Mogambi

You will each need to fill out the G-325A, and they must be signed, so at some point she's going to have to send that to you. Also she will need to sign a copy of the 'letter of intent' as well.

The I-134 only comes into play at the interview. You will not submit that with the initial paperwork.

I don't mean any offense, but have you really spent any time reading any of the links I sent? Because there it clearly states the forms that comprise the initial I-129F submission. I will copy and past them here.

And really, I mean no offense, but the links we have provided really do very clearly lay this stuff out for you. If this is really super confusing, you might considering hiring a visa company, or an immigration lawyer to help you out.

But just think through this one step at a time. After your I-129F submission, you will have a minimum of four months of waiting. At that point you can begin researching and preapring for the next phase. For now, concentrate on the I-129F.

From the links I posted, here is what comprises the I-129F. Note that you might not have to do every thing (if you've never been divorced, she hasn't etc, you can ignore that info for example).

But here is everything that goes into the initial I-129F petition.

1.Payment as required by USCIS. Use a personal check so you can track the payment. Money Orders are also accepted.2.Cover Letter (see example). Should include a description of what your are petitioning for (I-129F), a table of contents (list everything in the packet). If you need additional room to explain your case, attach a separate sheet (list the attachment on the cover sheet). Make sure to sign and date the cover sheet.3.Form I-129F: Petition for Alien Fiance(e) (see example)4.Declaration of how you met in person in the last two years. This should be a single typed page attachment regarding question 18 of the I-129F. Make sure to sign and date it.5.Original statements (from both the US Citizen and foreign fiance) certifying an intent to marry within 90 days of entering the US on a valid K-1. (see example)6.Proof of having met in past two years. (click here for examples)7.G-325A filled out by the US Citizen signed and dated (see example).8.One passport-type photo (see specification) of the US Citizen. Write the full name of the US citizen on the back. Place in a plastic bag and label the bag "Photo of <Insert US Citizen's Name>". Attach the bag to a sheet of paper and place behind the corresponding G-325a.9.G-325A filled out by the foreign fiance(e) signed and dated (see example).10.One passport-type photo (see specification) of the foreign fiance(e). Write the full name of the foreign fiance(e) on the back. Place in a plastic bag and label the bag "Photo of (insert foreign fiance(e) name) ". Attach the bag to a sheet of paper and place behind the corresponding G-325a.11.Copy of the Birth certificate (front and back) for the US Citizen or a copy of ALL pages of the US Citizen's passport issued with a validity of at least 5 years or a copy of the US Citizen's naturalization certificate (front and back). This is used to establish citizenship.12.Copy of final Divorce Decree(s) or Certificate(s) for the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) if either has been previously married. If the previous marriage of the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) ended due to the death of their spouse then include a Copy of Death Certificate(s) documenting that fact.13.Proof of Legal Name Change if either the US Citizen and/or foreign fiance(e) is using a name other than that shown on the relevant documents. You must give USCIS copies of the legal documents that made the change, such as a marriage certificate, adoption decree or court order.14.In regards to Section C Question 2, if applicable provide certified copies of all court and police records showing the charges and dispositions for any specified conviction(s) (in accordance with the IMBRA). See section 9 of the I-129f instructions for more information.

Ug, somehow when I pasted that it looked fine, but when it was posted, the formatting is all screwy. Again, just refer to this page, that's where the info came from:

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

Don't worry at all about the CFO thing. It's literally the final step. It's a half day or so, counseling session that the Philippine government requires for all its citizens who are moving abroad. They are country specific, so she'll take the one for people moving to America. But once you have your visa in hand, then you take it. It costs about $15 total in fees, and is nothing to worry about.

I don't think getting her sons here is a hard process. It's all part of the same, it requires some additional steps, additional medicals for them, etc. But it's not vastly different from the K1 process.

Just more paperwork.

Also note that for the forms G325, the biographical one, you are allowed to attach a second sheet of paper for any information that won't fit. I did this for both my and my fiance's G325 form. Just put at the top 'Jim ____ G325A Form Continued Page 2' or something like that. Then list whatever number of the form page you are adding more info for. Most people also do this for the box on one of the forms that says 'how did you meet'. Most people write out more than will fit in that little box, and do so on a continued page.

But I had to add pages for my addressed and employment history.

You will not need most of those forms you listed. You will file the I-129F, then G325A forms for each you and your fiance.

Actually, here, here is the best single K1 overview that lists all the documents you will use at each stage.

http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

Good luck, read those things and then post specific questions here, and we'll do our best to help you!

