John Kegley

I filed DCF and I put Zamboanga City under Town or City and Philippines under State/Country. Had no troubles in Manila.

John, someone from here called them after 3 weeks of not hearing anything, so i guess that's the next course of action for us.

Yes, email served me better than phone calls.

That's the same thing that my husband did. He went to file our applications and brought with him his passport and visa extensions. Our lease agreement for the apartment we are staying now, the notarized copy of our joint account passbook and some affidavits of third persons attesting to our relationship where they stated that my husband came to live with me and my son since July 2012 until the present were also attached to our Form I-130 along with circumstantial evidences/proofs of our relationship which the lady returned after 30 minutes of checking them. My husband paid for the filing fees and was told to wait for 13-19 days which reading from the posts here, everyone was saying he must have misheard coz most, if not all, were told that they'll hear from them within 30-90 days... lol.

The woman also told me I would hear something within 2 weeks. When I did not I emailed them and they told me I must have misunderstood because it takes 30 to 90 days.

I'm planning on setting up a joint account here with my newlywed wife so I should get bank statements, but I'm wondering what you mean by filing to the Chicago Lockbox from the Philippine address? How will that make it faster and what documents would I need to file alongside it?

I forgot, I also took bank statements from my BPI joint account when I filed. When you file from the Philippines to the US you file with the Chicago lockbox of the USCIS. When your address is listed as you living in the Philippines, they will fast track it and it's almost as fast as filing DCF. It only took me 3 months from filing until I had her visa in hand. I have heard that is about the same time frame as filing to the Chicago lockbox with a Philippine address listed as your address. If you do have to file with the Chicago lockbox, file the same paperwork as you would for DCF with photocopies of you bank statement, lease agreement, bills, visa stamps, and anything else that would prove your living in the Philippines. However, I don't anticipate that happening as filing DCF in Manila was easy and straight forward and I did it while on a tourist visa even though I was told I could not. Maybe Ray Bacon is following this and can chime in. He's the man to talk to.

So I contacted the USCIS office here in Manila by e-mail with some questions and they responded back with the 3 attached files. My main concern was establishing residency here in the Philippines for 6 months and what counted as proof. When I sent another e-mail asking if passport stamps, visa extension fee's and affidavits from residents in the house would count as proof..they just responded with the Proof of Residency PDF again. I sent another e-mail asking for ore clarification and to be forwarded or re-directed as needed for a clearer answer, but I'm still awaiting feedback.

Until then, I figured I would post here and ask. Do you think passport stamps, visa extension fee receipts, and affidavits would suffice as evidence? I'm thinking it could fall under the Foreign immigration section, but not sure really.

What are people's thoughts and experiences? I'm really trying to figure out if staying another 3 months would be the better path to try and filing, or going back tot he US and filing, and waiting longer. Just got married today and I wanted to get the wife's name changed, and it can take 3 weeks to 3 months for the certificate to come back...and I'm thinking you have to have that certificate to change name on passport at DFA. This is all important because currently my return flight is on May 18. I would love to skip it, spend more time with the wife and kid, help out with the paperwork, and file later and then return to the US.

The wedding was great and wonderful, super happy. Lot's of her family made it to the reception. Cant wait to have the other wedding in the US in the future.

Thanks for the help!

Just got a reply back from them and this is what they said.

"

Some examples of documents, which prove that you are permanently residing in the Philippines are: lease agreement, bank statements, utility bills, and E-card showing that you are a resident of the Philippines (G-13, etc.) You also have to complete the arrival/departure (countries that you have visited) information indicated on the attachment. The Field Office Director will decide whether you are eligible to file a petition with our office when you report at our customer service window to file the Form I-130. So ensure you bring all evidence or proof that you are permanently residing in the Philippines. To schedule an appointment to file Form I-130, visit http://infopass.uscis.gov. Attachment is again provided to you for your information and compliance.

"

I only took my passport with the visa extensions and our lease agreement to file my wife's. If for some reason they refuse which I doubt file with the Chicago lockbox with your Philippine address and it will be almost as fast as filing DCF.

My step-son's immigrant visa petition has become eligible for further processing. I have to pay the AoS fee and fill out a choice of address and agent form for him. Do I fill out myself as petitioner as the agent and just sign my name? He is only 14 months old and can't sign anything.

Thanks for any help.

I see no email address on this page that allows attachments

The email address is IVManilaAttachments@state.gov

Great! Thanks a lot for your help. I sent the forms thru e-mail today and was informed to wait for a week or two before I can schedule my wife's interview since they need time to upload her details to their sysem. If you don't mind, do you have an idea when is the soonest time for an interview schedule? Thanks again.

It will take 3 weeks. After scheduling you could call them everyday to see if they have any cancellations sooner to reschedule the interview sooner.

You can not do a DCF at the US Embassy in Manil a without being a permanent resident of the Philippines. To be one, your wife must petition for you to stay there in the same process as you are going to be petitioning her to come to the US. The US Embassy won't look at you as a permanent resident of the Philippines until you have obtained an ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration) from the Philippine government.

Now, my advise to you is to either do a "fiance vis", or file a petition through the office responsible for your residential area. You're not saving any time by doing a DCF after you become a Philippine resident. Believe me as I've been there and done that..

