Prisonmate

Just an update to help others from the Philippines to the USA. My fiancee left Mactan Airport to Manila International for a layover flight to San Francisco. She got her Travel Pass and Health Certificate and hired a private car to take her to the airport. Taxi and GRAB (Ride sharing app) were not operating in Cebu City. She got there way early, more than three hours before departure time so she waited outside.

The ticket agent for PAL did questioned her about her VISA (K1). The agent had to get her manager or supervisor to approve if K1 visa holders were allowed to leave. Whoever they paged to the ticket counter, gave the okay and my fiancee got checked in. 

From there on it was smooth sailing. The planes left on time. She got her luggage at Manila Airport for visual inspection and rechecked in. No more interviews or questions about why she was going to the USA. The plane arrived on time in San Francisco. My fiancee said the custom agent (Female) was very nice and friendly. 

We got married via Video Conference with the County Clerk. You have to make an appointment online for the ceremony at least 72 hours ahead after submitting the marriage license application online.

Next was the Social Security Number project. This used to be simple before the corvid virus pandemic. Just go to the office in person and apply for the SSN. Now the Social Security Offices are closed. You have two choices to get SSN. One is to mail in the Application with Passport and I-94 printout. The other is to have USCIS process the SSN for you when you submit the EAD application. We decided to mail in the passport and application because we would get her SSN faster by applying directly to the Social Security Administration. There are many things we can't do here without her having a SSN. My company health insurance requires a SSN from her, for example. Opening her own bank account is another example. Many members voiced their concern about mailing in their passport. Yes, there is a risk. However, you can mail it via register mail for comfort. I feel confident the Social Security Office will take care of the passport and send it back to us as soon as they can since it is normal process now.

Waiting for the SSN after filing the EAD application would take much longer; maybe two more month or longer.

In the meanwhile, we did get her a CA ID card from the Department of Motor Vehicle. However, she got it because the person helping her was very understanding and went out the way to help her. My wife did not have any billings with her name on it and she has not received her SSN yet. She only showed her passport and I-94 form and a copy of the marriage license application. She had a copy of my utilities billing under my name.  The person made an exception to the rule and processed her for an identification card.

So hopefully, she will get her SSN in a couple of weeks so I can add her to my health Insurance.

Stay safe and I hope other members will soon have their love ones with them soon.

2 minutes ago, JonSeattle said:

Did you attend a CFO seminar, or just print out a certificate from their website?

You need to attend the CFO seminar in person.

26 minutes ago, praisejourney said:

I just received an email response about my K1 visa question about traveling. 

 

 

I know what you are feeling now after reading the email from the Bureau of Immigration Philippines. IMHO, the BIP has little to do with people leaving the Philippines. Only you know what is best for your situation. Wait longer to leave or leave when you can. As long as you can get to the airport and have the required travel pass from the local Barangay, K1 Visa holders has left the country. I'm not saying it is guarantee you can leave. It all depends on the personal at the airport. From the ticket counter person, Immigration and Custom Officer, Boarding Gate Attendant, and so on.  It's all a gamble each step of the way. My Fiancee Visa will expire in mid-July. After 4 flights cancellations, she has a flight out just a few days before the VISA expires. For us, we really have no choice, we can't afford to wait.

Just FYI, my finacee knows some other K1 Visa holders and they were able to leave the country. That was about 10 days ago and the flew on Korean Air from Manila. She encountered no problems.

So typical of the Philippines. No one wants to offend or upset anyone. Pass the buck to another department or person. So the Bureau of Immigration is telling you the anyone at the airport can refuse to let you board the plane. So if the Airline Agent is having a bad day and decided you're not boarding, they can refuse you and you have no recourse.

Still very limited flights out of Manila to the USA.  My fiancee got her canceled just two days before departure. We re-booked the flight but the next available was 25 days later.

To answer my own question I posted to start this subject, the answer is yes, K1 Visa can leave the Philippines if they can get to the airport and the flight is not cancel.

