top_secret

Since we are right at the beginning of the year. Unless there is any issues or significant changes from last year's work patterns and annual gross income, I would just stick with that any leave calculations of hourly wages and overtime out of it.

Passport can be gotten in 2 weeks in the Philippines. Pay the nominal expedite fee. She just needs the ID and PSA documents to satisfy DFA. USEM will cancel the interview on a no-show. No-show is not a problem at all, just keep trying until you can get a new appointment. Lawyer probably can't help at all in any way. Medical and everything else is fine with a new passport. It would all be easily worked out during the pre-interview document check. Getting a new passport is the only issue. It's not a huge problem.

I fully agree that no one should ever file as "single" if they are married. Both for legal and financial reasons. However, I have yet to personally see anyone say it was even mentioned by USCIS as part of an immigration case. Lots of people incorrectly filed as "single". It's not a common problem in most immigration cases. From an IRS perspective, incorrectly filing as single most commonly results in the taxpayer paying more. While the IRS could audit someone over the issue, they probably won't because there is nothing for the IRS to gain. I would reiterate that I think everyone 'should' file correctly and there is no reason at all for them not to. But as far as USCIS is concerned I think it's pretty close to a non-issue. I definitely wouldn't lose any sleep worrying about it.

This old thread was revived from January 2023 and should be closed. The advice given was accurate back in 2023 but USEM's policies are different now in 2026.

Unless and until you get the email and CEAC message that says "DOCUMENTARILY QUALIFIED", it is not. They often accept everything submitted and then ask for something additional. You can reupload by just selecting the type of document they asked for and uploading as if it is a new document. Be sure to submit it to

That's the correct final ROM. Certified on PSA paper. She can change her name in her passport and any other Philippine ID based on that. For the Embassy, bring it but it's not a requirement. They want the original certified overseas marriage certificate and PSA Advisory on Marriages which is a different document from the ROM.

The young ones should only need registered with CFO. I'm pretty sure they can do it on a walk in basis once actual visas are on hand.

It sounds like your 17 y/o stepson became a US Citizen at the moment mom naturalized. Apply for his US Passport right away since it's quick and easy. Don't wait for the N600. I'm not saying not to file the N600 too but it takes longer and is more complicated than getting his US Passport. Children born outside the US should be included on their mother's application for retaining Philippine Citizenship. I think it's an extra $20. If mom was still a Philippine Citizen when the kids were born in the US they were duel citizens at birth don't have to do anything other than the report of birth and apply for their Philippine passports. As far as delayed registration put anything you want for the actual reason on the affidavit. They will translate it into "reason? Negligence." Which is no big deal at all. The benefit for the kids is they get their rightful Philippine passports. Mom and 17 y/o could get balikbayan stamps with US Passports and PSA birth Certificates. The younger ones ARE Philippine Citizens so don't need and probably can't get balikbayan stamps but it sounds like they DO need report of birth and Philippine passports. CFO has a pretty decent document on the finer points of Philippine duel nationality law. https://cfo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2018/DUAL-CIT-PRIMER-FINAL.pdf

A valid multiple entry visa for the US or any other G7 nation IS accepted by Mexico as a substitute visa that is valid for entry to Mexico. Your MIL CAN visit Mexico with a valid US B2 visa in a Philippine passport. https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/toronto/index.php/en/servicesforeigners/doclegalization/52-conservices/225-visitors-who-do-not-require-a-visa-with-a-stay-up-to-180-days

Yep. Vietnam is an ASEAN member state. Filipino passport holders can travel visa free in all ASEAN countries. https://asean.org/member-states/ No problem at all for her to visit.

There is a lot of confusion about CENOMARs, Advisory on Marriages, PSA Marriage Certificates and ROM's (Report of Marriage). ALL applicants must have either a CENOMAR OR Advisory on Marriages. They order a CENOMAR from PSA and depending on whether PSA has them recorded as married or not they will either receive a CENOMAR OR an Advisory on Marriages. You can't make a choice other than by going through the long process of making sure PSA has the marriage recorded. You get whatever PSA gives you. Whatever PSA gives you is what the embassy wants to see. The embassy may further confuse things by asking specifically for an Advisory on Marriages without mentioning that a CENOMAR is also acceptable. If they ask for an "Advisory on Marriages" but all you have is a CENOMAR, it is up to the applicant to somehow magically know that it means the same thing and to hand over the CENOMAR. Report of Marriage (ROM) is also not a requirement. Filipinos often refer to a ROM as a "PSA Marriage Certificate" since in the Philippines it serves the same purpose. As far as the embassy is concerned it IS NOT a PSA Marriage Certificate. It is a Report of Marriage. To further confuse that, the embassy has lots of instructions requiring a PSA Marriage Certificate, referring to the certificate that is issued for couples that marry in the Philippines. Those instructions do not apply to couples married overseas but since Filipinos often call a ROM, a PSA Marriage Certificate, they frequently misinterpret those instructions to mean that a ROM is required. If at all possible, it is very advantageous to change the name in the passport BEFORE the interview. She could literally show up the day of her interview with new passport in hand and the old canceled passport, show them to the security guard and they would straighten it all out at the pre interview document check. If she waits, her visa, green card, and social security card will all be in her maiden name. Social Security will not change her name until she changes her green card. Almost no state would change state id until Social Security or USCIS changes it first. It costs $415 and can take over a year to change the name on a green card once it's been issued. If you already filed a ROM 6 months ago surely it must be processed by now. Are you requesting it from PSA or talking to the consulate.? They always tell you 6 months but 3 to 4 months is more typical. 2 weeks for a new passport is more or less realistic if you pay the expedite fee. Maybe add an extra week for holidays. You can reschedule once or twice. There is some kind of poorly defined limit to how many times you can reschedule without involving the embassy. If you aren't ready to move for a few months anyway it's probably better to just hold off scheduling for a while until everything else is in order.

