tattoocpa

Married in Aug 2014.  Submitted paperwork immediately.  Got 2 year card with a date of September 2015 on it.  In June 2016, applied for 10 year card.  In September 2017, got a temporary letter stating that her card was good for another year and for her to go get biometrics.  We did in Memphis, TN.  It has been 7 months into that 12 month period and we've heard nothing.  Should we write, call or ask my Congressman for help?  If I am not mistaken, after she has a green card for 3 years, she can apply for citizenship.  What happens this September with or without a new green card?  Can she go ahead and apply for citizenship since she's had green card status for 3 years?

 

I returned from the Philippines on August 12th and she arrived in the United States on August 13th. Today is the big day. We are going down to the courthouse today and getting married. Finally! Our official filing was sent off on November 1, 2013. Today, August 20th, 2014, we are getting married. I was faithful the entire time. It was definitely worth the wait! We are so happy and wanted to share our happiness with you all!

For those of you who are from the Philippines, the CFO counseling is what held us up from traveling back together. There is a "power-mad" monster of a lady there who runs her "kingdom" and could care less about itineraries or people. She even required my fiancé to open her yahoo messenger and read all two years of our private and personal messages before she would approve her visa. Beware of the wicked witch from the East.

Regardless, we are elated! God bless you all!

Congrats, tattocpa!

Thanks! It's been a long time coming.

A word about the Embassy here in Manila. The Immigration officials here had absolutely no interest in talking to me at all whatsoever. I suppose they thought I was her pimp or something. I really can't blame them with all the human trafficking going on. However, the Manila Embassy has really cleaned up its act from my last visit there in 2003. They have streamlined their processes and there are no horrible lines down the street for miles at 4:00 am. The rules are quite simple now. No on is allowed in prior to 15 minutes until their appointment. Hence, there is no sense in lining up at 4 am for a 7:30 appointment. Very well organized.

James

September 28th - Passed Medical Physical Exam at St. Luke's !!!!

August 4th - Passed Interview at U.S. Embassy in Manila!!!

Now we are just waiting for the visa to be delivered to a place called "2GO" (Think "Mail Boxes Etc" in the US) and the Philippine government requires all Philippine emigrants to go to a counseling class (I derisively call it the "wife-beating" class). Then, they stamp the visa and the fiancee is ready to fly to the USA. We are anxiously awaiting for a text from the "2GO" business (the only place the US Government will deliver the passport and visa to in Manila). According to most, it only take 2 or three days for them to receive it.

The counseling class is given 5 days a week so that should be no biggie. I have really prayed and gambled a lot on this trip. I had already booked a flight for her and I to return to the US together on August 12th. So, we are really cutting the timeline short. Worst case scenario is that I have to extend my trip and pay those wretched change fees at the airlines.

Needless to say, we are HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY! We will update our timeline asap so IGOR can keep his stats up-to-date.

For those still waiting, keep the faith. It will happen.

From Manila Philippines,

James

A wild ride, but we did it!!! (whew!) My fiancée arrived yesterday at JFK - such a happy reunion after waiting over a year to be together!!! Because of many flight cancellations due to strong storms in the northeast, there was a big back-up of visa entrants at Customs and Border Patrol - a 3 hour wait! Luckily an agent tracked her down for me after 2 hours, and let me know what was happening. Then our flight home was cancelled, we got as far as Boston in the wee hours, then spent the night in the baggage claim, waiting for the 6am bus north - another 2 hours travel. Then a taxi to go pick up my car at the airport, and finally the drive home! 50 hours in transit from Russia, my poor baby, but she is such a trooper! A struggle from the beginning of this process right till the end - we are exhausted, but very happy, and perhaps stronger for it all.

As to the embassy not giving a tracking number, that's not right! Moscow Embassy sent the visa Pony Express, though we lost 4 days because of the 4th of July holiday. But there definitely was a tracking number, as you guys should have. As to the change of status, we had our CEAC status go back and forth, so it doesn't necessarily mean anything. I'm sure you are close to receiving the visa.

Congratulations!!! I'm headed to Manila early tomorrow morning to hopefully bring my Baby back here with me. Wish us luck. Again, Congrats Zhivago!

I'm still on the dark side.

I'm so sorry Chaerandaria. You are in our prayers. This process is so unfair.

I just booked my ticket to Manila to accompany Cecille. She's from the provinces and Manila's a big place. I've been through this rodeo before, so I'm going to help her maneuver through the process including going to the interview with her. Can't wait to see my Sweetie and, if all goes well, bring her back with me. (Fingers Crossed)

Use Mozilla for your browser. Download a free add-on app called "Check-for-Change". Log into the account you set up with the state department. Click Select all on your Dashboard page (not the page where you check for an appointment but the main dashboard page). Right Click and click on "check for change"; set it up for custom settings; have it refresh the page every 4 seconds. When an appointment is available, your computer will chime.

217 days and still counting...

Praying for good things to happen for you Chaeradaria.

