RO_AH

3 hours ago, whataburger84 said:

My question is this. 

1.  How does she change her last name to match mine for immigration in on a CR1 VISA

 

2. Do we have to report anything to the PSA. ( sorry agency's always changing )

 

Basically I'm trying to figure out what steps I need to take to give her a wedding. She is OK with online style. She is aware I got married in Philippines and understands the issue. She is OK with a k1 process. But I still want to try to giver her what she wants. So my biggest concern is her last name once married not matching Philippines legal documents possibly causing res flags during interview

For 1 and 2, after getting married you will need to file a ROM with the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco (they have jurisdiction over Utah). Search this sub forum regarding Utah wedding you find all of the specifics for what you need.

1 hour ago, whataburger84 said:

That's my understanding as well. My concern lays with the new wife being Able to report it to the nsa and it be accepted so she can legally change her name..

I wasn't thinking straight above. She shouldn't have a problem since she has not been married in PH. And it is PSA formerly NSO. There is no such thing as NSA

20 hours ago, whataburger84 said:

Now I have found a place that is u.s based that does them via internet call and it's legal and recognized via u.s immigration. 

Only place I know of is Utah.

20 hours ago, whataburger84 said:

My questions lies with the Philippines NSA.   Should we go that route . Will the NSA recognize the new marriage over the old one if divorce paperwork is provided? And will the lady be able to report the new marriage and change her passport to the married name for u.s immigration?

It is now PSA it used to be NSO, and no they will not recognize new marriage and you will not be able to file for a ROM (recognition of marriage). You will need to file a Petition for Recognition of Foreign Divorce with the Regional Trial Court in the Philippines before you can file for a ROM. This process can take a long time and cost a bit of money. None of this has any affect on her immigrating here. She can come on her maiden name. If you want to go through the process she can legally change her name on the passport and file the ROM after the Recognition of Foreign Divorce is complete.

I wouldn't even attempt it if it were me. Wait till she gets her visa. Go there and exit with her and take your vacation then head on to USA.

8 hours ago, Howard L said:

Hello, Filipino beneficiary here.

 

My medical is halfway done, and after my interview, the CFO comes next. My fiancé and I have a 21 year age gap, and I’m only 20. I hear from others CFO will not like that.

 

I honestly am more scared of it than the interview, where I could be talking to American consuls instead, because what if the CFO officer denies a certificates based on that age gap alone? The reason I’m worried is because of experiences I hear from my fellow Filipinos. The CFO is the bigger battle to me because sometimes its also fellow Filipinos who drag down other Filipinos.

 

For those who know here, is there any tip or added step you guys could advise me? Additional documentation to show? Specific attitude? When to schedule even?

First off, that's not really a huge age gap. Its actually pretty common. My wife and I are25 years. Like Top Secret said, be confident not timid and you will be fine. Second, don't worry so much. All my years on this forum I have seen some be given a hard time, but I don't recall anyone that did not receive their sticker in the end.

18 minutes ago, Howard L said:

Hello, Filipino beneficiary here looking for others who had experience getting 2 CENOMARs with different names! I have a PSA appointment soon.

 

I need another CENOMAR with my birth name. My parents were not yet married at that time and so my surname was different before.
I want to get a CENOMAR on that exact old name, but there seems to be very limited resources on what it was like for those who got them successfully.

 

Did you guys need to provide a specific document? What should I bring to PSA for my appointment to get that CENOMAR with my old name? Is it fairly simple and smooth process like with getting CENOMAR for current name? Please help!

You don't need any documents to get a CENOMAR. You can even order online. You should have no problems getting 2 under different names.

3 hours ago, BadAmmoWitch said:

Thanks for the response. Can the child have both USA and Philippines passports? Would that make her a dual citizen?

Yes and yes. My 2 sons are both dual citizens and have both passports.

4 hours ago, BadAmmoWitch said:

Hi all. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

I'm a US citizen. My wife is a Philippines citizen, is US permanent resident. Our daughter (toddler) is a US citizen.

 

We're all visiting the Philippines later this year together, and we're thinking about having my wife and daughter stay there for 3-4 months, while I would return to US after only 1 month. After 3-4 months, I would return to the Philippines and we all travel back to US together.

 

Does my daughter need some kind of visa to stay in the Philippines for 3-4 months? Anything else I need to consider?

