af_phils

I just want to hear from people's experience concerning this topic...

.... I would understand if they were sending them to college to better themselves, but 30 years later they are still sending money to not only support their siblings, but now their siblings' kids and even grand kids...

My parents and relatives are old school immigrants from the Phils- pre WW2 up to the early 60’s. When you left home to emigrate, it was for good. No remittances were expected, when you said good bye, it really meant good bye. One letter a year and that was about it. My parents didn’t go back to visit for another 20 years- and this was the norm.

You can blame most of these money issues today on the remittance industry that has become de facto standard for many Filipinos. It doesn’t matter whether you are a temporary ofw or immigrant because you fall into the same category. That said, your money issues are still going to be reflective of your family’s attitude towards it. My wife’s family is pretty darn poor but they are too humble or ashamed to ask for anything. My wife takes it upon herself to give whenever she sees fit- which amounts to about $100 every 3 months or so to mom. I guess as long as your wife is ’in charge’ then you shouldn’t have any problems- at least with us it hasn’t.

please explain the expression giving '5-6'

example: borrow p5000 - pay back p6000

"bumbay" refers to the ethnic Indians who finance most of these loans.

Your friend simply has to inform immigration in the form of a letter stating that he has canceled his marriage plans and has arranged and provided for her return flight home. Whether she stays or goes is up to her. Her family will realize they with have to deal with her TNT status if she stays.

His biggest problem is having to deal with the shame of a canceled wedding.

The problem with these so-called 'conservative' arrangements is that they can be used to distance a fake romantic relationship because it makes it easier for a non willing partner to go through the process. In other words, if there is little or no intimate relationship and the shots are being called between her family and him, your friend is being duped.

...Concrete steps might include accepting a job in the United States, signing a lease or purchasing a residence in the United States, or registering children in U.S. schools....

...most of the problems could have been fixed...some would have required a little extra time, but overall i am confident that now (after 3 years) she will be doing the CFO seminar now and be on the plane to US before THANKSGIVING.....

...My paperwork was perfect....following the VJ guideline, was even complimented how organized it was from the petitioner...

...Even the POLICE certificate ( from the other country !!!!!) was fine too...

...Hire a TRUSTED local private investigator before engaging in any long distance relationship......

...Ask for the documents required by the embassy beforehand,

have the "originals" mailed to you so you can see with your own eyes...

before you even starting any process...K1, IR/CR1 or what ever that may be...

Let me guess... She had forged docs. Perhaps something like... she was previously married and never told you about it?, and had you have known at the start of the relationship you would have by now, resolved those issues with correct and legal papers.

I am only guessing as to what happened to you but if it is such a case it is quite sad. Many filipinos use 'fixers' like it's some sort of standard practice so the notion of using any other means to resolve an issue is not even considered. They are likely influence by friends, family and community.

...Is there any sort of temporary humanitarian visa my wife's family might be eligible to apply for since my wife is a US citizen and her family is now homeless? We'ret just trying to think of realistic ways we can help them.

We were talking the other day about have my mother-in-law and one of my wife's sisters apply for tourist visas to come visit here, but with their house destroyed, there goes any "ties" to Philippines they might have had.

Looks like it's called 'humanitarian parole'

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1____

...I have asked her to breakdown expenses, and have only received guesstimates on expenses. Then when have gone into it further. She told me had paid for a birthday party and gifts also. She has no children. This is really causing pain at this point because do love her, but the lack of responsibility with money pains me. 300 dollars seems excessive in 14 days. I fear she has given her mother money to get involved in a networking scam over there. As well as giving money to everyone in the family. I really do not know for positive though, and it pains me to ponder these questions....

You give her 300 dollars a month and she won't tell you where it's all going? It pains me just reading your situation. Please cut your losses and run. You may love her but is the feeling really mutual? There are so many like you in the same situation there's even a web site dedicated to the subject.

http://www.dragonladies.org/

... Of course this is well documented for any bureaucrat needle ####### to peruse as well as those who fill in the blanks with imprudent and ignorant replies.

Have you considered what will happen to your wife if something were to happen to YOU and she has not adjusted status?

I'm sure many here are sympathetic to your situatuion, however, the question is will an immigration official feel the same. My guess is that you will be forced into defense mode, which ultimately means lots more money than the original aos fee.

I sure hope you're keeping your wife in the loop and is well aware of her current status and possible consequences. It would be interesting to know what her thoughts are on the matter.

Due to circumstances way beyond our control it happened..and to make matters worse the visa expired 7/14/08 and the marriage took place on 8/5/08.

I know what has to be done for the AOS.....but money is extremely tight at the moment, so filing the AOS won't happen any time soon.

Here is my dilemma...I live on the east coast and my employer is sending me to Hawaii for a month and I want to take my asawa. My concern is travel. Although it is within the US, if I show her passport and marrage cert to airport security will I risk an immigration problem and her possible detention or deportation?