Jim, there are many tutorials already written, and tons of information on this site. It wouldn't make sense for someone to try and write it all out again. This thread will have lots of great info to start you off:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/300-general-k1-guides-and-info/

Read a lot of the things there. Especially get a sense of the overview for the process.

Then post specific questions either here, or also in the general K1 forum, as to specific questions about forms and whatnot.

But I bet all the information you want is already there if you just search a bit for it.

2500 pages is WAY more than you need by the way, they didn't look at a single thing we brought to our interview except some photos.

The process is daunting for sure.

Here are some other links I found useful when I first started:

http://immigration.lawyers.com/Non-Immigrant-Temporary-Visas/Process-for-K-1-Visas.html

http://***removed***/forum/k1flowchart.php

I don't think the IRS would give you such a letter. As far as they know, you didn't file taxes, and that's all. The fact that you have no tax records and just started working might be hard for your interview. You might consider a co-sponsor. I would worry that with only being able to show very recent income, you might have a hard time, unless you have a big amount of savings, etc.

I will try to post soon the procedure to get Thai police clearance. It will take about 4 to 6 weeks, and you will need to go to the Thai embassy twice, they are in Makati, also to a police station in Manila (or your home town) and also to the DFA.

It is a pain in the ####.

If you're planning on doing it Manila, then know that it will take 2 to 3 (up to a month for some we know) after the interview before the US Embassy gives your visa and passport back.

Also, your fiance will need to go and do the CFO counseling session, which will take another day, and best to do that after you have your visa. So give yourself enough time.

Our visa took 11 days to be returned to us. But another girl my fiancé met there, her's took almost 30 days to get to her, but I'm not sure if maybe they asked her for something additional, paperwork wise.

Hey no offence, but rather than hijacking my thread which is trying to help people, how about you start a new discussion about all this other #######. No need to continue that discussion here as it has nothing to do with the purpose of this thread.

Thank you.

Just a note, we recently had to go through the process of getting Thai police clearance. The Thai embassy wanted fingerprint cards too, which we simply got at our local police station, instead of the NBI center. They worked just fine. Just make sure the police officer who takes the fingerprints signs the card.

Just a thought if the NBI is giving you a hard time about giving fingerprint cards...

We also had to send it all to the DFA and they authenticated them just fine, even though they weren't from the NBI.

It took us about 6 weeks too to get the police report, so good to get started soon!

My fiancé also lived in Kuwait, luckily they do not give police reports, so we weren't required to get one.

It also states that the person signing the affidavit must be 18. At 17, I don't think the US will recognize you as legally old enough to sign that document. Maybe that was part of the problem.

OK well just to be clear, what do you mean they said the documents were OK just the affidavit of support? That is a document too. The code that they gave you was 1) that you were missing documents, and 2) they don't believe you can support your fiancé. So clearly they weren't happy about your brothers affidavit of support for some reason. If they told you it was temporary, then great.

Also it says that 'sponsors signing the affidavit must be 18 years old'

Even with your brother co-sponsoring, maybe they denied you because you are 17 years old? If so, then perhaps you can make your case as soon as you turn 18.

Yeah I'm a bit confused too, is this person writing the petitioner? She's 17, just had a baby, and her fiance is the one living overseas? I guess that must be it. I'm so used to man bringing over women from the Philippines, at first I thought maybe SHE was in the Philippines trying to get here.

The codes seem to indicate 'missing paperwork' and that they suspect you cannot support your fiance, something you are required to be able to prove. Even though you got your brother to co-sponser, they must be concerned that either he doesn't make enough money, or that they suspect that with a baby also coming, he won't be able to support all three of you. I can't say I blame the CO for doubting it.

I agree you are going to have a very tough time, which is too bad. You might want to considering getting married first.

But sorry to hear it, it must be very hard with a young baby...

I don't know the process to appeal, but you should be careful not to just appeal under the same circumstances I would think. But did they tell you what documents you were missing?

Wishing you all the best luck.

Ah thanks, that makes sense as the medical is good for six months, so thanks. I was just trying figure out the math, but you're right from our medical to the expiration of the visa is exactly six months.

Interesting, I was about to post a similar question. We just received our visa, her interview was May 11, and ours is good until September 20th. So like really four months probably from when they actually issued it. I was under the impression it would be for six months as well. So I'm curious, if maybe they are now issuing them for only four months?

I'm not sure I would assume this isn't going to be a problem. If he is deported from Germany, wouldn't that go on some kind of a record? If later he has to apply for German police clearance, which he will, isn't that going to cause problems? You say he has no passport, he's in Germany without one, so they have no record of him entering Germany?

