Joshuaching

hello vj members!

my husband will be here in the philippines nextweek he is going to stay for 21 days.since we are married already, can he stay longer?what should we do?pls any idea...thanks!

He can either extend his tourist visa for another 38 days making his total stay to 59 days. He should do this prior to his 21 day visa expiration. Or he could apply for a 13(a) visa on your account being his wife. This visa is good for him to stay permanently in the Philippines.

Is there a limit on how many times you can cancel a CRBA appointment and reschedule it?

because i made it awhile ago and i want to reschedule it.

You have to cancel the one you scheduled before you can have a new schedule set.

We're going to do the same. What are the church requirements? Anyone know?

The Catholic church in the Philippines is very strict about grooms or brides having been married before. If this is the first time for any of you to be married in a Catholic Church, then there may not be any problem at all. The Catholic church believes in only one catholic wedding/marriage. If you have been divorced from a previous wife and you had a church wedding, chances are that you won't be able to marry in a Catholic church in the Philippines.

Now, of course there have been people who were able to do this in a catholic church in this sort of situation. Some Catholic priests are known to accept "bribes" for the good of the church (financially). Perhaps you could find one in her locality.

I tried, but couldn't find one who'd bend the rules for me, as my first marriage was in a catholic church. YOU COULD, OF COURSE LIE, but I didn't want to do that.

Tomorrow's my wife and son's interview at the US Embassy. It would really be a great blessing once we overcome this. I have reported previously to this forum that we are faced with a lot of problems concerning my son's paternity. I don't want to go into details right now, but I once have posted them in this forum.

Let it remain that our interview is for tomorrow after initially filing our I-130s in May 15, 2012. I didn't get any RFE, but I did get a "checklist" from NVC requiring me a form I-864W, which does not apply to me. My case completed, however, and we have the interview tomorrow.

I only hope, and have been praying each day with my family, that the ever guiding hand of GOD touch the Consular Officer's heart and grant us our Visa. Please pray for us.

I will post the outcome tomorrow after the interview.

I did have the interview for my wife and my son and the interview went well. The interview was both good and bad. The good part was that my wife's Visa's been approved. My son's Visa was also "approved" pending submission of a couple of documents, both of which are very time consuming to obtain. But at least, the Visa for my son was not "denied", and I am optimistic that I would be able to obtain the necessary paper works within the six months allocated for my wife's visa to be travel-completed.

Hello VJ'ers:

My POE was Guam (US Territory) and we plan to go Hawaii and get married there. I'm getting conflicting information about it. Some say I can't leave Guam since it's my POE. Is this true? Please reply....thanks.

Your POE is simply your "point of embarkation" where your immigration paper works are collected. After entry, you can pretty much visit any place in the US. Leaving the US is another story as another poster said.

Tomorrow's my wife and son's interview at the US Embassy. It would really be a great blessing once we overcome this. I have reported previously to this forum that we are faced with a lot of problems concerning my son's paternity. I don't want to go into details right now, but I once have posted them in this forum.

Let it remain that our interview is for tomorrow after initially filing our I-130s in May 15, 2012. I didn't get any RFE, but I did get a "checklist" from NVC requiring me a form I-864W, which does not apply to me. My case completed, however, and we have the interview tomorrow.

I only hope, and have been praying each day with my family, that the ever guiding hand of GOD touch the Consular Officer's heart and grant us our Visa. Please pray for us.

I will post the outcome tomorrow after the interview.

I think what you are missing is that it has been reported to the US Embassy that there are multiple instances of local registrars absolutely refusing to take the affidavit. When you go to apply for the affidavit the consul goes through a long speech of telling you now that not all registrars will accept the affidavit and that there is absolutely nothing else the Embassy can do so you need to confirm ahead of time that they will indeed accept it. These local registrars are insisting on a CENOMAR for a non-Filipno citizen (which we know won't be acquired). If you have previously been married to a Filipino they will however accept a CEMAR and a judicial recognition of the divorce decree.

Just because you and I and a whole bunch of other people have managed to find responsible and helpful registrars when we got married does not nullify the fact that other registrars are either deliberately blocking or making it more difficult for foreigners from marrying in their jurisdictions by refusing to accept anything but NSO issued documents. In those case the applicants have very little legal recourse in a timely manner. In the OP's case his fiance's family refuses to allow her to change residency to another area that might be more inclined to accept the affidavit.

