Recently approved K1 (June 24) and wondering why the consul never asked for financial documents or I-134?

[JPeck 2]

I’m a US citizen and I’m petitioning for a K1 visa on behalf of my Filipina fiancé. After a number of delays, our visa application was finally approved at the Manila Embassy on June 24, 2025. I’m concerned that during the process, no one at the Embassy asked for any of the financial documents I had prepared – 6 months of paystubs, 6 months of bank statements, and 3 years of tax returns, plus completed and signed I-134 forms for my fiancé and her young daughter (K2). When I look around the internet there are no good answers, only the vague idea that for whatever reason, the consul that interviewed my fiancé used discression. For whatever reason, he wasn’t too worried about my finances. Should I be worried? Will there be another opportunity to submit this documentation, or am I just overthinking?       

[Crazy Cat 44,398]

It is not an issue.  Answer from a non- Philippines expert: Individual consulates operate in different ways and use discretion at times.  Manila is known for not always asking for those documents.  You will be required to provide financial documents, along with an I-864, when applying for Adjustment of Status.

Edited July 1 by Crazy Cat

[Crazy Cat 44,398]

***I moved this to the Philippines regional forum where you will get PI expert answers****

[jan22 3,174]

The I-134 is not a legally enforceable document, so is technically not a required document.  Some consulates require it to help determine the likelihood of meeting the financial requirement at adjustment of status in some — or all — cases.  The consulate not looking at it will cause you no problem (unless you are borderline for meeting the requirement and a “heads-up” would have helped you have more time to find a joint sponsor or something).  You will need documentation such as what you gathered when filing the I-864 with the Adjustment of Status.

[JPeck 2]

Thank you for your replies! It helps put my mind at ease. 

[Edward and Jaycel 1,891]

Manila is known for hardly ever asking for the I-134 & support docs. They never asked Jaycel for the I-134 I prepared for her to take with her to the interview

[Aquabac 6]

Just thought I'd let everyone know, My Fiance' went for her Interview 07/01/2025 in Manila and the interviewer  did not ask for the 134

 

Kind of annoyed me  to be honest LOL

[JPeck 2]

Thank you for this reply. Exactly, you put so much work into something then they don't ask for it. 

[Crazy Cat 44,398]

11 minutes ago, Aquabac said:

Just thought I'd let everyone know, My Fiance' went for her Interview 07/01/2025 in Manila and the interviewer  did not ask for the 134

 

Kind of annoyed me  to be honest LOL

 

4 minutes ago, JPeck said:

Thank you for this reply. Exactly, you put so much work into something then they don't ask for it. 

You'll get to use some of that information when you submit an I-864 later. You will need supporting documents such as:

 

Current annual income documentation

Tax documentation

Domicile documentation

 

[top_secret 2,707]

I think it is scientifically proven that if your fiancee brings all those documents to their interview, no one will even look at them.  But if your fiancee does not bring all those documents, it definitely would be that one time they suddenly decide they DO want to see them.😅

[Aquabac 6]

1 hour ago, top_secret said:

I think it is scientifically proven that if your fiancee brings all those documents to their interview, no one will even look at them.  But if your fiancee does not bring all those documents, it definitely would be that one time they suddenly decide they DO want to see them.😅

That’s exactly what I told my fiancé this morning
🤣

[Aquabac 6]

On 7/1/2025 at 12:41 PM, JPeck said:

I’m a US citizen and I’m petitioning for a K1 visa on behalf of my Filipina fiancé. After a number of delays, our visa application was finally approved at the Manila Embassy on June 24, 2025. I’m concerned that during the process, no one at the Embassy asked for any of the financial documents I had prepared – 6 months of paystubs, 6 months of bank statements, and 3 years of tax returns, plus completed and signed I-134 forms for my fiancé and her young daughter (K2). When I look around the internet there are no good answers, only the vague idea that for whatever reason, the consul that interviewed my fiancé used discression. For whatever reason, he wasn’t too worried about my finances. Should I be worried? Will there be another opportunity to submit this documentation, or am I just overthinking?       

 

As I posted earlier My Fiance had her interview 07/01/2025 and they didn't ask for the 134 either.

But if she didn't have it and they asked.......

 

She will also need the financial documents for her CFO I'm told

 

Now, whether I should get the FBI clearance or not is my next question.

I'm leaning towards getting it to be on the safe side 

 

Edited July 4 by Aquabac

[Edward and Jaycel 1,891]

38 minutes ago, Aquabac said:

 

As I posted earlier My Fiance had her interview 07/01/2025 and they didn't ask for the 134 either.

But if she didn't have it and they asked.......

 

She will also need the financial documents for her CFO I'm told

 

Now, whether I should get the FBI clearance or not is my next question.

I'm leaning towards getting it to be on the safe side 

 

Yes get it… there has been many counselors asking for it recently. We even just had a post from a member where they made his fiancée get a CENOMAR on him

[Aquabac 6]

On 7/4/2025 at 9:26 AM, Edward and Jaycel said:

Yes get it… there has been many counselors asking for it recently. We even just had a post from a member where they made his fiancée get a CENOMAR on him

I decided to do  the FBI  history 

Went on line to the FBI website.

Easy to do. Fill out the online information and pay them $18.

They send you an email with a PIN to access your account and then pick a " Third party" source for fingerprints.

The FBI sends you an email with a barcode after you pay and you bring that 

 

Some post offices do it. They have a search by zipcode feature and I found a post office 22 miles from me.

Took the  time off today and drove there.

Very Easy. Cost $50

They scan your barcode, scan  your fingerprints and send  them automatically to the FBI 

My receipt was 12:53PM today and I got an email from the FBI @ 1:45PM that it was ready.

less than an hour later 

Only thing that has gone quickly in this entire process LOL

 

I logged back on the FBI website with the same PIN and there it was .

Downloaded the pdf and then sent it to my fiance.

Total cost $68

 

After her CFO I will post a thread  about her experience if she was asked for it or not.

 

 

 

 

[Elitevaz 2]

I think it's good to not get asked about the 134. The less scrutiny the less that can go wrong in this complicated, expensive, drawn out process.

 

I'm interested to know what happens with your CFO. I'm right behind you. Izza has her interview on the 15th and I'm honestly more concerned about what hoops the cfo will make her jump through. 

 

I've had a discussion with some of my friends and I'm curious what you guys think. Imagine if they asked for fbi clearance and the US citizen had some bar fights that show up. The visa process does allow some offenses, but on the cfo website it says NO criminal history. Is this wording just an over simplification or would they really stop someone from leaving their country because of something that was there but passed the us federal?