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ram^analise

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Posts posted by ram^analise

    Already here in Fremont, CA. yey!

    in Philippines

    Posted

    welcome to the SF Bay Area. I'm familar with Fremont. There's a Goldilocks not too far from you in Newark. have a happy life here in the USA.

    Are you from Fremont of near Fremont? maybe we can get together coz I don't really know any Filipinos here yet. :yes:

    Hello! I am from Fremont. Welcome!

    aos interview experience - san francisco

    in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas

    Posted

    My husband and I went for our aos interview today, 26 Sept 2008, at USCIS San Francisco. We got approved, thank God. The whole process was took us about 45mins to 1 hr. As others have stressed out, no cellphone or camera is allowed inside the USCIS office.

    After going thru two security checks on the ground floor, one outside the building and one metal screening after entering the building, we were told to go to the 6th floor. Upon exiting the elevator, we saw the waiting area, with a small sign in front. The check in desk is to the right.

    After giving the appointment letter at the reception area, we were asked to take a seat and wait for our name to be called. After about 10mins I got called to have my index fingers scanned and my picture taken. We were then asked to take a seat again and wait for our name to be called. After about 30mins or so, a lady officer called our name and directed us to her office. She started the interview by introducing herself and sworn both of us.

    She asked for the following documents:

    from my husband (USC): driver's license and employment letter

    from me (NON-USC/applicant): passport, ead card, ssn card, 2007 federal income tax return of my husband, any document with both our names on it (we gave employment benefits letter, health cards, bank statement, and letter from a family friend addressed to us).

    When she got all the documents, she began asking me questions from the entries in form I-485 which I submitted -- from page 1 to the yes/no questions. At some point she went thru our marriage document and asked me when we got married. She was impressed that we were married by a state senator. She also asked us where we were married (in Sacramento) and asked her how was the weather? I told her that my husband's aunt is the chief-of-staff of that state senator, that's why. She then asked me to sign at the last page of the form I-485.

    Other questions that she asked: how and when we met? When and where did we meet in person for the first time? Did we go to any islands in the Philippines? at what point did we know that 'this is it'? how did my family feel when they knew that my husband, then fiance, is coming to visit me? have we been to anywhere in the US? We told her that we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon. She asked which islands did we go and which one is our favorite. After we related to her our Hawaii experience, she then shared her insights about the different islands and recommended places we may want to visit the next time we go there. She then told us that we got approved and that we can expect the green card in the mail in 2 weeks to 1 month. She gave us a sheet of paper outlining what to do in case we would not receive the green card in 45 days. She took my ead card saying that with the green card I won't need it anymore. She told us that the green card is good for 2 years and we need to renew it before it expiration. The interview took us about 10-15mins.

    Overall, our experience with USCIS San Francisco was awesome! We had prepared and brought a lot of documents, proof of relationship, pictures, etc and looking back, was a little disappointed that we didn't have the chance to share them with her.

    Just a nickel worth of free advice, if you decide to take public transportation to an interview that you don't want to miss or be late to, plan on getting there early, just in case something happens. We took BART and left first thing in the morning and we, along with hundreds of other morning commuters, were victims of track problems. We sat in one station for about 20 minutes and then another for about 15 as they made repairs. This delay gave my husband some stress as we were put into a situation out of our control. We had planned to arrive about 45 minutes early, we got there just in time.

    Civil Surgeon - Fremont, Ca

    in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas

    Posted

    Many, just do it by mail using this one in TX. Last I heard he will do it for $20

    Dr. L. E. Arnold

    4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106

    Austin, TX 78745

    Tel: (512) 444-3131

    Fax: (512) 447-4699

    There is a pined post about this at the top of the AOS forum. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101202

    Note: I-693 has changed some.

