MsCompE

22 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Not necessarily true.  I’ve travelled with visas in expired passports.  If the visa hasn’t expired you can use it.

agree. I got a valid B1/B2 US visa on my expired Philippine passport. I was able to use it along with a new passport. I just simply show them both

1. the new passport 2. the old passport (expired) where the valid VISA is attached. 

Never had issues. 

oops! sorry I auto assumed that combo card was understood in my initial post. 

I literally meant EAD/AP combo card and as noted in my initial post my AOS was pending at the time of travel. 

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

...

 

 http://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax/travel-tax-exemption/

Who may be exempted from paying the Travel Tax?

The following Filipino citizens are exempted from the payment of travel tax pursuant to Sec. 2 of PD 1183, as amended:

1. Overseas Filipino workers
2. Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay in the Philippines is less than one year
3. Infants (2 years and below)

** As provided under R.A. 6768, Balikbayans whose stay in the Philippines is less than one (1) year

For PH passport holders traveling with combo card with pending AOS based on marriage, the above qualifications doesnt always apply.

1. Overseas Filipino workers are those hired directly by foreign companies or those who applied directly to POEA accredited agencies

2. A combo card doesn't equate to a greencard. A combo card isn't acknowledged as a proof of residency abroad. Thus, combo card holders doesn't qualify under Filipino Permanent Residents abroad. 

Thus, the only way for combo card holders to avail the exemption is under this part:

http://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax/travel-tax-exemption/

However, a Filipino is only considered as balikbayan only if he has been continuously out of the country for more than a year

44 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

You got it slightly wrong.  It isn't being away from the Philippines for more that a year that exempts you, it is being IN the Philippines for less than one (1) year under the BB privilege 

 

You traveled on your AP (I-131), don't have your green card yet?     You can't avail to the BB anyway.  But you don't have to pay travel tax if your stay is UNDER 1 year.

 

 http://tieza.gov.ph/travel-tax/travel-tax-exemption/

Who may be exempted from paying the Travel Tax?

The following Filipino citizens are exempted from the payment of travel tax pursuant to Sec. 2 of PD 1183, as amended:

1. Overseas Filipino workers
2. Filipino permanent residents abroad whose stay in the Philippines is less than one year
3. Infants (2 years and below)

** As provided under R.A. 6768, Balikbayans whose stay in the Philippines is less than one (1) year

Yes agree that stay IN the philippines has to be less than one year.

BUT, a PH holder has to be away from PH for more than one year. That's the very definition of a balikbayan as stated by RA 6768. 

If a combo card holder isn't away from PH for more than a year, she needs to pay the travel tax. 

Section 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act:

(a) The term "balikbayan" shall mean a Filipino citizen who has been continuously out of the Philippines for a period of at least one (1) year, a Filipino overseas worker, or a former Filipino citizen and his family, as this term is defined hereunder, who had been naturalized in a foreign country and comes or returns to the Philippines; and

http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1989/ra_6768_1989.html

For Questions:

#1: USCIS Case Status Online doesnt always update.

Based on my personal experience, my AOS is still at "Fingerprint Fee Received" while AP and EAD are still at "Case was Received". Nothing really changed or got updated. At Day 92, I got my combo card. USCIS Case status wasnt updated. Day 308, I got my greencard in the mail, no text msgs, no email and no case status update either. So, don't rely on the online case status.

#2: You will get this info if you set an infopass appointment. 

I called USCIS hotline and they all tell me whatever is in the website. Nothing really helpful. After approaching 10months, couldnt help it anymore and we set an infopass appointment even if it means we will have to drive 4hours to the nearest USCIS local office. It was the most substantial info I had ever received in over 250+ days of waiting. They informed me that my physical file has been there in the field office for a month now and had not been assigned. (It eased me knowing it isnt missing) Additionally, They answered almost every question I got. 

#3, #4: Not sure. I personally had several SRs, I didnt get any relevant info out of it. 

Just in case anyone will stumble on this and needs some answers. Below is my experience: 

Combo Card Holders need to pay the full travel tax of P1,620 upon departing any Philippines terminal.

Unless if, you had been away from Philippines for more than a year. (Not every officer knows about it and so, at times, you may need to inform the officer in charge. "Hey, I am away from the country for more than one year, under balikbayan act, I am waived from paying the travel tax" )

wait. there's a new process for K-1? I didnt remember my husband (the USC) going for fingerprint during our K-1 process. 

Does she got AP/EAD card? 

I don't think a Philippines Unified ID carries a weight here in U.S. Not sure if it is accepted as a proof of identification.