In your case, the only requirement is either you arrive together or the petitioner is in the US first. Since you mention traveling together it sounds like your plan is good.

It has no relevance whatsoever to a N400.

I think the "case number not found" issue generally resolves itself within a day or two. That whole website is a monument to shoddy government IT work.

Normally spousal visas are scheduled by NVC. Only expedited cases are self scheduled. But US Embassy Manila is using the expedite system for normal cases. That is the "old" site. Following the link from ustraveldocs.com/ph will get you to the new site but the embassy also still has links to the old site further down the same web page that they never updated. Try going to https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/en/immigrant-visa and then start signing up from the GREEN "Visa Login" button and NOT following the link on the very same page that says "I do not meet any of the conditions listed above, and I wish to schedule an immigrant visa appointment. " That link is wrong but then this is government IT work.

For most things in the US, first and last name alone is fine. I don't think it would be a problem

That has happened before when there were mass expedites. I don't think anyone ever came up with anything better than just keep trying. It seems they release more appointments periodically on a random schedule.

The scheduling website is a mess but it but that's what they have. Once you are expedited, whether you requested it or not, NVC is done with your case and the embassy has it. So NVC will not be scheduling any interview and you are on your own to get the scheduling done. When you completed the DS260 it had an option to e-mail you a PDF copy of the confirmation. The confirmation number is 10 digits starting with AA. If you did not send the email when you completed the DS260 you can still log into CEAC and then click the IV APPLICATION (tab), click the "View" link, REVIEW (tab), scroll to the bottom and click next and then repeat clicking next again and again through all the pages until you get to the confirmation page at the end. The confirmation number should be there. There is also a Email confirmation button that will e-mail you the barcoded pdf that will be useful later at the medical and Visa Application Center.

The random youtube civics test videos are a big help. I haven't heard of any CD's being sent by USCIS (or anyone else).

However, now the scramble is on. Anecdotally, it seems this last "mass expedite" was HUGE. So apparently there are now a very large group of applicants competing for actual available appointments to schedule and possibly slots at Saint Luke's and the biometrics at the Visa Application Center.

What is really notable about this latest "mass expedite" is that it definitely included cases documentarily qualified well into September 2024. That is a HUGE improvement in backlog and would seem to imply that interview wait times are almost back to normal-ish. Hopefully it lasts but it really seems promising. Maybe the new Visa Application Center offloading biometrics to civilian contractors actually did make some difference.

If she doesn't already have the PSA copy of the ROM you can get that online with a credit card here. https://psaserbilis.com.ph/ Request a Marriage Certificate and they would send the ROM. You can have it sent to the US but it's expensive. The cheap and easy way is probably to order one sent to a family member in the PH and have them send it to you by PhlPost EMS.

I always found this three years of marital union vs 90 day early filing issue to be a very grey area. This is not the first case I have heard of being denied for early filing due to not having three years of marital union, even though they were apparently within the 90 day early filing window. I agree that I cannot find anywhere that is says the 90 day early filing window also applies to the marital union requirement. However, it seems that in the vast majority of cases where it might be an issue, they are still approved normally and it is not an issue. It seems that a small handful of outwardly identical cases get denied on that basis. When I looked at it I could not find a solid argument to dispute the denials other than, most other identical cases still get approved? We were more or less in the same situation and debated waiting for the full three years because of it, but having identified numerous other cases where it was not a problem we still opted for 90 (89) day early filing and the marital union issue never came up. Not sure what to say for the original poster. It seems that filing within the 90 day early window is taking a chance due to inconsistency on the part of USCIS. Most people who did it were fine. A handful did and were denied. But I can't find a solid legal argument to dispute the denials.

"IN TRANSIT" is the predecessor to "READY" you WILL be "READY" within a day or two at the most. As a recipient of a so called "mass-expedite" you wait until the case is "READY and then go to https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/en/immigrant-visa and start trying to self schedule your interview. When it lets you schedule you are good to go on the date and time that you choose. You also need to schedule the medical at https://slec.ph/ and biometrics at the new Visa Application Center. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=888610943207697 Those who want to move quickly are able to. Don't wait for instructions from the embassy.

The so called "mass expedite" approval is separate from any actual, real expedite request or denial. If you got the e-mail yesterday you are good to go. Check your CEAC status. If and when the CEAC status is "READY" proceed to try self-scheduling your interview on https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph/en/immigrant-visa . Do not wait for further instructions from the embassy. Based on the sheer number of mentions on-line it seems this last "mass-expedite" has been huge. Circumstances will favor those who move quickly.