    I-693 instructions page 4

    2. What if I am a K nonimmigrant visa holder and already had a medical exam overseas?

    If you were admitted as a:

    A. K-1 fiancé(e) or a K-2 child of a K-1 fiancé(e), or as a

    B. K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen or a K-4 child of a K-3 spouse of a U.S. citizen, and

    C. You received a medical examination prior to admission, then-

    a. You are not required to have another medical examination as long as your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, is filed within one year of your

    overseas medical examination.

    b. You will, however, be required to complete Part 1, Information about you, and submit the

    vaccination section of Part 2 with your adjustment of status application. A designated

    civil surgeon must complete the vaccination section and Part 5, the Civil Surgeon's Certification.

    http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-693instr.pdf

    Again this in not a full medical, only the "supplement" is now part 2 of the I-693 form.

    You should be able to print out the directions for form I-693 and point out where a full medical is not needed for K-Visa holders to the doctors that are insisting on gouging you.

    Thanks YuAndDan!

    Civil Surgeon - Fremont, Ca

    in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas

    Posted

    Hi everyone. We are now in the process of preparing our documents for aos. We are wondering if anyone can recommend a civil surgeon in the bay area (preferably fremont) who is willing to transfer the vaccination records to form i-693a without requiring a new medical exam. The ones we talked to so far would not do it unless I undergo a full medical exam.

    We appreciate any help on this. Thanks.

    ram & analise

    sputum results timeline

    in Philippines

    Posted

    To those who know about the sputum test, please tell me how many days between the medical and embassy interview once my fiance is given a negative result. We should be getting her result as soon as this week. I hear that they will want you to report to St. Lukes right away, but we do not know how long until the actual embassy interview. Thanks, Joe

    in my case, after the three consecutive days sputum smear tests i underwent pulmonary evaluation on the 4th day (jan 31). during the interview with the doctor, i was told that all three smear tests were found to be negative of TB bacteria. this, however, is not conclusive. as an sop i had to wait for another 8 weeks for the results of the sputum culture. i was asked to give them a call on april 2. after having found out to be negative in the sputum culture, i went thru immunization that same day. at releasing, i was told that my interview is apr 8, that is three working days thereafter.

    hope this helps.

    ram & analise

    my interview experience -->> april 8, 2008

    in Philippines

    Posted

    Congrats and Goodluck.. :)

    hello everyone,

    thank you for all your good wishes.

    jimmy and angela, i paid for the verification fee thru metrobank a day after we got our case number, jan 17. another k1 visa applicant whom i made friend with at the embassy was asked to pay for the verification fee at delbros (P650) in addition to the visa delivery fee bec she failed to pay it beforehand. we asked how long will it take for them to verify her records and we were told 3-6 weeks. another friend who was petitioned by her family also did not pay for the verification fee before her interview date (apr 4). she was asked to do the same after releasing and was told that verification will take 4-6 weeks.

    we hope this gives an idea to those who are yet to have their interview.

    goodluck everyone!

    my interview experience -->> april 8, 2008

    in Philippines

    Posted

    hi everyone,

    to give you a background of our journey ...

    jan 16 -->> we got our medical and interview schedule: medical - march 3 & interview - mar 10

    jan 23 -->> i went for an early medical, day 1

    jan 24 -->> i had problem with my chest xray and was scheduled for sputum smear tests on jan 28, 29, 30

    jan 28-30 -->> sputum smear tests -- on the 30th i was told to come back the ff day for pulmonary evaluation

    jan 31 -->> pulmonary evaluation -- i was told that all my smear tests were negative but i still have to wait for 8 weeks (sputum culture); after the interview with the doctor, i was told to follow-up the result on apr 2. i was given a piece of paper with the number to be called and name of person in-charge (clark).

