CFS

Hello! My spouse just moved to the U.S. on an IR1 visa. While his English is pretty good (he can always get ideas across), he is looking to finesse his grammar a bit. Does anyone here know of any strongly recommended English classes/tutors/etc. available via Zoom (these can be paid)? Thanks!

@top_secret - thanks! You were totally right - the CFO/GCP process was very straightforward. They only asked: How did we meet? For photos of the wedding For photos of us with our family members I appreciate all your help!

Thank you for letting me know! Another surprise! Is it this only payable via cash?

That's great! Was there anything unexpected/unusual about the GCP interview (if you had to go through that)?

Thank you, Chancy. We unfortunately did not receive such an e-mail 😕 but I appreciate your help!!

Update - we actually got the passport with the stamped visa back today. So it was 2 days after we saw the "Issued" status on the CEAC site. I'm amazed that the Embassy did not provide any further instructions regarding the PDOS/GCP. Thankfully, we knew about these requirements from reading about them on this forum....but how do the vast majority of people who 1) aren't on this site and 2) aren't working with an immigration lawyer know about this stuff? I'm literally thinking of people booking their flights and being stopped at immigration because of this 😬 Anyway...some more updates/questions: The Embassy did not send back a physical packet containing the medical results. Instead, the visa reads "IV Docs in CCD", which apparently means that they will check the medical results virtually. I found an older thread in this site that talked about this too. I would just like to triple check (since there have been so many surprises) - should my spouse bring anything else besides the passport (with the immigrant visa & GCP stamp) to immigration besides this? Are there any other "gotchas/hard lessons" learned from anyone regarding the GCP process, exit from Manila, or entry into the U.S.? Again, given everything that's happened, we are super wary about unexpected surprises that can cause delays. Any inputs would be appreciated - thanks!

OK, wow - the CFO e-mailed me back literally 2 minutes after I asked them #2. You're right - copies are accepted and thus #1 is a moot point. Thanks!

Thank you! Yes, I can validate the part about the turnaround times - we are getting the passport back via LBC on Thursday Sep. 28 (and CEAC showed the visa as "Issued" on Sep. 25). Based on what you said, we will need the CENOMAR/NBI Clearance because we cannot get a ROM (see my other posts - it's not possible/required in our case). @top_secret - how certain are you that 1) they send the documents back separately and 2) that the CFO accepts copies?

Follow-up - it took ~ 3 weeks for them to get back to us:

Hello, It seems like my spouse's visa has been approved based on the screen shot below: I have a few questions: For those who went through the 221(g) process - did you receive all the additional documents you submitted back along with the stamped passport? I'm asking because we'll need some of these documents (e.g. CENOMAR, NBI Clearance) for the GCP Seminar How long did it take for you to receive your passport back? My spouse is Manila-based Thanks!!

Thank you!! This just came through, thanks be to the Lord!!!

Thank you, @jan22. We submitted the following documents: Repeat Medical Exam (which is the only thing that the 221(g) asked for) New NBI Clearance (as the previous one had expired) - this was not requested New CENOMAR (as the previous one was about to expire) - this was not requested 2022 Tax Returns (just in case) - this was not requested 6 months' records of my payslips (just in case) - this was not requested We had previously gone through the DS-5535 process and believe we were cleared (because we received another 221(g) requesting a repeat medical exam ~60 days or so after the DS-5535 e-form was submitted). I don't know if any of the documents above have to be re-certified by the DOS or if the Embassy has to be in touch with them at all before issuing the visa...and hence my apprehension re: a potential government shutdown. Some additional information - the Embassy confirmed receipt of our documents on Sep. 5, 2023. It took the Embassy about 1 month to issue a second 221(g) when we responded to the first 221(g) request (accidentally failed to bring original NBI clearance to the interview + 2021 tax returns were not uploaded to CEAC)...granted, this was in December 2022 and there were holidays interspersed in there...so I'm hoping that we can hear back any day now and maybe even miss the government shutdown window altogether (if it happens). I'm also trying to do my best not to worry....but this can be so daunting at times. Thanks for reading through this and your inputs.

