MarryMe987654

Hello, 

She needs to sign in on her BPI online account from a web browser (not the app). 

Then from the left, select 'Other services', then 'Enroll Billers' under Manage Recipients,  then look for 'US MRV (VISA) FEE PAYMENTS' under Biller dropdown option.

I noticed a glitch on typing keyword on the Biller name though. To get past that, just have her go back to 'Other services'and directly type VISA on the biller name. 

Quote

4. I didn't see any clocks so maybe wear a watch if you wanna keep track of the time, just make sure it's not digital/electronic.

I was wearing a digital watch and got through without a problem.

Good write-up, by the way

Congrats!

Hello,

Here's how my case moved after the interview:

• May 30 - Interview
• May 31 - AP
• June 6 - Issued
• June 10 - 2GO tracking
• June 11 - 2GO pick up.

Just be patient. No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors but I am sure your time will come too. Goodluck! 

Some birth certificates in the Philippines are written in cursive. Some are poorly printed or letters are typed in improperly (letters typed on top of other letters or shadowed, etc.).

The PSA or Philippine Statistics Authority, then scan a copy of it on a security paper. 

Here's an example:

According to the PSA website, this can be resolved by requesting the local civil registrar to endorse a clearer copy to PSA. If the record in the civil registry and PSA is not clear, a petition can be filed to correct it.

Since you are overseas, a family member in the Philippines can do this for you.

More information available here > https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/problems-and-solutions/blurred

I understand that the link is talking about 'blurred' copies of birth certificate but this may also help on your case.

Hope this helps!

1 hour ago, Zach2015 said:

My fiancé thought the CFO was the easiest part and that is the part I thought we were going to have problems with. So who knows..lol

That's good. She probably think it's easy because it doesn't really affect the visa process or status. Whether one is bad at the interview or not, I do not think CFO will tell them that they cannot leave the country. They are mostly there to scrutinize and provide information for Filipinos going overseas.

I think the tough part for me is being judged, the feeling of being told what to think and having to elaborate on things that I consider personal. Talking to people in general gives me anxiety. Lol.

This is my CFO experience in Clark, Pampanga on June 26, 2019 scheduled at 2PM.

I am a K1 visa beneficiary with visa on hand.

I have scheduled my CFO seminar more than a month ahead. This takes careful planning for me because I don't want to do the seminar without my visa on hand. I want to avoid doing making multiple trips for one task as I am very busy person.

What I brought:

1.       Printed copy of the barcoded appointment confirmation

2.       Passport with visa

3.       Other valid IDs

4.       His divorce decree

5.       Proof of relationship

6.       CENOMAR

7.       Birth certificate

8.       Photocopy of passport data page

9.       Php 400 for the counseling and registration fee.

Note that in my case, they only took my appointment confirmation, passport with visa, photocopy of passport data page, proof of relationship (photos) and the registration fee. Some people had to give/show other documents depending on how their interview went, I guess.

How to get there:

Wherever you are coming from, you will have to find your way to get to Clark Main Gate. There are numerous jeepney routes and tricycle that can take you there. Clark Main Gate is close to SM Clark, Angeles City's Walking Street and Astro Park.

From Clark Maingate, take the jeepney route 2 and ask to be dropped off to One Stop Shop. I forgot how much the fare is but it can't be more than Php20.

Proceed to the first building that you will see when you get off the jeepney. You can also ask the guard where the CFO is. The rooms in the building has a sign by the door.

Pre-Seminar:

Seminar schedule is from 2 PM to 5 PM. I got there around 1:30 PM. The registration has started by then. I provided my appointment confirmation and my passport. They asked for another ID and a photocopy of my ID (I provided a copy of my passport).

The room was fully booked. Some people came in late but they were accepted anyway. Some people have their partners waiting outside as they are not allowed in. Someone tried to give some food to the seminar personnel but it was refused because of the government's No Gift Policy.

Filling out the forms will take some time. You might need to take some notes or refer to another document to get some information to put on here such as the partner's phone number and his mother's maiden name. It's weird because some of it are the same information provided when trying to register online for the seminar.

