LSnBigBear

My wife and I are thinking of going to the Philippines November 2016 thru March of 2017. I have a concern with the current timelines as her one year extension we just received last week dated March 3rd will expire maybe 2 to 3 weeks before we would like to return. Do we do advance parole or how to proceed? I really do not want to come back in February as I will freeeeeeeeeze lol

Thanks for any advice

I had the fortunate or unfortunate pleasure of doing the K1 process for two different fiancée's (of course years apart and not at same time lol). I was busy with work and travels so I paid an Attorney that actually advertised I believe on this website to do my first. My second time around I did it myself and had no issues. I find now that I can personally compare that doing it myself was better and actually much easier. My Attorney asked me for many documents that really were not needed. Also saved me $1600.

I am still busy with work but chose to do the process on Saturdays. It took me about 3 Saturdays roughly 90 minutes each to compile and submit the package. So basically 4-6 hours of work and it can be done. But not everyone is the same and some chose to have a 3rd party do it. Looking back I found it helped my now wife and I stay close and work for something that we wanted.

Good luck

Thanks everyone. I thought when applying for AP that you needed to know the exact dates you were leaving and returning. Is this accurate???

Thanks again

Happy New Year everyone. I have been quiet on here for some time. I have a question. Is the timeline for AOS accurate here? We sent our AOS packet in back in May. In September we received a letter stating we have a Interview Waiver meaning they do not need to meet with us in person. They did say they have a backlog and my wife's GC could take up to 6 more months which means a March timeline. Does this seem correct? I want to go on a Cruise with my wife but must wait. Filing for AP now is $360 cost I believe. Yikes. Anyone else in same timeline or know if our timeline is correct?

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Mr Michigan. hope you and wife are good. Nothing major on our end but more just want to check timelins for our area. We received a letter in September that we qualified for interview waiver. They also said due to backlog our AOS may take up to 6 more months. I wanted to go on a Holiday cruise but instead due to AoS we will go to Indiana. We will hit you up on Skype soon

Thanks again

As my Topic Title states how does one find out which office is processing their AOS? I noticed this when I looked at timeline stats. I know we sent AOS to Chicago Lockbox. Thanks for your guidance.

Cheers

Nope no need for a RT ticket. I have never heard of anyone on K1 requiring a RT ticket. Most just bring their significant others in one way ticket. Confusion may be when traveling to the Philippines. They require a return ticket or onward ticket and sometimes stop you from boarding the plane in the USA or hold you and make you buy an onward ticket when you arrive in the Philippines.. Nothing needed for US Bound passengers so your fiancée will be just fine.

Make sure you send you fiancée a copy of the following as they sometimes ask for the following in Manila:

1) Your credit card used for purchase (Black out all but the last 4 digits of your card #),

2) A photo ID (blacking out the numbers you do not want them to have).. I scanned my now wife my Drivers License and Passport. I blacked out the DL # and Passport #. All went great for her with no issues.

We are in month # 4 for AOS process. EAD card arrived in August (2 plus months from AOS submittal) . We just received a letter last week dated 9/13 that we will receive "the Interview waiver form" and that our AOS will be completed within 6 months. They apologized for the backlog and delay etc. Good luck on your journey.

Also I should add about renting. It will cost you about 50-60 usd per day to rent. As others mentioned you can find a Driver for about 60-75 usd per day or maybe even less. It just depends on the freedom etc you want to have. In Manila I normally hired a Driver. Outside of Manila I would drive. Cebu, Bohol I drove myself.

Oh yeah rent a car with tinted windows. Take the full coverage insurance option and enjoy the ride. I lived in Cebu for many years. I had a company driver that drove worse than most drunks. I grounded him and paid him to run errands for me and only drive me to and from the airport. I drove myself 99% of the time. I had 3 fender benders. Paid cash and walked away. I got rear ended (not my fault) by a bus (man that hurt) did about $2000 damage and somehow my company had to pay as the bus did not have insurance. Sooooo as a Foreigner be ready to pay if you wreck.. It never stopped me from driving even when I returned on my own to run my own businesses I drove. Just have your horn ready, have cash and be patient!

It is really simple for him. Have him check with his local state, county and city where his residence was when he married his wife. They will let him know if he needs to have it recoignized prior to getting a divorce. Once he has done this he can fill out an uncontested divorce papers for his the wife he married in the RP. If he can afford to bring his live in partner now and their kids to USA then he can afford to do the above first. This will make it clean and easy. I knew a guy that married in the Phils. His wife there cheated on him with another guy. He returned to USA and had his divorce. He then returned and did just what your friend is wanting to do. DId a K! Visa and brought his new love to the States.

