.

Agree to wait.  I booked the minute I found out that my fiancee and her kids had their visas in hand.  Only to find out that her son had an error on the visa.  Luckily the embassy was able to fix it the next day and able to fly out that night.  Look at the United flight leaving in the evening, going through Guam.  Typically last minute, one way tickets, aren't much more that booking weeks in advance.  In addition, Guam is an easy POE to go through.

[whatdoyouwant 0]

Some of what I am reading is a mystery to me...

What is VOH?

I assume GCP is the actual seminar required by the Philippines, is that right?

It looks like she will take the GCP seminar and get a certificate, but I am not familiar with a CFO stamp.  Is that a stamp for her passport?  If so, how does she get it?

 

 

[Unlockable 7,306]

9 minutes ago, whatdoyouwant said:

Some of what I am reading is a mystery to me...

What is VOH?

I assume GCP is the actual seminar required by the Philippines, is that right?

It looks like she will take the GCP seminar and get a certificate, but I am not familiar with a CFO stamp.  Is that a stamp for her passport?  If so, how does she get it?

 

 

VOH is visa on hand (and I am assuming so I hope @John & Rose can confirm). 

 

Waiting to book flights after visa is physically in hand and checked for accuracy is one of the most fundamental rules of immigration. Just a few days ago a woman reported that the package that came with her fiance's visa was ripped. This package is for official use and is not to be opened by anyone except an immigration officer at the entry point of the US. As a result, her fiance had to send the package back to be resealed. Obviously, he can't travel to the US without the package. Also, like someone already said, there could be a long delay before the preliminary approval at the interview and her receiving the visa.

 

Best to wait until your fiance actually has the visa. It will be valid for up to 6 months so she has plenty of time to use it. We know you two are excited to see each other. But best to play it safe.

Edited November 7, 2018 by NuestraUnion

[payxibka 10,044]

9 minutes ago, whatdoyouwant said:

Some of what I am reading is a mystery to me...

What is VOH?

I assume GCP is the actual seminar required by the Philippines, is that right?

It looks like she will take the GCP seminar and get a certificate, but I am not familiar with a CFO stamp.  Is that a stamp for her passport?  If so, how does she get it?

 

 

VOH - visa on hand

 

CFO stamp is actually a sticker that is affixed to the passport after the seminar.   They won't affix the sticker until after the visa is in the passport.   If the seminar is taken before the visa is in the passport then she must go back to CFO for it or retrieve it from the CFO desk at the Manila airport 

[John & Rose 7,237]

18 minutes ago, whatdoyouwant said:

Some of what I am reading is a mystery to me...

What is VOH?

I assume GCP is the actual seminar required by the Philippines, is that right?

It looks like she will take the GCP seminar and get a certificate, but I am not familiar with a CFO stamp.  Is that a stamp for her passport?  If so, how does she get it?

 

 

Yes, VOH is Visa On Hand, physically holding the passport with the visa in it.  The GCP is a seminar that can be taken by the wives/fiancees/husbands/fiances beneficiaries prior to VOH.  All others must wait to have VOH before they take the PDOS or Peer Counseling (depends on age).  This is required to leave the Philippines with a visa.

 

The GCP will issue a certificate upon completion for those without the visa in the passport.  Once she gets the visa she can take the passport and the certificate to CFO and they will give her the stamp.  There is a CFO office in NAIA but you have to call ahead to make sure they are there and that they have the sticker available.  They will not let her on the plane without it.

 

The CFO stamp goes in the passport with the visa.  See my signature below.  She will have to contact CFO to make an appointment for the seminar and when we did that it was a month out.  You can schedule that for her anytime.  There are other offices around the Philippines.  I believe Cebu, Clark and possibly Davao.  Check the CFO website.

 

https://www.cfo.gov.ph

[Hank_ 9,171]

1 hour ago, whatdoyouwant said:

Some of what I am reading is a mystery to me...

What is VOH?

I assume GCP is the actual seminar required by the Philippines, is that right?

It looks like she will take the GCP seminar and get a certificate, but I am not familiar with a CFO stamp.  Is that a stamp for her passport?  If so, how does she get it?

 

 

 

The CFO sticker will be affixed in the passport after the visa is in hand once you have completed the seminar and have the certificate, must return to any of the four CFO offices to get this sticker, or with a couple days notice you can get the sticker at NAIA.    GCP (for fiancees and spouse of USC) is the only CFO seminar that can be completed before receiving the visa, needing only to return later for the sticker

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/cfo-orientation-seminar.html