oregon75

My wife is from the Philippines and has been here for a few years. We're at the point of contemplating bringing her Mom and Dad to the US to live with us. I'm researching the costs of health insurance for them as this would be a major concern of ours since they are getting in their 60's. From what I've researched it looks like newly arrived green card holders would qualify for Obamacare but not Medicare. My question is concerning the subsidies. Since premiums for Obamacare are not cheap we're hoping they could qualify for the subsidies. Does anyone know if they look at myself or my wife's income for calculating the subsidies since they will be living with us or do they only look at the green card holder's income? If they only looked at my their incomes I'm sure they could get subsidies since they won't be working. I'm just not sure if the government will consider them dependents since they will be living with us and will therefore look at our income also??

Thanks for anyone's info or experience in this situation.

Jamey

Ok, here is our problem. One that I’m sure is all too common! My wife has been in the USA for over three years and thankfully all is well with us here. Our problem is trying to help out the family back in the Philippines. My wife has three sisters and her two parents living back in Cebu. The Mom and Dad left their property in the province years ago over some family fights. They only had a nipa roofed house anyways. They then moved to the city with the oldest sister who had met a foreigner. The Mom, Dad and sisters stayed with the older sister and foreigner for a few years until recently more infighting and bickering led to her parents finding their own apartment in the city (with our financial support of course). Now it’s become obvious to us that we can’t afford to pay rent for them and help with all their living expenses. Some of them work, but they make next to nothing. Once we told them that we’re having problems sending more money there is more arguing and fighting and we’re being called cheap and selfish!!! This really hurts, especially when some of our hard earned money is going over there and there seems to be no appreciation. Of course they all think we’re rich, and I wish we were. They have no idea the cost of living in the USA.

We are currently sending about 300 USD a month. This seems like a lot to us but it’s not enough for them. Please give me some advice. Is this a fair amount, too much, too little??

Thank you for everyone’s response! To be honest, in our situation her parents don’t seem too greedy, but the oldest sister living in Cebu is really the bad one who made the very rude comments to my wife about our contributions. She’s extremely controlling, unappreciative, and greedy and she doesn’t even hold a job! She expects my wife (her sister) to make the family live in luxury over there now that my wife is in the USA. I know it’s not an easy life in the Philippines but at some point enough is enough.

Thankfully I did discuss financial matters with my wife before we ever got married. I was very specific that I understood her commitment to her family. We both agreed that we would help contribute money to the family back in the Philippines but we would NOT fully support them. I made it a point that there is a big difference between helping out and supporting the whole family. I agree with some of the posts that some people will have no motivation to work hard and make their own way when there is free money showing up every month. I have no problem sending some money to help out, but at some point it becomes unfair and we just become suckers. I think if we just kept sending more and more money the family would sit around doing nothing, with multiple nannies waiting on them hand and foot while we’re working our butts off over here in the USA. Hopefully the family will understand and just be appreciative of what we are sending. That’s really all my wife and I want, just some appreciation!

Ok, here is our problem. One that I’m sure is all too common! My wife has been in the USA for over three years and thankfully all is well with us here. Our problem is trying to help out the family back in the Philippines. My wife has three sisters and her two parents living back in Cebu. The Mom and Dad left their property in the province years ago over some family fights. They only had a nipa roofed house anyways. They then moved to the city with the oldest sister who had met a foreigner. The Mom, Dad and sisters stayed with the older sister and foreigner for a few years until recently more infighting and bickering led to her parents finding their own apartment in the city (with our financial support of course). Now it’s become obvious to us that we can’t afford to pay rent for them and help with all their living expenses. Some of them work, but they make next to nothing. Once we told them that we’re having problems sending more money there is more arguing and fighting and we’re being called cheap and selfish!!! This really hurts, especially when some of our hard earned money is going over there and there seems to be no appreciation. Of course they all think we’re rich, and I wish we were. They have no idea the cost of living in the USA.