I was one of those who applied at the Quezon City civil registrar's office and my "affidavit" from the US Embassy was refused. The office explained to me that they are only accepting a "Certification" from the US Embassy that I am in fact eligible to get married. The US Embassy refuses to issue "Certifications" because they are unable to do the administrative work load of checking each applicant's civil status background from their respective States. So, it's really a "####### for Tat" between most of Metro-Manila's civil registrars and the US Embassy. Marikina City, which is a member borough of Metro-Manila still allowed the affidavits, however, so I was able to obtain our marriage license there, and get married there. More and more cities and municipalities are joining those who do not accept the US Embassy affidavits and you should be aware of this.

What other cities and municipalities are requiring from foreigners is to obtain a CENOMAR from the NSO office to prove that they have not married to any Filipinas in the Philippines. Believe me that if you had been married before, your record of marriage would show there, and they won't issue you a CENOMAR until you petition the court to recognize your divorce there in the Philippines (about a six month process).

So what to do? The only recourse is for you to file a K-1 Visa for your wife-to-be and get mnarried in the States. Or find a municipality who would accept your "affidavit" from the US Embassy, and get a marriage license there. You can get married anywhere after obtaining this license. Or go through the long CENOMAR process (this is the least you want to happen).

I have flown EVA Air 2x to the US and found their rate reasonable, plus they have very nice service as well. Now, I was just checking online for a 1-way ticket, with April 30, 2013 as the departure date and I was surprised to see that it's worth $1434 on kayak.com! On EVA's website though, it's $878. A local travel agency quoted me $1557. Anyhow, to those who recently used EVA as a first-time immigrant, do they offer such promo?

Meanwhile, I also checked Hawaiian Airlines and the prices I got from kayak.com, from it's website and from a local travel agency are within the range of $820-$880. No big difference compared to what I got for EVA. Now, I'm wondering why EVA's pricing was different given the 3 sources I checked.

My husband will be coming here in April for his sister's wedding, hence the April 2013 target departure date. He would prefer using EVA, however, with the recent finding that I had with it's 1-way ticket price, we might consider other options. It's still a month before my interview date, but we're canvassing now so he can book his flight accordingly, then I can book my flight after my interview and getting approved. Thinking positive here!

Any inputs will be much appreciated!

Thank you!

I've always flown EVA and book through their web site rather than going to any of the Travel Agencies. Their web site quotes are accurate and reflects the true market situations according to season. April is a heavy travel dates for Filipinos flying to the USA and other destinations because the school is out during April-May.

hi guys... im getting confused here... we got an RFE last Nov 19 and we have been waiting for the hard copy and its been 2 weeks.. today my fiancee got an email saying on Dec 3, 2012 our K1 case has been approved. #######.. we have not sent in our docs for RFE yet and now we got approved? I dont know whats the truth.. I checked in USCIS and the status was still on RFE.. Will u please enlighten me on this.. need help guys

Same thing happened to me. On the web site it said "RFE", but then I received the approval certificate after a couple of weeks and when I checked the web site again, it says "it's being processed for approval", or something like that.

The baby is not being petitioned so the baby doesn't need to be there.

Just bring all the documents regarding CSPA including the baby's NSO BC.

I agree with this statement. There's no need to bring the baby as she's not being mentioned in the petition, but she would have to be brought to the CRBA appointment as the CO needs to see the baby personally together with all documents pertaining to her application for a CRBA. Incidentally, the baby does not need to be petitioned as she would come out a US citizen after the CRBA is approved, and a US passport could be applied for at the same time as the CRBA appointment processing.

I sent my fiancee a rabbit fur coat in case she gets cold during her trip here to America

Now I am wondering if she will have any trouble passing through customs

Can anyone advise me?

Thanks

Passing through US Customs is the least of her problems. Her biggest problem is will she ever receive this fur coat?

the person who told my wife was just the person who takes the papers not the interviewer, do you think there is still a chance she dosent have to get a dna test done? can my wife still get her cr1 visa if the crba is not yet done?

Perhaps the person who told her that thought that she's a fiancee and not a wife. Almost all children born out of wedlock to a US citizen father are being "asked" (because the web site says they do not require it) to undergo DNA testing. The other reason is because your wife did not have the official NSO issued birth certificate for your child. Once you comply with this, then it should be okay. I don't think that you would be required a DNA test unless dates on your documents do not match. These dates are your presence there, and the date of your child's conception, birth, etc.

