Gregory&Dyn

It's great that you ask questions. The VJ community is strong and knowledgeable. Please do yourself, and your fiancè a favor, and read, read, read. There is a wealth of information available if you just look and read.

To answer your questions, on the VJ homepage (upper left) is a link titled, GUIDES (http://www.visajourn.../content/guides)

Within the GUIDES section there is a link for those filing for K1 Fiance Visas (http://www.visajourn...content/k1guide). Once you select this link, there is an I-129F

I strongly suggest using the SEARCH function and exploring all VJ has to offer. Chances are, if you have a question, its been asked, and answered before. Have fun and good luck!

It could also be seen as negative as a money scam.

Agreed! Because of the high fraud rate in the Philippines, and the number of financial scams across the globe, sending your fiancé $4,000 could very well work against you. Too many times I have heard stories of petitioners including money transfer receipts in their I-129F packages, only to find out later that it counted against them. Remember, the basis for your relationship is love, commitment and time spent together. That is what the embassy wants to see.

if you dont have a complicated case, why waste money on hiring an attorney?

Can you be specific on what warrants a "complicated case"?

I am a strong believer that if I can do it myself, I should. So far we have done exactly that. Months of preparation, research, and countless hours scouring VJ have given me the confidence to bypass an agency / legal firm when submitting the I-129F / K1. We are almost to that stage of the process now. My only concern is that Dyn was married. Just this month she received a decision in her favor (by the district judge) in her annulment case. The decision was forwarded to the OSG for approval two weeks ago, and that is where it currently stands.

Will a recent annulment constitute complications in the visa process? Let's assume that all paperwork and documents are in place, and correct at time of submission.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the chances of a single Filipina traveling to the U.S. on a tourist visa are next to impossible. Last year the U.S. Embassy in Manila held an open house to showcase their commitment to the Filipino community. One member of the U.S. Embassy staff commented that approximately 80% of the 1,000 daily visa requests that pass through the embassy are approved. Truthfully, I find this hard to believe. In fact, I think it is an outright lie and an exploitation of the Filipino people. Yes, there are occasional tourist visas approved, but it is RARE that any of these visas are handed over to a single Filipino woman. An honest guess would be that one in five hundred are approved.

An acquaintance on the inside of the embassy shared the real truth, saying, there is almost a 100% rate of denial for single Filipinos applying for tourist visas to the U.S. Those visas that are approved go to families, business owners, and older married couples who can successfully show strong ties to their home country through savings, property ownership, and a history of long-standing employment. Because of a very long history of fraud and abuse of the tourist visa process, Filipinos applying for a tourist visa to the United States have a better chance of getting struck by lightening than being approved.

I have a strong connection and personal friend in the White House. In 2013 he submitted a very complete and quite impressive tourist visa request package on behalf of my fiancè. The package was about as perfect as any I have seen and included supplemental paperwork printed on White House letterhead, with a personal letter from a staff member of the Office of the President. Everything was in place including a $10,000 secured bond, temporary medical coverage, lodging, food, promises of a spending allowance and more. Guess what? DENIED. DENIED. DENIED.

If meeting in the Philippines is not an option for you, consider meeting on neutral ground. Presently, Filipinos can visit no less than 20 different countries without a visa. Bear in mind that most of these countries are in southeast Asia, and Africa.

Bottom line: Save your money and hope. Don't even bother applying for a tourist visa. In the end you will have wasted time, money and effort.

Hello I am a Filipina now here in US and going through change of status process..how old is your fiancee? I will check with my sister if she can help her as she lives in Pasig City , not so far from the embassy. What is her educational attainment? did she work before? if yes, what type of job ? Just to see how we can help her find a job or assist her in any way.

THIS is the response OP was looking for. Pushing the criticism aside, he was seeking / networking the VJ community looking for help. Thank you, amberammo9915, for reaching out. I hope your sister can help.

For OP, if this doesn't pan out, be specific in your next post. Ask fellow VJ'rs if they have friends / relatives in the metro Manila area who are willing to share / rent a room. Surely there are cleaner places than where she currently lives.

UPDATE

My apologies. i misquoted the tour package price. Even so, it's still a wonderful value.

Price for 2 is not $25 as originally posted. Actual price is p2,000 ($42) up to three people.

This is an all day tour offered by a fellow VJ'r.

The same wonderful service, family-friendly atmosphere and personal care haven't changed.

Could be something as simple as a lack of signature(s) on the letter(s) of Intent to Marry. There are just too many open ends on this one to be clear. Best to wait for the RFE hard copy. Good luck to you. Keep us updated, please.

you can make trips to Canada and Mexico without a passport and get back in using other ID's

Unfortunately, the Philippines does not hold any travel visa waivers for North American countries including Mexico and Canada. At best, Filipinos can visit approximately sixty countries worldwide with no prearranged requirements (many of which are in Asia).

Welcome to VJ. You did right by asking, but I strongly suggest you take full advantage of everything VJ has to offer. Its overwhelming at first, but there is a wealth of information available if you just look and read. We (my Filipino fiance and I) are also in the beginning stages of the I-129F process. I've spent the better part of the last six months reading VJ forums, and asking questions nearly everyday.

To answer your question, on the VJ homepage (upper left) is a link titled, GUIDES (http://www.visajourney.com/content/guides)

Within the GUIDES section there is a link for those filing for K1 Fiance Visas (http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide). Once you select this link, there is an I-129F checklist. Item number 5 offers a downloadable link for an INTENT TO MARRY template. This should provide the information you are looking for.

Where in the Philippines are you / your fiance from?

Where in the states are you / your fiance from?

Good luck and stay in touch.