We are currently sending about 300 USD a month. This seems like a lot to us but it’s not enough for them. Please give me some advice. Is this a fair amount, too much, too little??

Hi, has anyone recently renewed thier passport at the Phil consulate in San Fran? Wondering what the wait time has been lately to get the new one back. Thanks!

J&J

Are many others in our situation? We filed for removal of conditions to California service center and got NOA dated Jan 7, and as of now still no Biometrics letter?? Our biometrics will be in Portland, OR.

Thanks for any updates!

JJ

Once you are married and go to change to your married name you will be issued a new passport. There is no stamp or attachment, it is a different passport.

Hmmmm....I don't know about that. My wife is here in the USA and wants to just amend her passport to her married name. I thought they will just give her back her original passport with an amendment. Thats what I've heard they do anyways.

Then when her passport expires in 2012 she will apply for a renewal.

1. If your wife's passport is valid for more than 6 months, she can still travel using her maiden name. For less hassle, her name in the reservation should match passport. She also must bring a copy of the marriage contract so that when she comes back, she can match it back to her green card.

2. For passport renewal, the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles has jurisdiction over Texas residents but you need to report the marriage to the San Francisco Consulate as it has jurisdiction over Oregon where your marriage was solemnized. To check jurisdiction click here http://www.chicagopc...rpmissions.html

3. It takes 6 weeks for our consulate to renew a passport but someone here on VJ reported receiving hers in 4 weeks. Mine took exactly 6 weeks.

http://www.chicagopc...rpmissions.html

Thanks for the info. Her passport with maiden name is good until 2012. Will an amendment take as long as a renewal (6 weeks)? If we amend her passport to her married name will she need to get the new epassport that they started issuing in May?

Thanks!

Hi all, wow, its been a long time since I logged onto Visa Journey. Well my wife has been in country for almost two years now and we're planning a trip back to Cebu this summer. I'm sure this has been covered before, but I'm still confused.

1. Is it a major pain for my wife to travel back to the phils with her passport that still has her maiden name on it? She has her green card with her married name now.

2. We're in Texas now, but we were married in Oregon. Does that mean we need to go to the Consulate in San Fransico California to get her passport changed?

3. If we go to San Francisco can we get it done same day?

Thanks,

Jamey

So...in response to the eternal question of properly filling out the form I-129F...Many people are soooo nervouse to leave a space blank. My question is, has most everyone left the bottom of the form blank where it has the area for the preparer other than above, or have people placed N/A? Also, for overseas military address, I see the example form as "not in militay". Is this fine, or something like "I am not in the Military"? One more, If I check the box for citizenship aquired through birth, can I leave the other two boxes empty? The ones for certificate number...

Thanks for anyones input, since it is very scary to leave anything blank. I am hoping to get this packet sent off next week and I pray I am properly filling it out

Hi sorry for all the Newbie questions, but here is one that is interesting... I have searched the forums and there are posts that state never ever place N/A in a form field. Now I think this may be misleading, since the current instructions I have for the I-129F state to place "N/A" where items are not applicable, and place "none" where the answer is none. So correct me if i'm wrong, but its ok to use N/A and None on the form if they are being used accurately. Right? Thanks

Help... So, my fiancee's address is too long to fit in the space provided on the I-129F. Should I just type in the space "see attached sheet", then on the attached sheet place her address?? Thanks anyone for the help in advance...

Ok, a couple questions, has anyone checked yes on question 19 of form I-129F and used Cherry Blossoms? Has this caused a delay, since they don't seem to be compliant with IMBRA, and deny being a IMB? Also, is it a good idea to include my finacee's birth cert with the I-129F fiancee visa application?? Thanks -Oregon

Ok, just wondering if anyone has checked yes recently for using a IMB on question 19 of I-129F? And did they use a site like Blossoms? Has this caused a delay? What if the site is noncompliant? Thanks