As for us, we told you about the big time hold up at the Philippine Embassy for getting interview appointments. Thanks to some kind soul on one of these forums, there is a program you can download and it will check the appointment site every 4 seconds for you. I've been doing this on and off for 2 weeks now. (I mean, who can be at their computer 24/7). Well, last night, I had the program running and checking the website every 4 seconds for about 5 hours when all of a sudden....."Ch-ch-ch-Changes" started blaring on my computer stereo. I ran over to the computer and sure enough, one appointment slot had opened up for August 4th. I ran through the menus with my fingers as quick as I could and grabbed it up. Gotcha! Hallelujah! She's had her paperwork approved for months and just now because I was over here in the US with a software program, I was able to snatch her up an appointment. I called my Senators' offices up and told them to drop my case because I was finally able to get through. They had told me that basically the only way to get an interview slot was to continually check the computer. I had to figure out a way to do that without getting booted off because too many tries and they boot you off. Somebody on this site showed me how and it worked.

I'm sure you'll get your NOA2 any day now. Just know about the deal at the Embassy and the war over the appointment computers there. I almost gave up.

Glad they didn't cancel my membership. We were not expedited by any means. However, with the use of a special computer program we were "finally" able to get an appointment for an interview. Yay!!! The program ran and one slot came open Thursday night and I jumped on it as soon as my computer program notified me.

That's encouraging. Now, apparently all the August slots are filled. Years ago, Pinays could quite easily log in and find slots available months in advance for their K-1 interviews. I don't know what has happened since then. I know many of them that live around here. Something doesn't smell right about this whole process where we have to wait beside a computer 24/7 for it to sound an alarm for a possible slot to come open for a K visa interview and people who have waited for 3 months get priority over those who have waited for 8. Oh well, I've seen worse abuses in the tax law. This will be my last post as nothing encouraging seems to come out of this site. Bon voyage!

If you are using Check4change to find an appointment, and you are getting timed out for checking too many times...then you are refreshing the wrong page, and you are not using Check4change correctly.

Only use Check4change on your main dashboard page, when an appointment becomes available the Check4change alarm song will come on. You can't just check 12 times a day, you have to keep the computer by your bed when you sleep and be ready when the alarm goes off. You have to keep check for change running all the time and be persistent. I know it's a lot of work, but it's the only way. You must have missed all the August dates that were just released recently. My understanding is that the whole month of August was just released for interviews.

No, after we got timed out and figured out check for change, we did what was suggested and only used check for change on the dashboard. for 7 days straight. Result = No changes.

I am also a June Filer let's keep our faith and hoping our cases are expedited too.

We've done everyting since June 5th including Check for Change; checked 12 times a day; timed out for checking too much; written our US Senator; called the US Embassy; and still get the message, "No appointments are available at this time."

We are resigned to continuing to do what we do and just praying. we see where people who originally filed their I-129F in March 2014 getting to the US by the middle of June, yet we applied on November 1, 2013 with no RFE's or anything wrong and we just get the same notorious message.

I am very depressed but I take my depression and put into my work which is a tax CPA. Believe me, they may not know it, but they are paying for this. Ha!

Sincerely,

James

7 months of waiting.

I'm so sorry. I'm still at the mercy of the Manila computer. It kicked me out yesterday for trying too many times to get her an interview. Plus, I read on another forum than in June this year the computer was giving out interviews for people only that it was giving them like 3 days in advance of their application; barely enough time to get their St. Luke's exam done. Ridiculous! I don't know what the heck is going on over there but it is big time screwed up.

Just checked again. Here's the same message for over a month now: There are currently no appointments available.

This is getting worse, I haven't heard of such thing that you will get a notifications or ringing if a new slot opens. But it might work for you if they tried it already. all I know is they take turns, most probably be online 24/7 just to get appointment. I really don't have any idea why until now there is no open slots, Do the US embassy in manila explain why this is happening?

It's getting worse everyday.

Of course, I called them and the operators were very polite. However, all they would advise it to continue, from time to time, to continue to try to obtain an appointment online as the same screen we had was the same screen they had. No explanation at all. Upon further investigation, however, I discovered that the United States offered Filippo(a)s expedited service if they were affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolonda. My application went in on November 1st shortly before the typhoon hit. In fact, I was in Cebu right after the typhoon hit. I offered my services to Samaritan's purse to the victims in Tacloban but was refused because I am a middle aged CPA and not a medical specialist. So, I just offered a financial donation to the cause of relief for the relief effort. It is my personal belief that many, many Pinay/Pinoys have taken advantage of the expedited program and lied stating that they were victims of Yolonda and thus having their cases expedited and put to the front of the line. I am a man of character and conscience and could not do that as much as it may hurt.

Sincerely,

James

Sorry to hear that until now you don't have appointment for interview date.

I felt bad also knowing that late filers are now moving forward while the early filers are suffering.

I saw one post on Facebook about July appointment but it was gone after a couple of minutes. That's how many were now waiting for appointment schedule.

So sad that this is happening...