As for the cost, the cost to file the petition is $340, but there are many other costs associated with the process too. The medical required (at least in the Philippines) costs around $200. Then another $350 when you actually schedule the interview at the embassy. Then once he or she is here and you file for adjustment of status, as I understand, it's another $1000 or so. There are fees and costs all along the way.

But being illegally in a country I would think would be something you have to be careful about. You basically have to admit, while applying for one visa, that your fiancé ignored the rules of the visa for another country. That won't make a good impression.

Hah, OK, just making clear in case someone thought that might work (and hey it might). I just remember how much some friends of ours have had leaving Manila for Thailand, etc. They get grilled (or can) pretty good leaving the country. Not the same for us Americans.

Hank_Amy, sorry but not true.

My fiancé just did the CFO three days ago. She had NO information from me, not my birth certificate, not her birth certificate. No supporting evidence of our relationship other than the Visa in her passport, that is all she brought.

They interviewed her, and she passed.

The ONLY documentation the CFO website says is necessary is the original and photocopy of the passport, original and copy of the K1 Visa.

I agree that you SHOULD bring all of those things. Had I known more about the CFO, I would have had Lyn bring all that stuff. And I suppose they could have made her come back with it, but they didn't.

But yes, to be safe, to anyone else, I would highly recommend bringing all of those things.

And it wouldn't be CFO that would want them, it would be PRISM or whoever is doing the counseling session.

Per the website, here is what you need 'after' the class to register at CFO:

Requirements for Registration

• Original and photocopy of Passport;
• Original and photocopy of visa;
• Original and photocopy of Immigrant Data Summary for US bound/ Confirmation of Permanent Residence for Canada bound/ Certification of Eligibility (for Japan-bound);
• Original CFO guidance and counseling certificate;
• Duly completed emigrant registration form; and
• Payment of the authorized registration fee.

That is all you need to register at CFO. The other documents that you're talking about could be required at the Counseling session I suppose before they will grant you the CFO certificate.

Just clarifying.

Well I will say this, I've seen two colors for NBI clearance in the Philippines, yellow and green. They told my fiance that yellow one is just good for local use in the Philippines for employment, etc. They told her she needed the green one for a visa. So my warning was just, if you tell them it's for travel to the US on a K1 visa, at least you're sure to get the right one, and having 'For Travel to the US' on it, like they put on ours, probably doesn't HURT anything.

I can't say if there really is a difference between the yellow and green NBI. Anyone here have and use a Yellow NBI?

Maybe yellow was just the older color. I can't say for certain. But at the NBI office they definitely implied that the one she needed for the US Embassy was NOT the same one most people were getting. And as I said, ours took almost three weeks, while a normal NBI for employment can usually be gotten the same day.

So I think it still might be safer to tell them what it's for, just to avoid any confusion.

Very possibly. While you are waiting, you should go ahead and order new NSO Certified copies of your Birth Certificate. It's very easy to do. Order them online at the following place:

https://www.ecensus.com.ph/Default.aspx

Once you order it, you get an email from them and a number to bring to the bank, where you will make payment. Then the Birth Certificates arrive in the mail. Ours took about 12 days, and my fiance's was also an older Birth Certificate from the province, and was also old. If your Birth Certificate has already been registered in the big database, you'll get it even sooner. If they have to go back to the old records to find it, like they did for us, it should still only take a couple of weeks.

I would order two copies for each of you. It won't hurt to have them, and in general, the USCIS and US Embassies DO want to see the official yellow NSO copies of Birth Certificates.

Tim

Since the Philippines doesn't recognize divorce, you have a tough road ahead of you. I suspect your fiancé is going to have to return to the Philippines, as sorting all of this out is going to be a length process. I'd be wary too of any lawyers there, I've heard horror stories of lawyers taking money guaranteeing an annulment, and never delivering it.

If and when you can get through that part of it, and she is free to marry, I don't think at the moment the I-129F or I-130 routes are very different in time. There are pros and cons to each process, you should research that, but each will take about the same time.

Also, be VERY careful that your fiancé doesn't overstay her visa by even one day. Doing so will disqualify her for applying for any visa to the United States for at least 10 years.

Oh and one more thing:

11) the CFO Counseling session is more than just a 'class' your fiancé has to attend. They may and probably will interview her, and it's probably a good idea to bring all your embassy paperwork with you, photos, etc. Also bring that extra CENOMAR and Birth Certificate you got in advice step 6

I thought it might be interesting for those of us who have been through the K1 process in the Philippines and been granted the visa, to share some random tidbits that they think might help other. My fiance was granted her visa two weeks ago, and last week it was delivered from the embassy. She finished her CFO session three days ago, and now that it's all done (well until she gets here anyway I thought I'd share some random thoughts:

1) Make sure when she's getting her NBI clearance she tells them that it's for a US Fiance Visa. They will write the words 'For Travel to USA' on the green NBI that she gets, and this is what the US Embassy wants. This NBI clearance can take longer. In our case, it took almost three weeks to get. Allow extra time for this!

