cieloazul

If you open a PNB account, you can either remit to your account or remit as a pickup at the bank. Your wife could also have access to the money via the PNB ATM card or simply cashing a check. The checking account does require a minimum balance of 2500 PHP, at least the last we checked.

make an INFOPASS appointment and go ask

We have an appt on Wednesday at 7:30 AM. Unfortunately the CS is out of town this week so we weren't able to obtain a sealed copy of the I-693s. All this effort wouldn't have been required if the USCIS hadn't misplaced our children's medical records.

Hello, Please provide some advise on how we can follow-up on our children's AOS after USCIS lost children's medical and we have resubmitted the I-693s (after several visits to the civil surgeon).

We filed concurrent AOS with my wife and step-children and had the AOS interview December 1, 2009. There wasn't any issues during the interview except the children's medicals were missing. He verbally approved my wife that day(green card received the following week) but he said the children needed replacement medicals (I-693s). So, we went directly to a civil surgeon later that day and 3 days later received the sealed I-693s from the civil surgeon. We express mailed (with return receipt) the I-693s to the local USCIS field office along with the form the interviewing officer provided which had the I-693 and immunization records checked. We haven't heard anything from the USCIS since that date. We did receive the confirmation from the USPS that the documents had been received. How can we check on our children's AOS status? Thank you in advance.

They processed my husband's kids separately than my husband...however all got approved at the same time. Also, got approved much faster than my husband's petitions which are still pending. Each child gets their own I-130 however. I cannot add anything more than the above 2 posts. They are both immigration whiz's!

When filing for the children's I-130/AOS, should a separate $70 AOS fee be included?

Hi I am Brian and my fiancée Cherry Lynn, Cherry has a 2 1/2 year old son, whose father has never been involved in his life and we don't know where the father is. Cherry was never married before however the father's name is on the birth certificate of her son. So her son has effectively been abandoned. No paperwork has ever been filed for abandonment. We are wondering what will be required to bring her son to the US as an attachment to our I-129 F.

Please help us in figuring this out. \

Thank you.

We have two children included on the I-129f. Unless things have changed, my wife wasn't required to have a letter from the father. I think the DSWD (Philippine dept of family service?) has some info on their website concerning traveling with children and what is required. Good luck.

IM NEW HERE IN DUNEDIN FLORIDA LOOKIN' TO MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS

Hello, My wife and I live just north of Orlando. Welcome to Florida,,,finally it is warm again.

I need to go through the process of getting a driver's license (and learning to drive) for my wife. She didn't drive at all while living in the Phils so she doesn't have any experience. Driving in Phils is a little extreme so maybe it was good she doesn't have that experience.

Please share your suggestions and experiences with teaching your wives to drive.

I miss my life in PI...going to school at 7am riding on a motorbike, going home at 11 and go back at 1pm-4:30pm...(sigh) scolding my pupils if ever arrived to school with dirty sorroundings chatting with my co-teachers during break time...(tsismisan) waiting for salary time and most, I terribly miss my neices who were with me since the real mother abandoned them and my brother remarried and the two kids are now with grandma who is already 63yo...il not see them growing up, sleep with me, prepare their breakfast and give them baon in the morning, roaming around the village...wish i could adopt them but i dont know where to start and how much would it costs? I googled but could not find the link on how to adopt my neices...pls help and if anyone has an adopted kids here, pls share if what is the process and if possible for me to bring them over here in US. Any idea, suggestions are very much appreciated. Thanks and Good Luck to all VJ Members.

If you are still a citizen of the RP, then it should be easier. Probably the first step is to contact a lawyer in the phils. There may be some VJs here who could help with that depending on what part of the phils you are from. I think my wife knows a lawyer from the Manila area,,Paco I think.

Here is a link to the USEM info: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhadop.html

As far as cost, maybe it would qualify for the adoption tax credit? One of my friends from work was able to offset the cost of adopting two children from China using that tax credit "adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, traveling expenses (including amounts spent for meals and lodging while away from home), and other expenses directly related to and for which the principal purpose is the legal adoption of an eligible child". IRS link:http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html

Some employers also offer reimbursement for adoption costs.

The only problem I see is if you still want the children to sleep with you. I'm pretty sure your husband would object.

i have a question, planning on doing the same thing with my fiance and her children.

Do the children have to be there during my fiance's interview? They are 9 and 12 yrs old.

