spicynujac

Correct. ??? No, they are not the same, as you indicated above. The Adjustment of Status process is indeed onerous and expensive, and it's one of the drawbacks of K1 vs CR1/IR1. Your question is confusing. You seem to understand that CR1 holders avoid Adjustment of Status but then ask if it is the same process you go through as a K1 fiance visa holder? That's why many are scratching their heads. If you have a friend and don't want him to go through the Adjustment of Status headache, advise him to marry and go the CR1/IR1 route. Wife gets green card upon entry, and can immediately travel out of the country if she wants. There is no "status" to "adjust." There *IS* an "AOS" related to a marital visa, but that is an Affadavit Of Support (one reason I dislike using acronyms). Maybe this is causing the confusion? Affadavit of Support is proof of income, showing that you can financially support increasing your family size. It is filed after your I-130 is approved before your visa interview at the embassy, along with a fee of $120. But there is no Adjustment Of Status.

Generally, one should not take relationship advice from strangers on the internet. However, in this case, it is not likely that many of your friends and family have been able to meet your foreign partner. I used to work for a rather popular men's publication. And what I say here is not from any sort of position of a relationship expert, but merely one who has heard countless stories from other men, far beyond what my personal life experiences have given me. It is often only in hindsight we can see red flags or relationship problems in the women we are emotionally attached to. Lying to obtain money from your partner is a big one. The Philippines is FULL of sweet, honest, loyal, trustworthy, Godfearing women. Go find one. Unless this girl is extremely young, this type of behavior is a moral failing that is going to cause you lots of problems in the future. (FYI The other recurring theme I noticed in my time at that publication is that men often failed to take good relationship advice when it was offered.)

Curious if anyone has used LBC or a similar carrier for luggage shipment. I tried the general forums here, but found nothing recent. I'm looking for a reasonably priced service to ship a large bag or two full of my wife's things in her move to the USA. We don't want to lug them around during our honeymoon, and we also don't want to fly back to PHL to get them after the honeymoon, but hope to ship them and have them waiting at home for us in the USA afterwards. I've found the following: Mybaggage.com $248 up to 20 kg $323 up to 30 kg 4 days Luggageforward.com $269 11 kg $489 22 kg 7 business days DHL - maybe I entered something wrong but was getting $1,000 The LBC website gives me an error when I try to quote. Time isn't an issue. It could be sea freight or air. I guess the reasonable thing would be to honeymoon in the Philippines but we are hoping to celebrate big in one of the neighboring countries and then head to the USA together

What is the actual document you get back after 6 months? After 7 months (our form was still not processed after 5!) I ordered a marriage certificate from PSA online and it came back with just the same ROM form we filled out, with an official stamp. I thought we would be getting a new document, similar to a marriage certificate (PSA advisory on marriage?) Is this filed and stamped ROM ok to bring to the US embassy? Is it sufficient for applying for a PH passport with married name change?

We were able to find a free spot within a week of trying. They seem to schedule interviews for a 30 day advance period, so I would expect after Jan 1 you will have some options for scheduling in February. Whenever they release new spots (once a week?) you can easily grab them. It's a bit scary when they give you access to the site and then you can't book, but that's normal for the PH embassy They give you access to the site in a mass approval with a bunch of other people (which they inexplicably call "expediting" but it really just means scheduling) but don't add available booking dates into the website until later. It will tell you "no dates available" for several days and then once the embassy releases the next week of slots, you will be free to book them (and there are many, many free slots each day so don't worry). We just checked once a day until the bookings were available. We had several choices of dates, and each day had dozens of spaces left. Just pay attention because it's confusing, you book the biometrics and the interview separately and it is NOT clear what you are doing until you've completed it. They use some vague abbreviation like "VAC appointment" and then change that in the next screen to read something else in fine print without telling you these are 2 separate actions. It never explains you will be booking 2 separate dates so we had to cancel ours afterwards because we booked them 4 days apart without understanding we were booking 2 different things. You are booking fingerprinting in one location and in person interview on Roxas Blvd, in the same website action. Due to the holidays, you might have to try for more than a week until there are free spots, but they should be there soon. You are almost there!

As someone who did the research in advance here, and went the spousal route, I've seen DOZENS of cases where the couple wished in hindsight they went with spousal visa. I've never seen one who wished they went fiance visa. There are some cases where a fiance visa makes sense (I believe when adopting your wife's children from a prior relationship) but otherwise spousal visa is cheaper, easier, better, and about the same amount of time. We are days from the final step/ embassy interview, and I can't stress enough how nice it will be to avoid further interactions and payments with US Immigration (this goes on for years and is currently at least a thousand more dollars, assuming they don't raise any fees before you are done, with fiance visa)! The only thing that's changed since we made our decision is that with the upcoming US administration, we are very happy to be bringing a *family member* to the states, vs bringing in an unrelated immigrant... perhaps (probably) nothing will change with border admissions, but it's a superior position to be in if things do. If you're already there, together? You could file for spousal visa in a week if you do the Utah video marriage. If you are physically together, and know you want to marry, why keep her in the fiance zone? (You cannot marry until she is admitted to the US if you go that route).

