tzeksman

Well i don't know we'll see I mean they have a house, a vehicle, my wifes younger brother in college, all of their family are there minus their daughter so hopefully that counts for something. As far as a wad of cash in the bank they're just like most, they get by. The reason we want them to come for a visit is because they have another grandson they haven't met yet. Anyways all we can do is apply, get all proofs we can together and pray it all works out.

My wife and I would like to have her parents visit in or around January and according to the state department website " Entry and the length of authorized stay within the U.S. are determined by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer at the port-of-entry each time you travel. " Ok easy enough to understand, but what is an average length of stay for anyone that has had family visit. We were kind of hoping they would be able to stay for three months. I would appreciate anyones input into this, thanks.

My wife and I would like to have her parents visit in or around January and according to the state department website " Entry and the length of authorized stay within the U.S. are determined by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer at the port-of-entry each time you travel. " Ok easy enough to understand, but what is an average length of stay for anyone that has had family visit. We were kind of hoping they would be able to stay for three months. I would appreciate anyones input into this, thanks.

GREAT News for Us today.... My Fiancee had her interview today and passed! She said it went smooth and everyone from the pre-screener, to the consular were extremely nice and friendly. I guess Santa was good to them over the holidays.

Now we are just waiting for the VISA.... I hope by the end of the week we will have it.

congrats!!!! you just might have it as well... my wife interviewed noon on a wednesday and passport with visa was delivered by friday....wishing you all the best

Please also make sure that you could get the affidavit in Cebu-US embassy. It might only be available in Manila.

Just "seconding" whats been said already, we were not required to get a CENOMAR before marrying in the Philippines we were only required to go to the U.S Embassy and get the Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry for the US citizen. I think under a certain age for women maybe it was 21 they also needed parental consent and under 25 parental advice form given to the municipality where they applied for a marriage contract, I could be a lil off on that though. I dont remember exactly how the parental thing worked out.

What we did and didnt run into any problems at the time of my wifes interview was as intructed we sent the original to the NVC with all supporting documents and before sending it to the NVC i made copies of it all and I sent the copies to my wife so she would have them when she went for her interview, "just in case". Thats for the CR-1 as for the K visas it might be a bit different. We had no problems and my wife didnt need to produce the copies I sent her.

Hey folks when time isnt a concern who is the best shipper to use? I have three boxes each weighing 50 pounds plus that I would like to send to our family in the philippines. Its a set of books and there isnt a time crunch on them, I mean if it took 2 months thats fine. Any suggestions on which companies are reliable and affordable??? Thanks much

I tend to be in agreement with the tall #######! SFO is a much better choice, LAX can be a pain in the #######!!! We recently came through LAX and after you get into the immigration area they are so disorganized and without a clue its not even funny!! On top of that the immigration officers there (while I dont want to lump everyone into one group) are rude, thoughtless and not very helpful. I as a US citizen confronted one fat old Immigration officer that was being rude to first time immigrants because they were lined up vertically instead of horizontally. The signage they had up was sooooo ambigious and he had no right to talk to the folks the way he did, after all he is a public servant!!! He was such an ### and I told him as much. Made me feel good that for once my being a US citizen seemed to empower me!!!! Anyways best of luck on your connection im sure you will be fine coming in at SFO I used to live in San Jose and I must admit I enjoyed flying in and out of SFO on all my international flights throughout the years. as for my wife and I we live in LA now so no choice for us a few weeks ago!!!

As you all know the economy is in trouble and my fiance has been in a financial dificulty.

I'm waiting for my interview still but have been aproved.

If he were to file for welfare for our daughter soon. Could I be denied my visa?

Would they be able to know? He has previous pay stubs up until 3 weeks ago. Could they know?

Please help!

Hello my friend I'm not sure where you are located or if this question has been answered in this way already but after reading your post i called my friend who works for the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services and she faxed me the following information which they give to new immigrants that apply for welfare or as she put it "public benifits". Again i dont know it this applies per say to your particular location if you are in another state other than CA but its probably a good general rule ill attach it as a scanned image to this post. Hope this helps. I think the key word is NON CASH benifits if you are awarded cash benifits this may affect your immigration status insofar as the USCIS is concerned because then you have become a "public charge"

when should be the best time to pay the DV to try not to delay everything? does paying it earlier helps prevent delay?

Im not sure there is a best time to pay, if any I would say earlier is always better than later. But in our case we paid like maybe 10 days prior to the interview and ours was completed and my wife had her visa delivered two days after her interview. so I dont really know if there is a best time. Hasnt there been talk that they have suspended DV for the immediate future?

