raquel_1208

I did not get letter of consent from the father. I only presented birth certificate showing I am the mother at the airport people and I did not have problems at all. I have answered this question before and there was a link about law/rules on minors travelling abroad that I have included in my answers. If you want you can search here in vj. It states there that one biological parent should accompany the minor children and you do not need a written consent from DSWD or from the other biological parent.

I used www.rebtel.com. It cost me 13 cents per minute for calling cellphone in the philippines. You can sign up and try it for free for 10 minutes. You can use any US landline or cellphone.

I stapled 10 pages of short bondpaper, labeled the first page with our names and placed two pictures for each successive pages so that I had 18 pictures ( I also labeled each with date and place where the photo was taken) to show all in all. I brought the rest of our pictures though for back-up in case they needed more but they didnt. My "album" went thru the window without a hassle because it was very thin. It was simple but very convenient. Anyway they are interested in your picturs, not how grand the arrangement looks like Just a tip that helped me a lot.

Goodluck on the journey.

The pre-screener asked me to take out 5 pictures in the album even if the album fits in the window. The labels I made were basically useless.

hello everybody, my fiancee is from cebu philippines, we applied for a k1 visa on march of 2008, but we are still waiting for our approval, my fiancee is pregnant with our first child, and i want to know how much money will it cost to give birth in the philippines, i want her to have the baby at a private hospital since i heard the medical care is much better, any thoughts are welcome.

thank you

Normal delivery ranges from 10,000-30,000 pesos. C-section ranges from 50,000-70,000. It actually depends on the hospital.

I bought a box of them today in Seafood City, its a filipino store. It cost $9 for a dozen. They are not the green mangoes that we have in the Philippines. They look like apple mangoes but taste like indian mangoes. Go to their website and find out if you are near in one of their stores. That's where I buy may bagoog isda as well that I use in my gulay and I also buy my junk foods there like Chippy, V-Cut, Lucky Me Pancit Canton and other filipino goodies.

www.seafoodcity.com

They are mexican mangoes.

Nope, they are not mexican mangoes. It says in the box they came from Ecuador.

I bought a box of them today in Seafood City, its a filipino store. It cost $9 for a dozen. They are not the green mangoes that we have in the Philippines. They look like apple mangoes but taste like indian mangoes. Go to their website and find out if you are near in one of their stores. That's where I buy may bagoog isda as well that I use in my gulay and I also buy my junk foods there like Chippy, V-Cut, Lucky Me Pancit Canton and other filipino goodies.

www.seafoodcity.com

Please also make sure that you could get the affidavit in Cebu-US embassy. It might only be available in Manila.

I may have to disagree if I will be departing from LA. So far, Eva Air's hot-efare is cheaper by $200.

I'm currently here in PI and will be coming back to the US on Jan. 17. I just like to know if it is safe to bring condiments and seasonings?I'm also thinking of bringing some noodles (like pancit, sotanghon, etc.), some home made Bicol pili products and pastries. Are those stuff allowed to be included in my checked in luggage?Thanks a lot in advance.

If you live in LA, there's a lot Filipino and Asian stores that has noodles and seasonings. They even have patis and bagoong. The things that I have regretted not buying more were jeans. The stores here have my size but the fit is different than what I am used to wearing in the Philippines. Pili products and pastries are okay as long as you declare them in the forms that you will have to fill out in the plane. I brought lots of dried mangoes.

Not allowed. It may even delay you at your POE. Your husband will just have to suffer like we do, hehe. I am craving for a green unripe mango right now and all I could find are mangoes from Mexico. They look like the apple mangoes that we have in the Philippines. Oh well, I will just have to wait until I visit the Philippines again.

Its not available here in the US.

I was thinking, I understand that a K3 Visa holder is a 2 year multiple re-entry permit. I wanna ask the OP what does it says for your expiration date? Because I'm thinking that may be the validity of your visa. I think that is. If its says there 2 years then nothing to worry. If it says there 6 months then nothing to worry either because you will be leaving on the 3rd month anyway.

For K1 validity of the visa is 6 months but the moment you enter the US the validity will only be 90 days.

Does it applies to K3? when is the 2 year starts? The moment he/she receive the visa or the moment he/she enter the US? just a thought..if anyone could clarify this that would be good.