While you have nothing to worry about with the Balikbayan visa program since your child and or you are able to stay up to a year. I would try to make the time to register the birth of your child in the Philippines and get their passport while there. Just make sure that you bring all of the required docs with you.

1 hour ago, Jason and May said:

We're CR1, going on 8 months since DQ. Given the IR expedites that just happened, we expect another 3 to 6 months, at minimum, for my wife to receive an interview letter while USEM works through the IR interviews, unless they substantially increase the number of CR interviews they do monthly.

We will convert to IR1 on June 3. 

At this point, no matter what happens, just make sure that she arrives in USA after 6/3.

Sorry, I didn't pay close enough attention to your timeline info. You are going K-1 and you worry about that part after marriage.

If you want her to have it before the interview then send it. You are reading too much into this. Within 30 days is more than enough time if you are sending via air. My recommendations from best first is:

1. LBC if you are close to a branch. (via air not BB of course)

2. DHL

3. FedEx

All of these should be 2 weeks or less.

Why are you concerned what RapidVisa even says. Just use some critical thinking and ask here. You should only follow what the US Embassy website says. If I recall correctly I don't even think my wife had or needed the wet signature copy.

21 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

What about the odds of us winning a court fight if my wife manages to change her mind?

I am really not understanding what you are asking here. Change her mind on what?

2 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

Then why are we being told by one lawyer (hers) the ex has to be involved

Because he wants to make money.

2 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

and mine who says that it's 1-2 years in the court process just to get a court order to prove she has custody even without the fathers involvement?

Because he doesn't understand Philippines law. This page discusses the law and the supreme court precedence HERE

2 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

Army Regulation says we need a court order to prove custody.

Giving them something showing the law in the Philippines should be good enough. The birth certificate will say unmarried and in the law in PH says that means that the mom has sole custody. If you need a court order affirming this she would need to retain a Philippine lawyer. But probably not the one she is currently talking to. Maybe even the one in the link I sent. Make sure that she is not asking too much. I would think that all she needs is a court order affirming that she has full custody of her children. It is common knowledge that she does in the Philippines, but she needs one (according to what you are saying) to prove that in USA. The last thing you want to do is get the father involved. He will most likely cause trouble and want to be paid off to sign anything. Welcome to the Philippines.

8 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

What about the odds of us winning a court fight if my wife manages to change her mind? My coworker had a similar situation, but he was able to use a US court, and win in 3 months. Had paperwork arranged in such a way that the father couldn't fight back.

The father can't fight back. If he did not marry her he has zero rights.

7 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

No the children are not mine and she has never been married to anyone else but me. And yes the father is listed on the birth certificate.

In that case I do not believe that you need to do anything. Children born to an unwed mother are sole custody of the mother in Philippines law. The father has no rights. @top_secret may be able to confirm this.

6 hours ago, charles.e.turner5 said:

My wife (Filipina) and I (American Citizen and Military) are trying to get a spousal visa because the original plans to use the military mechanisms didn't work. I've read that consent form and court orders are not asked by the embassy since they are familiar with the law when it comes to children (two in this case). But the thread I found for that is 3 years old. Is there anyone here that has dealt with this process recently or within 1 year that can help?

I take it the children are not yours? Was she ever married to the father if not you? Is there a father listed on the birth certificate?

5 hours ago, Liezel Alfar said:

Hello all,

I am a green card holder and I was petitioned by my naturalized citizen daughter 5 years ago. I have 3 minor children in the Philippines with a man I did not marry. They’re 8, 14, and 16. Their dad birth certificate does not match what is in the children’s birth certificate. For example let say, dads name is Mark Martin in the children’s birth but in their dads birth certificate, his name is “ Baby Boy. I submitted a form I-130 for the kids almost two years ago and haven’t heard anything. So I’m hoping it will be approved soon. But I’m really worried about their dads birth. First of all, does their dad need to give permission for the kids to immigrate? He is not involved in their life but his name is in the birth but doesn’t match his actual birth certificate. Will this be a problem with USCIS? Please advice in what I should do next… also we are from the Philippines.

Thank you 

I don't think it will matter what it says for the fathers name. As long as their names, your name, and birth dates are all correct. They were born out of wedlock so that makes you the sole parent/guardian with full rights by Philippines law. You do not need his consent from what I recall.

1 hour ago, Hoofie Puppet said:

Does anyone know if Casa Bocobo will need any deposits or my card when she checks in?  I won't be there.

