RO_AH

Again, that is incorrect. Very high odds that it'll go to a different Service Center for adjudication. https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/supp-guidance-adam-walsh-actpdf.pdf "Centralization of Identified Adam Walsh Act Related Petitions at the Vermont Service Center for Adjudication"
For IR-1/CR-1 there is a more proper review at NVC; thus why that visa category has a $445 NVC fee (i.e. $325+$120). Compare that with the embassy fee (only $265) for K-1, K-3, etc. category.
 
The $180 savings from going through a K-category route is eventually reversed after entering the US because of the expensive Adjustment of Status process.
Nope. There has not been a K-3 issued since March 2020.
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/Non-Immigrant-Statistics/MonthlyNIVIssuances/MARCH 2020 - NIV Issuances by Post and Visa Class.pdf Page 23 https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics/monthly-nonimmigrant-visa-issuances.html

Thanks everyone...appreciated...
 
For the sake of discussion then-
 
(1) My fiancé will not be working upon coming to US. Thus, EAD, GC or anything else related to it doesn’t matter.
(2) She won’t be traveling so soon as well...so we are not concerned for travel permit or GC as well upon coming to US.
(3) We don’t care about cost as well at this time.
(4) All we care at this point is- quickly for her being able to come to the US.
 
Now a few facts-
 
(1) There is a fee of $265 mentioned extra for K-3 visa...I don’t know for which application, but I think its something at NVC for visa fees, I guess.
 
(2) I know that petitions are filed with different USCIS offices but those offices only do filing, processing fees, and creating record like NVC does for DOS/consulate. And then petitions do go to respective service center for adjudication, and that’s where processing time comes into the picture. And since I live in NYC then anything related to me would fall under Vermont Service Center...and right now their processing time for form I-130 is 19-25 months, which is unbelievable. Might have to do with COVID but before COVID they have pretty much the same time, I guess. And then we would need to deal with NVC and then consulate...So, we are talking about 3 and half years or more here on CR-1 route if govt. would not do anything soon to clear out backlog...and then there is COVID still going on everywhere.
 
(3) As for K-1 then there is always a risk that they might reject it at the interview and suggest to do CR-1.
(4) K-3 is only viable option seems like it as of now, especially at this time...covid time..when everything has slowed down. Govt. has never phased out K-3 option. And yes, this option was rarely used in last few years. Why? Because there were other better options, but those options are not better anymore given the current processing time and COVID...Thus, this option comes in handy. In order to go for this route, all I would need is- copy of receipt of Form I-130. I know well that if USCIS would adjudicate I-130 prior to fully processing of k-3 visa then k-3 case would end which is ok...nothing to lose...but at least I would have a tool to get processed quickly, rather than just wait for its eternity if I file for CR-1...

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.
K-1        
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  
CR-1
    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.
    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
  �

 
***Moved to What Visa Do I Need?****

Did you read my post above? We just went through this a few months ago and we got through fine with just school records. I don't suggest wasting time with trying to get affidavits. I may not be a lawyer but I do know how to read, and the form she got said nothing about affidavits. If she does not have a copy of her baptismal and the church had a fire just move on with what you can provide. In the cover letter you send with your documents that you do have state that " I was baptized at ___________ in 19__ but I do not have a copy of my baptismal certificate. I tried to obtain a copy from the church but they lost their records in a fire" and go on to tell them what you can provide. Look at my letter above.
 
My feeling is that the sooner after getting the 221g you send it to them the better.

I stand by what I said.  
 
K-1 arrivals who have a pending AOS case and who leave the US without AP are presumed to have abandoned their case.  This is a well-known drawback to the K-1 vs a CR-1, as CR-1 holders receive GCs immediately and do not need AP.
 
Anyone who would rely on the possibility of being granted an info pass to ask for emergency in the era of COVID is naive if they expect it to be 'easy.'  And knowing this, IF there is a possibility of needing to travel back home emergently before having AP, a K visa is not the best choice.

Did you read my post above? We just went through this a few months ago and we got through fine with just school records. I don't suggest wasting time with trying to get affidavits. I may not be a lawyer but I do know how to read, and the form she got said nothing about affidavits. If she does not have a copy of her baptismal and the church had a fire just move on with what you can provide. In the cover letter you send with your documents that you do have state that " I was baptized at ___________ in 19__ but I do not have a copy of my baptismal certificate. I tried to obtain a copy from the church but they lost their records in a fire" and go on to tell them what you can provide. Look at my letter above.
 
My feeling is that the sooner after getting the 221g you send it to them the better.

