David Holmes

My wife's 2yr GC expires 5/30 and we were hoping to attend a wedding in Bali in July.
 
Can we file the I-571 now?  Or do we have to wait until the 90-day window prior to expiration opens? 

This is a question about timing.  My wife's first GC expires in May.
 
We have a wedding to attend in Bali in July.
 
I'm thinking we should renew the GC rather than go for citizenship at this time.  Would you agree?

5/30/2021 to 5/30/2023
 
We'd been married since 7/25/2019.
 
Sounds like I-751 is our route, thank you.
 

Got my Filipina wife here to US last year on a GC and we already have 2 babies born here (1 month and 13 months). We have our hands full and are getting no sleep.

We would like to bring her sister and her sister's daughter (16) here to help with the babies.  Ideally for a few years at least.  Three questions:

What visa type would we apply for?
Who is the petitioner?  Me, the US Citizen, or my wife, the GC holder?
Is the wait time longer than getting my wife here (that was about 1.5 years)?

Thanks everyone, I love this website.
 

Exactly my thought. Why not give advice without screaming fraud? VJ members should do better. 

Got my Filipina wife here to US last year on a GC and we already have 2 babies born here (1 month and 13 months). We have our hands full and are getting no sleep.

We would like to bring her sister and her sister's daughter (16) here to help with the babies.  Ideally for a few years at least.  Three questions:

What visa type would we apply for?
Who is the petitioner?  Me, the US Citizen, or my wife, the GC holder?
Is the wait time longer than getting my wife here (that was about 1.5 years)?

Thanks everyone, I love this website.
 

Got my Filipina wife here to US last year on a GC and we already have 2 babies born here (1 month and 13 months). We have our hands full and are getting no sleep.

We would like to bring her sister and her sister's daughter (16) here to help with the babies.  Ideally for a few years at least.  Three questions:

What visa type would we apply for?
Who is the petitioner?  Me, the US Citizen, or my wife, the GC holder?
Is the wait time longer than getting my wife here (that was about 1.5 years)?

Thanks everyone, I love this website.
 

Got my Filipina wife here to US last year on a GC and we already have 2 babies born here (1 month and 13 months). We have our hands full and are getting no sleep.

We would like to bring her sister and her sister's daughter (16) here to help with the babies.  Ideally for a few years at least.  Three questions:

What visa type would we apply for?
Who is the petitioner?  Me, the US Citizen, or my wife, the GC holder?
Is the wait time longer than getting my wife here (that was about 1.5 years)?

Thanks everyone, I love this website.
 

Got my Filipina wife here to US last year on a GC and we already have 2 babies born here (1 month and 13 months). We have our hands full and are getting no sleep.

We would like to bring her sister and her sister's daughter (16) here to help with the babies.  Ideally for a few years at least.  Three questions:

What visa type would we apply for?
Who is the petitioner?  Me, the US Citizen, or my wife, the GC holder?
Is the wait time longer than getting my wife here (that was about 1.5 years)?

Thanks everyone, I love this website.
 

Just an update on my case.  Wife finally has her passport back. 

What I think caused this 6 week delay: when I filled out the ustraveldocs profile, I had accidentally used my wife's OLD passport number.  So when it came time to get send the passport back, they, or the courier, were unable to look up the delivery address.  Once we figured this out, and changed it (and then made 20 more frustrating phone calls), the situation resolved.  

MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT THAT DELIVERY PAGE PROPERLY.  DON'T BE TANGA LIKE ME.

Just wanted to give an update to anyone who sees this in the future.
 
Turns out that when I had filled out the ustraveldocs.com profile, I had accidentally used the wrong (old) passport number.  Therefore when the visa was issued to the (new) passport, there was no associated delivery address and the delivery was delayed.  Still not clear on where it got hung, at the embassy or the courier, but we finally got it unstuck by call both agencies dozens of times.  It was quite frustrating and delayed us by an additional five weeks.

But we have the passport/visa now.

Just an update on my case.  Wife finally has her passport back. 