In most cases, foreign issued IDs aren't honored in the host country unless if it is a Passport or a driver's license (in most cases)

On 10/25/2017 at 3:37 PM, shalyn said:

So my fiance has a Bachelors degree in the Philippines, Would she be able to transfer her degree to the US? if so what would she need? any paper work from the college (obviously other then the degree paper itself) to transfer them to the states.. any help would be appreciated

Yes she should be able to have a transfer of degree. Go to a foreign credentials evaluation Agency such as WES. I think WES has more complicated requirements such as "sealed copy of foreign transcripts SENT DIRECTLY from the school to the accrediting agency". A cheaper option is Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA). 

http://foreigncredentials.org/

The FCSA is around $190 for course-by-course evaluation and they accept scanned copy of foreign transcript of records. 

Now does it guarantee a job? NO. You mentioned she got BS Computer and Information Technology. 

Really depends where you live in U.S.. If you live in a bigger city where there are software developments going on e.g. Atlanta, Seattle, Duluth GA, etc then looking for a job isnt that difficult. But if you live in a small town like where I live NOPE! The competition is higher. More supply (graduates), Less Demand (jobs). 

I graduated BS Computer Engineering with Magna Cum Laude and my US equivalent GPA is 3.70. Even with such credentials, I cannot get a job here in Corpus Christi related to my degree. I get job offers from Dallas area or Houston but I am not leaving my husband. Thus, used the transferred grades to pursue masters to start a new career. All my subjects are credited though.

We are there only for 2 weeks. I dont think my husband would even need the BB visa.

my concern is solely about the travel tax since our itinerary includes 1week cebu, cebu-hk-cebu, then cebu back to US. Technically, we will be departing cebu intl airport twice. I dont wanna pay unnecessarily twice for a travel tax.

Yes, i got AP. But technically, i am not a resident due to pending AOS. Thats why i want to know if i can qualify for tax exemption regardless of the limbo status abroad. 

Hi,

My husband and I are going to visit PH this coming November. We got multiple side trips departing from Mactan Cebu International Airport.

So, I am wondering if I can qualify for a travel tax exemption more than a reduced travel tax. 

Anyone who got a recent experience? 

I did a couple of readings from the official TIEZA website and it says Filipino Permanent Residents are qualified for tax exemption.

At this point, I am not yet a resident since my AOS is pending. A small clause in the website says "As provided by RA 6768, balikbayans are also exempted provided that stay in Philippines is less than 1year". This applies to me, I left PH and have not visited for more than a year. 

we all know how bad the consistency of PH rules and regulations are. If you dont know your rights, they are more than happy to take your money. 

Thanks!

1 hour ago, mcdull said:

Sorry I am a bit confused.

 

So you would prefer to leave the husband for the good job offering, at the cost of losing status that you hold so dear, even going out of your ways to find a second husband to maintain?

 

Oh, I am sorry, I meant "Her"

agree!

Its kinda fishy. She come here as a tourist, "Fell in love" and got married. Stayed and adjust. Find a job offer. Prioritize job over husband. Move out.

Doesnt seem like a "family re-unification" at all for an I-130 petition (family based petition)   

7 hours ago, TriloByte said:

... I think I got the answer to my question, you guessed it, deportation.Thanks ☺️

I am the AOS filer. I am not at all worried of deportation. 

Well, the AOS process is very uncertain. For my case, we filed close to 9months with NO UPDATES since January 26 . Who knows whats going on. 

Most AOS filers never had their USCIS Case Online updated. They just receive something in the mail. My AP never updated online but I got the combo card.

Who knows what's the progress of the papers. 

The USCIS could have misplaced the application. The USPS Delivery man could have missed it and you can get  a denial just because someone else scr*wed up. What would you feel if you received a denial letter just because you missed an interview but never got the Interview Notice?

My husband and I could not travel abroad without worries that anytime we will be called for an interview. My husband has never met my family since I met him here in Texas. This coming November, would be his first time traveling out of the country and instead of preparing to have a good time, we are stuck praying hopefully we wont be called for an interview. Philippines is halfway around the world. It is a 24-hour trip. 

Second, I am a software engineer and project manager before I met husband. Now stuck washing dishes just because the career I had isnt here in this city where my husband lives. I tried enrolling to school to change career but schools cannot admit me as "RESIDENT" because I dont have a GC to show. Tuition fee is double as compared to In State. Now, I had to defer taking school and to defer taking a career that will make me feel I have a purpose until the day I can present to the school that I am a resident. Not that I need to work, but my husband isnt retired yet to sit with me forever at home. He is at his prime and I couldnt sit at home watching Netflix all day while he works. I want to help him in everything. I want to contribute on our daily expenses. 

Third, being a person who had already lived in multiple countries, it was very difficult for me to be immobile. I couldnt drive. My husband doesnt take me out to the mall or for dine outs. I spent 5months without seeing other soul alive apart from the USPS delivery guy who delivers the amazon items I ordered. 

When I got my combo card, I was able to apply for drivers license. But, it has the same validity as my combo card. My combo card is expiring in a couple months with no news from my AOS application. I will have to sit again at home cant drive until I get a renewal of combo card. Again, who knows how long they are going to process the renewal. 