While some people are filling out forms, some are undergoing interview with GCP Facilitator, Maya Sanchez. She said, she also facilitates the seminars in Manila.

Once done with the forms and the interview, the Php 400 will be collected and a receipt will be given.

Interview Proper:

This one's brutal. Lol. For me, this is harder than the USEM interview, for sure. There was a lot of prejudice, trick questions and oral defense. Later on, I get to understand why she is being so strict.

One thing about the interviewer (who is also the facilitator) is, she don't hold back and will say what she think about the relationship and will try to put some 'ideas' in one's mind to trigger them to think critically. It was fun. I saw some people change their mood after talking to her probably because of the realization that she might be right or the realization that they do not want this change as much as they thought they do.

So when it was my turn to be interviewed, she asked the basic questions about ages, my family, his family, our relationship, our meeting, etc. The difference is, she really scrutinize each answer and really forces some ideas out of you. Lol. I found myself defending our situation more than once and was in the verge of being argumentative.

The first one was about how we met and how quick our relationship developed. I told her we met on a dating site and she asked, "why were you on a dating site?" as if I spend my days and nights looking for foreigners to date. So I had to elaborate the details of me being on a dating site by telling her that it was an ad that I accidentally clicked on years ago but have not been active for a long time. Told her that I got an email notification that he (my fiancé) sent me a message while I was working the nightshift and was encouraged to respond.

The second one was the circumstances of our meeting. She seemed to have hesitation about our relationship because we only met once and only been together for one week. So I told her that we are extremely busy with work and cannot easily get some time off of work. She proceeded to ask if I know him well enough all these time and asked for our photos together. I have some printed out but asked to see the ones on my phone. I then proceeded to tell her how much we talk everyday and how involved are we in our daily lives and with each other's family despite the distance. I also told her that I am already 35 years old and I have been on many relationships but didn't settle for anyone in the past (she asked why I am only settling down now) because I was establishing my career, building a house, only get to study and graduate from college now after sending my siblings to school first and traveling solo when I can. I also emphasized that I am a good judge of character so I did not settle for anyone whose character seems off to me and that's how I ended up choosing my fiancé now and how 100% sure with him. She then challenged my answer with "not even once?". I just said, "Nope. Never." while looking directly to her eyes asking her to challenge me some more so I can tell her the nitty-gritty, mushy-corny details of our relationship. Lol.

The last one was about his divorced. She asked, "why was he divorced?" and I went with the canned answer: irreconcilable difference. Of course, she is not having that answer. Lol. She asked for the details of it. Even questioned if I know about it or if we ever talked about it. I was not comfortable saying the ex-wife cheated on him but said it anyway. She then challenged it by asking, "how do you know if it were true?", "and if it were true, why do you think it happened?", "people always come here blaming the one who cheated but didn't you think that it was his fault that he was cheated on?", "he's probably working too much or doesn't give her enough time or maybe he cheated on her too.". At this point, I was getting tired with defending and was in the verge of having point-by-point response to her questions so I just concluded, "we've talked about it a lot of times and we both believe that cheating is behavioral, not circumstantial."

At the end of the interview, she said, "Wait for your name to be called later for photo capturing and data checking." The whole interview lasted about 20 minutes but it felt like an hour. I smiled and thanked for her time nicely and politely.

Seminar Proper:

The seminar started with the showing of a video entitled, "9 seconds".  This one is heartbreaking to watch and even more so because it's true. This is an important topic about domestic violence and how statistics show that women worldwide suffer from abuse every 9 seconds. It prepares the audience to be aware of it, be proactive about it and to not be afraid. This issue is emphasized during the visa interview and on the CFO seminar so sadly, this is happening very frequently.

The facilitator has a slideshow of the seminar topic but she didn't go through it and focused to talk to the audience directly and initiate a dialogue. It is still important to pay attention to it because it has a lot of useful information such as branches of government offices and their purpose, consular offices abroad, etc.

