top_secret

Here are some really good Filipino-centric websites on Japanese visa applications. https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2013/11/japan-visa-requirements-manila-philippines/ https://iamaileen.com/japan-visa-philippines/

Sorry I didn't get back to it. It's been the most hectic week ever here. I would start with Japan. They have more clearly defined sponsorship and somehow for us they just seemed easier. Plus once she has a Japan visa it lends greater credibility for Korea. Japan has all the paperwork online. https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000035.html These are these only travel agencies accredited by the Japanese Embassy to handle Filipino tourist visa applications. They are who you deal with, not the embassy. https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/00_000253.html Theres the application https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100475146.pdf Japanese example. They are fussy. https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100365623.pdf Complete this letter of guarantee. https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100365626.pdf You need an itinerary. Keep it simple. You have no obligation to follow it. Make it for a 4 or 5 day trip. They will generally grant Filipino first time applicants a 15 day single entry visa no matter what you request. They give longer stays and multiple entries on subsequent applications. https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100365634.pdf We did do a cover letter directly addressing shortcomings in my wifes application (we weren't married at the time)

I do not want to claim any expertise on the issue or even any real knowledge. Just to address a possible issue that I see. By my (incomplete) understanding of Philippine law, an illegitimate child is under the sole custody of the mother, and if the mother passed, or for any other reason could not fulfill custodial responsibilities then the grandparents automatically gain custody. AFIK there is no way the father of an illegitimate child automatically gains custody without some additional legal process. I do not know what real world implications that raises or if a simple lack of objections by the grandparents is adequate. But it seems at minimum it would at least require formal consent of the grandparents.???

US green card holders who are flying an itinerary to or from the US are exempt from South Korean visa requirements for up to 30 days. https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-losangeles-en/wpge/m_4397/contents.do

It took us 22 days to receive the actual biometric appointment letters in the last mail delivery before the actual appointment. So yours may still be coming. But we were pretty certain they would have taken the printed online notice at the ASC if they didn't come.

My wife got both Japanese and Korean visas before we were married. It is not simple but those are both very achievable visas for Filipino passports. I think with an American husband she will have no problems. Both countries only accept visa applications through designated travel agencies in the Philippines. You do not deal directly with the embassy and there are no interviews. It's mainly just a big huge paperwork exercise. Japan would generally start a a Filipino with a 15 day single entry visa. Korea a 30 day single entry visa. They may issue multiple entry visas and longer visits on subsequent trips. When I'm in my office tomorrow I'll see if any of the paperwork we submitted would be useful as templates. Japan wants a detailed trip itinerary etc. Also beware. Japanese apparently really hate American sized paper. 🤣 Everything must be strictly A4 size paper.

Others in this thread have had just totally random wait times for notices. I don't think anyone got them all at the same time. Times are varying wildly from just a few days to nearly a month for no obvious reasons. Also, although online it says all our letters were sent the same day, our extension and online code were actually mailed from Southern California and the biometrics notice was mailed from Kentucky a week later. All with Missouri return addresses. Unless there is an immediate need I wouldn't count any September letters missing just yet.

Then maybe we can win the lottery again like our 48 day I-130 approvals.😁🤣😂 Or maybe that was where luck ran out. I hope they realize that if they are trying to artificially improve their processing time statistics they could get double the statistic manipulating impact by approving a CR1 CR2 case early.

That's the same as my wifes case. It changed to actively reviewing later the same day as her biometrics appointment. I have a feeling actively reviewing is where it will stay for a very long time.

Well since we will be mailing our packet tomorrow I guess it's time to start a September 2023 thread. Our 90 day window started the last week of July but we were out of the country last month so we put it off until we got back to avoid any surprise biometric appointments or missed notices. It looks like we will be sending in.... G-1450 credit card authorization. G-1145 E-notification. I-751 of course. Copies of their green cards, front and back, and passports. Copies of California Real ID Driver Licenses for my wife and I plus California Real ID card for my stepdaughter all at the same address. IRS tax return transcripts of our 2022, 2021, and 2020 joint US tax returns. Statements from our joint checking account showing joint ownership of the account and direct deposits of both of our salaries plus payments of bills in each other’s names. However only the last 5 months. Prior to that we had separate accounts and just shared expenses. Dated photographs of our family together in numerous places at intervals throughout our time together in the US, plus photos of my almost 80-year-old American mom meeting her Filipino in-laws on vacation in Manila. Copy of a California car title showing joint ownership and two years joint car registration. Copies of various car insurance notices and proof of insurance listing both drivers, covering almost the entire period they have been in the US. Copies of both of our 401K’s beneficiaries with each listing the other spouse as beneficiary. Copies of our Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit cards showing joint accounts. Copies of various club cards and membership cards showing joint accounts. Copies of various airline boarding passes and receipts for vacations we took together. Copies of my stepdaughter's continuous registration from our address in our neighborhood’s public elementary school for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. The school registration lists both of us as emergency contacts with full authorization to pick her up from school. Copy of my stepdaughter's California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test results showing two years results with her living at our address and enrolled in our neighborhood public elementary school. Paystubs for my wife periodically throughout her time in the US showing her continuous presence at our home address. We’ll be double triple checking everything this evening and probably send it by Priority Mail flat rate mailer ("if it fits, it ships") to Phoenix drop box in the morning. I'm hopeful that is good enough, however notable deficiencies would include not having any joint lease or other paperwork associating both names with the house. All of our health insurance is separate since my wife and I each get it from our employer and neither plan is any good for adding the step-daughter so we just pay her insurance separately out of pocket. No kind of joint utility bills or anything like that and as I mentioned only the last 5 months have we had a joint checking account. I also didn't bother to get any affidavits from anyone. I guess we will find out if it was good enough in like 2025 or something.

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-redesigns-green-card-and-employment-authorization-document