pratmaster

EDIT:

I just found out that you have to pay this every time unless the ticket was bough in the Philippines, I guess I got confused, which is nothing new..

I read that the Ninoy airport taxes where included in the tickets now, something that was started just a few years ago. I know that the 2 times I traveled there I did not have to pay anything and when my fiancee was still a OFW she did not have to pay any last year.

However..

My Finacee flight is leaving soon (weather permitting) and she sent me a message saying that she had to pay 1620php in fees.

I had told her that I thought that she would not have to pay them, but might end up having to pay fees anyway, so she was prepared.

I had booked the ticket through Orbitz (cheapest flight this trip) I paid $60.00 in taxes and fees, but was no breakdown so I called Orbitz to see if the airport fees where included. They have no breakdown (or do not know how to find it) of the taxes, but the lady said there where no more fees that everything was included in the ticket.

So, unless she was just lucky enough to be cheated out of the 1620, be aware that there is another tax/fee that will have to be paid at the airport, unless it was due to me using Orbitz (although my 1st flight was through them)

Oh, I also sent her a copy of my credit card, driver license and passport as per directed by on here and the airlines, since I bought the ticket for her, but she was never asked for copies.

There is no requirement to send emails and chat logs with the I-129F petition. Where in the instructions are you seeing that?

You need proof of meeting in person within the 2 years prior to filing. Emails and chat logs cannot prove that. That is for front-loading proof of relationship, which is not a requirement of the I-129F petition. They will not send an RFE for something that is not required.

You are right, I had to go back and re read the instructions.

It was back last fall/winter that I did all the paperwork and just forgot. I had read somewhere that you had to send it in, but maybe it was somewhere on here saying it was better..

My mistake, although since I did send it all in, my fiancee had no need for it at her interview, so they will need all this for there interview since it was not sent in with the application.

thanks for correcting my mistake, hate for someone to be worried due to me being wrong..

_{2. I was not clear on what app we met so I am sure they may say something about that. Let's hope not...}

_{3. I did not send any copies of conversations (emails. whatsapp, Skype, etc.). If any, I'll take that to the interview or upon request.}

You will most likely get an RFE since you did not send in the evidence (email, chat and skype logs) since that is part of the things asked for with sending in the I-129f as it was part of the instructions.

They will also want to know how/where you met..

UPDATE

OK, so I talked to my fiancee and I have some things wrong, not surprising..

She was the one that came up with the end of the month for the visa.

The number she got was from the NSO to make sure her cenomar was picked up

I guess I am getting ahead of myself since it has only been 1 week since the embassy got the new cenomar, I forgot we are dealing with the US government.

Oh they give the 221g as an email now, I asked her about if she got a 221g and she said no, but then she said she got an email from the embassy after she already went to get the new cenomar, she sent the email to me and guess what.... it's the 221g..

So, who knows what is going on now, I hope the website is updated soon, if not I guess I will call them the 1st of next month to make sure there is no problems..

I am so disgusted with the CFO office I'm about to get on an airplane, arrive at their office and give them a piece of my mind! Let me tell you this.... if it turns out you do have to go through the CFO office for the seminar make sure you lady has a driving license or driving certificate. They will not give out stamps to anyone who does not have this. Ok I'm going to go a little further.... The CFO official you need to avoid is a lady by the name of Ababa Jes. She requires all kinds of ####### that is not necessary. This woman wants to turn the Philippines into a Stalinist State! Avoid her at all costs. If I could meet her in person right now I'd be in jail no kidding!!

She has never drove a day in her life, I doubt she knows how to even start a car.

I told her about that and she is not worried, she is pretty quick witted and I am sure will come up with a good answer, besides they can hold someone from leaving the country just due to no driving paperwork, that I am pretty sure is illegal.

Besides it does not state this on the CFO requirements, or at least what I read and if that was the case, then 75% of the people that do the CFO would be denied since I would think that 90% of them have never had a drivers paperwork in there life.

Oh, and she also meet some other girls at the interview and medical that had already taken there CFO and said it was no big deal and they got there stamps, ( these girls where with other people or taking there kids for there visa from what she said.

Of everything we have done, the CFO does not bother her, she said sine there Filipino she can handle them, it was the medical and going to the embassy that bothered her before she went anyway.