3 hours ago, praisejourney said:

Has anyone gone through the process of getting their health certificate so they can travel to the airport?  Are these certificates able to be acquired in a single day? Do these allow you also to travel between GCQ and MGCQ areas? What has been your experience so far?

My fiancee in Cebu just got her travel pass. She had to go to the city health department to get a certificate and a form from her local Barangay and Police Station. Don't ask. I don't know why all they paper work either. She sent me photos of the forms and talk about bureaucracy. If you're in Manila, you don't need a Travel Pass to get to the airport, I think.  It took my fiancee two full days to get all the forms as transportation in Cebu is still not 100% back up. Knowing the Phillipines, each area and each person will have different experience.

There are flights leaving the Philippines if you're lucky enough to catch one that was not canceled. The last flight from Manila to San Francisco via Philippines Airlines was June 1st. PAL has since canceled all the flights to SFO until June 14th. So passengers that held tickets to leave before June 14th had to rebook their flights again at a later date.

19 minutes ago, apellica said:

That’s why it is just too risky for us right now.  I’ve already been through enough pain getting my plane tickets refunded that I booked early June.  Not looking to do that all over again because the communication over there sucks.

Same here. I feel your pain.  My fiancee tickets were cancel twice already in April. Her K1 visa will expire in mid July.  She is afraid that if she don't leave now, the PH government may re-shut down again if the virus cases start increasing.  We are taking our chances and will see what happens.

"Good evening! Kindly be advised that K1 visa with CFO Online Registration Certificate is allowed to travel out of the country, subject to primary inspection by the conducting Immigration Officer. "

.....subject to primary inspection by the conducting Immigration Officer. (?) What is that suppose to mean? You're allow to leave BUT the conducting Immigration Officer has the final say????  So if he or she is having a bad day or doesn't like the way you look or if you did not insert some pesos with the supporting documents, you can't leave???? I don't know to laugh or cry.

3 minutes ago, apellica said:

Thanks for the update.  If you don’t mind me asking, when is her flight?

Monday, June 15th.

This is the Philippines. There are conflicting sources to answer the same questions. One source says you can't fly out. Another source says yes, you can fly out.  We won't know until she boards the plane in Manila.  I tried contacting the US Embassy and I get an automated answer to check with the airline. I checked the airline and they say yes as long as she has a valid visa. The PH Bureau of Immigration says no she can't leave unless she has a student visa.

3 hours ago, funiegirl19 said:

I am the K1 visa holder. I have scheduled flight w/in this month. The list of exempted outbound Filipinos were the ones they posted on their FB acct. Their reply to my query: 

 US K1 visa holders are included in the mentioned exempted outbound Filipino passengers. Kindly present your valid visa together with the Commission of Filipino Overseas (CFO) sticker/CFO Online Registration Certificate upon departure. 

 

Oh, by the way I called the Bureau of Immigration and emailed them too and got the same answers. 

Thanks for all the responses. PAL is leaving Manila to San Francisco, next Wednesday, Friday and Mondays, So far they have not cancel their flights as they did for the first week of June after June 1st flight. Cebu is allowing access to the airport now. She just applied for her travel pass from the Barangay and health certificate to present at the airport.  We have to remember this is the Philippines and nothing is easy and simple in the Philippines. It takes just one person ( corrupt or power tripper) to harass the Filipino citizen. I'll post an update when she arrives here in the USA to help any other members. 

Thank you. But where I live, everyone but essential workers don't have a job. There are hiring freeze in the local government to make up for the cost of the shutdown.  But your suggestion is welcome.

Thank you. That makes lots of sense. I did work part of this year before the lockdown. I have a great deal more than 3X the FPL so that's good. I'll bring a updated I-864 when I go to the interview. By then I'll be working again.

Hello members, hope everyone is stay safe during the lockdown.

