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LSnBigBear

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Posts posted by LSnBigBear

    Are these feelings normal?

    in Moving to the US and Your New Life In America

    Posted · Edited by LSnBigBear

    I moved to the Philippines on two occasions for work.. It is hard saying goodbye I know all too well. I hate it. I used a little trick that my family got to know quite well. I would get around to everyone the day before I was leaving or at the going away get together. I would then tell them we can get together for bfast the next AM before my flight knowing all too well I was not going to make it lol. It is a dumb trick that helped give me a not so difficult "send off". If someone was taking to the airport then tears flew and I am a large man. It is okay. At then end just tell them "see you later" as it does not sound as closed as "goodbye" And you will see them later. I left two sons once or twice a year that were later teens and yes it is difficult but you will be fine. Congratulations on your future and focus on the travel after you say "see you later"

    Our costs from Start to Finish of K1 (Philippines)

    in Philippines

    Posted · Edited by LSnBigBear

    Thanks for the post. I am right on pace, probably a little ahead. I wish I could find a flight for her at that price. The cheapest I can find to NC is $1200. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your ticket for her from and where was her final destination? How many connecting flights? Thank you so much. :thumbs:

    I used cheapoair. OUr final destination is Fort Myers. I used March 2 as an example and it is $926. I see you have not had your interview yet so this is just an example. I heard China airport can be time consuming if you read my other post about baggage transfer. I guess I will know March 2 how my fiancee did with her layovers. Here is the link.

    http://www.cheapoair.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1685&sid=2&oa=MNL&da=CLT&adt=1&chd=0&snr=0&infl=0&infs=0&dd=03-02-2013&tt=ONEWAYTRIP

    Good luck

    Living in Manila

    in Philippines

    Posted · Edited by LSnBigBear

    Thanks all for the good response on cost of living.

    I guess I want to explore this topic more and maybe I should move it to another forum. My question is how Filipino survive with these high costs? Now, I understand my question was about living in Makati. I picked that area because I visited it there once while meeting up wife at the time. I also read that Makati is the business center of Metro Manila. $700-1500 seem reasonable for an American and there are cheaper areas outside Makati. Makati population is not all American and foreigners, i am assuming that greater than 70% or more is Filipino. I know minimum wage in PH 426 per day (~$10 USD) for alot filipino and this working population is not living in Makati but maybe areas like Pateros (my wife is from there) or QC. There are probably cheaper areas than those two I mentioned. That is just $300/mo/ person and even a salary working as a software engineer (4 year of college) makes about $8000 USD. I am just puzzled on how any filipino moves into the middle class there when food prices are similar to USA price, I know public education there is not that stellar which mean k-12 will cost ~$50/mo/child for private schooling. We still did not factor in clothing and maybe the occasional entertainment. I have been looking up salaries for various area of employment and the amounts are not enough in my opinion. I am trying to be politically correct but with doing some illegal (seeing alot of certain internet sites for $$$$) a person can live the so called "Filipino" dream. Maybe I am wrong which is the not the first time in my life! Oh, it is just my thoughts! Thanks all for the cost of living stuff.

    Keep in mind Filipino mentality for living and Western standards for living are very much different. Just watch how your GF or fiancee eats as you chat. Rice and fish and they love it. My food bill was the same as feeding my ex GF, her two kids and two helpers when I lived there. Okay I am a big man. But still 4-1 ratio on expenses just for food. I wanted an occasional TGI Fridays, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc. Phipippine dream went buy-buy with the exchange rate and IMO Koreans pushing prices up. For those that have many years experience with RP will understand what I am saying. My first time living there the exchange rate increased from 51-1 to 56. Now 40-1. It was a great life when you exchange $100 and receive 5600p. Now that same $100 you get 4000p. And now rice is higher as is all other food. What cracks me up is beer prices never really move peso wise :rofl: .... But dollar wise the same Pilsan now cost $1.13 compared to .80 cents in 2006. No wonder I moved back :rofl: 56-1 was such a great and cheap life there then. Once agian, "buy-buy" I am not sure if we will see that again

    Living in Manila

    in Philippines

    Posted

    Better count on 3000 / month to live like you do in the US. Makati is not cheap and outside Manila you better count on 2000/mo. It is starting to get expensive to live in the Philippines.

