rickster62

That is correct. You only need the main page and the one (ones) that have stamps.

No way will it take 6 months.We did ours in Manila and from date of filing to visa in hand took 6 weeks. Just use all the tools on this great website, be assertive, and you will be on your way in no time

I fly Eva Air a lot. No problems and very professional.

I do not see any possible reason to wait until June or even March. You have received approval on your DCF, and you simply need a case number. I was able to get through via both email and phone on several occasions. PLEASE read the hot thread within this forum entitle DCF Manila. Look on page 5 for the comprehensive post from Jace 5869. It tells you exactly who to call/email to get your Manila Case number. It gives you live links to filing the DS-260, and afterwards the physical at St. Luke's Extension Center and the Interview.

We are in Manila now, our daughter is finishing her physical, and her interview is next Friday.

Forget about having your baby in The Philippines.. Just email/call repeatedly and GET THAT CASE NUMBER! Be assertive, kaibigan. You put in so much time, effort and money to get where you are in the process. Stay the course and do not give up! I have had good luck calling mid morning and mid afternoon

Inggat,

Rick

Hi Jace,

Thanks for the awesome thread and great information! Filed DCF a few weeks ago in Manila.

Just completed the DS-260 online and followed your instructions for Registering for the Interview and Physical. The IVMnappointments@state,gov is no longer operable, but they did automatically give me another address support-philippines@ustraveldocs.com

tried to log into http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ph/index.html?firstTime=N as a new user but it would not take the passport name.

Any ideas?

Rick

You don't need any invoice number. You can pretty much set up the rest of the stuff yourself.

1. Go to https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/ and go under the Immigrant Section and sign in with your case number and date of birth (yyyymmdd)

and complete your online DS-260.

• when finished print out the confirmation as a copy for yourself and copy the confirmation number and email it to ivmnlappointment@state.gov
• you will get back a automated response telling you to do exactly what I'm telling you to do...so don't wait

2. Go to http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/ph/index.html?firstTime=No

and register with your passport number and case number. This is where you select your Interview Date.

3. Now go to http://www.slec.ph/us/registration/ and pre-register for your medical. Since you have a interview date you can enter that information as well.

Print out 4 copies of the interview appointment and SLEC pre-register form. I would also print out a confirmation of your DS-260 to have for your interview.

Be on the lookout for earlier interview dates if you don't get a close date.

Anymore questions just ask. Things will speed by now.

Don't physically send anything anywhere. We filed DCF Manila on Jan. 7th as well. I assume you have your Manila Case Number already If not, email IVManilareplies@state.gov and ask for it. Then fill out the DS-260 online, followed by making appointments in Manila for your physical and interview. You can find the websites for this under the "DCF Manila" hot thread within this forum (about page 6 or so). Check out the invaluable posts from 'Jace5689', especially the ones on page 5 and 6 of that thread.

Can't schedule the appointment until I submit the DS-260, and can't submit that until I get my daughter a passport. So caught up in all the other BS that I just plain forgot about it. Hopefully she will have it in a week or so.

Don't really know what the hold up could be with your case. Try the IVManilaReplies again. If you live anywhere near Manila it may be worth your while to pay them a visit if you don't hear in a week or two.

Emailed IVManilareplies@state.gov last night and got my Manila case number this morning. So 12 days from filing DCF to Manila Case number. Thank you, Lord, for the good old USA!

I sent an email last night to IVManilareplies@state.gov and got my Manila Case Number today.

The 301-2000 EXT. 2224 is only useful prior to approval. After approval, the Manila Case Number must be received from the IV Section of the Embassy, I emailed them today at IVManilaReplies@State.gov. I filed in Manila on Jan 7 and received approval on the 14th.

Current numbers that can be called to speak to live person IV Manila (if you are lucky) are (02)976-8500, (02)976-8501, and (02)976-8502. Got a connection today, but ran out of load before I could complete the call.

From what I've been reading on this forum, if you received your approval on Dec 11th you should have gotten your case number by now. Maybe backed up because of the holidays? Being persistent and assertive are the best ways to get to the U.S. the quickest.

Cheers!

Thanks guys. Yeah, DCF is a totally different animal--check out the DCF Forum here. This local resident filing cuts the 10 month waiting down to a month or two because the entire process is handled locally here in Manila.

Will get the passport ASAP, and keep you informed.

THANKS BB--HERE ARE SOME RESPONSES(so shouting intended, just separating your comments from mine)

Kinda right, kinda wrong.....