Gregory

Flower delivery (international / local) is very, very expensive. I strongly encourage you to reach out to a friend or family member of your lovely fiance, send them money via Western Union / Xoom / MoneyGram, and ask them to visit a local florist in person to make the purchase. It will save you $80-$100 easily.

Without answering your question directly, I provided a link that leads to several forums within VJ discussing Sputum Test / K1. At least one should shed some light on the matter.

http://www.visajourney.com/search/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=sputnum+test+k1&sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2F&ref=&ss=7910j4037364j27

Both MoneyGram and WesternUnion have online clients / portals for sending money. MoneyGram is sketchy at best. Their security protocols are so heavy sometimes that it makes the process not worthwhile. I have been denied more times using MoneyGram online than any other method (even after following up a transaction with a phone call to verify security questions.) MoneyGram is wholly unreliable.

Western Union online has served me well. Once an account is established, the process is quick and easy and about 99% reliable. I have had very few issues with WU whether using their online client or the WU app on my smartphone.

Keep in mind that the Philippines enforces heavy restrictions on currency transactions from other countries. The Philippines governemnt limits the number of transactions a single receiver can have each month (I don't know what the restrictions are). i.e. a receiver can only receive ten transactions per month and / or a total of $X.XX. If you find that you have reached the limit in any given month, simply send to a new receiver (another family member).

Hope this helps

Can OP post an update on his (Fiance's) case? What has happened since August? Please share.

That is GREAT news. Congratualtions!!

I hope your consular officer is reading this thread because I have a message for him/her:

Quit torturing these folks. They have waited long enough. You can order a CENOMAR, so get off of your lazy butt and do it!

Hahaha! Well said. Bonus points.

Mine took only a month.

Wow. A month? That is great! Thanks for replying.

I don't think the process of getting an annotated marriage certificate has changed much over the years.

You can hand carry the documents from the LCR to the PSA. To speed up the process at the LCR, Dyn may be able to get some help from a friend or family member who knows someone at the LCR. Or, maybe Dyn's family knows the mayor or the barangay captain. It certainly would help speed things up if you showed them your "gratitude," just not too much "gratitude."

Tahoma,

Right on. I think your advice is right in line with what I have been reading and hearing from others. By the way, what do you know about a three month waiting period after the PSA does there part and the district court issues the Certificate of Finality? Somebody noted that this is a standard waiting time in case the other party appeals. It seems to me that the time for appeal would come long before the PSA / NSO records the annulment as complete. Am I wrong?

Thanks for taking time to reply and advise accordingly. Your input is most appreciated. We will keep you updated with the progress :-)

Thanks ALL for your responses. There still seems to be no real clarity on my question - even after scouring countless threads. Sadly, most threads are several years old and I am afraid the process(es) may be obsolete in 2015. Never-the-less, I will continue forward and garner multiple shreds of advice and weave them into one solid piece. It seems to me that visiting the NSO personally, and / or having a friend on the inside is the best route.

By the way, thanks for the confirmation regarding the "gift". I would have jumped at the opportunity had the attorney suggested a gift of $100. But $750? No way, Jose'!

Dyn (my fiance in the Philippines) is nearing the end of her annulment process in Bohol. The provincial court issued a decision in her favor on 03 December 2015. The decision was forwarded to the OSG in Manila for review and a standard 15 day waiting period. Once the OSG approves the decision and forwards the necessary documents back to the Bohol court where a Certificate of Finality will be granted, Dyn has been advised by her attorney to hand deliver the CoF to the LCR (Local Civil Registrar). It is my understanding that the LCR will process the documents in the span of a few hours to a day. Once completed, the LCR will forward the annotated documents to the NSO in Manila.

Q: Is there a way to expedite the NSO process in order to receive the CENOMAR and Annotated Marriage Certificate quickly? The process generally can take one to three months (if left alone). We would like to get it completed and finalized with papers in hand within a week or two at the most.

If you, or somebody you know has gone through the process successfully, please share your experience and advice. Incidentally, our attorney suggested a "gift" of p35,000 ($750 USD) to the NSO clerk for expedition. This is an outrageous amount and I am sure others have expedited their own processes for much less. Please share.

It's my understanding that Kuwait will not issue any background checks / police reports unless the individual applies in person. Kuwait will not issue any police reports once he / she leaves the country. On the flip-side, I have also been told that Filipino beneficiaries on an I-129F are exempt from presenting police reports from Kuwait. The U.S. Embassy in Manila has been briefed regarding this.

Immigration, in general, doesn't always make much sense. I'm sure its been said before, but it is always worth repeating. Somebody can enter our country illegally and have more rights and benefits in the first three months than somebody who followed the rules and immigrated through the proper channels. Where is the incentive to play by the rules when illegal aliens qualify for voter's rights, a driver's license, and government assistance in housing, healthcare and finances? Its is just so damn backwards. If I entered just about any other country illegally, there would be stiff penalties including jail time, heavy fines and deportation. Not in the U.S. We seem to pride ourselves on bringing folks in by the boatload whether they are legal or not. THAT is what makes the immigration process so much more frustrating.

As for your situation: yes, it is frustrating. Take a deep breath. Relax. Getting angry at the system will only add to your frustration.

Expedia (www.expedia.com) generally offers great low-fare tickets internationally with multiple options. You can often select your seat (from those available), select round-trip options, choose departure times AND you can name the passenger (if different from the purchaser).

The real advantage is, by purchasing online through a third party vendor, you can bypass a lot of the red tape and expenses usually encountered when going directly through the airline. Expedia accounts are free and simple to setup. All you need is a valid credit card / debit card / check card.

I can't imagine the fear, anticipation, and overall worry that you are experiencing. I think I would fall apart after coming so far. Be strong, take a deep breath, and trust that those who have gone before you (and given their own positive advice) know what they are talking about. Be strong.

Where in the Philippines are you? I am just curious.