    Apr 2 -->> i called clark and was told that i can pick-up the result anytime. he told me to bring my appointment letter, official receipt from st luke’s, and passport. I went to window G, where clark is. he then instructed me to proceed to 2nd floor for immunization. i was called at the doctors’ room. the doctor told me that since my pregnancy test was conducted long before, i needed to redo it. she gave me a stub and told me to pay P495 at the cashier’s in 5th floor. after payment i was instructed to go to 4th floor for the urine collection. when result was out, i was instructed to proceed to 2nd floor and wait for further instruction. after about 20mins, i was called to the immunization room and was given MMR. i then proceeded to ground floor for the releasing of the xray film and vaccination sheet. since my appointment for embassy interview has lapsed i was given a new schedule, apr 8, 730am. thanks god!

    apr 8 -->>

    i arrived at the embassy ground at 515am and was called to queue at gate 3 at exactly 6am. the guard checked the appointment letter + valid id to gain entry to the embassy. next stop is the entry to the building where the interview was conducted. here you need to pass your bags thru the xray machine. just follow the arrows leading to the immigrant visa section. upon arriving at the immigrant visa section, another guard would ask for appointment time and will tell you where to get seated. the guard will instruct you when to queue to get your ticket stub. just relax and read the interview instructions shown on the tv monitor. they present it both in english and tagalog.

    step 1. obtaining a ticket stub -- here you have to submit the appointment letter and ALL DS forms. in my case, like what others advised here in vj, i filled-up that portion of ds-156k where it says DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE: my fiance/e's name, signature, date today, and place (Manila, Philippines). once you get the stub, time to start waiting for next action.

    step 2. finger scanning -- i heard my name called over the PA system for finger scanning at window 16. there is an assistant there who will get the stub and help in the scanning. once done, i got my stub back and returned to my seat.

    step 3. submission of documents -- i saw my number flashed on the board (6027) and the corresponding window number, 14. i greeted the filipino pre-screener good morning. he asked what my petitioner's name is and i said so. then he asked for the ff: (a) my fiance's affidavit of support -- he returned the 1st 2 pages of the i-134 which purely contain instructions in filling it up; (B) my fiance's income tax return -- i gave 2006 and 2007 but he just got 2007 and returned the other; © w2 -- i gave 2005, 2006, 2007 but he just got 2007; (d) birth certificate; (e) nbi clearance; and (F) cenomar. he asked me if i have photos. i tried to slip-in my 20-page clear folder full of photos but he told me to just flip the pages and i did so. he asked me a couple of questions and noted my answers in a piece of paper: when and where did you meet your petitioner? have you ever been out of the country and where? when was the last time you were together in person?

    step 4. interview with the consul -- interviews with the consul are conducted in a closed door cubicle or at least semi-closed. i was assigned in window 27. the consul was a lady in her late 20's or early 30's i should say. she was not very friendly when i got in. she did not even smile. as far as i can remember, she asked me the ff questions: what is your name? your petitioner's name? what website did you meet? what does he do for a living? how old are you? how old is your petitioner? have you been married before? how about your petitioner? so neither of you have been married? any children? how about your petitioner? so neither of you have children? what took you so long to get married? how many times did he visit you? when was the last time he visited you? what made you decide to get married? what is your petitioner's occupation? how many people live with your petitioner? where does he live? what is his ethnicity? do you know where he went to college? does your petitioner have any brother or sister? have you ever applied for a us visa? did you work in canada? have you ever been out of the country? many more ?s i cant recall. rest assured all of them are related to the documents you submitted. in my case, she did not even look at me when she asked and when i answered her. she kept looking at the documents. at one point she was browsing the 129f folder that my fiance submitted. just know your fiance by heart and you will be fine. she also read the notes taken by the filipino pre-screener and asked questions from there. the last question asked of me was 'do you have a photo album?'. i slipped in my clear folder to her and she browsed thru it. after returning it to me, she said 'looks everything is fine. just wait for your name to be called at the releasing' . to confirm what i just heard from her, i asked her if i am approved. she said 'yes you are' and she smiled at me for the first time. i thanked her and she said you're welcome (smiling).