P.S. Not that I complained about the process. Just to answer the subject of this thread

5 hours ago, Charlieface said:

Its been nearly 5 months since my bio appointment and im still waiting on an interview date or something. I got my EAD 2 months ago. How long does it normally take to get the interview??

 

who knows. I had been waiting for something...for anything for 263 days now. 

21 hours ago, Elsalove2016 said:

Haha you never know ! But I read and article that when the applications prices go up is because suppostly they hire more people to get things done faster , but from ive been reading here it seems to me the opposite or maybe they are looking at each case more closely . 

i dont think they are hiring more people. I remember there was a federal hiring freeze at the beginning of the year til April. 

That might have caused couple more backlogs considering the amount of filers per day and (additional more filers due to immigration fear/insecurities) 

Personally, I count people I know who were initially not interested in filing citizenship and now started N400 application due to fear of immigration reform during the president's administration.  

3 hours ago, ms11 said:

 

One of the requirements was chat logs and emails etc. However, I don't have much of these since I have lived here and was with her since the very beginning of our relationship. Is that okay? It doesn't make sense for us to email each other or chat since I live with her. I mean, I don't think there is a better way to prove the relationship since our address on the form is the same and we have a TON of photos at different events, places etc.. with

Nowhere in the official USCIS forms indicates to submit chat logs. It is not a requirement

3 hours ago, DrEllaNJ said:

also, he won't be able to get a drivers' license without a SSN. And depending on your state, he may not be able to get a drivers' license without a green card or at least EAD (i-765). 

Although looking at the Texas requirements, it looks like he may be able to get a DL based on pending i-485 (so after marriage, after he gets his notification that the petition has been accepted) - https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/documents/verifyingLawfulPresence.pdf 

Someone from Texas may know better

i am from Texas. with regards to driver's license, it is better to wait for the EAD before applying for one. Though they will issue a Driver's License while pending AOS, the Driver's License will only have 3months validity. This is based on your I-94 expiry date.

I applied for SSN before marriage/filling AOS. Prior to having my EAD approved, I find having my SSN very handy mainly for enrolling a joint account with my husband's existing bank account and insurances. We needed it for tax purposes as well. I'd recommend to get a SSN before I-94 expires.

Based on my experience, CFO Cebu had limited appointment slots as compared to Manila. You have to set an appointment prior. This will guarantee you a slot. The actual GCP and PDOS will be in the afternoon 1pm. But, you will have to come by 8am in the morning to register. In the morning, they will ask you to fill up some forms and verify your ID. you have to pay too in the morning and have your picture taken. All the paper works are done in the morning (first-come, first-serve). After you are done processing the paper works,  come back at 1pm. Make sure to bring all supporting documents related to your immigration. Be ready to answer interview questions. 

11 hours ago, iamdegie said:

hello @MsCompE and @Cassie&Kyle - hi guys, i just got my k1 and i too have an existing b1/b2 that the USEM did not mark cancelled.

 

what was your experience with a valid b1/b2 while you entered on a k1? any issues at poe?

 

thanks, appreciate your advise.

Hi

My B1/B2 visa has still not been marked as cancelled at this point. I entered at my POE with my K1 visa and the IO didnt stamp cancelled on my tourist visa. Not sure if it is still valid at point. I dont know how to check it. But, no issues has been encountered so far. 

My AOS is still pending and though I have my combo card already, I havent left US yet. My husband and I will visit Philippines this November and I will have to see by then how it goes. 

2 hours ago, KimberleyVDB said:

What strikes me as odd and really strange is that they asked you for a resume. If you're applying for a K1 visa why do they need that? They asked me a lot of questions about.my fiance and his family. I can't remember more than one question about my work. Mostly if it was about work they asked about his work, since he's the one going to support me until I get my EAD and/or GC. 

Maybe you should ask them why they needed that. 

Agree! That is really weird. I was a  software engineer too working for an old US based Company (which has a facility in Philippines) before my K-1 application. Although they asked  me a lot of stuff about my work but they didnt ask me for a resume. 

Anyways, Shalom David! Hope things will work out well. 

8 hours ago, Audsi said:

Why was I under the impression that after a few years of separation,the marriage voided by default. Was this fiction?

havent heard of it either. but, abandonment is a ground for divorce in some states. 

hang in there!

as per i-864 intsructions:

"you may include a recent letter from your employer, showing your employer’s address and telephone number, and indicating your annual
salary. You may also provide pay stubs showing your income for the previous six months. If your claimed income
includes alimony, child support, dividend or interest income, or income from any other source, you may also include
evidence of that income."

2 hours ago, Inneedofmybf said:

... Our plans were to marry when he came back and then I would apply for change of status...

that's visa fraud. 

26 minutes ago, Redheadguy03 said:

Still doesn't equal that amount. So, still doesn't add up. 

Agree