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Hi all, had my medical in SLEC last May. Ended up not getting any vaccine shots because they accepted my previous ones.

They did tell me to go back for one shot, a new one for the flu I think? It was unavailable during my medical so I had to go back for it.

Called SLEC last week and they said the missing flu vaccine is now available. Bring receipt to the guard and maybe your vaccination record from slec. Will update tomorrow once I get mine.

Just for everyone's information

6 minutes ago, JoelThai said:

 

Vaccination costs covered in the standard medical fee is certainly not the case, at least for some embassies.   Depending on vaccinations required and locality, and the provider, costs for vaccinations alone could be close to $200 or more.  For example, in Thailand, if vaccinations are required during the medical, the cost is definitely added to the fixed medical fee, and there may be less expensive places to receive the vaccinations than at the hospital during the exam.   In Thailand, the Red Cross Vaccination clinic is the preferred place to receive vaccinations with a cost fee much less than the Bangkok Embassy's chosen hospitals which they authorize to perform the medical review.

 

Additionally, some vaccinations may require more than one shot, such as MMR (Mumps, Measles, and Rubella)  and some embassies (such at Bangkok) will want to see vaccination (or immunity) to Hep A and Hep B which are multi sequence shots covering requiring a 6 month time period between shots.   Some vaccinations may be completed in the US, but generally it is significantly cheaper to get them before immigrating.   If the beneficiary does not have records of vaccination history, there are tests the clinics/hospitals can perform to determine what remains to be needed, but it takes time to get test results.   This is another reason not to wait until the day of the medical exam to think about Vaccinations.

 

I also suggest consulting medical instructions posted by your embassy (if available) and reviewing threads posted in the appropriate Regional Discussion thread to see if this topic is discussed there which can provide expectations of the local embassy.   

 

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/100-regional-discussion/

 

 

Ah I apologize. I was talking about my experience in the Philippines. That's how it's done here, at least that's what I got from the forums. I'm done with my medical, my vaccinations were complete so I didn't get anything from the US-affiliated clinic here.

I think the vaccines are part of the payment. If she's missing any, she'll be given what's missing during the medical. So no need to do advanced vaccination, and potentially double the costs.

Just now, Hank_ said:

At the interview all documents are collected by the Filipino pre-screener before the actual interview with the CO.   For almost 4 years now the support evidence (I-134 ++) has not always been asked for .. yet it is still listed in the requirements.

Yes, this is what happened to me when I went for my interview last May 2018. Support evidence was not asked for.

33 minutes ago, Sagada said:

Hi! So we received pur NOA2 in the mail on June 18, 2018. I know i still have to give atleast 2 weeks before calling NVC. I just want to ask you how it took for you to get your MNL#? TIA 😊

 

Also for @Hank_ , do they get the i 134 form before they start the interview or will they just ask for it if they need to see it? TIA😊

Hi, my fiancé called up NVC, and it was dictated to her. This was around a week after we got our NOA2. Email came a week after (2 weeks after NOA2). I suggest you call them up, and have them dictate and repeat your MNL number. Read it back to them also.

My fiancé talked to a surly phone operator the first time she called, when the number wasn't available yet. Second time she called she got a friendlier officer.

Good luck!

Thank you! Now that me and my fiancee are at the end of this first leg of the journey, I'd like to thank everyone here. This forum has been a fantastic place. Thank you to the kind well-intentioned folks here. I will try my best to help out here as well.

Hi all,

My CFO seminar is coming up soon. Was just wondering if I need to order another original CENOMAR for me? I think USEM did not return the original I submitted to them.

Thanks!

15 minutes ago, cyberfx1024 said:

Well there is nothing you can do about it right now. Also the 2 cities that you are referencing are literally right beside each other so there shouldn't be any issue at all. I can see an issue if you were born in San Juan but your Birth Certificate says Angeles or Cavite. So just go with it and don't worry about it. 

One of my options is to resked to around 2nd week of June, with correct information on my NBI and CENOMAR.

12 minutes ago, cyberfx1024 said:

I honestly think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. You should just go ahead and go through with the interview. 

I just want this to run smoothly, addressing concerns while I still can. I read here that a 221g can take months.

Hi, hoping to get some help in deciding

My interview in USEM is on Friday, May 25.

While reviewing for the K1 interview, I noticed that I made a mistake in my NBI clearance. My NBI Clearance says birth place is San Juan, but in my birth certificate, it's Manila. I read the birth certificate wrong (it wasn't scanned very well by the NSO), and San Juan is my mother's birth place. I made the same mistake with my CENOMAR.

I'm currently deciding on:

1. Pushing through with the interview in spite of the error (and admitting the error to USEM)

or

2. Rescheduling the interview after I get the NBI clearance sorted out (i.e. ordering a new NBI and CENOMAR)

Do you have any suggestions/tips for me about this decision?

Which option would cause more delay/hassle?

Also, can I make a new DS-160 application, right?

I feel bad about these clerical mistakes, especially right now when we're so close.

21 minutes ago, Chris Duffy said:

The trend the last 3 years is they don't ask for I-134 or supporting documents in Manila for K1's.

 

 

Thanks for this, I heard about that from other sources here in VJ. I'd rather be prepared through. And besides, we'll need to know these things for AOS later on.

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing the documents needed for I-134 now for my interview in the US Embassy in Manila.

My USC fiancée just filed her taxes. Context is, she was employed from January to July 2017 in one company as an office employee, then moved to a different line of work, as a consultant, which is her current ococcupation. This consultancy technically means she is self-employed.

Checking her tax returns, her income solely from her previous office job is reflected in her 1040-V (below 125% of the poverty line), while her earnings from her consultancy (a far higher amount than her old job and way above 125%) shows up as Profit or Loss from Business (Schedule C).