Vida Taylor

The 2 years is indicated in the US visa that is printed in the passport. Mine says "Issue Date 02/11/08 Expiration Date 02/06/10". The 90 days does not apply to K3 because its for couples who got married in the Philippines. It only applies to K1 who needs to get married within 90 days once they arrived in the US.

If the medical exam's validity is 6 months and it had lapsed before she files AOS here in the US, she will have to do it all over again with USCIS designated doctor.

My K3 visa has no stipulation or whatsoever about my medical so I am thinking that I can travel anytime I want within that 2 year period. K3 visa does not need to apply Advance Parole even if AOS has not been filed because of that 2-year validity.

Anyway to answer the OP's question, yes she can still use her visa after 4 months.

2 years

Thanks God that finally I got an interview letter from USCIS scheduled on January 21, 2009. I hope and wish for those who are waiting that they will have it the soonest.

Good day to all and good luck..

Same interview date here. I received the letter yesterday as well

I am very happy for you John.

I thought about that a million times. I do have fears and they arent unfounded. But i dont fear the idea of getting married to my fiance, i was ready the moment i said Yes. Otherwise, i wouldnt have agreed to marry him. I came to realize its the changes and complications that will come after marriage that makes me nervous. Plus, i have to go halfway around the world to be with him makes it even more scary. But Im up for the challenge.

*sigh* I have to learn how to cook.... wash my clothes (his too).... wash the dishes...... CHORES . There are so many things i take for granted in here.

I think the best things to learn are cooking & driving if you do not know how to cook meals and drive a car. They have washing machines, dryers and dishwashers here in every household so those chores are basically easier when you get here. They used heat sa dryer, not like yong dryer natin diyan sa Pilipinas, and most of the clothes are not wrinkled pag natuyo na. Just put it in hangers or fold it nicely once its done.

And if its possible do not live with your future in-laws for a long time. If its just short and temporary that is fine. I have read posts here about some pinays not getting along with the mother in-laws and husband's siblings. Its best to maintain a good relationship with your husband's family because they are closest family you will ever have once you are here in the US and you can do that by living separately from them.

I am not sure but I have read long ago from someone who used presumptive death as the reason for termination of marriage and US embassy did not look too kindly on that. They also do their own investigation. My advice is consult a lawyer who have successful annulment cases. Its better to go through lengthy process that will surely terminate the marriage than go through the presumptive death reason that you are not even sure if it will be accepted by US embassy.

No just like K1, you must file AOS with EAD(employment authorization document). My EAD got approved 3 months after I sent it. No news with AOS after my biometrics.

I sent you a PM.

I have a lot of friends married to Filipinas and so far about 75% of the Filipinas have cheated on their husbands. Is this a normal thing in the Philippines? One friend treated his wife like a queen and she still got a boyfriend on the side and was even renting an apartment for him using my friend's money. I just don't understand this cheating thing. I am going to have long discussions with my wife but wanted to get feedback here on this board too.

I am Filipina married to a USC. I have recently gotten my EAD & SS. I can work and earn my own money more than what my husband earns. In my opinion, those cheating women only married their husbands in the first place just to be able to get something from them like money or green card. I consider your friend's wife a liar and a thief and your friend has been deceived from the very start. I believe in a monogamous relationship and karma. If there will come a time that I or my husband is not happy anymore with our marriage and the possibility of working it out is not going to happen, I will let my husband know how I feel and ask for a divorce before starting any new relationship with someone else.

You can put the info of the biological father. It will not affect them leaving the country as long as the child is travelling with the mother, they do not need a letter of consent from the biological father or permission from DSWD. Me and my 11-year old daughter is now here in the US. At the airport, I just showed the birth certificate of my daughter to prove that I am the mother. Next time post your questions in the Philippine Thread as most people are quick to give answers there and help out because of similar experiences.

my wife and I have decided to put "n/a" for ALL of the father's info. She really only remembers his name, he currently cannot be found, nor does she want to find him. will "na/a" affect anything. We will also send teh birth cert, of course and an updated Affadavit of illegitimacy stating the father cannot be found....think that will raise any red flags? or NVC will process it without any isses?

It will not cause any red flag. Do not worry too much. If your wife has no unterminated prior marriage then you are good to go.

would submitting the affidavit of illegitiacyalong with teh DS230 be a wise decision?