I need some objective advise.  Currently, I am on furlough from work collecting unemployment. I'm in the travel industry and looks like I won't return to work until next year. When I file the AOS for my newlywed wife and I'm unemployed, how will that affect the approval of the AOS? Financially I am well off in savings(cash, stocks, 401K plan). This furlough is just temporary until people feel safe to travel again. I just don't have any paychecks to submit prior to submitting the AOS.

If they deny my AOS petition, what other options do I have? Do my wife have to leave the country? Can I apply for I-130 Spousal Visa as plan B?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advise.

Thanks. I read that too and that didn't make sense. Student Visa Okay but no mention of other valid visa like tourist or Business Visa.

Yes, info in the Philippines is unreliable. Thus I hope someone that has left the Philippines recently can give me answer.

The Philippines are starting to allow flights to the USA via Philippines Airlines. My fiancee visa expires mid July. We have a flight scheduled for next week. Will she be allow to broad the plane with a K1 Visa? I read an article the Airlines are only flying out US Citizens and Green Card Holders only.

Thanks but I checked Sonoma County and Monterey County and on the website it says its for county resident only though the license can be use anywhere in California.

San Francisco is not doing it right now, video conference. Not sure how that would work. Still need to get a license and someone to marry us. There must be a backlog on marriages in the Bay Area. I read in the news that New York has a 4 month waiting period now due to the backlog.

I wonder how far I have to go in California to get marry. I think it is easier to go to Las Vegas.

Wow, Thank you for this information. I'm surprised not many other members made any posting thanking you. My fiancee is coming next month assuming the Philippines lift their lock down. In San Francisco Bay Area, no one can get marry until the lock down is lifted. That does not look like it's happening until July or August. Even if they do open up, there will be a mass backlog as they are only open 8:00AM to 3:30 and 2 appointments only per hour.

However, in Las Vegas, it's  8AM to Midnight, Seven Days a week??? Wow, that means I can fly in early and get marry on the same day.

Questions:

Do I need to make an appointment?

After getting the license, how do I find someone to marry us?

How soon will we be able to have the certified marriage certificate mail to us?

Totally agreedmwntt with Apellica.

" I know it’s a selfish thing for me to say, but I am so sick of these travel bans.  The travel bans are only delaying the inevitable....the virus is already here and we can’t stay lockdown forever, especially when a vaccine is a long ways away.

Wearing protective gear, maintaining good hygiene, and eating healthy is your best defense against this virus.   Most people are recovering, but the media will tell you otherwise and declare doomsday."

It's like Martial Law in Cebu now. You can't travel from one city limit to another city without a special pass. There are police and military at the check points. The working poor will be dying from hunger and other sickness before they will ever catch the virus. The USA has the most cases and deaths now in the world. I think China is #9 in most cases and deaths.

I can see Philippines  extending it again until end of May or later. 

I agreed that the Trump tweet is so vague on who it will affect. My fiancee has her approved K1 visa on her passport. Does it mean she will not be allowed to enter? If she is allowed to enter because K1 is consider a non-immigrant visa, will they reject her Adjustment of Status petition? This stupid tweet is making havoc in many couples lives.

7 hours ago, apellica said:

My fiance is in the same boat.  I need to get her to the USA by August.  Like flicks1998 said, I think  the lockdown will be lifted sometime in May or June,  but you really don't know what condition the country is in due to lack of tests and medical facilities to serve COVID-19 patients.  When I find that small window to pick her up, I might have to take it despite the risks.  Paying money for extra plane tickets, hotel stays, medical checkups and visa fees all over again is not ideal for me.

 

Ugh....these are really trying times.

Best wishes to you. My fiance is in Cebu.  It's like Martial Law down there. You can't even travel from one city to the other city next door. You have to have a pass just to go out shopping for food. They only issue one pass per household. The President of the Philippines sounds like he won't lift the lock down for months. In the meantime, the working poor in the Philippines will be dying from hunger than from the virus.