She told a lot of horror stories of Filipinas abroad in bad situations. She even boldly mentioned that about 85% of Filipinas emigrating through marriage fails. The statistics doesn't limit to Filipinas marrying a foreigner but also Filipinos marrying former Filipinos. That was surprisingly high, I thought. She then said that failed marriage doesn't necessarily mean divorced or separation or annulled but when a Filipina is not happy with the relationship in general (I know that this can be subjective) and feels trapped; when she is abused verbally or physically but don't do anything about it; or when being married just means not being alone even if it's not a good marriage.

She then told the audience of recognizing a pattern for abusers. She asked them about the things that they fight about and started admitting arguments and fights that happen between couples. She then give tips on how to handle relationship issues and what to do during a spat.

She also reminded the Filipinas that even though our culture teaches us to be caring, loving and subservient, we should not see ourselves as a maid or a caregiver and that we are equal partners with equal responsibilities. She essentially pointed out to the young fiancés that they are not little girls that needs to be told everything and believe anything that they were told and that they should feel free to talk and be assertive at times and that their partner should not dictate everything in their life.

She also provided a rundown of immigration process once overseas such as AOS, working, traveling, living conditions, etc. She emphasized the importance of not being a TNT (undocumented foreigner hiding from authority).

In addition, she provided a quick information on being about being a dual citizenship  vs being naturalized.

She also provided a pamphlet about pre-departure (what can be brought, tickets, travel tax, etc), documents to bring (school and employment records when available, visa packet, etc.)

She then offered the floor for open Q&As to address any other concerns that they may have. She also provided her personal email address for direct contact about anything whether it is something bad or good about their experience.

Some of useful resources for your Filipina partner can be found here: https://www.cfo.gov.ph/publications/cfo-informational-materials.html

After that, we are given the certificate and the sticker on the passport (for the ones with visa on hand).

Conclusion:

I know some people are complaining about this government requirement for emigrating Filipinos but do not let your partners skip this and make sure they pay attention. This is extremely important for them to go through as it will help with the process and what to expect and what to do when something goes wrong. Living overseas permanently can be scary and frustrating as one cannot assume enough on what to expect but this seminar somehow prepares them for it. The Php 400 registration fee is sure worth it with all the information that one can get from seminar along with the confidence and the mental and emotional preparation that comes with it.

Sorry for the long post but I hope this helps.

1 minute ago, TXBill said:

Thanks so much! That's really helpful! By the way, was yours expedited? I saw on your timeline that yours took less time than usual.

Youre welcome

No, ours was not expedited. Our case was very simple though which I think helped with the faster processing (no criminal records, he's divorced, I have never been married, I have no kids, no tax issues).

But don't let our timeline be a standard of what you think your timeline should be. We might have gotten lucky and/or we might have been overly prepared and organized.

2 hours ago, TXBill said:

Hi thanks for your reply.

 

How did you show proof of your relationship/paint a picture or relationship? We're worried that we don't have enough proof because of the 2 visits.

 

Thanks

In our 129-f, we sent about 10 photos of us together including photos with my family on a 5 pages. On the photos, I added info on who are in the photos, and when and where was it taken.

We also included his boarding pass, our hotel booking confirmation, car service emails, plane ticket. I think we also added his passport stamps showing departure and arrival. 

We also added a brief history of how we met. 

I don't think we sent email correspondence or call and text records. 

We only met once and it was only for 7 days so I am sure your two visits are enough. 

Hope it helps

You should be fine on your own.

When I attended my interview, there was this mother who is struggling with her kid and her documents. The other Filipinas gave her a helping hand by handling her binder for her, saving her line in the seat while she runs around the place, etc. People are very forgiving and helpful when kids are around.

I know it's gonna be challenging but you can strategize even before you get there: do not give the kid any sugar; give the kid a book or a toy or crayons and paper. Organize your papers so they are easy to identify and easy to be pulled out of your binder when asked. Start arranging the papers that will be initially asked so they are easily accessible to you.