    I agree. $1500 and they are living modest doing nothing monthly but suriving.

    Living in Manila

    in Philippines

    Posted

    I'm starting to think about doing this too. Anyone knows what's salary can a programmer get there ? or a good site about job offers ?

    Keep in mind it is very difficult for a foreigner to obtain work and a work permit in the Philippines. DOL protects their own countrymen so Programming would be a difficult permit to obtain. Keep a few things in mind when thinking about working in the RP. If your job can be done by a trained Filipino then you most likely cannot obtain a work permit. My second time living there I had to create an SEC Corporation and employ 10 Filipinos so I could work there in Training and Consulting.

    My first time there I was the only EX PAT in a PEZA company with 260 Filipinos employed for me. What I suggest is find a company that can employ you from the US to do work remote. Then all is legitimate. You just have to mess with the tourist Visa which is about $450 a year cost unless it has gone up in 18 months. I have friends that teach English as second language for 700-1000 monthly. Even those jobs are now getting harder to get. I did this part time my second time there just to keep my mind occupied when I did not have any consulting work.

    Our costs from Start to Finish of K1 (Philippines)

    in Philippines

    Posted

    I tracked in a spreadsheet the visa costs and money I sent for K1 Visa Processing, her travels, medical, interview & CFO etc. Keep in mind you may be able to cut 300-500 USD off if your fiancee goes for medical the day before, then interview within a few days of medical and then back to her home. My fiancee's mother works in Manila so she just stayed since her medical. I just want everyone to see the costs as many times people ask about costs and the 125% poverty guidelines etc. It is not cheap but can be affordable if you can budget. I suggest if your fiancee lives on a different island then a budget of $3000 plus minus as to your descretion is needed. I could have saved maybe $300-$400 had I wanted to be more frugal in doing things and sending her money. I just do not want her to go without while she is in Manila. I hope this helps everyone. And for those that have gone through it, chime in please as to your thoughts as to save for those just starting.

    Thanks

    Shawn

    Fiancee travel and fee for NBI & Passport (March 2012) $150.00

    Fiancee sending me her documents for 129F (April 2012) $69.00

    Visa Fee May $340.00

    Postage for mailing 129f $11.00

    Manila Visa Fee payable to BPI(January 2013) $235.00

    Me sending my docs for Interview to Fiancee (January 2013) $130.00 ** If you scan you can save on this.

    Airfare for Fiancee to Manila for interview January 2013) $85.00

    Medical payment St Lukes ( February 2013 ) $223.35

    Travel money for Manila (February 2013) $250.00

    Money in Manila (February 2013) $200.00

    Money for food and CFO (Februay 2013) $80.00

    Money for food, transpo,misc and luggage purchase $150.00

    USA Flight $817.00

    For US travel misc just in case needed $150.00

    Total $2890.35

    Best/Cheapest/Most convienent way to communicate

    in Philippines

    Posted

    Skype, Google Talk are the cheapest and easiest if she has a computer. I bought my fiancee a $350 notebook there and had her buy a pre-paid Smartbro USB Internet. Globe has the Tatoo which works the same as Smartbro. She pays $20 a month for that. It works good. We do get cut off from time to time as they run off cell phone towers. If your fiancee has a Landline I suggest you getting Metro PCS Cell Phone Service. I dumped my Verizon and then ATT as their International rates are like you know outragious. I think for $10 a month Metro plan you can call Landlines in most country with no extra cost. I pay $5 a month just to text as my fiancee did not have a landline. There are many ways to communicate cheap nowadays.

    Good luck

    tell her to try register to globe SuperIdd 1,999 pesos or 50$ for 30 days....4 to 5 hours unlimited call a day...I've been using SUPERIDD for almost 14 months...just text SUPERIDD INFO to 8888.

    hope it will help....

    Wish I had known this.. Good stuff but LATE for me :bonk::rofl:

    Traveling through China question

    in Philippines

    Posted

    My wife (at the time fiancee) and I just recently took these exact return flights (Philippine Airlines to Shanghai - American Airlines to Chicago) and here was our experience:

    In China, they DID force us to claim all of our bags on arrival and then re-check them at the American Airlines desk. I don't know what the luggage tag said for that first leg of the trip, but I do remember that after re-checking the bags the American Airlines agent gave us new tags with the final destination on them (I remember her asking me to confirm our final destination before she applied the tags).

