irishc30

Sounds like an absolute pain.

Is there any way I can avoid taking the CFO? e.g. if I have a EAD/AP card or conditional green card when I visit Manila? Or do I just have to bite the bullet?

Yup, it is a pain I stood outside for 3 hours straight with no sleep. I was ready to pass out by 6am. Again, make sure you have all the requirements because they don't care if your flight is today or tomorrow. If the facilitator says you can't go, you can't go. Good luck! It'll be over before you know it.

she can stay at the canteen/eatery in front or at the mini stop (convenience store) one block away from st.luke's. but i can guarantee you that the aunt will be bored.

be there by 4am. get lots of sleep and eat before that. you'll be standing outside until the doors open at 6:30am. it's a pain in the a** but you'll be so happy when you walk out of the building with the sticker on your passport. make sure you bring all the document that the facilitator MAY require. I attended the seminar last March 14 (Friday) and there's this one lady who didn't have her husband's divorce decree, of course she didn't get her sticker. she attended the friday pm session and her flight was on sunday. bummer! not sure if she was able to complete the requirements that day. she told me her husband doesn't know how to scan and attach documents via email. double bummer! I asked if she did a little research prior to attending the seminar and she said nope. So... read, read and read!

I live in Angeles City, Pampanga and I received my visa packet exactly 7 days after my interview.

It's not economical to bring a lot of stuff to the US in my opinion. I'll only bring one luggage and that's it. i'm not even gonna bring a ton of clothes, personal stuff, etc. but that's just me. It's too much trouble for me to worry about boxes and paying extra for excess baggage. I can buy stuff in there anyway so why worry about it? I know there are things she's going to miss back home but it is what it is, you know. she's migrating to another country so she better get used to not having everything she has back home.

Hi,

For airline approved pet carriers (in cabin) Check bow and wow in Greenbelt or in Shangrila. Unfortunately they dont sell sherpa or sleepypod here but the have petmate which is also airline approved. You may want to check their sizes too. We are actually bringing our 2 cats to Houston but we want them in cabin.

I hope everything goes well with you and your dog's flight.

Hi Ken&Lei! I called pet express but they don't sell soft kennels. I emailed the travel club and asked if they sell pet carriers, they said TUMI has a pet carrier and it costs 13,026 pesos which is ridiculous. So I ordered the Sherpa 11721 Delta Deluxe Pet Carrier from Amazon instead. glad that they ship to the Philippines. Total cost is $90 (includes shipping plus taxes). Not too bad. I don't want to take a chance so I decided to buy that specific carrier.

I hope all goes well with you and your cats too!

Not much choice if you want to bring the dog. I wouldn't feed your dog the day before, and the day of travel. You are going to want to hydrate her, and give her water during the trip. I'm not sure if they have puppy pads in the Philippines, but if you take the dog to the cr, you could put down a puppy pad to absorb the urine. She's going to have to go at least a few times over those 19 hours.

thanks for the tips! I'll look for puppy pads. I hope I can find DryFur here and collapsible water bowl.

Yes you can put the carry case on your lap during the flight, but during take off and landings it has to be under the seat.

Grab some Benadryl it will help settle the dog down and help it sleep during the long flight.

http://benadrylfordogs.info/how-much-benadryl-can-i-give-my-dog/

omg for real?!!! I was just kidding about the cough syrup hahahaha! I didn't know you can give a dog benadryl. thank you! I'm so tempted to do that so he won't pester the other passengers.

thank you everyone for your replies. this forum rocks!

http://www.sherpapet.com/products/delta-airlines

Saw that one today while I was reading the guide from Delta airlines. I just wish I can find it here in the Philippines. If I ask the bf to ship one to me, it may cost $100 just for the shipping plus $55 for the carrier itself.

Maybe you can sneak the dog in the carrier back to the CR's. They're not much room, but at least she would be out for a little bit. I kinda of doubt they'll let you let the dog out around the cabin. Think about getting a tranquilizer for your dog, so she'll relax and sleep through the flight.

I wonder if cough syrup will work hahaha! My dog is pretty quiet. I'll just walk him for an hour before our flight so he'll sleep during the flight. what i'm worried about is the pee and poop lol

It wouldn't surprise me if the Philippines wanted a pet to go through the CFO joke po

Delta does charge a hefty fee to. I'm not sure what you can do about a kennel, the area under seats is pretty small, and the dog needs to be able to turn around.