WISH A WAS WRONG, CAUSE THEY WOULD MAKE IT FAR EASIER!

I'm not an immigration lawyer so take this at face value. Back to square 1:

TRUST ME ON THIS, YOU AND AND MANY OTHERS ON THIS FORUM KNOW FAR MORE THAN THE IMMIGRATION LAWYER AND "CONSULTANT" I HAVE HIRED (CHECK OUT MY THREAD UNDER DCF)

2 US citizens are adopting a foreign national in her home country. Upon the adoption being finalized and before entering the US is she eligible to apply for a US passport from the embassy in her country or must she apply after the POE? I don't know. Need other input or call the USEM for verification.

SHE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A US PASSPORT IMMEDIATELY UPON ENTERING THE US, BUT NOT SOONER. SO YES, WE WILL APPLY AFTER POE

If she will enter the US on a CR2 visa as you originally state, then you need to get her a Philippine passport as soon as possible using her birth name or actually the name you used on the CR2 application. But... When the adoption is complete I presume she then legally can use your surname which I presume is the name you would want her US passport issued in? So if she can travel with a US PP then the cfo question is

SAME AS BEFORE. NO US PASSPORT UNTIL WE HIT THE STATES. I HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF SO MANY DETAILS AND DOCUMENTS THAT i HAD JUST PLAIN NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING HER PASSPORT

If she will travel with Phil PP then she will need cfo certificate and stamp affixed to that pp but since less than 13 there is no seminar to attend. Just take the docs I stated earlier.

WILL DO

First question that needs to be addressed is when does her USC begin? If in fact she will use a Phil PP you need to have that in hand before any USEM interview and if I remember correctly I thought PP number was part of the CR2 application process.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED (AN IR2 THROUGH DCF) WITHOUT HER PASSPORT. NOW WE ARE WAITING FOR HER IV MANILA CASE NUMBER. DO YOU A GOOD NUMBER TO CALL WHERE I ACCELERATE THE PROCESS, AND ALSO GET FINALITY TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS?

Hope I haven't confused the issue.

NOT AT ALL, AND THANKS AGAIN!

Good post, Hank! As far as I can tell, she will become a U.S. citizen immediately upon entering the U.S, but not until then. So the logical conclusions are that she will need a Philippine passport with a visa stamp, and that we will need to attend the CFO seminar.

I also read on the CFO site that we do not need to have her visa before attending the seminar for her. This would work out best for us, as we can attend while waiting in Manila for her interview

Brassballs--with regard to the Philippine Passport, our adopted daughter currently has no passport whatsoever.Will we need to get one for her before we leave for the U.S,, or will the IR2 visa be sufficient?

Great! Thanks, Greenbaum and Brassballs (love it!). The three of us will be flying from Davao once we get our Manila case number, and we plan on staying for the physical and interview. No big deal to attend the seminar as long we're there anyway. As she is under 13, she does not need to attend, but we may very well need to attend by proxy for her. I'll give them a ring.

My wife and I are U.S.citizens (she has dual citizenship) and we are nearing the end of the IR2 jjourney via DCF for our locally adopted 12 year old niece (see my post in the DCF Forum). I know that, due to her age, our daughter is exempt from attending. Will one of us need to attend for her by proxy, or are we (and our daughter) exempt due to our U.S. citizenship? My gut tells me we still have to go, but can't find anything definitive.

Salamat!

Here is a copy of the email I received form USCIS Manila shortly before our InfoPass appointment last week:

REQUIREMENTS IN FILING I-130 PETITIONS FOR ADOPTED CHILD

BY A U.S. CITIZEN RESIDING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Requirements include but are not limited to:

Ø Documents from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration; foreign tax returns; business ownership; property ownership; employment; education; rental/lease agreement; utility bills; bank accounts/statements; Philippine issued IDs, i.e. PRC, driver’s license; etc.

Forms and Documentary Support – please arrange documents in the following order:

Ø Correct and completely signed Form I-130. Visit our website www.uscis.gov to download form.

Ø Proof of Citizenship: Valid passport, birth certificate or Naturalization Certificate. Originals must be presented at the time of filing the petition for authentication;

Ø Proof of petitioner’s termination of any previous marriage, if applicable;

Ø Marriage certificate, if applicable;

Ø Accomplished Supplemental Questionnaire for Adopted Children (attached);

Ø Birth certificate of child before and after adoption;

Ø Court document showing date when the adoption was filed in court. (Under the Philippine law, legal custody commences on the date an adoption petition is filed.)