I tried to get a state non-driving ID but they won't issue one in her current status, because the marrage took place, she is technically out of K-1 status.

Other than what I should have done, Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Read this link from another forum. AOS wasn't filed in a timely matter, she was randomly checked by border patrol (not near border) while driving and was hauled to jail and the deportation process was started.

http://www.theworldoffilipinas.com/forum/i...showtopic=15820

If you're going to go thru the trouble to spruce up a bb box with a cover, consider getting regular luggage. There are huge suitcases that are just as large as a bb box, they're just rectangular instead of square. It will already have wheels and you can use it over and over again. A bb box is only good for one round trip use, have no handles or wheels and are prone to ripping open. BB boxes seem to be unique to pinoys and surely the bane of luggage handlers..

I don't care for tattoos either but I still love my fiancee. Her tattoo is not that big. It's simply a ankle bracelet design which she got when she was much younger. I just spoke with her and the pyschiatrist wouldn't tell here anything after the sesson except to call back tomorrow morning at 9am. Her interview at the embassy is next Tuesday. She lives in Cavite so assuming she passes her medical she'll have to return for the 4th time to Manilla for her immunizations and then of course again next Tuesday. We're both kind of dazed by this turn of events. How can a tattoo reflect on one's mental stability? If it were that bad then millions of people all over the world would be in mental institutions.

Good luck to all!

Grace & Steven

The tatoo fad hasn't quite caught on there like here in the states. Mostly what you'll see on guys are just homemade tattoos. On a girl, it probably translates to; gang member/criminal, drug user or bar girl. They are just sizing her up. If your girl is non of these, don't worry about it.

... There is no such thing as a filipino community or church here, although we go to my church. This is a small mountain town in southwestern Virginia....

She being from Manila, needs the stimulus of bigger city. Move to Virgina Beach...

already case complete at the NVC and interview date is june 10.but i think the 2008 income of my husband did not meet the new poverty guidelines of 2009.i mean 2008 income is 25,000 plus but the new poverty guidelines in 26,000 plus. if the NVC already completed a case, does it mean all are ok ? or do we need to have a co sponsor for the affidavit and bring it on the interview

income will be looked at two more times at the interview

is projected 2009 income ok? bring current paystubs

get a cosponsor, bring paperwork to interview.

Just want to ask if there will be a problem if my Fiance is self employed?...

As long as he isn't one of those self employed who (works for cash) and doesn't file taxes or files but reports low income to avoid paying taxes, it won't be an issue. The embassy simply wants to see a proper tax return with adequate income- doesn't matter whether self-employ or not.

I'm considering flying my fiancee to the US while we're waiting for the K1 process; a few weeks and then she will return to await the interview, etc. I am unable to get enough time off work anytime soon to make it worthwhile.

I have heard that tourist visas can be difficult to obtain and generally require substantial assets in a bank in the Philippines to show a high likelihood the person will return. Is this true?

With the fees already paid, anticipated fees to pay, upcoming airline fares when she gets the visa, wedding, etc, I don't have several thousand to give her to deposit in a bank there.

Any help, or general information on a tourist visa to the US from the Philippines, would be appreciated. Thanks!

Don't bother with the money in the bank thing as it's an old tactic that hasn't been accepted for ages at Manila embassy.

The fact that you have a K1 pending probably will make it even harder to persuade a council to issue a visa. Had a girl tell me once she had a girlfriend who arrived at a US airport only to be told she could not enter and had to take the next plane back to the phils. She already had made several trips to the US with her multiple entry tourist visa but that last trip she had a K1 pending. They didn't let her in because of that.

Hello Vjers good day!!! Can a tourist visa marry here in US within that 6 months period? If anyone have an idea I would be glad to hear your ideas, suggestions or experiences of what are the proper process for this. It's actually not my case, it's the sister of my mother-in-law. She is here right now in US visiting her family as well as her boyfriend who is a US citizen. They're asking if they could marry even if she's only a tourist....Please your replies are highly appreciated.

She must prove that she did not originally plan to marry prior to arriving in the States. If that is the case, she can get married and then adjust her status by filing an I-485. It will be in her best interest to not leave the US until after her interview and her status is adjusted.

It is not uncommon to arrive in the states with a tourist, student or work visa and meet someone that you fall in love with. I remember in college there were MANY foreign students on student visas who in a short time found a boyfriend or girlfriend- and it was not for the purpose of obtaining a green card because they truly wanted to hook up!

There is no such law to prevent you from marrying while here on such a visa. The caveat is that is cannot be pre-planned nor the purpose of getting the visa.

Maybe the op has a legit reason for wanting to bring refrigerated fresh milk along because I have never seen any in the Phils. Or maybe I just didn't look hard enough?