Yeah chaeradaria,

It's gotten so bad that on another forum, somebody told me how to get a program that would monitor the Embassy Dashboard 24 hours a day and make a ringing sound on your computer to tell you when a single opening has come open. Has it really come to this? Are we now stray dogs that must wait by a computer screen 24/7 in the hopes that our Robotron American Computerized Government throws us a bone to fight over?

I doubt that is what the founders of this country envisioned for the future of this country when they set up this government given they themselves had fled their own monarchies for a chance at democracy.

My two centavos.

I'm sorry to see your case has still not been resolved Sparkle. We are in Manila purgatory checking and re-checking for available appointments for interviews that seemingly exist for everyone "except" us. We check 12 times a day but always get the message that no appointments are available. After over a month of this, I finally wrote my Senator an e-mail. It's hard to believe that so many applied in March, got NOA2's and interviews in June and are already here, yet I applied in November and still can't get an interview at the Embassy for her.

You aren't refreshing the correct page.

Only set-up check4change to refresh your main dashboard page. Choose select all to highlight all text on the page, right

click any highlighted word and then choose check4change on the pop-up menu. I would then choose Custom and set up a

refresh of every 4 seconds.

When an available date pops up on the lower left and side of the page the check4change alarm will sound "Changes" song.

Then choose "Continue" at the top and as quick as you can get a date...

I think I have it right...

Good luck!

Thanks you very much for the help. I was able to highlight all the text on the page, but stumbled on the "right click on any highlighted word"; however, when I right clicked after highlighting all text on the page, I was able to choose check4change and choose custom menu and choose refresh every 4 seconds. I hope that works. Thanks again. I don't know why I couldn't do step two on your list of actions.

Regards,

James

USEM is very backed up. We had our interview on June 18 and it was crazy how many people are there for some kind of visa related issue. It is a very frustrating process. I think the interview appointment scheduling is far more stressful than the actual interview...

I suggest that you "automate" the monitoring the dashboard using something that can watch for changes, such as Check4Change in Firefox. We were very lucky to get notified of a slot that opened up within a few hours of monitoring.

Thanks for the idea. I tried doing that by installing Check4Change in Firefox. After a while a message appeared from the Dashboard saying that I had exhausted the number of times I could check for appointments within a 24 hour period and they would reset it the next day. Oh well. Their servers must really be burning up right now.

Pardon me, the exact wording is "There are currently no appointments available."

It's almost as bad as waiting for the NOA2. I'm not sure how to "automate checking the dashboard" but would love to learn.

Thanks,

James

The slots did open up and there are plenty of threads that shows that.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/498666-manila-embassy-appointment-issues/page-1

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/498903-please-udpate-us-for-any-interview-slot-opening/page-1

Now based on what happen for the opening of july dates I would say that on June 30th in usa at 9pm or 10pm they might open dates for August. Not a guarantee but based on what happen last month and how I got a appointment for my fiancée.

Now about when you filed in November which is when the typhoon hit and im assuming you filed before the typhoon. When they made the decision to expedite the petition it started from the date on so im guessing that was after you filed so that's why your petition wasn't expedited.

I hope you get your NOA2 soon...Good Luck

Oh, we've had our NOA2 since April. Getting an interview, however, through the dashboard, we constantly get the message "No slots are available" and we check the site a dozen times a day.

All I know is that we are getting no special treatment. While we certainly support the expedition of the victims of Yolonda/Haiyan visas, we have been constantly trying to get a K-1 interview for the last month and the only message we get is "Currently, there are no slots available"

As you can see from our timeline, I applied to bring her over her in early November 2013. No RFE's. No support issues. No complications. Yet, when all the paperwork gets there, everything is frozen in time. Does anyone know why no K visa interview slots are open? Does anyone know when the Embassy usually opens the internet calendar gate, so to speak, to allow interview dates to be made? I have never heard of such a freeze before.

We have a strong relationship so I know we will survive this. But, it seems so unusual. I was wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue or if anyone else on this forum has any insight into the why, how, or when this problem will be resolved.

Sincerely,

James

Yes we did. Multiple times already. But still nothing. Still pending...

We feel your pain chaeradaria. While we got our NOA2 approved, we are "still" waiting on the US Embassy in Manila to give us an interview appointment date. We've gotten all the passports, submitted all the required paperwork, and have been told to go online to schedule an appointment for an interview. For over one month now, the US Embassy Secure website says there are no K visa slots available for appointments. No explanation. Just "No Appointments Available" at this time.

So, even after you get your NOA2, you can expect to play this waiting game over there in the Philippines.

I have a theory. I think the expedited Typhoon Haiyan/Yolonda victim visa program probably clogged up the waiting list. I may be wrong. But, my Cecille and I are patient and know we will "eventually" be together again.

I just wanted to give you a heads-up that you may encounter even more delays once you do finally get your NOA2 like we are over there.

Salamat Po

I just found out the the date of expiration on your 797 is not necesarily your expiration date. I just got off the phone with the Philippine Embassy. They told me she has up to one year to complete processing. Whew.....! Not the best news, but better than the worst.