Goodluck

1 minute ago, Falcon Cara said:

Wow, that is truly a whirlwind romance.  When I fly to Philippines it takes me about 10 to 12 days just to adjust to due jet lag and time change.  I sleep the first two days

I know. It's funny because I was expecting him to be jetlagged so I didn't really bother with any plans. We just wanted to be together.

He arrived at 1 AM, then drove back to our rented apartment. We were just up all night, talking about a lot of things... We were so excited to finally see each other again. Then, we napped for just an hour and when we woke up, it felt like we slept for 12 hours so we head out and had breakfast.

I didn't feel like jetlagged hit him. He slept regular nights and woke up the same. It's weird. Lol.

Hello, 

My K1 visa got approved last month and I am flying out on July 18th.

Me and my fiance had a whirlwind romance. We met in Feb 2018 online, became an item in March 2018, he traveled here in June for a week to see me and on the 4th day of being together, we got engaged.

We filed our application in December 2018 and got approved in May 2019.

Our age difference is about 11 years.

No criminal records.

He's a divorcee with one kid.

Yes, we Skype, call, text, wrote each other emails and sent snail mails a lot. We get in touch at least 3 times a day. Our daily communication would average about 2 to 3 hours (yes, we compromised on our sleeps a lot). On weekends, we can easily talk for 4 hours straight.

Some people think it's fast but like when they say, "when you know, you know...". For us, it wasn't fast enough. We knew we wanted to be together and defied a lot of odds just to be together.

So just gather enough evidence to prove bonafide relationship and hope for the best.

Hope this helps

22 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

  I guess I don't understand how waiting an hour is a sign of respect. 

It is not the waiting an hour that is regarded as respect but to trying to get ahead of people who diligently and painfully followed the rules and the etiquette in line waiting, by going to lanes for Senior Citizen, a PWD, an OFW, crew when they are not, is disrespectful 

No one wants to wait an hour, but if it has to be waited in a line, then so be it. This also explains why Filipinos like to line up early in the morning for a gov't or medical appointment.

Yep, it's one of the cultural differences

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

I never understood why there are hundreds of people waiting in line and I walk right through the OFW door without a question.  Sometimes I use the crew door.  Why do all those people wait?

 

I may be guilty of that. Personally, it's a sign of respect. I hate it when I see people cut in line. I am neither an OFW or a crew so I would not line up there unless some ushers told us that we can. We'd rather wait and be part of the bandwagon rather than be secretly mocked for 'not following rules or the majority, publicly'.

Like what we jokingly say, "Kung nagmamadali ka, dapat kahapon ka pa umalis..." (If you are in a hurry, you should have left yesterday.)

18 hours ago, Falcon Cara said:

Back in 2006 to 2008 time frame Philippines based air carriers wouldn't even let you buy a ticket out of the country without first showing them a visa if you were a citizen of Philippines.

 

This is still the case with Philippines Airlines. There's a field for visa number when I tried to do a mock booking with them.

Found a better flight with Delta--no visa number required.

Finally picked up my visa packet today!

• May 30 - USEM interview
• May 31 - AP
• June 6 - Issued
• June 10 - 2GO tracking available
• June 11 - 2GO 'ready for pick up' text.

This phase has been a smooth and quick journey for us from sending in our application on December 18 up to this point.

Looking back, the hardest part for us is the waiting, the uncertainties, the unknowns, the anticipation...

I wish you all the best

11 hours ago, jenihyun said:

Hello Everyone.

Is anyone in here (women)  have experience about having breast lump? I am a bit worried because I have lumps both of my breast. Will it matter during the medical?

 

Thanks in advance for your reply.

The physician didn't feel my breasts during medical. I don't remember being asked if I have a lump either. But more than the worry in passing the medical, I agree that you should have it checked out by a physician for your overall health and well-being.

6 minutes ago, BlaJaz said:

There are close to that many that have been issued after June 29th and June 30th dates. That's only the people that have spoken up on one Facebook group that is just a small fraction of people. It really has something to do with a whole stack of cases. 