One advice though. . . never go to sleep with a disagreement and always tell him what you feel and your concerns. We Filipinas are known for being shy and likes to keep quiet even if we are boiling inside, don't do that. Americans are very open people and unless you don't communicate with them what you feel, they won't understand.

I must say this is the truest and most sound advice. Communication is the key to any good relationship. Many problems and disagreements can be solved in minutes if there is talking between partners instead of silence where hurt feelings can live.

Good luck!

Scott

I agree, in fact it brings to mind a scripture found at Ephesians 4:26-27 where it says: Be wrathful, and yet do not sin; let the sun not set with YOU in a provoked state, neither allow place for the Devil. Good advice in all relationships but especially within the family between husband and wife

My first trip to Philippines (march 2008) I looked on the EVA air site and it seemed the prices were a little high. During my checking fares for next several weeks, I found a internet special that was GREAT on EVA Air site. It saved me about four hundred dollars.

Continue to check all the sites for fare specials, you might check at right time and save big!

but i think they have a rule? u can only use ur credit card if u are a passenger? can i buy using my credit card and the passenger is my husband? ty

yeah you're correct with that rule, I tried buying my wifes ticket using my credit card and since our itineraries were different because mine is a round trip of course and hers is a one-way I was unable to buy hers online. For her ticket and our 9 month old sons ticket we ended up using a travel agent in the Philippines. Uni-Orient Travel here's there offices and numbers in case you need them

Manila Office

447 Juan Luna St., Binondo, Manila 1006, Philippines

Tel. (632)2433888 Fax. (632) 2425880

Makati Office

167 I-Care Bldg., Legaspi St. Cor. De La Rosa St., Legaspi Village Makati City

Tel. (632) 8189585 Fax. (632)8189371

Well the bagoong i brought back was home-made packed in a tupperware type container. I dont think that it would have been allowed in if it had been discovered. And for sure that calamansi was way off limits. You cant find it here though, does anyone know if real calamansi can be purchased at any markets in Los Angeles? I still have some seeds maybe ill try growing a tree.

My wife resides in LA. She can't find calamansi anywhere. She just relies on friends who have grown calamansi trees.

Ok Mr. Rizal i know you're busy being a national hero and all, fighting for reforms from the spanish colonists, having parks named after you, and monuments built in your honor. BUT hook me up with the calamansi!!!! i need names and addresses of the people with trees in Los Angeles!!!! Im freaking out man!!! i need my calamansi fix!!!! hehehehehehehehe

CENOMAR is seldom asked for at the interview for married couples. I've never seen it asked for married couples on a US embassy site.

Good thing to have tho as it does show your recent marriage and any others the filipino had.

At my wifes interview approximately a month ago it wasnt asked for. So I wouldnt worry too much if you cant get it before the interview. If you can the yeah its best to have with you then not to have. But if you're married it most likely wont be asked for.

My wifes nickname is Tzek (pronounced like "check") basically sylaballes from her first and last name. Im her 'man' so the name tzeksman.

ohh and btw ours was CR1 i didnt catch that it was under K-3 till now

I probably shouldnt say this because i dont want to give anyone ideas but last february I brought a zip lock bag of calamansi and some of my mother in laws ohhhh sooo good bagoong in my carry on, i dont endorse doing so though every ten feet after de-planing there were signs that said DECLARE IT DUMP IT OR GO TO JAIL. my spinchter muscles were puckering a lil. I doubt ill ever do that again! but dang that bagoong was tasty!

you can bring bagoong like the canned barrio fiesta, meat products like argentina or pure foods corned beef as long as it is canned. my fiance just went back sept 8,2008 with those stuff and they just asked him and he declared it and was okay. He also brought with him Tanduay rum. i forgot about the meat products and my fiance brought with him 10 dozens of goldilocks ensaymada 2 doz of those were the hamonado (with ham) luckily he was able to bring it in (i totally forgot about that hamonado) he was happy i should have sent him those floss from bread talk coz he was addicted. my fiance is filipino and he loves those stuff. when i was also in usa (april 2008) my mom visited me and brought smoked fish coz i was craving for those tinapang salinas but it was vacuumed sealed it was also okay as long as it is not smelly. Freeze it and wrap it in newspaper then pack it in your check in luggage before you leave for the airport.

i also know someone who brought in pirated cds..everything was confiscated and she was asked to pay $300.

Well the bagoong i brought back was home-made packed in a tupperware type container. I dont think that it would have been allowed in if it had been discovered. And for sure that calamansi was way off limits. You cant find it here though, does anyone know if real calamansi can be purchased at any markets in Los Angeles? I still have some seeds maybe ill try growing a tree.