    step 5. releasing -- my name was called to window 37. i was given my appointment letter with the pink slip stapled on it. i was told to proceed to delbros to pay for the delivery fee and that i can go afterwards.

    step 6. payment -- at a delbros counter i was asked to fill-up a form. when done, i paid P250 and that's it!

    we can't thank god enough for answering our prayers. we are now waiting for the delivery of my visa.

    to everyone who posted here, thank you for generously sharing your experiences. without a doubt it made our journey a lot easier.

    godbless everyone.

    ram & analise

    March 2008 Interview Dates

    in Philippines

    Posted

    WOW, its such a good feeling for us all......

    We are also in.....Feb 26 Medical, Mar 4 Interview

    :D:D:D:D:D:D

    medical - march 3

    interview - march 10, 730am

    i plan on having an early medical too, last week january.

    Hi ram^analise we have the same appointments like lady_anne..May I ask what are the documents we have to bring for early medical and do i have to bring my kids for medical too? :help:

    hi lyla! yes your kids have to undergo medical exam too. these are the things i know we need to bring for early medical: printed website schedule and copy of noa2, passport, 3 copies of 2x2 passport pictures, and medical exam fee -- $145 for adults (15 years and older) and $117 for children (14 yrs and younger). i have read some threads here that we can call slec and request that we pick up our packet from them. what i plan on doing is to print the schedule from usem website and bring a copy of our noa2. when do you plan to have your medical exam? btw, make sure you photocopy your passport before you give it to slec. they will keep it and will be the one to forward to usem.

    Hello ram^analise

    Are you sure the copy of NOA2 is required for the medical appointment? Because if so, I got a BIG problem! I got no copy of our NOA2! :crying::crying:

    By the way, am planning to have my CFo seminar before I will have my medical. I think I will attend the seminar Feb 4 then my medical feb 5 and 6. What are your plans guys? ram^analise and lyla....

    i just read it somewhere lady_anne. im not really sure. when do you plan to have your medical? if i go ahead of you i will let you know, ok?

    March 2008 Interview Dates

    in Philippines

    Posted

    WOW, its such a good feeling for us all......

    We are also in.....Feb 26 Medical, Mar 4 Interview

    :D:D:D:D:D:D

    medical - march 3

    interview - march 10, 730am

    i plan on having an early medical too, last week january.

    Hi ram^analise we have the same appointments like lady_anne..May I ask what are the documents we have to bring for early medical and do i have to bring my kids for medical too? :help:

    hi lyla! yes your kids have to undergo medical exam too. these are the things i know we need to bring for early medical: printed website schedule and copy of noa2, passport, 3 copies of 2x2 passport pictures, and medical exam fee -- $145 for adults (15 years and older) and $117 for children (14 yrs and younger). i have read some threads here that we can call slec and request that we pick up our packet from them. what i plan on doing is to print the schedule from usem website and bring a copy of our noa2. when do you plan to have your medical exam? btw, make sure you photocopy your passport before you give it to slec. they will keep it and will be the one to forward to usem.

    March 2008 Interview Dates

    in Philippines

    Posted

    WOW, its such a good feeling for us all......

    We are also in.....Feb 26 Medical, Mar 4 Interview

    :D:D:D:D:D:D

    medical - march 3

    interview - march 10, 730am

    i plan on having an early medical too, last week january.

    hello ram^analise...

    we got the same med and interview date. When are you planning to have your medical?

    hi lady_anne! i plan on having it next week. i understand you are from zamboanga? when are you flying in? let's keep in touch lady_anne!

    hello...

    are you from Manila?? its a good idea to have the medical next week. but before doing the medical, dont you think we need to attend the CFO first? So that upon the release of our visa, we will just go back to CFO for stamps. I understand that in CFO they will ask for your passport. In SLEC when you will have your medical, we give them our passport. LEt me know your insights on this. I hope we get to be together for our medical. Semms like its just the 2 of us with same schedule.... :thumbs:

    hi lady_anne!