They will be following their mother at a later date, can we apply visas for them the same time as my fiance?

You can submit a petition for them at the same time you submit for your wife (I-130s, include them on the I-129f (K1/K3). The guides and flowcharts here on VJ can probably answer some of your questions and for sure are required reading (studying).

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=guides

If you are filing the I-129f for K1/K3, be sure to include the children. IMHO, asking a mother to leave her children behind is not a good idea.

Hi! Good Afternoon. I received my visa today .It was approved last January 27, 2009. Five working days after submission of additional paperworks.I would like to thank all the visajourney family who prayed and supported me.Thank you very Much.

Godbless

Congratulations!!

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SEMINAR is required for fiancee's traveling abroad, I read the guides.

Question:

My fiancee has 2 kids, (7 and 9 yrs of age). Do the kids need to be in the seminar with her? Can the kids skip this seminar and just have my fiancee attend it?

Children 12 and under aren't required to attend but are supposed to be registered:

Filipino emigrants or those leaving the country to settle permanently abroad are required to register with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Part of its registration requirements is attendance in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) to prepare them for settlement overseas. Those who are 12 years old and below are exempt from attending the PDOS. They must, however, be registered, even if by proxy. Children of emigrants, aged 13 to 19, are required to attend the Peer Counseling Program to help facilitate their adjustment to a new environment.

The eruption of the Redoubt Volcano may have an effect on the flights which have routes near Alaska. I think the NWA flight from Japan to Minneapolis and Detroit travels near this area. In the past, the ash from eruptions has caused some problems with aircraft including engine problems. Some links with info:

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...WbS25QD961D1MO0

My wife and children are flying from Philippines to Detroit on Sunday so I'm praying that the volcano doesn't erupt over the weekend.

Just one flaw with your otherwise perfect "plan".

Que?

Nevermind.

Maybe once the rioters devour your neighborhood they won't bother coming to mine.

You know they don't turn into mindless, flesh eating zombies just because they get a little angry.

I wonder if tribes that practice(d) cannibilism did it for the taste or because they just got hungry.

Remember when January 1, 2000 was going to be the end of times?

Or just recently when Costco limited some varieties of rice being sold? A whole bunch of people, some who even didn't rice that much, went out and bought 40lb bags of it because food rationing end days were here. Time to stock up on tin foil and wait for murderous mobs after the rice.

My wife says 40 lb of rice isn't even enough for a month. What's the tin foil for? I think they'll spin the food rationing into a new diet that the gov't is enforcing.

my hubby filed in I-130 last october.but we got confused because i read on some websites that IR-1 is applicable only to those couples who've been married for atleast 2 years.n that my hubby needs to file another packet of papers before that gets approved,called I-129f.but he said that's a fiance visa paper.

we've been married for 7 months now n i have a kid from a past relationship n i would be happy if im gonna be able to take her with me to the states....

pls help! tnx in avance!

The 129f is for both K1/K2 and K3/K4 visas; fiance/derivative (child) and spouse/derivative (child) visas. If you do decide to go the K3/K4 route be absolutely certain to include your child on the 129f.

Have you already filed an I-130 for your daughter?

As the previous post suggests, read and re-read all the guides.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=guides

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...types_1315.html

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/ty...types_2994.html

i don't know what happen to my status now!!! i'm done with my interview(jan.20,2009) but no pink slip, coz lacking of documents, but i submitted a day after my interview(Jan. 22,2009). But they did not say anything, they did not even tell me to pay the delivery fee!!! i don't know if i passed or not? what do u think guys am I denied? i felt so bad....the filipino guy at the embassy who recieved my additional doc.(japan police clearance) he just told me to wait for the call, if it is ready to deliver, and i'll just pay it through COD!!! BUT I DO'NT KNOW WHEN? please help me..

thank u again

My wife had to submit documents also after the interview (she got white/blue slip). She wasn't asked to pay delivery but submitted passports with the docs listed on white slip and the 'filled up' (filipino term?) blue slip. She submitted the addtional documents on a Thursday and when I called USEM (Grace) on Tuesday, she said we're approved but visa hadn't been released for printing yet. My wife received text for delivery that Friday and received the visas on the following Monday.

Long story short is if they are satisfied that you have submitted correct docs, you shouldn't have to worry. I know you will anyway but maybe a little less now?

Hi,

There is an airport/terminal fee of 750 PHP always.