You could be right. It would be very hard for me to assume though. But I wish you and everyone else the best as this is just a practice run of what's to come (Traveling, settling down, getting married, AOS, finding work, ROC, naturalization, etc.)

I wish there's a way for us to know the real stats such as the percentage of people that is on 'Issued', 'AP', or visa on-hand status. Personally, if I see more than 10 people talking about it for just a single interview date, that could be 10% or less of the immigrant application on that day, then I would be worried. I know that as individual, it's easy to be worked up on what's actually going on in your application and you just really want to get this over with but at this point, you can choose to wait or call for your own peace of mind. Just don't be surprise if they give you the standard answer if it hasn't been over 4 weeks yet since the interview date. 

5 minutes ago, BlaJaz said:

But this is a whole day's worth of applicants having issues. This isn't a "case by case" basis. 

I believe that is a very lose assumption to make because we cannot create the stats based on 2-3 people that mentioned not having an update on their status (please correct me if my numbers are wrong). There's a lot of factors that comes with each and every application. In addition, VJ doesn't have all the people that got interviewed on that day.

Anyways, my point in my previous post is, if it's not beyond the 4 weeks mentioned by the CO, then do not press the panic button yet.

I believe the CO told applicants that the processing of the visa will take 2 to 4 weeks. Even told some applicants not to book flights until they have their visa on hand.

I honestly wouldn't do anything (except to wait impatiently) until it's past the 4 weeks standard timeframe.

I am guilty of comparing my timeline to others too but at the end, I use it as a way to predict my application's outcome so I can plan ahead. So far, that has worked for me. 

We're lucky that everything on our end was fast and fuss-free but believe me, we've always come up with the worst possible scenario and devise a plan to overcome it (if it were to happen).

Someone said before that instead of stalking the ceac website for status change, try to do something else--look around for things to dispose, reconnect with family and friends, try reaching some personal, short-term goals.

Hope this helps!

I got interviewed on May 30th. Today, my visa status shows as "Issued" after being on AP since May 30th. 

Yep, patience is easier said than done but you'll get there eventually. So hang tight

14 hours ago, Falcon Cara said:

By law it is illegal for Forgieners to give money to beggars, but as normal the law isn't enforced.

Giving to beggars is not just illegal for foreigners but to everyone in the Philippines.

Philippines has the Mendicancy Law of 1978. Yep, it's that old but I have not seen it enforced (just like any other laws in the Philippines).

Sources:

• https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1003588
• https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1978/06/11/presidential-decree-no-1563-s-1978/

13 hours ago, louiep58 said:

hello fellow vjrs this question is kind of personal and more directed towards the ladies  My wife and i live in the phil with our 10 month old daughter  while we still want at least one more child We decided for now not yet ok  So what im asking you ladies in the phil what is the best and safest birth control method in the phil for my wife and what would be the cost  thk you

The daughter is 10 months old? Is your wife breastfeeding? Supposedly, she can't get pregnant while she's breastfeeding but one can't depend on that for sure. Additionally, over the counter bc pills might have an effect on her breastfeeding so you might want to take that into consideration.

Geowrian is right, it is best to speak to a doctor about it. Women have different reaction to pills. Cost of bc pills here range from 35 pesos to 900 pesos. A visit to OB-Gyn is about 250 pesos to 500 pesos. 

1 hour ago, GaryK said:

'Pleasant experience' and 'uscis' doesn't usually go together.  I suppose miracles do occasionally happen, though.  A broken clock is right twice a day.  Blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.  I have called 6 or 7 times in the past and they have been hemorrhoids to me each time.  I won't be calling again.  If it is meant to happen, it'll happen.

I am sorry about your experience.

In all honesty, I have been reading your posts about your experience calling them and was a little nervous about calling as well but my gut feeling was telling me something's up so despite my fiance's planned contact on a Friday, I called on a Thursday instead and put him in conference with the USCIS so he won't lose his patience and set a not-so-pleasant tone when talking to the agent.

But yeah, I guess we got lucky as well.