2) They do not care about local police reports. We had local police and baranguy clearances from Manila and Zamboanga just in case. They never looked at them.

3) My fiance lived in Kuwait for two years, and it caused me a lot of stress trying to figure out how to get a police clearance from Kuwait, as they say they will only grand that to current citizens. It took a long time to get the US Embassy to finally reply to me and tell me that because Kuwait won't give it, they won't expect it. I had done a lot of searching, even here and other visa sites, and nowhere did I ever find the answer to that one. Even immigration lawyers I talked to weren't sure. They just kept saying 'just go to the Kuwait embassy and they will give it'. Not true.

4) They did however demand police clearance from Thailand, where she also lived for two years. This took about a month to get, and involved first going to the Thai Embassy. If anyone needs help on that one, just let me know.

5) Getting your beneficiary's CENOMAR and Birth Certificate in the Philippines is super easy. At the Embassy, they want to see the official Birth Certificate, issued by the National Statistics Office, and can be ordered online. You go to https://www.ecensus.com.ph/Default.aspx and order them. Your fiance goes to the bank to make the payment, and voila. We had our CENOMAR three days after ordering, and the official NSO copy of her birth certificate 12 days later (only that long because she was born in the province and they had to go back to the microfische to find it).

6) While you are ordering the CENOMAR and Birth Certificate, order TWO. The US Embassy will take them (maybe they're in the sealed yellow envelope, I don't know) but it's cheap, and then you'll have a spare of each one.

7) no need to arrive at the US Embassy at 4am. My fiancé arrived at 6am and was still done by 10:30. I doubt the ones who arrived at 4am finished that much earlier.

8) Once you have booked your interview date, you are allowed to change it twice without penalty. If you try and change it the third time, you will have to pay the entire p15,000 fee again. I know this because we had to push our interview twice while waiting for the Thai police clearance to show up. Once we had it, I went to change it a third time (to move it back up a bit) and that's when I got the message that you can only change it twice.

9) the process is stressful because of so much waiting. But for anyone remotely organized, it's not 'hard' per se, and you don't need an immigration lawyer or visa service. My fiance lived a bunch of places, and so I have, and I work freelance, all of these things could have made it all harder. But still we sailed through without any RFE, administrative reviews, etc.

10) National Bookstore in the Philippines sells the absolute perfect plastic binder/holder things for use in organizing all your paperwork. They are like a dollar a piece, have plastic sleeves to hold all your paperwork. In the end we had four, one for our I-129F petition, one for things for the US Embassy Interview, and two to hold all of our evidence. Now it's all still nicely organized and ready to hang onto. I should have bought a hundred of them and made them available here, honestly, they absolutely perfect for K1 visa applications!!

Tim

I'd love to hear little things other people have learned going through the process.

I had sent in my birth certificate in the initial I-129F phase, so if you did that, they will have all that paperwork at the US Embassy (it's all forwarded to them through the NVC).

So I didn't sent another copy of that, no. I don't think it's necessary.

Of course, it can't hurt. I think you had to send a copy of it when you sent the I-129F right?

I'm not sure your strategy would work. Upon exiting the Philippines, they very thoroughly check your passport if you're a Filipina, and when my fiancé and I traveled to Singapore and Hong Kong, both times, they looked at every page of her passport, asked her lots of questions, etc. This is 'leaving' the Philippines. The outgoing immigration there can be tougher than incoming immigration in the US!

I would be too worried that they would see the K1 Visa with no CFO, and suspect something like that. They could easily just deny her exit.

In our case, Lyn was there at 10am, and was done I think around 4pm, but I guess in truth that included going to the CFO to register and also she opened a BDO bank account the same day.

I don't mean to imply that we had a nightmare scenario, just that I was surprised at how much more thorough it was than just a 'class' which is what I had somehow thought it was.

We only brought the passport and photocopies of it and the visa. She didn't bring her cenomar, birth certificate, any evidence of us as a couple, etc, because nowhere on the page that I read did it say anything. I thought the visa itself would suffice instead of any of those things (thinking, heck, the US Embassy has already blessed that we're a couple, how is the CFO to argue!)

Maybe because we didn't bring a lot of extra documents, they spent more time interviewing her.

So maybe it's a good idea to bring your Embassy paperwork with you, you'll likely have it all still organized, just bring it.