If you follow the link from my earlier post and start the registration process it will ask you a series of questions and once your finish it will tell you if you need to take the seminar. If so it gives you the option to quit or schedule a day to attend. From what you have said I believe she will need to attend. If so schedule as soon as possible as dates fill up fast. If she is in Cebu it's a little easier to get an appointment closer to your departure date.

I had done that before she took her interview just looking at the website, I did not answer the questions or anything. I just talked to her and she said she was going to do the CFO regardless if she had to or not, so there is that..

Well, we had an issue with the CENOMAR, the NSO messed it up, well it was more that the embassy did not like it and wanted another, so she had to get a new one and have it delivered (the embassy did this, she paid for it).

So we were waiting on the visa so she only had to make one trip to Manila, but I just mentioned it to her again about wanting to do it now and she said no, she did not want to make another round trip to Manila, its 10+hrs on a good day 1 way, last 2 times it took her 16-20+ hrs each way due to weather, traffic, bus breaking down etc. As for going to Cebu, its in the wrong part of the country for her, she is near Santiago Isabela and I doubt I can get her to go town there, but I can ask her and see.

But maybe next week I will talk to her again and go to the CFO site and see when we can make an appointment, she is mad at me right now, Filipino's and there "the people will do there job correctly, you have to wait and see" attitude and my "no one does there job correctly, you got ot make sure they do" attitude do not mix.. All due to me wanting to make sure the embassy actually has her new cenomar they requested.

All Filipinos exiting the Philippines for the first time through immigration must attend and receive a CFO certificate attached to their passport before leaving the country. There are no exceptions. You will be denied boarding at Filipino Immigration upon departure.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/

So....

Does this mean my fiancee does not have to do the CFO since she is/was an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) and worked in Singapore for about 15 years? Or was the OFW a different animal since it was through a employment agency?

She has left the country to stay in another country, so I assume she did go through immigration and has been to and from the Philippines I think 2 times already and then came back to finish the visa process there rather in Singapore since she had only Sunday off and could not take off any other day (yeah she quit a good job to share her life with me, silly girl )

Be nice if she did not have to attend the CFO, but we where planning on making the appointment a few days before her flight, which neither have been planned since we are still waiting on her to have the visa in hand.

We got an RFE, took almost a month exactly from the date I got it till the NOA2.

It was requesting for a letter ( more or less) from my Fiancee that she understood she had to marry me with in 90 days of entering into the US and that she did intend to marry me. The RFE also said that they did not see the information they where looking for in our text messages that I sent in with the 129F, I guess we talked about it in Skype.

What I did was send her an email telling her about the RFE and why and what they wanted, she replied back with a confirmation of what the RFE was for, then I repied again saying yes, so she wrote the letter and sent it to me in an email, I then printed out the entire conversation so that there was no doubt this letter came from from her and not me since it had reply to emails listed. I mailed the paperwork in the envelope and waited almost 30 days till be got the NOA2, funny thing is I got it while sitting in the airport just returning from my 2nd visit to her...

So if you do not want one like mine, make sure somewhere in your text you print out you clearly state the info about if not marrying in 90 days the finance has to leave the US and that they do intend to marry.. I had wrote a letter on my behalf, but never thought to have her write one, my mistake

Hope this will help others

I forgot to mention that I also checked the useless UStraveldoc website, the "buttons" to inquire on different things do not even work, Grrrrr.

I checked the Dept of State CEAC web site today (7/22/16) as I was courious about my fiancees visa, she took her interview (Manila Philippines) on the 7th of July and they took her passport.

She did have a problem with her CENOMAR, for some reason when she got it the NSO did a search from 1945 to present and listed someone that has the same first name (ONLY) and not even living in the same part of the country, it was from 1995, everything way different ,middle, last name, birth and living in place, birth date and age all different, not even close other then her first name which was so strange.

So She signed some paper at the embassy after her interview and went to Passy to pay for another cenomar, (only 12 month back search) where as it was to be picked up by the embassy on the 15th of July per the NSO since she went after her interview on a Thursday and it was not going to be ready till Friday afternoon and the US embassy picks up before noon on Friday only, so it would be the 15th before it was picked up (what the NSO people told my fiancee)

So I thought that I would check the CEAC site to see if the processing of her visa had started since it's been a week since they got the cenomar they (US embassy) requested.