She also has a bank account that more than covers the discrepancy between the poverty guidelines and her income from her old work (five times the difference).

My questions are:

1. Will this be a problem for us for the I-134 and eventually for the I-186?

2. Do we consider her total income for 2017 as combining income from her old work and her self-employment?

3. How do we indicate that in I-134? Do we add the two sources of income for Part 3, Question 3 of I-134?

Thanks so much for you help

6 hours ago, Katie312 said:

That is amazing. I'm definitely building it up in my mind to be around October before we get our NOA2. I've been hoping it's not a case of getting my hopes up lol. Thanks for your input.

Good luck on your journey. The waiting and preparing really builds character. VJ has been a godsend to me and my fiancée. These are good people.

Ours was exactly as projected by VJ, at least, for the NOA2, 196 days from NOA1. It's kinda amazing.

3 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

I was able to download my transcript about a week after filing. If you file electronically as soon as it says processed on the "Wheres my refund" page the transcripts should be available. Mine only took a little over a week.

Thanks for this. Makes me feel better.

5 minutes ago, JFH said:

The window for filing opens in January. Your fiancé has left it pretty late if they still haven't filed as it's April already. There is no need to wait until April to file the tax return. I couldn't leave it so late - I just wanted it done and out of the way as soon as possible (but I didn't owe anything - I got a refund). Have they left it so late because they owe? 

Ah I see. She's been busy at work, for the most part. She doesn't owe anything, as far as I know. Thanks so much for your help. 

Just now, Nitas_man said:

The IRS starts accepting returns the last week of January and transcripts are available online about 3 weeks after the return is filed. 

 

There is no need to wait until the last possible day to file taxes. 

Ah I understand now. My fiancée is still preparing to file. So I guess I'll wait for her to do so. Thank you so much.

1 minute ago, sumbunny said:

My return was e-filed beginning of last week and my 2017 transcript was already available at irs.gov !

That's really good to know! Thank you so much. 

19 minutes ago, JFH said:

Depends whether the filing was by mail or electronically, whether there was a balance due and whether the payment was made. Two to 3 weeks would be the minimum. 

 

However, you don't have to wait until the 15th (the deadline is actually the 17th this year due to the weekend and a holiday in DC on the 16th) to file. You can file from January. Why not file today? 

Thank you for your help.

What do you mean file from January? Will the transcript reflect information as late as January 2018? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with US tax stuff.

18 minutes ago, nathanp said:

i personally would wait until the new tax transcript comes in.when i filed it was for the last 3 years.so if you wait until 2017 season then just send 2015,2016,2017 together.

 

the transcript should be available immediately if done online.the following link has the info and links to do so.

 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/request-a-transcript-or-copy-of-a-prior-year-tax-return

 

my wife waited i think a week if not sooner for her interview in Manila.i cant remember exactly.i think we had to change it at 1 point as some documents were not in order.you can go to the website and see what dates are available. (i forgot the link)

 

i do know you want to be here asap and get everything done.but i will say take your time.it took my wife and i 2 and a half years to get her here.its all worth it.shes been here almost 2 years..shes now back in the Philippines with our 8 month old daughter visiting her family.she will fly back here in a few days.

Thanks for this. We will discuss this more, given the information you have given.

All the time spent preparing and waiting to be together will always, always be worth the wait.

Thank you for your help.

Hi everyone,

Need some advice regarding i-134 supporting documents.

We got our NOA2 last March 8, 2018, and according to the NVC website, I can schedule an interview already at the US Embassy in Manila (website says "Ready").

We're currently preparing our I-134 now, collecting and compiling supporting documents.

My USC fiancee will file her taxes this April (I think the deadline is on the 15th).

My questions:

1. Do we submit the documents we have now (2015, 2016 documents), or would it be better to wait for the most current one (2017), and then bring all these to my interview?

2. How long before we can get a tax transcript after filing on April 15? What's the usual time before we can get a copy of the transcript?

I know it's just a few weeks' difference, but every little bit helps. I'll have to wait until the 15th before I can schedule an interview, medical etc. And I don't know how long the waiting time is for an interview in the embassy here in Manila.

Hoping for your usual excellent advice. Thanks.

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

If she qualified for HOH filing status, then she was fine to file that way. Having parents as a dependent is permitted for HOH status.

The side-effect of this is that she would need to include them as household members for the I-134 (and I-864 for AOS later), and meet the income level for the larger household size.

Yeah, her income meets the requirements even if she is the head of household. Thanks so much!

Just got our NOA2 a couple of weeks ago, so I'm now preparing our i-134. Just have some questions regarding tax stuff.

My USC fiancée filed her taxes as head of household, she's supporting both her parents who don't live with her. She's over and beyond 125% of the poverty line, so no worries on that front.

I'm just wondering if her declaring that she's the head of household affects our I-134? Any possible impact? Shouldn't she file as single? 

If she needs to declare as single for her upcoming tax filing, how does she go about it?

This space has been a godsend for us. Thank you for all your help.

1 minute ago, Hank_ said:

Well that is going to the right place for an Xray for sure ....!     

 

Are you sleeping better now? 

Waaaay better. Now to be anxious about that NOA2.

Just an update. Consulted with my pulmonologist and he said it was a great idea to screen for TB way before the medical exam for the K1 visa. He sent me to St Luke's in Quezon City to get a PA, lateral and apicolordotic view xray. I think these are more thorough xray than the one they do in SLEC.

Results were good, I have unremarkable results, which is a great. 

I also asked the radiologist if the use the same xray machine in SLEC. He said it's the same. 

Thank you everyone.