top_secret

It varies from person to person. The Embassy is incredibly inconsistent. Probably a majority of people see CEAC status changed to "Issued" within a day or two and receive their passport with visa within a week. But there is also a sizable number who inexplicably take anywhere from two to six weeks with no explanation or outwardly identifiable differences from those who got issued in two days. Hope for the best but don't make any difficult to change plans until you have the actual visa on hand.

It is extremely common that the e-mail is never sent. Don't wait for an e-mail that may never arrive. You don't need it. If the case's CEAC status is "Ready" then you may proceed create an account on https://www.usvisascheduling.com/ to self schedule the interview. The embassy will not be scheduling your interview.

Detroit might be drivable and give you allot more options on Delta than Cleveland would. If meeting them on the ground at the POE is the issue. If you are traveling with your sons then just choose whatever POE gives you the best connections.

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.