Im 25 and my husband is 47...but thanks God nothings problem..we love each other so much

I lived and worked in the Philippines for long stints two times as a single man. I had bargirls as friends and "business" associates (my wife knows my assorted past so no worries). I found when talking with bar girls, going to dinners movies, resorts, that for most, deep down when they open up, they have emotional issues that my guess will cause them hardships at some point in their lifetime. I can count on one hand what I would consider "bad ones" that played me. I did hear from my many bargirl friends over the years that most girls had Filipino boyfriends plus many foreigner BF's on the side for support. Even to the point their Filipino BF allowed them to go for weeks if required to be with their "John" as long as they brought home money. Hell I was played by my ex long time GF in this case as well and she was not a bargirl. She was worse,,, A caddie lol......

Local foreigners that lived long term had a saying "you can take the girl out of the bar, but never the bar out of the girl" I can see this in instances where a girl has worked more than 6 months in a bar. From what my friends and I noticed was about a 6 month period of shyness for new BG's. Once 6 months they open up and then I believe for most are hooked on the money and attention.

I also had friends that married bargirls and for most they are still doing well. For me,,,,,, I was tired of the whole Philippines bar scene and found a School Teacher that had a good past and was just working hard to survive in teaching children. Now she teaches a taller older slower child in me... lmao.

Now that my wife is here we have gone to Fil/Am picnics. I noticed two different personalities there. One is extreme for needing attention, dancing acting out for attention from others and the others are just chika-chika and eating. If I were betting I would say those out-going are former BG's. As for whether their husband knows???? Only they would know this. Most men I met know little about their wives past. So each case is individual and I respect that. It is not for me to judge. Just state from my past experiences. Cheers everyone

Hello. If you do not get any responses here try a new Facebook Group Asawa World. This group helped my wife find friends near our place. Goodluck

Apply for marriage license as soon as the cobwebs and jet lag as gone away. We applied for her SS # which I do not now advise unless you absolutely need too. Reason is now we are having to change her name etc on SS. And in some cases with her going through AOS, no record of her SS is in the office yet due to the process. Don't ask me why lol. We needed her SS right away due to rules I had to add her to my lease.

Then it is marriage time, AOS (adjustment of status) then wait again.

Using Skype we watched TV together. We got hooked on Survivor and still watch it now that she is here. Just keeping communication lines open and talking through the hurts of being apart helps. One of you (the man) needs to be strong as she will likely become emotional more then you will. Also Viber now is an option which will allow her to be at the mall and talk with you as you can be almost anywhere as long as you have wifi and a smart phone. My wife used her phone today to chat with her mother. Video and everything. It will change up from always having to be at home for both of you.

I just asked my wife again and she said she paid 550p. Maybe the travel tax was included in her ticket. She just arrived in March. What I did was send her $300 for her travels just in case of delays/layovers etc. She gave me back about $260-270 when she arrived. She ate at the airports she said as well along her way.

I lived there on two occasions. First I found with no work I went crazy at age 45. First time was an Ex Pat. Second time started my own businesses. Unless you drink, golf, snorkel or travel off the island you may get bored. If you go to Taliban Cebu City there are a few foreigner Pubs there that have Lawn Bowling Leagues and other types of get together type events. One suggestion is go to Hong Kong as it is cheap flight and no Visa required for your fiancée. Did you go to Baguio in northern Luzon? If the heat gets to you Baguio is up in the mountains 5-6 hours from Manila and cool with great art work etc. Boracay is just another resort island like Palawan and Bohol. Nice beaches and over priced IMO. Strolling around Manila/Makati is nice as well as out in Alabang/Manila if you want a western flavor for restaraunts. Being a big guy like me you may miss the Outbacks, Toney Romas etc. lol

I did some volunteer work at orphanages and a church as well. Like I said unless you drink and sit around Pubs or Mall walk then the above is it that I know of.

Good luck and enjoy. I live in S Florida now so I no longer need the Philippine Temps.

Take care

If you go the one way route you will need to purchase a cheap throw away ticket to Hong Kong or Singapore. I was asked one of the 3 times I flew one way there to show proof of onward or return ticket. So be prepared just in case.