That is not true. I filed DCF on a tourist visa with just my driver's licenses to prove residency. I filed May 9th, 2012 and my wife and I are now in the US. The only requirement to file DCF is 6 months of residence. They don't care which visa you are on.

What time?what category Sir? Message me Thanks

It was scheduled for 6:30am but be prepared to spend most of the day. It took us 6 hours but she was approved. The guard outside tried to stop me from going in with her telling me I couldn't. I told him bullcrap, this was my embassy and I would be going with her. He lost interest fairly quickly. Since we have not been married 2 years yet, the category was CR1.

Anyone who has interview in U.S Embassy Manila this coming end of August message me... Thanks

My wife's interview is Tuesday the 28th.

Hi,, Yes I passed my interview.

if you shcedule your interview online, you only have to print the schedule in the ustraveldocs website. And click print.

Just ask me if you still have questions.

Congrats! What questions did they ask you?

Hello JOhn, I just had my interview today. when is the schedule of your wife for the interview?

That was quite a hassle. I thought it was scheduled for the 23rd by the website ustraveldocs but when I didn't get the conformation letter I emailed them and asked about it. The said no interview was scheduled. So I tried to do it by phone several times and they refused because packet 4 was lost in the mail, even though I had all the information to schedule it. So I tried again on the website and scheduled it for the 28th. However when I thought it was for the 23rd, I bought our plane tickets and we are scheduled to return to Zamboanga on the 28th. So I have been trying to get the interview moved up. (Hopefully someone before the 28th cancels.) If not we have to spend another 4000p to change our flight to the 29th.

Did you pass your interview?

How long does it take to get the CFO stamp in my wife's passport if she has already had the seminar? Can it still be done at the airport? Thanks everyone.

I would say it's normal. Our vaccination records indicate the same, yet we have our visas already.

That's what I told her. Thanks for the conformation.

No need to worry at all. Your wife's results are perfectly fine.

She wouldn't have gotten her vaccinations in teh first place,had there been problems with any of the lab tests she went through.

That only means she passed her medical exam and everything's good to go for her interview.

Good Luck guys!

That's what I thought. Thanks.

It is normal... Does she have the copy of her Vaccination Documentation Worksheet and CD?...

That's what I thought. Yes she does.

My wife did her medical exam and immunizations today and was told they would forward the results to the embassy. They did not give her the results and she is worried that she might have failed. I told her if she failed they would have told her what she needed to do. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this this normal? Her immunization record that they gave her says she may need a blanket waiver for the shots she was not given because of insufficient time frame and not age appropriate. Is this normal? Thanks for any info.

Greetings to all!

I, a USA citizen, wants to file an I-130 to petition my wife & stepson to start the process for a CR-1 to immigrant to the USA.

Current DCF procedures state that if a US Citizen lives overseas they may file the I-130 for a foreign spouse, child or parent at the US Consulate / USCIS Field Office governing their place of residence.

In most cases permanent residence abroad must be legally established for a period of six months prior to submitting an I-130 petition.

What do they mean by permanent residence? I'm on a tourist visa that I renew every 2 months, and leave the country every year and return. I have been doing this for 12yrs. Do I need a 13a permanent residence visa in the Philippines before I can file a I-130?

Why would I file for permanent residence if I'm going to petition to leave with my wife & stepson to the USA?

Those of you that have filed I-130's to petition your wife, what visa did you hold in the Philippines when you did this?

Thanks!

I am on a tourist visa and have filed my wife's I130. All you need is to have proof of living here for a minimum of 6 months. Also, you don't need to leave every year unless you are using the BB visa. If you do leave every year then take your wife with you to avail yourself of the yearly free visa you can get when traveling with your wife.

If you have MNL case number, you can set an interview date already. Do you have?

She won't get her passport until Aug. 3rd and I believe you need the passport number to file.

If your chest x'ray is ok then they will give you shots,you will get the result in the same day but most are the next day...Goodluck on your medical! God bless!...

Thank you, I'm sure her x-ray will be fine. She don't even smoke.

:thumbs:

No, they have not provided a case number yet.

My wife's petition was approved and packet 3 is on the way to us. How long does it take to get the interview?

Most people get the CD and immunization record on the second day, around an hour or so after immunization.

Thanks for the info.

How long does it take to get your CD or envelope from St. Lukes for your medical exam results?

Yes, that was fast approval! How did that happen? Can you give me an advice..future DC Filer here... or are you part of the military services? Coz I heard they get theirs faster too since they serve for the USA. I'm a USC filing for my fiance soon after we get married.

I don't know why it was approved so fast just glad it was. I received another email stating they received the approved petition on Jul. 9th and mailed out the formerly packet 3 and gave me the fax number and attachment email address for faster returning of the forms. Once they receive them, the will send us packet 4 which will tell us how to make an appointment for her interview. The only thing slowing us down now is the week it take to receive mail from Manila.

I filed my wife's I-130 in Manila on May 8th and they responded back to my email request stating it was approved on June 30th. Can anyone tell me how to get the case number so I can make an appointment to get her interview?