I know that even if the consular said she would have her visa by the end of the month (July) it does not mean she will, but I thought I would just check ans see if it was started being processed at least.

Well, I entered the DS160 Confirmation number ( I do not have the number given to her at the embassy, it's 4am at her place, I will get later) and the location (Manila Philippines) and the only info I got was "No Status"

I also entered her passport number into that search and nothing came up..

Should I be worried or have her call in to see if there is anything wrong or we need to do anything else?

Or has just a week not been long enough for them to update the status on the website?

I would had thought it would tell me something about her visa rather hten nothing at all...

Thanks

We're preparing for the trip from Manila to U.S. too and I was thinking a one-way would work. Another prospective is that I have heard horror stories about the immigration/customs officials in Manila airport not allowing people to pass through without a return ticket to Philippines. This is usually a scam to get money I bet. Those guys can be crooked.

I've also heard that the immigration/customs agents in the airport in Manila require that the person flying have a certain amount of money on hand or in the bank.

Anyone heard this too?

I have never heard this, I do know that the Philippine immigration will not let me into the country unless I have a return flight ticket with in a set amount of time (based on the length I am staying, visa or not)

But as far as for leaving the Philippines I think this is just a story as there are thousands and thousands of OFW's (oversea Filipino workers) gong through the airport every year. I do not think any of them have return tickets since they are working over seas and have no idea when they can come back next. My fiancee was a OFW and never was asked anything.

As for the money, same thing, they have time to ask the 1000 or more OFW's that flow through the terminals every day? Heck, when I left last time, I bet there was over a 1000 OFW's in the same terminal as I was in for my flight back home this past May.

Now there is one thing that does have to do with money, it is some tax that people have to pay if it was not included in the ticket. I do not understand what it is or how it works as I think its only for Filipino citizens and my fiancee last trip was included in the ticket. I asked about it and she told me, but that was last year and I do not remember now..

I would wait until others post too, but I think this is just stories.

You found your own answers regarding the I-765 (work permit)

You complete the AOS (I-485) process first.

Then regarding renewing the passport in the married name, you complete that AFTER your wife has her green card, that is the "proof" the consulate is looking for in #3.

For now don't get too far ahead of yourself, get the visa process done and your fiancee in the USA.

Ok, that makes more since for the proof part..

Yeah, I guess I am getting ahead of myself a little, but I like to be as prepared as I can before I start something, one reason so many projects around the house do not get started, and yes that is what I am sticking to LOL..

Well, her interview is the 7th, so with any luck we can get her CFO interview and plane ride home by end of July. I am glad we are almost done with this part of the process and look forward to her coming home..

Thanks again...

. Changing her passport to her married name has to be done in person, you can wait for an outreach event or head up to DC for that. Not sure if there is an outreach event in Lexington, closest one for us was Nashville.

http://www.philippinesusa.org/index.php?page=consular-services-main/faq-main/#changename

3. Proof that applicant has not applied for foreign citizenship, e.g. resident alien card (under the passport due to name change area)

So I need to have her apply for a new passport before I file the I-485? Which is no big deal, I just want to make sure I do it all correctly.

When I file the AOS, that is also when I file the (whatever number it is) paperwork for her to be allowed to work right?

I already answered my own question, I saw it on the I-485 instructions... Its the I-765

After marriage you will have to complete AOS (Adjustement of Status) for your new wife to get her green card, https://www.uscis.gov/i-485 . You can complete report of marriage (ROM) to the Philippines while your are AOS is in process, this can be done by mail http://www.philippinesusa.org/index.php?page=consular-services-main/faq-main/#solemnization . Changing her passport to her married name has to be done in person, you can wait for an outreach event or head up to DC for that. Not sure if there is an outreach event in Lexington, closest one for us was Nashville.

Oh OK, I knew I had to do the AOS, but I have not even looked at any of that paperwork yet, I was just not sure if there was different paperwork or it was part of the AOS. I wanted to get everything done with the K-1 first, get her here and get married, then start looking at the AOS, but I guess I need to see what paperwork she needs if different then what she has collected for the K-1..

I doubt there is one in Lexington, Maybe Louisville or Cincinnati, but if not Nashville is way closer then DC, although I have never been to DC and it would be an excuse to go.....