    from what i understand we can attend the CFO seminar anytime before the interview or after.

    i have not done readings re cfo yet but i will soon.

    i just want to get this medical exam over first.

    from my readings here, the ff are required during medical exam:

    <> appointment letter or printed schedule from embassy website and copy of noa2

    <> passport (keep a photocopy for yourself bec slec will keep our passport)

    <> passport photos, 3 pcs

    btw, dont forget to pay the P650 verification fee to delbros thru any metrobank branch.

    im going to do that now.

    and yes im from quezon city.

    March 2008 Interview Dates

    in Philippines

    Posted

    WOW, its such a good feeling for us all......

    We are also in.....Feb 26 Medical, Mar 4 Interview

    :D:D:D:D:D:D

    medical - march 3

    interview - march 10, 730am

    i plan on having an early medical too, last week january.

    hello ram^analise...

    we got the same med and interview date. When are you planning to have your medical?

    hi lady_anne! i plan on having it next week. i understand you are from zamboanga? when are you flying in? let's keep in touch lady_anne!

    those who got case numbe mnl2007854XXX

    in Philippines

    Posted

    Aki -------------------- k1 ---------- 2007847xxx

    Smoke --------------- k1 ---------- 2007851xxx

    Docjazzie ------------ K3 ---------- 2007852xxx

    Jim and Heidi -------- K3 --------- 2007852xxx

    Lady Anne ----------- K1 ---------- 2007854xxx

    Lyla ------------------ K3 ---------- 2007854xxx

    Curt and Leah ------ K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Niceguy ------------- K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Pechez -------------- K3 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Shallan ------------- K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Ram-Analise -------- K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Sorry, Ram-Analise :( i overlooked that....ok..i made the necessary correction :) i hope and pray our interview/medical schedules come out really soon. Dave and I are going nuts :P

    it's ok docjazzie and thanks for making the correction. god bless everyone.

    those who got case numbe mnl2007854XXX

    in Philippines

    Posted

    ok...here's the updated list....

    Aki -------------------- k1 ---------- 2007847xxx

    Smoke --------------- k1 ---------- 2007851xxx

    Docjazzie ------------ K3 ---------- 2007852xxx

    Jim and Heidi -------- K3 --------- 2007852xxx

    Lady Anne ----------- K1 ---------- 2007854xxx

    Lyla ------------------ K3 ---------- 2007854xxx

    Curt and Leah ------ K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Niceguy ------------- K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Pechez -------------- K3 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Shallan ------------- K1 ---------- 2007855xxx

    Ram-Analise -------- K3 ---------- 2007855xxx

    It's January 15.....maybe next week we'll get our interview schedule :)

    hi docjazzie, ours is k1, not k3. thanks.

    Interview tips, observations and suggestions

    in Philippines

    Posted

    >>> 14. On arranging your documents, it must be organized, neatly done and easy to access. If you will use clear books or folders like I did, it should be also HALF an INCH thick, with cover page and tabs on the side for easy reference. I will post a picture of my folders here soon. <<<

    hi beng & carl,

    thanks for your detailed post.

    i am just curious about item #14. how important it is to use half an inch thick folders? i have started organizing my documents and i have them in about 1" thick folders. if i can remember it right, i read some posts in the past that recommended that thickness of documents should not be more than 2".

    please advise and thanks.

    btw, what class are you in lb? i am class '94, bsa.

    congratulations to both of you.

    ram & analise

    NOA2 Approval

    in Philippines

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    My fiance got our noa2 in the mail last December 13.

    We wanna thank all of you for the informative postings. We have been reading this forum for a while but this is our first time to post. We will surely update and share our experience in this journey. We are waiting for the medical and interview schedule. Based on the timeframe, hopefully it will by the end of February to first week of March? What do you think?

    Ram & Analise

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