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets/pet-travel-options.html

CARRY ON YOUR PET

Dogs, cats and household birds* can travel with you in the cabin for a one-way fee*, collected at check in, to the following destinations:

• U.S./Canada: $125 USD/CAD
• Outside the U.S.: $200 USD/CAD/EUR

$200 is not so bad I guess. That person who posted another thread paid $700 and she flew United Airlines. Augh bringing a dog is too much trouble but I know I'll beat myself up when I feel the blues once I arrive in the US and I don't have my dog with me. I wonder if I can put the dog on my lap during the flight. Poor thing would have to stay under the seat for 19h yikes!

http://www.sherpapet.com/products/delta-airlines

But being we are talking the Philippines...

EXACTLY! lol

they charge you with just about anything here.

You're supposed to contact the airline about the size of kennel that will fit under the seat ahead of you on your flight. The space under seats is pretty darn small, so I'm glad your dog is small. We have a Shih Tzu cross, which is about 20 pounds, so no way would she fit in a kennel that fit under a seat. There's also a limit to how many dogs can be in cabin on a flight.

There is also the Pet First program with Delta which allows snub nosed breeds, but it also has the exception of the temps must not exceed 75 Fahrenheit for any portion of the journey. And I have no idea how you'd avoid that from the Philippines.

I did call Delta Manila office today and the lady I spoke with told me what size of kennel I need. The only problem is I can't find one in my area

Is there any exit fee for dogs? Do I have to pay for anything at the airport?

There is a good outline of how to transport a dog to USA from the experience of another VJ'r. Hope it helps.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/395753-guide-to-bringing-your-dog-to-the-usa/page-2

Hi Greenbaum, thanks for the link

I actually read that post before I posted my own thread. The thing is that person flew via United Airlines and I think they dropped their dog off at the cargo bay. can't do that with my dog because Delta won't allow it according to their Animal Breed Restrictions guide. Mine will stay right under the seat hehe.

I'm hoping a person who tried flying their pet via Delta (from Phils to US) can help me.

I'm bringing my 1-year old Shih Tzu (he weighs less than 10lbs.) to the United States and we're flying via Delta. I read that I can't check him in as a baggage so he would have to be with me on the plane (under the seat). I already know the things I need to do before the flight (vaccines, certificate, export permit) but I just want to hear from people who have first hand experience regarding this.

I have a few questions:

1.) What's the exact procedure when we get to the airport (NAIA 1)? Do I immediately proceed to the Delta check-in counter? Since I won't be checking him in as baggage, I don't have to go to the cargo section, is that correct?

2.) What stuff do I have to bring for my dog? collapsible food and water bowls, treats, dog food, wipes... what else?

3.) I'm guessing my dog will pee and poop during the flight or stopover. I won't be kicked out of the airport if my dog poops there, right? Of course I'll clean up the mess. Any experience on your dog making a mess during the flight?

4.) What in-cabin carrier did you get? Where did you buy it? I've had no luck in finding in-cabin carriers in my local pet stores so I'm not sure if ordering online now is a good idea. We're leaving a month from now. I tried searching in eBay but all the sellers are from the US. I can't find online Filipino pet stores that sell in-cabin carriers either I called Delta and the lady told me I need to get a soft kennel.

Please, if anyone has experience in being with their dog on the plane the whole time, I would appreciate any inputs. Thank you!

Any convention is acceptable in the USA, it's the PI you will deal with changing all your documents. Just trying to save you some headaches. BTW your husband is not stupid. I think it's good that each of you have an opinion.

What sort of issues do you think I will run into if I decide to drop my mother's maiden name and my maiden name when I get married? I'm planning to just use my given name (Irish) and my future husband's surname (McTavish) after we get married. Another question... do I really have to renew my Philippine passport even if I'm not planning to visit within the next 3 years? when am I eligible to get a US passport?

you must have the CFO also, to buy a ticket, just check your country requirements.

Where did you get this information? I already booked my ticket and I haven't done my CFO seminar yet so...

