Filing for step kids still in the Philippines during COVID

[Rio-N-Don 3]

Hello All,

My wife is finally ready due to circumstances to go ahead and bring over her kids. She's been an OFW for years and she felt they needed to stay in the Philippines initially until she got her footing here in the US.

She's filed for her I-751 and her N-400 and as of the last consult with the USCIS help line they were both being sent to our local office together, ( requested months ago but still haven't shown up yet) .

Agent said she could file N-600 for the kids once she gets her USC sometime in the coming months.

 

I'm filing their I-130's now but the family dynamics where the kids are staying along with all of the COVID restrictions is making this difficult and I'm wondering how to go about completing the tasks.

 

Once the I-130's are approved and the files move through the NVC, I"m wondering how this will play out since they are minor children and due to COVID I don't believe they are doing in person interviews. 

One child is far off in a remote province while the other is with my wife's oldest sister there in Manila. The oldest sister has prevented my wife from talking to her daughter since her last trip in 2018.

They are not on speaking terms so getting them to cooperate with anything will be difficult to say the least. 

 

Does any one know the best, proven method, to get minor children's visas approved during the embassy lockdown during COVID. I've tried calling the embassy but only got a recording.

 

thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[Hank_ 9,173]

ALL visa applicants MUST attend the interview, no matter the age.

 

Lockdowns.  There are no easy answers, the Philippines controls those, and change them daily it seems  😵    Once lockdowns are not an issue, visa interviews will not be an issue

 

 

[SteveInBostonI130 3,319]

Hello,.

 

Your concerns are valid but it seems too early to worry now.  If you just submitted the I-130s then it will be about a year before the interview is scheduled.  

 

The next hurdle will be the long wait for the USCIS approval, then trying to keep the applications together to get DQ'd at the same time at NVC.

 

Hopefully by then the covid and family situation will improve and your relatives can escort your stepchildren to their interviews.  If not, your wife may need to travel back for the interviews.