When I file the AOS, that is also when I file the (whatever number it is) paperwork for her to be allowed to work right? She wants to go to work as soon as she can so she can support her family back home, since she quit her work in Singapore to marry me.. yeah, I do feel a little bad about that, but my moving to Singapore was not an option due to my work, and she said it was to expensive to live there...Ok dear.... LOL

Thanks for the links, I will bookmark them now, and looks at the AOS to see what else she might need from the Philippines while she is still there..

I found information different than what you are quoting. Can you site your information. What I found is here:

Singapore

More information can be found at the web site of the Singapore Police Force. Go to services then select certificates. From there you can download the instructions and form. The Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) is issued for immigration related purposes only. CNCC is issued to Singapore citizens, Singapore residents and foreigners who have resided in Singapore for more than 6 months and are above the age of 16. For more information, please call: CNCC Officer, Tel :437 4561

http://usvisa.com/policecertificates.shtml

https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/canberra/consular_services/certificate_of_clearance.html

"

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) no longer issues the Certificate of Clearance (COC) to non-Singapore citizens. However, if a COC is still required by a non-Singapore citizen, he/she may wish to submit an appeal to SPF by completing both the appeal and application form. Please refer to the following website for more details:

http://www.police.gov.sg/e-services/apply/application-for-certificate-of-clearance" (dead link as of 6/25/16)

Well, I was wrong, I forgot that she had to appeal it.

I seam to remember she read something in the paper, or it was posted somewhere that Singapore no longer issued for non citizens, but we did all this back in Jan and Feb 2016, so I do not remember now.

I do remember reading that they (SPF) required a letter from the country issuing the visa stating that the US required the COC, but my fiancee just took in the print out from the USCI or some other US visa website with the instructions for the K-1 visa process, don't remember now what site is was.

I just know we got the COC right before she went back to the Philippines in March and it was not as big of a deal as she thought it was going to be.

So I was wrong, but not completely, just partly/mostly LOL..

thank you so much. actually i don;t care if it just an OK hotel or hostel. i just need a day or 2 to stay for my medical and/or interview.

Best thing to do is go to Orbitz.com, Kayak.com, Priceline.com,etc and just start searching for something near that area, however I noticed that most stuff (did not look at hostles) are higher in that area, I am sure it has to do with the US embassy and some other things in that area..

Oh yes ill take delta flight $1200 22 hour flight to Manila my friend will wait there then im staying at her place for probably good atleast 90 days my goal is to stay for good forever as far as visa I know nothing which one to apply for so I can live and work there hey I done lived fast I want simple life tropical trees beaches and slow down and enjoy my life in paradise

I noticed Delta was more expensive then United, but It may depend..

As for as living there and working, yeah good luck finding a job, it is very very hard for non Filipinos to work in the Philippines. As for as just living there you need to read on the expat forms and watch there you tube videos, from what little I have read, it is easy to live in the PH but there is a little paperwork to do, plus you have to leave and come back every so often, maybe once a year, but I do not remember now. however I did read that if you are married to a Filipino citizen that its is much easier to live there full time.

but you will have to ask people that actually have done this.

I also plan to move there and live out my life, but I am going to wait till I retire,or get to broken down to work anymore, but I got a good 20 years or more left before then, well not the broken down part, I am well on my way for that

We talked about it again and I told her what you all said and it made her happy and said that there is no need to spend the extra money if she only needs a one way.

But I do understand the need for that security for some, I did not even think about that.

She just seams to be the type of person that worries over the small things that I know will not be a problem, but I understand that its a big step for her to come here. So I try to reassure her about things I either read on here (thanks everyone) or watch on some of the youtube videos of people that have posted that have also gone through this (thanks to you all as well)

Well, if her interview goes well, I know it should, her and I will be planning the CFO deal and a flight home maybe the end of July or by the end of Aug depending on when she has the visa in hand and can get a good deal on ticket for her.

I have not looked into it yet, but what do we have to submit after we are married (we plan on getting married just a few weeks after she arrives, give her a little time to adjust) I would think I have to send in the marriage paperwork to the US government, I did see something about sending something to the Philippine government as well,

got any links to where I need to read up on for that info and send to her so she can read them to?