Yes, you can have a DNA test without being here. They have contracts with laboratories there were samples are sent. St. Lukes here only handles the paperwork but not the actual lab testing.

Yes I have her form just received it recently with her signature its original not copy. But for the kids I'm confuse lilbit are they required for this G325A?. If they required to do so. Whose the one to do the form g325a for minor kids?

If it's her kid(s) she does the G-325 and she signs it too if they're minors.

Hello Vj Users

i just wanna ask if where can i get An official letter of explanation from the NBI for

any notation of “No criminal record” or "No pending case”.

You should try going back to the NBI and ask them for a "no record" NBI clearance. The words "No criminal record" is open to a lot of interpreation than "no record on file". This reason for this is because "administrative or political crimes" are not classified as "criminal records" and it could be a serious civil offense that the Embassy could bar you from immigration to the US. For example "advocating to overthrow the government" is not a criminal offense and would not be in your clearance if it says "no criminal record". Your participation in a gethering where the people present are talking about changing the government, is not criminal but an exercise of "freedom of speech" where the constitution upholds this right.

Whenever you obtain a clearance for "US Travel", these words "No record" are carefully stated there. But a clearance for "immigration" purposes may or may not have these words annotated there.

Hello guyz.

Just need to know about G325A. about my wife, Does she need to fill up this form G325A (Biographic Information) or just me only.

You can help her out if you know all the information. But she has to sign the form. You have to submit one form for each one of you (wife and husband), and kids, if any.

iam new in this forum,my husband and i received a checklist last November 7 and then submitted the needed requirements that same week,and today i received again another checklist stating the same requirements needed.we submitted the AOS and NBI,what should we do?

Sometimes, we get checklist which is the same as the previous one. They follow up their paperworks within a week of the previous one, expecting perhaps that you'd get to it right away and send the documents via email, or Fedex. It sure happened to me twice and it delayed my completion by two weeks.

It's best to either call them and ask, or send what's required via email and attachments. When they're done and accepted your documents, they'd instruct you to provide the Embassy with the original, which is required or an official certified copy of the original from NSO, County Recorders, etc.

hello fellow vjr's, does anyone know in any way that the vermont service center has speeded up or at least started to pick up the pace for all petitions but especially for CR1 petitions? Also what is the very or best educated guess of the current state of process there to have our CR-1 and our two CR-2 petitions approved by the begining of dec sometime? we have a priority date of july 5 2012 thks as always in advance godbless louie

VSC has been picking up with their processing time. Statistically, the immigration timeline states that VSC is processing the month of May 2012, and a sprinkling of applications way past May 2012 for those who have priorities, such as deploying military units, etc.

Hi all. I'm a li'l confused with the I 864 and supporting documents. It says on the instruction that WE SHOULD SUBMIT THE MOST RECENT INCOME TAX RETURN.. And IF we believe additional returns may help establish the sponsor's ability to maintain sufficient income, we may submit transcripts or photocopies of ITR's for the three most recent years.. In our case, only hubby's most recent tax return is above the poverty guideline. All his other ITR's income were below the guidelines. He's on 1099. So we'd definitely submit only the recent one.. However, there is a part on the I-864 that asks for the 2nd and 3rd most recent total income.. Can we just leave those areas blank? Im totally confused here. Please help. Thanks!

P.S.

Having a co- sponsor is not an option for us.

You have to fill those out with your income for the last three years starting with your most recent, followed by the two before it. You may, as an option, submit copies of the two other tax transcripts (or actual copies of your filed income tax). I didn't and came out okay with the NVC reviewers.

Hi, wonderful people of VJ! Could it be a problem during the medical exam at SLMEC if you have no immunization scars from your childhood vaccinations?

I am completely immunized when I was a baby but maybe they'll doubt it because I have no scars on either both of my upper arms. I don't think I can find my old record also because my mom said she lost it long time ago.

Anybody gone through this?

Thanks ahead for the response and God bless.