As for mileage returning one way. Discuss with your FF Airline to see what they offer. There might be some sort of restrictions coming out of Asia. I believe you are thinking correctly on child's ticket. Even if your child is small enough to sit on a lap. 13 hours of passing him/her back and forth will be miserable. I would have your fiancée go talk with travel agents if she lives near the city. I used Blue Horizons Travel in Cebu many times. I have emails somewhere if you need. They have helped me many times and are reasonable. Good luck

IMHO this is the BEST advice and the one that we took. If you suspect exposure, have history, or are just being cautious this is a good thing to do. Here's why (in our case)...

I sent my fiancee to do a full medical inclusive of a CXR a couple months before the SLEC medical. The pre-SLEC medicals and CXR by a private doctor revealed a spot and she immediately started medication. When she was seen by SLEC we already knew they would see the same spot and do the sputum and culture tests. We anticipated this and changed schedules for everything around her having to do DOT. SLEC credited the time/medication prescribed by her private doctor and my fiancee's total DOT at SLEC was 4 months plus the two from her private doctor. In other words, we knew going into the SLEC exams that the probability of passing first time out was slim to none.

This route isn't for everyone, but it will take some of the "I wonder if I will pass the SLEC chest x-ray" anxiety away. Purely my opinion, but if you are like me and HATE surprises, this may help.

I agree 100%. From what I heard doing it on your own ahead of schedule can be costly, I had a friend that paid for his step children's treatments and he said it cost him $150-$200 monthly per child. Not sure if this is accurate. But once again speed versus costs. If St Lukes diagnoses and treats the cost is included in the medical fee. However another caveat is the cost to stay in Manila during the treatments. If one has TB it is just painful for all parties involved. In either time or costs. Goodluck to everyone

I heard somewhere that about 25% get sent through for sputum tests due to the xray looking suspicious but end up ok. Many more end up having the TB virus which I read 2 years ago is about 35-40% All you can do is have your fiancée do a local xray of her chest and lungs. Send it out for a 3rd party evaluation then let the chips fall where they may. Send her to a good hospital for her xrays if you go this route. I do know that I was up nervous the day my now wife went to St Lukes. It will be a nerve racking night for you here as well. As Hank mentioned the TB virus is very big in countries like Philippines where they sleep and live so close to each other. Good luck on your journey and have faith...

I heard somewhere that about 25% get sent through for sputum tests due to the xray looking suspicious but end up ok. Many more end up having the TB virus which I read 2 years ago is about 35-40% All you can do is have your fiancée do a local xray of her chest and lungs. Send it out for a 3rd party evaluation then let the chips fall where they may. Send her to a good hospital for her xrays if you go this route. I do know that I was up nervous the day my now wife went to St Lukes. It will be a nerve racking night for you here as well. As Hank mentioned the TB virus is very big in countries like Philippines where they sleep and live so close to each other. Good luck on your journey and have faith...

Manila taxi drivers are the worst in all of RP. I lived in Cebu and had to travel to Manila for business. Many times would get in a taxi to be told 800pesos. I would explain it is a 250p ride to my hotel as I do it often. The lazy "hockey" puck would rather sit then make some money. Many times I would cuss him/them out and get back out. Not that I could not afford the difference,,, more over principle not to screw the foreigner.. And with my tip he would have received 250p tip for 500p total.. I would always keep my cpap machine and lap top in the back seat with me. I would wait to pay after I got out and retrieved my luggage from the trunk. It also forces him to help me with my luggage to get his fare

It is sad they would cheat their own like in the video... But we know that in their culture it is okay to cheat then go to church on Sunday. Many times the taxi driver would try to cheat me with higher fare. Then if he did finally take my fare as we drive to my hotel we pass a church and he gives the catholic cross prayer.. I am thinking ####### just tried to cheat me and now you are praying. Geeeeeeeeezz.. Welcome to the Philippines... lol

Sorry to hear about your situation. There are different ways to go about reporting her. The main thing now is to get you off of her conditional green card. Then let USICS decide her fate as she will need to prove that she did not enter the marriage fraudulently and then be able to support herself to remove the conditions. I would say by what you stated in the above that she will have a lot of explaining to do as she never accepted your last name, along with your emails and texts from her that she stated she only entered into the marriage for work visa etc. Below is a quick search I did on USICS website. You can read through which way is best for you to attack your situation. Keep in mind and be aware that when she finds out she made an error in the above my guess is she will come back to you trying to sweet talk you into reconciliation. Be strong as it appears her back will be to wall needing you more than she realizes. Below is the search I did on USICS> Good luck

http://search.uscis.gov/search?affiliate=82601b2ec&query=how+to+report+a+fraud+marriage

We waited 208 days for our NOA2. Most were running then at 181 day average... So never get your hopes up. Think full 6 months and be happy with anything plus or minus 30 days.......