pcpro178

My wife and I are getting ready to have the required affidavits about our relationship prepared and signed.  My question is in regards to the signature date on these affidavits.  Since the petition cannot be submitted until the 90-day window, before her conditional permanent residency status expires, do the affidavits also need to be signed and notarized within that same 90-day window?  Or, for example, could they be notarized a few weeks prior to the window, say within 120 days of status expiration?

Thanks!

My wife has her green card with her maiden name on it.

My wife and I were married in her home country of the Philippines, and she immigrated here on a CR-1 visa this past January.  Since then, we've been to the Philippine embassy in D.C. and had her name changed.  She's received her new passport along with her old passport--with her visa.  The old passport has two holes punched in it.  My understanding was that we could wait until we apply to have the conditions removed from her visa to get her greencard updated.  However, since that's about around 15 months from now, we're wondering if she can still travel home and return with her documents in their current state.  Does anyone know if we need to get her visa and/or greencard updated, before she can travel home to the Philippines and return to the States?

15 hours ago, Brother Hesekiel said:

Purely from a financial point of view, that was a mistake. You'll have to submit an I-90, complete with a check for $540, to the USCIS, resulting in a new Green Card.

Or, if you don't drown in money, you wait with this 'til the Removal of Condition stage.

Thanks, that's good advice.

My wife (Filipino) and I were married in the Philippines in 2016.  Last month, her CR-1 visa was granted and she immigrated to the United States.  At the time, we chose not to change her name, until after my wife arrived in the States, so to not slow down or complicate the immigration process.  Now that she's here, we'd like to proceed with getting her name changed, but we're lost on how to get started.  For example, whom should we contact first, USCIS, Philippine Embassy in USA, or someone else?

On 12/16/2017 at 5:26 PM, Hank_ said:

 

Follow the EMBASSY instructions letter, what is stated on the DOS website may not be what the embassy requires.   They do not state "copies", except for the tax return  

 

" EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Applicants must provide evidence that they will not become public charges (that is, dependent on U.S. government welfare and assistance).  Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for visa applicants in the IR, F, certain E visa categories, and following-tojoin employment (E) applicants, complete with copies of the sponsor’s U.S. federal income tax return (Form 1040) and wage statements (Forms W-2). The petitioner must provide an Affidavit of Support even if he/she has no income and even if a joint sponsor provides an Affidavit of Support reflecting sufficient funds to provide financial care.  "

 

https://ph.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/82/2016/08/IV-Applicant-Interview-Preparation-Instructions-08112016-English-365KB.pdf

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/immigrant-visa-application.html

Thanks so much for your assistance.  I've contacted the attorney who helped me with the original prep of the I-864 and she assures me that those originals were sent to the NVC (because the NVC supposedly requires originals) and that those originals would have been forwarded with the case paperwork to the US Embassy in Manila.  What do you think?

Because my departure (Dec 30) and interview (Jan 5) are so close, there are a few alternatives I'm considering:

1. The attorney is offering to send me new originals by email (for free), that I can sign, so they would effectively have a copied preparer/attorney signature and original, ink signature from myself.
2. The attorney also offered to send me new physical originals with her ink signature (at mailing cost).
3. My last option is to print out blank forms myself, hand-copy the information from the printed copies to the new originals, and sign new originals, prepared myself (no attorney).

Do you have any thoughts on what would be the best option?

Thanks!

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

Yes the CENOMAR is listed as required in the embassy instructions letter.  Your wife must request a new CENOMAR from PSA, of course being you are married they will issue a CEMAR .. .and that is what the embassy will be expecting to see in your case.

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/immigrant-visa-application.html

Would this be the CEMAR?

My wife and I are preparing for her visa interview at the US Embassy in Manila.  We are applying for a CR-1 immigration visa.  I heard or read somewhere that we may be asked to produce her Cenomar, but I think we had to surrender it to get our marriage license.  We were married in the Philippines.  Is the Cenomar only required for the fiance (K-1?) visa?  

My wife and I have her visa interview scheduled at the US Embassy in Manila.  I have many, many photos of us together, taken during my previous three trips to visit my (now) wife and her family.  I had archived them on Facebook, so the resolution is now good enough for about half-page (5"x6-7"~ish) prints.  How many photos should I plant to take with me me?  Should I just pick the best 1-3 photos for each event, or should I plant to print and take everything to the interview?  What about photos that include my wife's family, or wide-angle photos that have us in them (small) but are more scenic?

In the list of required documents for the interview it states that photocopies of the I-864 Affidavit of Support forms is acceptable:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/interview/interview-prepare/required-documents.html

However, when I was watching the visa interview prep video on the US Embassy in Manila website, at 6:06 they state that originals are required.  Does anyone know which is correct?

Recollection is that the originals were sent to the USCIS/NVC, so I thought that they would have been forwarded to the embassy when our interview was scheduled.  

We received an interview appointment at the US Embassy in Manila, but the appointment time is a little cryptic.  The time is set for "06:40 (20)."  I take this to mean 6:40 AM.  Does anyone know if that is right, and what does the "(20)" mean?

18 hours ago, Hank_ said:

 

 

Are you a USC?   Then you are a foreign national.   GCP for your spouse/fiancee

Thanks so much!  You are correct.  I received written confirmation from the CFO that my wife will need to attend the GCP:

Quote

 

Greetings from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

 

Your wife needs to attend the guidance and counseling program or GCP. All CFO offices offers this session but your wife  needs to have an online appointment  before coming to CFO.  Please follow this link for her online appointment http://www.cfo.gov.ph/gcp.html. The requirements  and instructions are listed on the confirmation page. 

 

 

Thank you.

 

3 hours ago, Hank_ said:

What is needed for the interview at USEM is all listed in the embassy instructions letter.

https://ph.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/82/2016/08/IV-Applicant-Interview-Preparation-Instructions-08112016-English-365KB.pdf

https://ph.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/family-based-immigration/the-interview/

 

Interview:  http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/immigrant-visa-application.html

 

CFO: http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/cfo-orientation-seminar.html

 

 

 GCP is for spouse & fiancee of a USC, not PDOS.     

 

http://www.visaconnection-philippines.com/cfo-orientation-seminar.html

According to the CFO website, it looks like my wife will need to take the PDOS, since she will have an immigrant visa (CR-1), and I am a US citizen who lives in the USA, not in the Philippines.

Once a visa is approved, and the passport is taken for processing, does anybody know what the typical processing time is at the US Embassy in Manila?  I have heard that it can take up to two weeks.  Is there a way to expedite it?

@payxibka Thanks!  I only found out about this requirement yesterday evening, and the trip is planned.  Do you know if they will hold her visa/passport, or will the stamp be issued right away at the conclusion of the seminar?

My Filipina wife and I (US citizen) have been working on her CR1 visa for almost two years now, having started the process in April of 2016.  We're finally past the medical and have her visa appointment scheduled for this coming January 5.  I heard that we should be prepared for (bring everything that would be required by) the 221g process.  However, I'm not able to find much information about it online.  Should I plan to bring more documentation than what is listed on interview appointment letter?  Additional documentation that I am already planning to bring include our 4-year chat history (text only), photos from our previous three visits, and receipts of support I have sent her.  The saved photos' resolution is good for about 5"x7" prints.  Any advice on what else we should bring to the interview or the number of photos?

Also, I've heard that my wife will be required to take some kind of class, required by the Philippine government, about living in the USA, before she will be allowed to exit the country.  Does anyone know anything about this, and where I may go to get more information?