The only 'fresh' milk I've seen in the supermarkets (Rustans, Shoemart, Shopwise) is ultra pasteurized, packaged in Tetra paks and is not refrigerated when sold. All of it is imported from Australia/ New Zealand. Good luck finding any in the provinces...

I bet that most men who read the title of this thread suddenly felt insecure about something. But don't worry, boys, it's not what you think!

My question is this ... if the size of your fiance's wallet is very small, even with his big heart, will this diminish your desire to pursue the dream of going to America to marry and live with him?

If your current standard of living will be severely diminished, then yes it probably will matter.

... There was an internet cafe right across from her dental clinic and that's where she'd go most of the time when we wanted to see and chat with each other. She knows of girls who would spend hours upon hours there talking to several men at once. She even remembers a gay who would dress as a girl and talk to foreign men online. She said he worked at a calling center but quit because he was making more money talking to these guys online. Again, not every Filipina who uses the internet cafe is doing this, but there are many who do so and some who even make it a way of life, much like what bar girls have done.

Even bar girls (i.e GRO, prostitute, et al) are not necessarily scammers since most johns at least get what they pay for! Although once I stayed more that a month at Citidel condotel on Burgos st (red light area) in Makati and every other day I went to the internet cafe across the street there were at least a dozen girls chatting with there foreigner bf. Couldn't help notice the foreigner on web cam on all their screens... Within earshot all I could here was visa this, money that, papers this, Western Union that...

Someone on this forum posted a few months back a link to USCIS data on the number of K visas issued in 2007. Something like 9000+ issued from the Phils alone- DOUBLE that of the next country Mexico and even more so than Russia. If that is any indicator of how many online romances there are, it doesn't take much to do the math to see how many scammers there could potentially be - that the Phils may likely be the biggest offender.

It's free membership for for a filipina even on the pay romance sites so there is very little investment with potentially big returns. No one is going to jail because there is an 8000 mile buffer zone, a language barrier and no sap victum is going to report a crime... hence, the perfect occupation...

Question 1 - for American men: Did you seek out Filipinas through a dating agency or marriage broker, and if so, why?

Met on Yahoo chat philippines room in 2002. Never new broker sites existed at that time as yahoo kept me busy. Only used Yahoo chat as an initial contact to meet up (with many) on an up-coming trip to PHils.

Question 2 - for the Filipinas: Did you ever place an ad or set up a profile with any international dating agency or marriage broker, and if so, why?

She too, had only used Yahoo philippines room chat to get dates for local pinoys in metro manila

Question 3 - for the American men: What are the differences (including physical) between your Filipina spouse and your ex-wife?

First marriage for both of us. . All previous girlfriends were white.

Question 5 - for the Filipinas: What are the differences (including physical, age) between your kano spouse and your last boyfriend or ex-husband?

I'm american born pinoy. I don't speak tagalog very well. My filipina wife is 35 and I'm 45

Question 1 - for American men: Did you seek out Filipinas through a dating agency or marriage broker, and if so, why?

Met on Yahoo chat philippines room in 2002. Never new broker sites existed at that time as yahoo kept me busy. Only used Yahoo chat as an initial contact to meet up (with many) on an up-coming trip to PHils.

Question 2 - for the Filipinas: Did you ever place an ad or set up a profile with any international dating agency or marriage broker, and if so, why?

She too, had only used Yahoo philippines room chat to get dates for local pinoys in metro manila

Question 3 - for the American men: What are the differences (including physical) between your Filipina spouse and your ex-wife?

I'm american born pinoy.

Question 5 - for the Filipinas: What are the differences (including physical, age) between your kano spouse and your last boyfriend or ex-husband?

First marriage for both of us. All previous girlfriends were white. I'm 45 wife is 35.

Honest answers please.

Hello... Has anyone had to ship a guitar to the states from PI? As most of you know, you dont get a lot of luggage that you can pack for your trip or would want to haul around. My Fiancee has an acoustic guitar that has sentimental value to it and wants to bring it with her, but she doesnt want to add it to the already abundant amount of luggage she already has.

Has anyone shipped one and how expensive was it? Any recommendations?

Thank You!

For that price though, you might as well pay the extra baggage charge and bring it back with you on the flight. I paid $150 one time from PAL.

My recommendation would be to get a 'gig' bag with a shoulder strap and just sling it over your shoulder as a carry on - no charge.

At the interview they give white paper that ask for evidence of sustained income. Has anyone else here got that? What do you give them when they ask for that?

Usually, long term employment/business, proper filing of taxes is a good indicator and won't raise any questions. If that is lacking, what they want is proof that your job/income is steady and will continue to be in the future. Getting a regular job may be easier.

You are a balikbayan and can stay for a year. Have them stamp your passport accordingly at customs when you arrive.

HOW?

On your marriage license.