VanHalen

On 10/16/2021 at 2:28 PM, dangime said:

Honestly rooting for the current energy and supply chain disruptions to move forward into at least a short term economic collapse so governments around the world are forced to be more pragmatic about their covid / travel policies or have starving citizens overrun their respective capitals. Seems governments around the world think they are above the laws of nature and only a swift kick in the teeth will remind them they aren't. 

Philippines would be a hot bed for this to happen, I am surprised the people haven't had a rebellion.  Give them another year of lockdowns and quarantines and Philippines may have the people revolt.

19 hours ago, John & Rose said:

I hope you are right but the people at the Philippine Consulate in Chicago are not as confident as you are.  Only time will tell.

I see they are opening many places for tourism this month in Philippines, I saw Camigiun Island was opening again.  It will be a matter of time before they open the country for international tourism and things will go back to normal.   Will it be 2022 or 2023 is the bigger question

9 hours ago, Dave Knapp said:

I am a US citizen who has lived in the Philippines pretty much continuously since January 2016 - 2 visits to US in 2018, 1 in 2019. Trapped by COVID ever since, but could go now if it helps.   I recently married a Filipina and Filed the I-130 online since DCF is not allowed. My concern is 2 fold. 1. This is not my first rodeo.  In 2001, I brought a Russian woman to the US on a K1.  We married and she commenced to destroy the marriage and we ended up divorcing in 2004.   I moved to the Philippines, met a young lady and after 2 years applied for a K1, was approved, despite the previous occurrence, and we went to the US in 2006 and married.  In 2016, we moved to the Philippines for her to go to nursing school there, and after 12 years of marriage, she falls in love with a classmate and we split up and divorce ( online in the US).  That causes me concern about what the NVC and/or a CO would think.  The second issue is that I do not have a brick and mortar domicile in the US.  I have US bank account, Valid Florida drivers License, valid Florida Voter registration, mailing address, and investment accounts there, but no "home". I used my sister's address on the I-130.   I could by a small building lot and have it deeded to us jointly to show intent to live there, but I wonder what is needed. I'd appreciate everyone's sense on how deep this pit is.  Thanks.

No need to buy any property, you still have a US Mailing address

NVC doesn't care about your past petitions, as long as you follow the instructions on the form

I would be shocked if the CO asks about any prior petitions

Good Luck

3 hours ago, Kor2USA said:

If you live abroad you should show intent to re-establish domicile. 

The current ties to the USA should be sufficient but, you should include a letter from your sister stating you'll be staying in her home when you first return to the States or a lease. You can also show proof of interactions with real estate agents looking for a new home/ building (if you are in fact doing that).

You should also write your own letter stating the plans you've made to re-establish domicile and your plans once you arrive back in the States. 

 

I'm not sure if your third application to sponsor a spouse will be an issue, but it might raise some flags. You should probably make sure your evidence for bonafide relationship is especially strong (co-mingling of finances, joint accounts in the Philippines- if that is possible, proof you live together, and lots of photos with mutual friends and family). 

 

Consular Officer will not bother to question about the past relationships and I highly doubt it will even be discussed, even if the OP at the interview.

22 hours ago, top_secret said:

I still can't quite envision visas for tourists being permanent and if they were I would imagine it being just a visa on arrival revenue collection scheme like Cambodia or like Indonesia used to be.  I think the previous talk about requiring visas for everyone or more specifically Americans in particular was mainly just DU30 bluster.

They will go away, You can take that to the bank

12 hours ago, top_secret said:

There is no ban on non-essential outbound travel.  The Philippines lifted that ban October 21, 2020.  Non-essential travel is permitted.

 

In the Philippines one needs their passport stamped to leave the country.  Generally, the first IO at exit Immigration would ask a few basic questions about the trip and either stamp their passport and send them on their way, OR refer them for a secondary interview with the offloading officer.  If they get referred for a secondary interview, they could be asked to show all sorts of documentation about the trip, the relationship with anyone they may meet and any and all manner of things the secondary IO thinks up.  There are no limits on what the IO may ask. It's totally at their discretion.  If the passenger passes the secondary interview, they get sent back to the first IO to get their passport stamped and cleared for departure.  If they fail the secondary interview they get "offloaded".  They are sent back to the airline check-in so they can, check-out.

 

They have a published policy, however it kind of leaves everything up to the discretion of the IO.

https://lisbonpe.dfa.gov.ph/images/pdf/GuidelinesonDepartureFormalitiesforInternational-BoundPassengersinallAirportsandSeaportsintheCountry.pdf

 

Basically, if it's a first trip abroad, there is an almost certain referral for a secondary interview.  If there is a foreign sponsor funding the trip, there is an almost certain referral for a secondary interview and a whole lot of hard questions about the relationship.

But if a female was going to Japan to work as GRO and send money back to Philippines, then the government would probably carry her luggage onto the plane 

7 hours ago, RO_AH said:

I have not seen anything so far that would indicate that they have lifted the requirement for a valid visa. While this may be a step in the right direction, I would not get my hopes up regarding tourists.

I am hoping by June of 2022, But I was hoping by June of 2021 back in March 2020.

58 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

I doubt if the visa is ever going away.  I am waiting to see if they are processing them for non-spouses.  It was the wording.  The other announcements talked about the entry restrictions but this one only states "foreign nationals".  This is the Philippines though and they may just have forgotten to include that language.

The Visa will go away

10 hours ago, D&D&Dk1 said:

 

 

The elite class in the Philippines which includes the generational wealthy families behave in a capricious and malicious way towards their fellow countrymen.

So true

I have also noticed people who are from Manila area also have disdain for people living in places like Davao City and many parts of Mindanao region

9 hours ago, D&D&Dk1 said:

I'm amazed that people are surprised about how the Philippines really is. This is how it's always been. At the end of the day it's a very corrupt third world country.

 

Just ask some OFWs or filipinos who have left the Philippines and aren't in denial about it.

 

 

Very corrupt 3rd World country.  You notice once people come to the USA they never go back home and live in the Philippines.  Look at all the nurses came to work in the USA the last 30 years, I would say 90% never returned home, they made permanent life outside of the Philippines. 

I was looking pre pandemic, Many for sale and it seems not many buyers.  I noticed many of the houses had been for sale for years. I am not sure what the rate is on a home loan would be in the Philippines, I would not want to try to make money on selling houses in the Philippines

12 hours ago, Commish10 said:

My Fiancee passed the medical. It is now a 1 day process. Exam, results, and vaccines on the same day. 

Makes sense, They probably have very few people to see each day

On 8/22/2021 at 7:00 PM, magicj23 said:

The cost can vary but we personally spent about 25k, and no we didnt have to spend two years there, thats only for in country domestic, ours was an international adoption which if your stateside thats what you will be doing, now adopting 3 kids will for sure cost alot more but if you have the resources then go for it you can also apply for grants which in your case will be a very good option and cut your out of pocket cost down alot, also if your military you get a big discount also, send me your email i will send you a copy of the cost and fees for philippine adoption

Interesting, I always thought you had to spend 2 years in the presence of the child if you were going to adopt. I didn't know international made a difference. Thanks for sharing

I think many people in Philippines are content with not doing much or just spending time with family.   There isn't much you can do for her in reality.  Who knows when their lockdowns and quarantines will be over in the Philippines, at this rate it could be years before they return to normal.  My girl is in the province and rural province and there just isn't much work and much anything to do. It would drive me crazy