I'm so sorry to hear that (and thanks for making the time to post here). From reading other posts on this site, I know that sometimes people are asked to go through the DS-5535 process even after being told that they're "good to go" at the interview. That said, were this the case, the Embassy should have informed you of this and let you know regarding the e-form you would have needed to fill out. The repeat sputum exam is such a headache (we've been there). Let me know if it gets to this point and you need help on how to proceed - the Embassy isn't always straightforward on how to approach this. In our case, they issued a 221(g) request for the medical but did not provide the special # we had to provide St. Luke's for them to even begin re-scheduling the repeat medical. After we finally got that figured out, it was a 6 week wait until my spouse could even go through the sputum testing. Hoping things will look up in your case.

@Dave Knapp - any update from the Embassy?

Thanks for your inputs. I'm waiting for the US Embassy in the Philippines to issue my spouse an immigrant visa after submitting 221(g) documents earlier this month. If the government does shut down, do you think it's likely that this process would be slowed down/delayed in any way? It seems like the answer is "No" from your inputs above, but I would like to confirm. Thank you,

Following up here - the CFO did confirm that an ROM is not needed in our case. I'm following up with them to triple check whether we need to bring in any additional documentation, but from their initial response, it doesn't seem like it.

Thank you! They have been responsive the past 2 days...but I think it's a game of chance. For reference in case it's helpful - I e-mailed info@cfo.gov.ph and was eventually re-directed to someone who works at the CFO.

Keep in mind that traveling too much can be a trigger for a DS-5535 process (especially if the travel happens after your DS-260 is approved), which can considerably delay your application at the last minute. If you don't know what a DS-5535 is, then I'd suggest doing research on it. This is very likely why a DS-5535 was triggered for us (because we traveled to at least 5 countries on vacation after the DS-260 had been approved).

Thanks! This is super helpful. We re-submitted the medical exam (along with other documents that had expired, e.g. NBI clearance & tax returns) and these were acknowledged as received on 9/5/2023. I know it's only 2 weeks...but, as everyone knows, it's hard to wait when time is ticking and the medical exam expires in 2 months. Has anyone heard about recent turnaround times from the Embassy on 221(g) cases related to missing administrative paperwork (e.g. repeat medical) that was submitted via LBC?

Hello! By way of update: Our case was updated on Sep. 18 but it still says "Refused". We have yet to receive further communications from the Embassy (so I will assume they're still working on it) We were able to contact the CFO office via e-mail (info@cfo.gov.ph) and they responded after a couple of days (which was nice). We're supposed to work with them to re-schedule our appointment via e-mail Quick question - does anyone know what this requirement on the CFO site refers to: "Affidavit of invitation and support (financial support/safety/medical insurance) notarized and authenticated by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate which has jurisdiction over the destination or host country”. Thanks!

Would you be able to provide hard evidence for the fact that the Embassy requests for a new NBI Clearance that's less than 3 months old? I have never heard of this. Also, the documents that the Embassy approves have to match what's on the CEAC site (where the DS260 application is submitted)...and it is the applicant's responsibility to update CEAC and not the Embassy's. It seems odd to me that they would request an additional "ghost" NBI Clearance that never makes it into the final record for the Department of State/the US government via CEAC.

I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you're facing. Please keep us posted as I'm also in a similar situation (re-submitted documents requested through 221G via LBC on Sep. 5 and still haven't heard back).

Thank you! Has anyone successfully re-scheduled their GCP appointment? I e-mailed them and am getting the feeling everything's going into a black box....and, like @top_secret mentioned, trying to reach them via phone is futile.

Thanks! This is very reassuring to hear. We will be calling the CFO to confirm this too. I would think it makes sense to bring our Australian marriage certificate as the "best possible next thing"...thoughts welcome. On that note: Has anyone had luck reaching them via phone? Also, their website seems to be completely down (is this normal?) I scheduled an appointment with them and now it's likely I may need to re-schedule it. Is there a way to do this online? Thanks again for all the help!

Thank you! Yes, we're in a same sex marriage. So, should we worry about not having a Report of Marriage (since the Embassy cannot issue it in our case)?