Klayzen

Any news is good news at this point. I am cautiously optimistic but not holding my breath either.  Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of our wait.

Checking in and making sure everyone is doing okay. My process ended as we are divorcing. Was all just too much!! Happy many of you got your visas though! 

San Francisco consulate has been backlogged lately du to the large number of Utah online marriages lately.  I haven't heard of people having much success getting any updates out of the consulate prior to the stamped original ROM and documents getting returned and that has been reported to be taking two or three months lately.  As you have stated they don't seem to answer e-mail enquires about ROM progress.
 
But are you sure it's time critical?  Now that the travel ban is lifted, ROM filing is far less time critical since 9a visas are no longer required for US Citizens to enter the Philippines.  Other reasons you may need the ROM such as changing names on Philippine passports and such are frequently less time critical.  You can certainly file an I-130 without a ROM as long as you have met in person after an online marriage.
 
AFTER the SFO consulate returns the original stamped ROM to you, you can check the progress towards being sent to PSA by e-mailing oca.crd-us@dfa.gov.ph .  In the e-mail, ask if the "Transmittal Details" for you ROM are available yet and attach a PDF scan of the stamped ROM you received back from the consulate.  The people at oca.crd-us@dfa.gov.ph seem quite competent and helpful.
 
If they reply with the "Transmittal Details",
 
(1) REFERENCE NUMBER
(2) DISPATCH NUMBER
(3) DISPATCH DATE
(4) TRANSMITTAL DATE
 
You can attempt to order a PSA version of the ROM from https://www.psaserbilis.com.ph/
Just order a "Marriage Certificate".  They have a procedure for recently registered ROM's where you are supposed to first order the ROM and then e-mail the "Transmittal Details" to info@psaserbilis.com.ph .

I’ve been in actively reviewing for 294 days now. Don’t think too much into it. When it goes into actively review for a second time is when you should have an approval. I’m still waiting on my approval. Been 316 days and counting 

I'm a Filipina. I lived 30 years in the Philippines and dated many Filipinos before eventually marrying an American.
 
Time for some brutal honesty. 
 
The age gap is definitely a consideration. But for many people, especially those who don't have significant resources of their own, the bigger consideration is money. 
 
I don't know of any 21 year old Filipina with her own resources who would happily marry a 65 year old man. But I can think of many 21 year olds without resources who would do and say anything to land a rich senior citizen. Especially one who offers a path to US citizenship.
 
People will tell you what they think you want to hear because they see you (and your young fiancee, once she gets to the States) as a golden ticket to a better life. They will never admit it to you, of course. 
 
A good test to see if this relationship is genuine: try pretending that you lost all your money (and of course look and act the part). See what your fiancee does. 
 
 
 

I sure hope so.  Was a bit excited that I started at Nebraska too. 😔

Buy a cheap flight to Hong Kong that's refundable.  That's generally how I've done it.  I've done this directly through AirAsia - In the past I'd see tickets ~$50 (I don't even refund these anymore, I just toss them lol) but I'm sure the price has gone up lately.

I don't know if they're using the health pass stuff, I didn't need it at all but that was last year.  Definitely bring the vaccine card.  I'm not sure if you need the negative covid test, I know you don't going to the US, but I'd guess you do require one coming here.  They still have mask mandates in effect and have been talking about doing some lockdown stuff again.

Travel insurance is no longer required luckily as of May

I wouldn't worry much. If you look at the immigration stats page, take a look at the graph with all five SCs noa1-noa2 lines on it.
 
What I noticed was that the average case processing time has in the last couple months, really started to converge. I have a feeling, that with the advent of online filing, they are moving all the cases to a digital system and are reviewing them first come, first serve (as they should) across all service centers. I think that the inquiry time shown on the USCIS page is probably for legacy filing, considering we are probably 8-10 months away from getting reviewed I wouldn't worry too much...

We got moved to Vermont.  Brutal

All was approved and I got my passport back 2 days later with visa, no need to submit originals

DOne

June 2022 I-130 filer here!
 
I submitted 4 I-130 petitions (my spouse and three stepdaughters) on June 2. I filed online, so I got the NOA-1 immediately and got the mailed version several days later - Nebraska Service Center. I filed the I-129F for K3 on June 13, and it arrived to the lockbox on June 22. I received the NOA-1 for that on June 27.
 
I know there's conflicting reports about the potential advantages or not of filing the K3 paperwork, but I don't mind paperwork, so I didn't mind doing an extra step. If it helps, fantastic! If it doesn't, no biggie.
 
Best of luck to us all!

My husband applied on my behalf 20th June whilst I wait it out in UK. We're just doing the I-130 route, I've seen a lot of people posting about K3 and whether they speed things up, however we've decided to not try. 
 
Fingers crossed all our applications will only take 6 months to process. It's only been 11 days and I already feel the mental toll of this journey. I can't wait to have the visa in my hands. My timeline is estimating my I-130 will be approved in April 2023 but I'm hoping it will be sooner.
 
Our Service centre is Nebraska at the moment. 

I'll follow this thread since I was May 28th, that's basically June 🤔

I'm not filing K3 as I've heard conflicting reports of what it does and doesn't accomplish.  Fingers crossed for keeping our cases at NSC or if it gets transferred, they go to Texas.  

I’m not sure it helps. I just posted it in case down the road you wanted to withdraw a case. It can mess up.
Tbh I doubt it helps and if it does, I’m sure it doesn’t cut the time much 

I also can't find it.  I guess we can use this one for now? Haha.

We just went through this with the CFO, Ultimately the receipt of the ROM you get is fine to apply for the CFO and you don't need wait the current "16" weeks for PSA ROM for CFO.
 
Jordan

File the i-130 for the spousal visa immediately.  The ROM is a Philippines thing and is not relevant to USCIS.  No need to have the ROM first.  You have plenty of time to worry about the ROM while USCIS is working on your I-130.
 
Since you are both together at the same time at the same place, go to a notary and sign the form together.  Getting the form notarized by both parties is half the battle for overseas couples.  If you both go into a notary together it is one notarization of two signatures.  It can be notarized anywhere.  We got our ROM notarized in Peru.
 
If you are remaining in the Philippines you can file the ROM at DFA ASEANA Manila but they will probably require an original apostilled copy of the Utah Marriage certificate.   Alternately if you are returning to the US you can do it through the San Francisco consulate.  I "think" either way requires a CENOMAR.  it's easily ordered online from PSA.
 
The ROM is most important if your wife wants to use your name.  She needs the ROM to get her Philippine passport changed.  It will save hassle later if she can get this done before her interview but is not critical to the visa process.  CFO would also raise a fuss if there is no ROM but that is way down the road if you are just filing now.  USCIS, NVC and the Embassy don't care about the ROM so don't delay filing your I-130 over the issue.