What I think caused this 6 week delay: when I filled out the ustraveldocs profile, I had accidentally used my wife's OLD passport number.  So when it came time to get send the passport back, they, or the courier, were unable to look up the delivery address.  Once we figured this out, and changed it (and then made 20 more frustrating phone calls), the situation resolved.  

MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT THAT DELIVERY PAGE PROPERLY.  DON'T BE TANGA LIKE ME.

We didn't recieve everything back yet, it is just issued and the secret is to keep calling. Lol They have a high call volume so they rig the system to keep hanging up on you until a clerk can answer so you have to keep trying until it finally doesn't hang up, when you get an actual person to talk to they're actually not allowed to hang up on you. Last time I called it took me 6 times.

CFO counseling is one of the Philippine requirements for exit immigration.  The counseling session itself will be done online or via phone.  Appointment is required, so is emailing of lots and lots of documents.  You and your wife better work on this ASAP.  Start here -- https://cfo.gov.ph/overseas-filipinos-cfo-online-registration-system-or-of-cors-2/
 
If you need more info not immediately apparent from the official site, please do search or post in the PH sub-forum -- https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/129-philippines/
 

Because you married his mother before the child turned 18 years old, you may petition for him as a step-child of a US citizen.  If the plan is for him to immigrate while he is a minor, his visa category will be IR2.  As we learned during the pandemic, IR2 is one of the categories considered mission-critical by the Dept of State.  Follow pushbrk's advice about the IR2 process for your step-son.
 
If your step-son had been older than 18 at the time of your wedding, only his mother would have been able to petition for him after she moves to the US.  His visa category would have been under family-preference, which have a backlog of at least a year's worth of cases waiting for processing at the US embassy in Manila.
 

Whoa, what is CFO counseling?  Where can we find more information on this?
 
And he was 8 when we married, and is 10 now. How does that affect who is the petitioner, and does it affect timelines or likely outcomes?

My wife had her Interview a few days ago at the Manila consulate and she passed!  Now just waiting for her Passport to come back to her with the Visa, and then travel to the US after that.
 
At some point we might want to get her son over here as well.  What's the process for that?  Does she become a petitioner?  What is the paperwork track?

My wife had her Interview a few days ago at the Manila consulate and she passed!  Now just waiting for her Passport to come back to her with the Visa, and then travel to the US after that.
 
At some point we might want to get her son over here as well.  What's the process for that?  Does she become a petitioner?  What is the paperwork track?

My wife had her Interview a few days ago at the Manila consulate and she passed!  Now just waiting for her Passport to come back to her with the Visa, and then travel to the US after that.
 
At some point we might want to get her son over here as well.  What's the process for that?  Does she become a petitioner?  What is the paperwork track?

No that is not what they are saying. What they are saying is you lost your privilege of coming to the US without a visa. Now you will have to apply for a B visa to come and see your spouse. But just being married to a US citizen does not give rights to enter the US without authorization.

Hey everyone!  Good news.  She got up at 3am, hired a car to Manila, and did the walk-in, and it worked!
 
She has her medical now, well in advance of the interview.  Now we're just collecting our papers and getting ready for the BIG DAY. Wish us luck!
 
 

Hey everyone!  Good news.  She got up at 3am, hired a car to Manila, and did the walk-in, and it worked!
 
She has her medical now, well in advance of the interview.  Now we're just collecting our papers and getting ready for the BIG DAY. Wish us luck!
 
 

Hey everyone!  Good news.  She got up at 3am, hired a car to Manila, and did the walk-in, and it worked!
 
She has her medical now, well in advance of the interview.  Now we're just collecting our papers and getting ready for the BIG DAY. Wish us luck!
 
 

I just checked too...i don't know whats happening! I had to print the forms to hand write certain info in and to sign it. I don't know why when I scan it, its getting so large

Sorry if this has been asked...but I've searched everywhere, and I can't figure out how to compress these PDF files! The new CEAC system doesn't allow anything over 2MB. All of my pdf's need to be resized. Some are as big as 10mb. How are people compressing the I-864 down to 2mb???? Please help!