    We were surprised by this because, as the posters above stated, they don't usually make you do this for a simple layover. But China (and/or Philippine Airlines) sure did it to us. I don't know why because I've switched airlines internationally several times before, with several different combinations of airlines, and have never had to do this.

    It was kind of a hassle because you arrive/claim bags on the gound floor and have to go up to the second floor to check-in/depart, so we had to fight to push our baggage cart into one of only two elevators they had, and it was very crowded in that area as everybody was attempting to do the exact same thing.

    Also, at the Shanghai airport, you have to go through immigration to arrive, and again to depart - even just for a connecting flight. Be sure to have the arrival/departure cards filled out, even though the answer to most of the questions on the arrival card will be "none" or "N/A" for someone who is just connecting. They won't let you pass to your connection without filling them out. I found that out the hard way by only filling out a departure card at first, thinking they wouldn't require the arrival card from someone that was just passing through - I was wrong and had to step to the side at the booth to complete it. [On the arrival card for the question "At what address will you be staying in China?" I was tempted to put "Gate D19" Hahaha!]

    It took us every bit of our three hour layover to do all of this and when we finally approached the gate of the American flight it was already boarding.

    It's not my intention to scare or worry you, I just want to let you know what happened to us back in November. Mentally, be ready for this. If I had known to expect all of that, it would have been a lot easier to figure out what I needed to do, where I needed to go next, etc...

    Good luck to you!

    [side note: After that last trip, we decided that next time we would go through Incheon airport in Korea again. It's way smoother! You can get to the gate of your connecting flight in about 20 minutes there - no baggage claim - no immigration lines - just a security checkpoint that has always moved quickly in the previous three times I've been through there. The only reason we went through China last time was because the price was much cheaper].

    Thank you so much for the great details. Yeah I went cheap as I got "P"d off at Orbitz when I went to book her through Japan all the way on Delta. Orbitz showed the famous "One ticket remaining at this price" for two weeks that I watching. 3 different type of segments all ranged from $855 to $940 which I was okay with. UNTIL I filled everything out and received the "Your price has changed" and then $1249. After I tried all three that had the ranges I threw a fit :no: and went over to cheapoair and booked her for cheaper. She does have a 8 hour layover so her going through the above time wise will not be an issue. I will review your information with her. Many thanks again...

    ... all goes to show, cheap is not better. :yes:

    Lesson learned. Stay calm when booking tickets :thumbs:

    Called CSC Today

    in USCIS Service Centers

    Posted

    You should hear something soon. I called just before Christmas and they said call back in 8 days and then I could fill out a Service Request. We were approved December 31st without me calling. Keep in mind weekends and Holidays when anyone count days. Ours took a total of 208 days for NOA2. On the good side they are scheduling interviews fast. They were accomodating and was going to give us an interview in just a little more than a week. Too soon as we were not ready.

    All I can say is make sure your fiancee has her stuff ready and you have sent her the docs she needs. Then get her to medical and you will be on your way. I booked my fiancee for two weeks from tomorrow. CFO is next week. Good luck.. You will be there soon. Prayers goes out for anyone in this process.

    FLIGHTS

    in Philippines

    Posted · Edited by LSnBigBear

    I just booked my fiancee departing Manila March 1st through China with POE Chicago O Hare then Fort Myers thereafter. She is traveling alone and does not need anyone with her nor does your wife. As other posted just inform her to ask questions and follow the lines as normally they all are going to the same place until after she lands at her POE. Then it is just read "Departures" for Terminal and Gate # She will not be able to get a 1 flight segment to N Orleans. As others mentioned only from Manila to majot US cities and then those are pricey normally. My fiancee has two layovers- China and Chicago. Total time from start to finish is 29 hours.

    Safe travels to all of those traveling.

    Interview done!!

    in Philippines

    Posted

    If they did not give you a 221 form and they kept your passport then you are approved. Find one of our post from last Wednesday and there are links to bring up the website to find out your status. I am on my android and cannot access now or I would help you more. Just type in your MNL # and you should receive the information that states you're approved. If they ask you to verify the spelling of your name and address prior to you leaving then you are approved.. I think it looks good... Congratulations.

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