We looked for calamansi everywhere when my wife 1st got here (I looked before she got here coz I missed it). We weren't able to find anywhere in the US that had it. Closest thing we have found is frozen calamansi juice which is the next best thing we think. I'm stashing some calamansi in our suitcase next time we come back from the Phils.

I did and got thru but it was only enough to last a few weeks. I think after my wife and son are here and we're settled im going to try to grow a tree. It will probably take quite awhile for it to become mature but it be worth it. I think i might smuggle some of the lil red onion seeds this time. I like the taste of the lil red onions but havent been able to find those either.

I think its just that they are basically disorganized and they have no concern for people or there circumstances it took my wife 4 days to finishe her medical and one of those days the third day i belive was basically a wasted day because she went down there as instructed and they had her sit around for 4 hours only to tell her to return a few days later for vaccination and releasing. Thankfully she lives near Manila so it wasnt all that hard for her to do. Just very inconveinient

They say you just need the NBI, but we got NBI and Police clearance just to be on the safe side. You dont want to get a RFE if you can avoid it.

I probably shouldnt say this because i dont want to give anyone ideas but last february I brought a zip lock bag of calamansi and some of my mother in laws ohhhh sooo good bagoong in my carry on, i dont endorse doing so though every ten feet after de-planing there were signs that said DECLARE IT DUMP IT OR GO TO JAIL. my spinchter muscles were puckering a lil. I doubt ill ever do that again! but dang that bagoong was tasty!

you can bring bagoong like the canned barrio fiesta, meat products like argentina or pure foods corned beef as long as it is canned. my fiance just went back sept 8,2008 with those stuff and they just asked him and he declared it and was okay. He also brought with him Tanduay rum. i forgot about the meat products and my fiance brought with him 10 dozens of goldilocks ensaymada 2 doz of those were the hamonado (with ham) luckily he was able to bring it in (i totally forgot about that hamonado) he was happy i should have sent him those floss from bread talk coz he was addicted. my fiance is filipino and he loves those stuff. when i was also in usa (april 2008) my mom visited me and brought smoked fish coz i was craving for those tinapang salinas but it was vacuumed sealed it was also okay as long as it is not smelly. Freeze it and wrap it in newspaper then pack it in your check in luggage before you leave for the airport.

i also know someone who brought in pirated cds..everything was confiscated and she was asked to pay $300.

Well the bagoong i brought back was home-made packed in a tupperware type container. I dont think that it would have been allowed in if it had been discovered. And for sure that calamansi was way off limits. You cant find it here though, does anyone know if real calamansi can be purchased at any markets in Los Angeles? I still have some seeds maybe ill try growing a tree.

Show a little class and fly her business. [Mabuhay]. Let her leave the Philippines like a queen. One time event in her life and the extra few bucks it cost me was PRICELESS.

PAL gave a 20% first time immigrant discount also.

In a perfect world yes but in the real world where budgets are tight that doesnt always work out. Especially if you have a family to bring over. Whereas this member doesnt appear to, nonetheless budgets are tight for many folks nowadays. If you can I say go for it but dont feel your "classless" if you cant.

girltalk

how to fly with an infant

travelling with a baby checklist

travel for kids

Thanks, Ill check those site and share them with my wife when i get there. We requested the bassinet and our son should just barely fit in to there requirements when we fly on the 24th. actually since he is so active now we plan to basically "wear him out" all day and maybe even at the lay-over in tapei unless he is extraly grumpy just try to make him so tired he wants to just sleep. I hope thats not cruelbut thats what we think might be best. we will b e leaving late in the day anyways so it will be towards his resting time anyways......the part we worry about is the air pressure. I mean what do you do for a baby at 9 mos as far as taking off and getting him adjusted for that. Nonetheless im glad ill be there with my wife so i can assist her but if anyone has suggestions im an open book!!! My wife says as long as he "feels" like he is in motion like in a car he sleeps but i dunno how he will transalte that feeling on the plane...actually im not worried whatever it is it is an if people around us dont like it whatever....its only 13 hours out of my life and theirs as well

Try Ea air..goodluck

did u mean EVA air???

Congrats on your trip! do you have any tips for traveling with a baby our son will be 9 mos old when we fly back. For that matter maybe ill make a post asking bout suggestions. Did you use the bassinet. How did that all work out?

I probably shouldnt say this because i dont want to give anyone ideas but last february I brought a zip lock bag of calamansi and some of my mother in laws ohhhh sooo good bagoong in my carry on, i dont endorse doing so though every ten feet after de-planing there were signs that said DECLARE IT DUMP IT OR GO TO JAIL. my spinchter muscles were puckering a lil. I doubt ill ever do that again! but dang that bagoong was tasty!