Did you read my post above? We just went through this a few months ago and we got through fine with just school records. I don't suggest wasting time with trying to get affidavits. I may not be a lawyer but I do know how to read, and the form she got said nothing about affidavits. If she does not have a copy of her baptismal and the church had a fire just move on with what you can provide. In the cover letter you send with your documents that you do have state that " I was baptized at ___________ in 19__ but I do not have a copy of my baptismal certificate. I tried to obtain a copy from the church but they lost their records in a fire" and go on to tell them what you can provide. Look at my letter above.
 
My feeling is that the sooner after getting the 221g you send it to them the better.

Just sharing we’re just celebrating our 6th year of wedding anniversary yesterday. 👩‍❤️‍👨 And this year also I become a US citizen and had my US passport. To the others still waiting for their visa stay strong and stay safe everyone.😊

7 years of marriage as of two weeks ago here, 5 years, 2 months and 18 days until we can retire back in the Philippines. 

How about the person makes their own decision in regards to working? 🙄 a lot of people would want to be productive and start/continue their career. 

Contact Bureau of Immigration Facebook page, send them message and they have been quick to respond.
The requirements keep changing as well
Here is the FB link : (3) Bureau of Immigration, Republic of the Philippines | Facebook
 
Please report back what they say
 

Do the antigen test a lot cheaper quicker results. my honest opinion better results to many false positives with swab test, we just through a false positive one day and took antigen the next no antibodies showed

Focus your efforts on getting your wife's baptismal certificate and DepEd Form 137.  The US embassy in Manila knows that most Filipinos have these records in church/school, and that they are relatively easy to obtain.  No need to waste time on affidavits that the embassy didn't even ask for.
 

You might try affidavits if you really didn't have anything better to show but probably not much use for you.  The baptismal and school records are much stronger and more important evidence, and is more what the Embassy is looking for.  Late registered birth certificate is a common situation in the Philippines with the most common solution being to show baptismal and school records.

My wife just went through that. I wrote a cover letter for her to send with the requested documents. Here is what we sent. She was approved and she now has the visa in hand. Your wife will be familiar with the Form 137 there. If she has both school and baptism records she will have no problem.
 

My wife just went through that. I wrote a cover letter for her to send with the requested documents. Here is what we sent. She was approved and she now has the visa in hand. Your wife will be familiar with the Form 137 there. If she has both school and baptism records she will have no problem.
 

Oh Dang my wife caught me, she told me she seen this post about her eating so much, WHOOPS. 😹😹😹😹

it is probably safe to assume that the underlying issue is that her birth certificate was late registered.  The embassy just wants to see records of her existence in younger years.  Baptismal and school records would probably be the best and most common items for that purpose in the Philippines, and if that's all she can get, it would 'probably' satisfy the 221g.   I would hazard to guess that vaccination records do not exist for many Filipinos.  Especially not ones that were late registered.  She cant get records that probably don't exist.  She just needs to get the most items that she can and it would probably be fine.  It's also possible her schools may have yearbooks or other school photos she could view and take phone pictures of.  In addition to the Baptismal Certificate, the Parish probably has the actual physical Baptismal registry book and someone might be allowed to photograph the page with her entry.  Anything with her name on it before age 16.   @RO_AH and his wife recently dealt successfully with this particular issue and could probably offer advice.

This is sad as it depends on the counselor  that you get. Ours set the appointment in 1 day and we were approved and completed everything in less than 10 minutes.

Yes. The embassy was open but St Lukes is closed. We have a new appointment for St Lukes on August 23 IF the ECQ expires as scheduled. Also waiting for a rescheduled appointment. 

It also might make a HUGE difference where you are traveling from.

Hello All,

K flew out of Manila to JFK this morning.  I will be flying out of Boston to meet her at JFK this afternoon where we will stay overnight in a hotel then return to BOS the next day....

a few things leading up to her flight I would like to share;
 
1) PDOS or the CFO seminar, we had an issue with this that forced us to reschedule our flight because the counselor took 2 weeks to begin working on our case, just an FYI for others 
2) The COVID test and its cost of roughly 4300php was done quickly and we had the results via the saint lukes eHub within 24hrs with no need to return to the hospital for results
3) As another member mentioned in the forums earlier Philippine airlines requires a predeparture health declaration you can find on their website or by googling it
 
Cheers,
- David

Well I had to do it sooner or later so I booked my flight and my wife & 2 children's fight. All done now. Hopefully they will send me my visa tomorrow and I will have it Saturday.

Well I had to do it sooner or later so I booked my flight and my wife & 2 children's fight. All done now. Hopefully they will send me my visa tomorrow and I will have it Saturday.

I recommend you steer her away from the bakery section at Walmart.  Those muffin and croissant packs are evil!  Also french vanilla cupcakes.  And half-dollar pies!  Evil!  Evil, I tell you!!!  When I was there, my husband had not done a good job of keeping me away from temptation 🤣