St Lukes know which shots were mandatory for all children in the Philippines and which localities have been on record as receiving those immunization. However, there are mandatory vaccinations that you're supposed to get when you were already an adult and these would be given to you, unless you could prove that you have received those recently. My wife was given three shots because she needed boosters from her shot records. One way or the other, you would get some of these without exception.

what is the cenomar

CENOMAR is an acronym for Certificate of no marriage issued usually to a fiancee prior to getting married in the Philippines, or to prove to the US Embassy/Other embassies that the beneficiary of the petition is indeed "not married". Lately, petitioners are also being required this due to the embassies' unwillingness to issue "certification of ability to contract a marriage" to their citizens (if getting married, but not for K1 Visas). It's really a requirement being squeezed by the Philippine government because they've been under the gun for so long for "human trafficking" by guess who? The US Government.

I honestly wish that people that suggested using bribes and graft to bypass local laws were banned from this forum. All it does is cause problems for people that expect it to work and instead end up paying fines, facing bans, or losing their freedom (which happened to one of my wife's co-workers after trying to bribe an official in Manila). The number of people that use this forum is tiny compared to the actual number of people that seek immigration to the US, especially in the Philippines. Fewer people still would come forward about attempting to commit a crime and having it backfire.

If the local registrar wants to increase the time required for the posting it is likely for reasons close to heart for the locals. If your marriage is planned for a few months from now perhaps you can have your fiance move to Manila or Cebu. It only takes a couple of months to establish local residency and the larger cities are more likely to follow the established family code.

If you really cannot get the wedding done in three weeks and your job is so totalitarian that you can't request a few weeks of unpaid personal time it may be time to find a new line of employment.

Thanks Artisan. Honestly we have a lot of posters here advocating greasing some people's hand to get what they want. And yet these are the same people who complain that the Philippines is a corrupt country. First it started with the Spaniards, then the Chinese, Americans came next, and now we have all foreigners coming to the Philippines including the new comers - Koreans. Common folks, can't you follow rules and regulations for a change instead of advocating corruption?

If you think it's the Philippine government who would punish you for all this; guess again! It's the US Embassy Consulate Officers who'd put a hold on your petition if they find out that you've obtained documents in less than honest means. And that doesn't count the possibility of being banned to enter the Philippines for a period of time, or forever.

And for the medical exams at St. Lukes Medical clinic; do you think it's the hospital requiring all those strict Tuberculosis tests? Guess again because it's the US Government's requirement. I've heard so much about the TB tests being simply a bunch of BS, but I assure you that it's a strict requirement by the Center for Disease Control in the US. Your beneficiaries either come clean, or they don't get to immigrate.

So please, comply or risk problems in the immigration process. Itssaptoyou! Your choice..

They would have to file a new petition for an immigrant visa for a spouse. He has to fill out form I-130 and follow all instructions on the form Unfortunately, he also has to pay a new fee of $420.00 to file this form, and obtain a new priority date. Do not attempt to circumvent the process and pretend that the marriage did not occur.

I may have stated this too quickly without researching it so I would back track on my statement that you'd be given a new priority date. I do not know this for sure but you may be able to retain your former priority date. Someone else with this experience might be able to tell you.

It depends on the State of your petitioner's residence. If he's in California, then it get's sent to the Phoenix Lock Box, and then Phoenix sends it to the California Service Center of the USCIS for further processing. I am sure it's forwarded to the correct USCIS address eventually, but they should let you know in writing of whatever action have been done on your documents.

My bad, K1 Visas are a different animal and submitted to two places in Texas. One for US Postal mail, and the other for Fedex and other special mail. I was referring to CR-1 visas in my previous reply.

If you did not send a copy of your previous marriage certificate and complete the needed paperwork to NSO being your were married and divorced in the USA neither is on record with NSO. You have to file those to get them recorded in the Phils so if you did not get them recorded in the Philipinnes there is no record.

You not being a citizen of the Philippines I doubt you can get much of anything done with NSO, let alone be in their computer.

Once the marriage certificate is sent to the National Statistics Office (NSO Philippines), the document is recorded on both husband and wife's name. The OPs record would surely be there. Don't think for one moment that because he's a foreigner, no record is kept of him there.

Your divorce papers have to be filed in the Philippine court for it to be recognized and this takes time; time that you do not have in your hands. What is helpful is that NOT ALL municipalities in the Philippines require a CENOMAR for the foreign groom, so you can go this route.

my husband got already the nvc case number,he told me to download the form and fill out and send it to nvc.should i fill up a form for my child?

I presume that your child is not a US Citizen or a child of a US Citizen so you should fill out one for you and one for each child immigrating with you.