Thanks again everyone

Can I ask? If she been in Japan for 6 months? Does she get a Japan police certificate? Just asking since I went to Japan too and having anxiety preparing everything needed thanks

She was only there for 30 days visiting her cozen however she did work in Singapore for 15 years, and yes she did get the police clearance from Singapore before she left.

From what I understand, if you have been in any country for 6 months, you have to get a police clearance from each country.. If you have, then I would get the clearance rom the police

In Singapore they no longer issue police clearance to non Singapore citizens, but she took in the paperwork that stated it is required by the USA goverment, and the police where more then happy to take our money and give her a clearance

That is exactly what I told her, but she is worried non the less.. Women

Yeah, I did see that sometimes round trip is almost as cheap or less then one way. I was even looking at 2 round trip (so I can go back again if off work) and it was not much more then a single round trip depending on the days..

thank you but what can u recommend to be the cheapest??

Winter Hotel in Cubao, its about $20 per night

Isabela Gardens, about $22-24, in Parnarque

Winter hotel is 200php taxi drive, 45 min or less at 2am from St Luke and Embassy and 400php back at noon ( this was just what they charged my fiancee a couple days ago)

Or you can go the hostel route for 5-10 bucks, but I am to old for that, I was to old for dorm rooms when I was in college and my 20's though.

but around 20 US $$ you can get a OK/nice by my low standards hotel most anywhere in the metro if you look..

I have staid at Isabela Gardens, it's in Paranaque, to far from the Embassy and ST Luke, it's not bad, it's old and it's cheap, I think $20-22.00 (24hrs) through Orbitz when I was there last year. Free breakfast, but you have to pay for Wifi and there is not much around, but not bad for an over night or two.

But, now I stay in hotels all the time for work, so my standards are pretty low. no bed bugs, clean(ish) sheets and towles and I do not get murdered in my sleep, IE locking door.

One hotel in Cubao that is hit or miss, depending on the room is the Winter hotel, its 1080 or 1050 for 24 hrs, but its 980 per 24hr every night after that. I have staid there many nights, like I said its hit or miss, but if you go ask for a room with a window, the inside rooms I do not like. I have staid in maybe 5-6 different rooms, I now only stay there if In the Manila metro. It is with in walking distance of Arnetta center, Gateway mall Farmers Mall, some other mall forgot the name of and tons of restaurants and street veneers, plus walking distance to the bus stations and its right off Aroura BLVD and near another major Hwy so tons of taxes, jeepnies and tricycles.

There is only wifi in the lobby, that is a down side and it's sometimes not the cleanest place, but its darn convenient.

I have staid there so much, they remember me from a year ago..

OK, I already know the answer to this, well I think I do, but my Fiancee is worried I am wrong and wanted me to ask, so...

She is worried that she needs a round trip flight ticket when she comes home to the USA. She is doing her interview in a few weeks and I am going to try to get her CFO seminar scheduled a couple days before her flight, so she does not have to make another round trip to Manila since she lives so far away. We are waiting to make plans after she has her visa in hand.

She thinks that she has to have a round trip since her visa is for 90 days only, I have explained it to her that its only if we do not get married, but she is still worried since she has had to have round trip to visit some other place she went in the past, Japan I think it was.

Anyway, she is worried that I am wrong, since I have made a couple mistakes with our K1 process, simple over looks, but to her.....

So, did anyone else have to explain this to there fiancee?

Or is she right and I am wrong?

yeah I know, the wife is always right, but I don't want to spend the extra money if I do not have to LOL

Thanks

Try Orbitz, Kyack, priceline, and the other types of sites.

I flew last year around Aug 15th and it was 1001 round trip through Orbitz

I flew this year mid April round trip for 1050, Directly through United Airlines

both where out of Lexington KY, no international airport.

The last time I went, I went to United Airlines directly, it was way cheaper then the travel sites.

I am looking for a one way from Manila for the Fiancee here soon and it looks like July & Aug is not a good time, the flights are way high but get cheaper tward the end of Aug.

I was checking from Manila to Lex, but the best thing to do is just sit at the computer and start looking at the travel sites we have all listed as well as check the international airlines web sites..

It's a long flight, be sure to stock up on Dramamine and things to keep you busy as not all flights have entertainment..