Just email them and ask. Every place I have stayed at in PH has been very friendly and helpful when I contact them.

2 hours ago, Hoofie Puppet said:

She'll be by herself.  She's from Kawit (45 min south of Manila).  Certainly, she's been to Manila several times but probably hasn't spent any significant time in that specific area.

She'll be fine. I am surprised that she is not bringing a friend or family member.

3 hours ago, Hoofie Puppet said:

I assume it'll be early morning for the medical and prob will start to go to USEM probably around 0430 or so.  Just curious about that specific area.

She should probably go to SLEC early but that's real close. No reason at all to go the USEM that early. The will not let her in until 30 min before the interview so she would have to wait outside. Make sure she doesn't bring her cell phone.

6 hours ago, Hoofie Puppet said:

All:  I am hoping to have my fiancée knock out SLEC and USEM within a week's timeframe.  Does anyone know if walking from hotel Casa Bocobo to USEM is safe?  Anyone know if there is a decent AirBNB near SLEC / USEM that would be a better deal?

Will your Fiance be by herself. Is she a province girl or used to cities? She will be going in the morning or middle of the day so she will be fine. She can probably just grab a trike at the hotel to USEM and walk to SLEC. She has most likely lived in PH her life so she should know how to function. If she has not lived in a city before, of course she will need to be aware and cautious.

1 hour ago, Hoofie Puppet said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all GCP is now in person and they did away with the WhatsApp class?  Can we go ahead and get this done although we are still several months from the visa?

You need to have visa in hand to schedule. They only do in person. I don't think they ever did it via whatsapp. My wife did it over the phone during Covid but it is all back to in person now. Don't worry about it, it is pretty fast to schedule it.

19 hours ago, Kano in Manila said:

Can anyone help me out? I was going to wait on the K1 visa application but now I am considering just getting married in the Philippines. I am in Manila. I did not bring my birth certificate on this trip. I only have my passport and drivers license and ACR card. What are the logistics and timelines and options if I want to get married on this trip while I am here?

 

I have been researching this on my own but am just getting more and more confused. Sincere thanks in advance. 

Here is what I posted the other day. I got married there so this is first hand:

Getting married there is not as daunting as it seems. Here are my main suggestions.

1. Have her go to her LCR and ask what are the requirements to marry an American in the Philippines. The reason is that it does vary depending on where she lives. Every LCR has some different policies. Make sure she writes down every requirement and then read it back to verify. The reason for this is things are not very detail oriented there. You do not want to miss any requirements.

2. One requirement in all of the Philippines is that it takes 10 business days to get a marriage license. Plan on a 3 week trip since it will take 14 days to get your license. Even more if there is a holiday so make sure you know the Philippines holidays.

3. Last make sure she asks if there is an expedite process for your PSA marriage certificate. That will make it faster to apply for the CR1. If you do not ask, and pay the expedite fee it may take 6 months or so to get your official marriage certificate.

Your other option is an online Utah wedding. They are the only state that allows and has a process for online weddings. You can do this while you are together there or with you in USA and her in PH. You will need to be together in person during or after the wedding for you to be able to file for the CR-1

Now with that said, I am not sure all of the requirements for an online Utah wedding but if you search this forum for Utah wedding, you should find all that you need fairly easy as it has been discussed at length on this forum. If you do not have things like your birth certificate, do you at least have someone at home that can retrieve them and scan them to you?.

6 hours ago, widude said:

How would getting married change the 129F process? Would we start over with the other, married option? 

It would kill the I29F and you would need to file a CR1.

2 minutes ago, Nathan Alden, Sr. said:

I see. This is super interesting information to learn. If I may: what are the lead times on these Utah weddings? How much time would I want to leave myself before starting that process? Optimally, we would be together in the Philippines the entire time to reduce the complexity.

Just search posts in this regional forum, there is a LOT of info on it. It is pretty simple. I don't know how long you have virtually known her but if it's been a long time and you are living together for a month for a visit, you could feasibly get it done the last few days before you leave. Or do it when you get back home but before going for another visit. Make sure you take lots of pics together while you are there including family and friends. You will need that when you apply for the visa.

Utah weddings became a big thing during Covid when the Philippines was locked down, you would need a special visa that you could only get if you were married. So people started doing that, then they were able to go there to meet in person so they could file.