There might be an addtional fee for travel tax(VAT) depending on where the ticket was purchased. You should check with your travel agent to see if they included this tax. I suggest you have enough money with to pay both though. Here are a couple of links with some info:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=174193

http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com/manila-airport.html

Hello,

Thank you for all the replies. Having the combined knowledge of VJ members available has resolved so many of my questions in the past, present and hopefully again in the future. I'm going to send a copy of my cc per Rocky_nBullwinkle's post. There is just too much at stake to be delayed for not having that available.

If I were purchasing tickets again, I'd probably go through a local (Philippine) travel agent instead of expedia. Expedia is ok until you have an issue that requires some customer service. Customer service just isn't something their employees understand.

Hello... it's me again... i would like to know if i can go to SLMC without the USEM letter? I already have an interview date and i already receive a confirmation email from the USEM last Jan.22 and t'ill now i haven't receive the USEM letter.Need answer plssssssss....

We were told by the lady who setup the interview over the phone that the email confirmation was enough for the medical. Best wishes on your interview and medical.

thanks psychosweetie....i hope everything will be ok...

Best wishes on your interview.

A recent poll showed that applicants who drank 5 or more cups of coffee before their interview were 10 times more likely to get a white/blue slip than those applicants who had one or fewer cups. Out of the group who drank one or fewer, 9 of 10 got pink slips while 1 of 10 missed their appointments.

Hello, I read some older topics on VJ but wanted to check with recent travelers to see if anything had changed (higher tax, fees, etc.).

What docs are needed at the airport for an e-ticket? I purchased the tickets from expedia with credit card so does she need a copy of the card? Does she need to go by the airline, NWA, before the flight?

Also, I've read the travel tax is 1650 php and the airport fee is 750; is this still the same?

Are there porters available to help with bags?

This link has some good info but I'm not sure if it is current.

http://www.philippines-travel-guide.com/manila-airport.html

Anyone else with flight on Feb 1st/NWA? We're finally so close to being so close.

Hi,I know no one who'll fly on that date but just wanna extend my congratulations to both of you guys for making it and for being together soon

God bless

Thank you Beng, we only have days left to countdown and soon it will be just hours. I'm soooooo happy and excited.

Congratulations on your marriage. I hope everything is going great for you and husband.

Yesssssssssssssssss they have people in the VSC working..........

Today I checked my USCIS sites 5 times before 5 pm and getting dispppointed cause no changes. But just now I got bored and I figure check one more time...and its says............

Of course you know it is now APPROVED............ both the I-129F and I-130 have been approved.... YES... now to the rest of my journey I will research what I do now........help.....hehe

Thanks VJ wishers and to the rest of my journeys........ jumping high here and my wife was so happy and glad.........

Congratulations!! Best wishes on the rest of your journey. It's great to be out of the USCIS?

Anyone else with flight on Feb 1st/NWA? We're finally so close to being so close.

Hello, we received a text from delbros asking for confirmation of visa delivery for applicants ..... We texted back a confirmation. Please let us know what the next steps are,,how to pay for the delivery, etc.. Is there an acct number for delbros for delivery?

I dont und what payment you are talking about.Did she have her interview yet?i believed you pay the approved visa delivery after interview.

When my wife had her interview she was told to get a marriage index and bring it to the USEM and when she did she asked when she could pick up her visa as we thought it would be better than getting it delivered and the lady said they would notify her. My wife then got a text saying to deposit the money in Delbros account with the MNL2008XXXXXX number and they would deliver it within 3 days. She did the deposit and two days later she had the visa in hand. Hope this helps.

This sounds almost exactly what we are experiencing. My wife delivered the marriage index along with a annotated copy of the previous marriage on Jan. 8th and Grace/USEM told us our visa had been approved on the 12th. The delbros initial text was sent on the 16th. Later, after sending back a confirmation text and request for further instructions, delbros sent the info about the payment, etc.. Hopefully,,the visas for my wife and two step-children will arrive next week.

As a side note, I want to wait until the visas are delivered before purchasing airline tickets. Is this typical or have other VJers bought the tickets prior to actually having the visas 'in hand'? We've had delays at each step in this process, so I'm a little hesitant to purchase the tickets before we actually have the visas.

I'd wait for visa in hand. I'm in the same boat. Status shows "Shipment out for delivery" on the evening of the 16th but lots can happen between Manila and Baguio. Not buying a ticket until she has it.

Thank you for sharing your opinion,,especially since it agrees with mine.