Ø Final Decree of Adoption showing the child was legally adopted before the age of 16;

Ø Proof that you and/or your spouse exercised parental control for 2 years. Documents dating from the time you had the physical custody of the child, i.e. (1) family photos - timely dated and with description (2) child’s health records (hospital records/bills, doctor’s prescriptions, receipts, vaccinations, etc.) (3) School records (school cards showing parent’s signature, waivers/consent, tuition fee receipts, and letters/invitations from school, etc.) (4) Also documents listing your child as your beneficiary or dependent (insurance policies, Income Tax Returns, pensions, dependent card, etc.) This 2-year period does not need to be continuous or concurrent with the legal adoption. It can include time before or after the effective date of the legal adoption. This requirement can be very difficult to meet when the adopting parents live in the U.S. and the child lives abroad. The adopted child must have physically lived together with the adoptive parent/s in a parent-child relationship (with adoptive parent/s exercising primary parental control over the child) - looking over the total welfare of the adopted child.

Filing fee of $420. Payment of fees at the U.S. Embassy, Manila is limited to the following methods:

· Cash in U.S. dollars or the equivalent in Philippine pesos;

· Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Diner's Club);

· U.S. Postal Money Order in the exact amount; or

· Traveler's Check (at least 60% must be paid in traveler's checks to receive change in U.S. dollars or Philippine pesos).

For more information regarding Petitions for Adopted Children, please check our website: www.uscis.gov or call our office at (632) 301-2000 ext. 2224.

We filed DCF last Thursday, January 7th and received our acceptance notice (NOA2) yesterday. Many thanks to Larry at Pinayvisa and all the other posters on the forum, especially the ones who posted within the "Hot Thread" topic several pages down from here. I emailed USCIS Wednesday, and after receiving a quick "90 day response" form letter, received the good news.

Don't waste your money with an attorney like I did. The first one I hired is an American lawyer based in Manila and calls himself a "local immigration consultant". I gave him a $1000 deposit and basically never heard from him again. This, after promising to "hold our hands" and walk us through the process.

Next I hired an immigration attorney based in Seattle who did not know how, when or where to file. She knew nothing about DCF and suggested we file in the States. Then she mailed our application to Manila, which of course is not allowed. It worked out great because they were super friendly and responsive, and volunteered to hold our application until we arrived at the Embassy. So basically just read these threads carefully and, if you like, hire Larry. For $500 he knows a heck of a lot more than the attorneys I hired.

For local adoptions, you need both two years Physical Custody and Legal Custody. The former can be accrued before or after the adoption, and the latter (here in The Philippines), commences the day the adoption petition is filed in court. The Embassy IS aware of this provision and honors it (usually the two years Legal Custody commences from the date the adoption is finalized) Make sure the date is clear and officially notarized. None of this post applies to those of you who are going the Hague route or any other means

I cannot believe it took us so much time, effort, heartache and money to find out about DCF. I am a fairly intelligent guy, but I guess i never Googled the right search terms. My wife (dual citizen) is the one who officially filed since she has been in The Philippines the longest and most easily met the requirements for Permanent Resident.

Local adoption ARE recognized by USCIS for immigration purposes, and they even sent us a list of requirements before our InfoPass appointment last week. I will copy it in a follow up to this post when I get home.

It is my hope and goal that the next couple going through this process will not have to endure the confusion, misinformation and disinformation that we did. We will begin calling IV Manila for a case number next week, fill out the DS-260 online, then make our appointments for St Luke's and the interview.

I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions. Take care and God Bless.

Rick

Thanks again, Mark. Would there be a better chance of acceptance if the petition is filed in the States? I

In this case it wouldn't matter if the child was in your wife's physical and legal custody. It will depend if the child was in your custody.

Thanks Mark, but my wife is a Filipina with full U.S citizensip

Thanks in advance for your help, everyone--what a great forum!

My wife and I adopted her niece in the Philippines through the Domestic Adoption Process The adoption has been finalized and she has fulfilled both the two year legal and physical custody requirements. My wife has been in the Philippines continuously for the past two years, so she is eligible to file DCF in Manila.

Most sources I have read (including official USCIS websites) imply that filing an I-130 is sufficient for Immigration, but a few folks have told me that she must file an I-600 first. All the docs and info required of an I-600 will be included on her I-130. If I DO need to file the I-600, can it be done simultaneously with the I-130.\

Seems like a pain to have to make another trip from Davao City, but it would still beats waiting around for 8 months if we were to file in the States.

Cheers,

Rick