It will not hurt. In my opinion it is not a major document. The NVC & US Embassy in Manila will only require NSO Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificates of your wife and stepchild, Certificate of No Marriages or CENOMAR(it will list your marriage because she is already married), NBI Clearance of your wife, I-864 for your wife and stepchild and proofs of your on-going marital relationship like phone bills, joint bank accounts, insurance policy that she is your beneficiary, pictures together, receipts of money transfer, emails & snail mails. Your main objective is to prove to NVC and US Embassy that you have a legitimate relationship. If you have all that covered then your stepchild will be fine with or without that affidavit because the stepchild is a dependent of your wife's visa if it gets approved. So you need to focus on those documents that I listed above. The document that will be needed for your stepchild is just the birth certificate proving that she is really the child of your wife.

You can put the info of the biological father. It will not affect them leaving the country as long as the child is travelling with the mother, they do not need a letter of consent from the biological father or permission from DSWD. Me and my 11-year old daughter is now here in the US. At the airport, I just showed the birth certificate of my daughter to prove that I am the mother. Next time post your questions in the Philippine Thread as most people are quick to give answers there and help out because of similar experiences.

my wife and I have decided to put "n/a" for ALL of the father's info. She really only remembers his name, he currently cannot be found, nor does she want to find him. will "na/a" affect anything. We will also send teh birth cert, of course and an updated Affadavit of illegitimacy stating the father cannot be found....think that will raise any red flags? or NVC will process it without any isses?

It will not cause any red flag. Do not worry too much. If your wife has no unterminated prior marriage then you are good to go.

You can put the info of the biological father. It will not affect them leaving the country as long as the child is travelling with the mother, they do not need a letter of consent from the biological father or permission from DSWD. Me and my 11-year old daughter is now here in the US. At the airport, I just showed the birth certificate of my daughter to prove that I am the mother. Next time post your questions in the Philippine Thread as most people are quick to give answers there and help out because of similar experiences.

HELLO. MY MARRIAGE TO FILIPINO WAS LEGALLY ANNULED LAST YEAR. I HAVE AN AMERICAN BOYFRIEND AND WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE NSO VERIFICATION OF MY DOCUMENTS. THREE DAYS AGO THE RESULT CAME OUT AND IT HAPPENNED THAT MY MARRIAGE CONTRACT DIDNT HAVE REMARKS WHICH INDICATE THAT 1ST MARRIAGE WAS ANNULED. I CALLED NSO AND THE PERSON IN CHARGED SAID THAT IT WILL TAKE 5 YEARS FOR THEM TO PUT IT ON NSO DATA BASE.IM WORRIED BECAUSE WHAT I SUBMIT DURING MY INTERVIEW WAS MY PREVIOUS MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE WITH REMARKS.

MY QUESTION IS: DO YOU THINK US EMBASSY WILL GRANT ME A VISA? I ALREADY SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS DURING MY INTERVIEW INCLUDING MY PREVIOUS MARRIAGE CONTRACT WITH REMARKS FROM NSO SAYING THAT MY 1ST MARRIAGE WAS ANNULED..PLEASE ANYBODY EXPERIENCED LIKE MY CASE??THANKS.

hi,have u submitted a copy of the decision and finality to the local registry office where you got married?if not.you need to submit it together with a certified true copy of your marriage certificate and pay a certain amount,they'll be the one to transmit a copy to NSO,after few weeks,your LCR,will give you the certification that they already have recorded your annulment.to get a copy of your annotated MC from NSO,you need to bring the certification from LCR,the decision and finality of your annulment to NSO(East Ave.)Area B,dont forget to fill up an application form coz after they'll check all your papers,you'll be asked to pay at the cashier,you'll get your annotated MC after 2wks.

good luck!

Hi,yes already submitted copy of my decision and finality to local registry.As a matter of fact i got annotated MC with remarks in it last year nov 2007 after 2 weeks from NSO,east ave.I dont understand why PJ from NSO told me he cant see any remarks on my previous marriage contract.Im worried also because what i submitted during my interview is the one i got from nso,east ave with remarks,Pj told me what they got is the one with no remarks and already forwarded to embassy.

Bring the NSO copy with annotation and the original & photocopies of your annulment decision, finality or decree. Show them the original annulment papers and give them the photocopies if they asked for it. Do not worry about it your annulment papers will be enough. I have been there and done that kind of situation.