There is a definite answer - it is extraordinarily clear - you MUST be authorized to work legally in order to legally work in ANY capacity here in the US.

Working online, working offline, whether you are working for an individual or for a large corporation, part time/full time - there is no difference. If you are HERE in the US then you can only legally work if you are authorized to do so.

If she is paying you under a W2 or a 1099, then that income is reported to the IRS and you will be responsible for paying income taxes (quarterly if she's paying you as a contractor under a 1099); if she's not then she is breaking the law. You must be very careful with this … you think immigration is nasty? Wait until you run afoul of the IRS.

With that said, many people work for cash and ignore their responsibilities to the law.

If this is the kind of work you want to do in the future (online work is great for mom's who want to spend more time with their children) and you like this particular lady, then there is value in keeping the relationship open. Perhaps you can 'volunteer' your writings for the time being and then segue into a paid position once you have work authorization. Networking and relationships are very important in securing good work opportunities here.

Thanks for the help. I'm not planning to stick to this job. I just want to keep doing it while waiting for EAD or AOS so I won't get bored and $600 can buy a little bit of groceries. But since laws in the US are very strict (unlike here in the Philippines), I will not jeopardize my green card application. Thanks again for enligthening me and MiniKoala.

I'm in the same situation. I contacted the legal department of the Us Company I do the online work for and they were not 100% sure about this either, but they advised me not to work for any US based company while the AOS is pending. The problem being that you can not pay taxes for an income made without having a work permit, according to them.

I did a lot of research on this and couldn't find a definite answer. But since there is a possibility it would jeopardize my Green Card application (my author page is the first thing that shows up in a Google search), I want to be on the safe side and I'm taking a sabbatical from the online job.

Please correct me if anyone knows more about this and can give a more accurate answer.

Thank you so much for the reply. I appreciate it. There are no definite answers to this and I don't know which agency to seek help from. I guess we're better off staying at home to cook and clean than risk getting into trouble with our AOS. I hope someone who has the specific experience regarding online job can chime in. Btw, I'm working for an individual and not a company per se so I don't know if that makes any difference. I'm writing articles for her and that's it.

I know I can't work as soon as I arrive in the US unless I have EAD or unless we have filed for AOS but can I keep working online? Do I have to pay taxes even if I'm only earning $600 a month? You see I've been an online article writer here in the Philippines and I work for an American. She knows I'm moving to the US and she asked me if I'd like to keep working for her even when I'm already there. I told her I would love to work online until I am allowed to apply for a job where I live. I don't wanna get in trouble that's why I wanna know as early as now if I can keep my online job so I know my next steps. I don't wanna sit at home everyday doing nothing except for clean and cook lol.

Anyone knows how online jobs in there work for K1 visa holders?

. This experience of 12 hrs for a 3 hr seminar would never happen in a first world country.

Get there at 2am...

Well, don't you just love the Philippines? I dread the CFO seminar more than the interview at the embassy. I don't know why they like giving people a hard time. 30 slots is not cool. They should do something to accomodate everyone who wishes to attend the CFO seminar I just don't get it.

Not everyone can afford or wants an engagement ring, so it doesn't seem like something they would require. Rings are expensive & we're all paying visa fees & moving costs along with it. Don't worry at all not having one.

No, it's not a requirement. I wouldn't send the ring in the mail if I were you. Tell your fiancee to be honest on her interview.

For those who have no idea what the show is:

http://starcasm.net/archives/256059

I find it interesting based from what I read on that article. I have yet to watch it before I can make any comments. Oh look one of them is from the Philippines! I'd love to see this show

Sooooo expensive! At $100 she could buy a brand new printer and print all the chat logs and photos herself D:

But I'm guessing that you paid that much for the peace of mind which I understand completely.

LOL I know! I scolded my fiance. He should have picked the 4-5 days option which only costs about $65. That's a lot of money just for the I-134, letter of intent and cert of employment plus a handful of cards that we sent each other over the course of our relationship. oh well!

send an email to passportstatus@ustraveldocs.com. further instructions are here:

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-passportretrieve.asp

*you'll get a reply in 2 seconds. cool, huh? hehe!

You can also enter your passport number on the same link I gave you to check the status. The ceac status tracker is not always up to date.