So in a few days, we will be unable to reschedule online and are stuck with the dates we picked (unless we cross our fingers and call)? We only grabbed some dates to have SOMETHING on the calendar but right now we have a 4 day gap between our appointments which we don't plan on keeping if possible. I'd be nervous just relying on the word of someone in Manila over the phone that they changed our date and time.... Good grief!

We successfully scheduled and I THINK we have two appointments (one for the interview and one for fingerprinting) though this was not AT ALL clear until we were done. We actually thought one of the time slots we wanted filled before we could confirm, but what was actually happening is you schedule the 2 different interviews back to back (and the only indication of this is that one of them says "OFC" which apparently is the fingerprinting appointment and the other doesn't. We just assumed Manila Ofc meant Manila Office and it wasn't clear at all that we were scheduling 2 separate things but we do have a (fingerprint?) appointment in Tambo Paranque and an (interview?) 4 days later at Roxas Blvd. We had no choice but to accept the 4 day gap but will try to reschedule before our appointment time. All I can say is this is a *ridiculously absurd* process, and that's coming from someone who has made it 80% through this immigration debacle without complaint... Without this forum it would be almost impossible to navigate this process without paid help. I can do 20 page IRS schedules by hand but getting a visa stamp in my wife's passport is running QUITE the gauntlet! I think we are supposed to pay someone some more money at some point??? Our last payment was an Immigrant Visa Filling Fee NVC of $325 paid right after Affadavit of Support $120.

Big thanks for all the help... this part of the process is quite opaque and your insight is quite valuable... I consider myself pretty skilled with tech stuff (I build my own computers and do some light programming) and I was totally stumped by the confusing and vague instructions at this step. For example, the *old* site requires you to register with an *email address*. The *new* site asks for an *account name*... if you use your email address, it gives a vague "one of your fields is incorrect" error (without highlighting the field). Turns out, you CANNOT use an email address for your account name on the *new* system. haha.. typical government I guess. Anyway, The first 3 weeks in January are now available for appointment scheduling! We are grabbing one but I have a couple of issues. 1) My partner is convinced (mostly from "They Saids") that a PSA Marriage Advisory is required (she showed me a screenshot of someone who took notes at her interview on what others were being asked for and someone was asked for PSA marriage advisory and PSA marriage certificate). Are these two documents required for someone with Utah marriage certificate? Or is Cenomar + Apostilled Utah Marriage Certificate (+ NBI clearance, etc. ) sufficient? 2) At this point I'm ok with abandoning the idea of a name change and just sticking with my wife's maiden name on our documents, for the sake of expediency, BUT just in case it can still be done: We requested another PSA Marriage certificate today (the last time they had not yet recorded the ROM yet even though 6 months passed). If we receive it, can we safely apply for a new Philippine passport before our interview date (turn time for new PH passport is only 2 weeks)? The US visa scheduling requires you to enter a passport # to schedule and says that this cannot be changed, and I'm afraid of this causing problems if the numbers don't match. Or maybe she can bring both the old and new passport to the interview? Would we need to cancel / reschedule the interview with the new US passport #? 3) Is it alright or easy to cancel / reschedule appointments? We don't plan on actually immigrating for another 3 months when our 2 year period passes. It would be nice to get this stressful part over with but I think we could get the passport name changed if we wait another month, unless we are going to cause more problems or risk not being able to schedule in Feb or March...

Hmm I asked this question recently in the forums and got the answer that fiance visas are self-scheduled, but marital are not... So kinda confusing. But either way I planned to manually schedule our interview if possible. Anyway, we are not able to register at the https://ustraveldocs.com/ph/ site (which redirects here https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/?country=Philippines&language=English ) We tried using multiple devices in both US and Phil and get the cryptic error message: "The country you are registering for is no longer active." Our CEAC status has been "ready" for 24 hours (though that shouldn't matter--account creation doesn't ask for any immigration data, just an email address and name).

We were notified that we were documentarily complete in August 2024. I received an email today: I've come to understand the immigration offices do not use the dictionary definition of the word expedite, as in "to speed up", but instead it they use it as a synonym for "to schedule." (We never requested any sort of special processing, just going through the normal process of an IR-1 visa.) The last email we received was exactly 4 months ago and said essentially the same thing: I'm a bit confused because I don't see that the email really says anything. We know the embassy has our visa application. We know we are waiting on an interview date from the embassy. It's also confusing because it implies we will hear from them when they have a confirmed interview date, so I got all excited before I opened the email, only to find the "expediting" nonsense. But maybe this means something to some of you regarding timelines? Maybe we will get an interview date somewhat soon?

This is the part that concerns me the most. You are two individuals, both wanting to come to the US for tourism. You each need your own visa. What if only one of them is granted? You're out the (extremely large) fees that the US charges for visas at that point, and I assume you would cancel the trip. Practically speaking, 1 week is a very short time to do such a long distance international trip. I would recommend 2 weeks minimum. US is not easy or cheap. We have a transportation system most third world countries would laugh at. You will easily spend all day on your arrival and departure days in transport to and from your lodging. So you're down to 5 days of sightseeing, probably just in one city. Is that worth what this is going to cost you? The US is not very traveler friendly. I'd look into other options if it were me. Maybe save your money and plan on a longer trip to US solo or when you are married. The big issue now is your plan requires both of you to be separately issued visas. We are also changing political leadership in January 2025 to a president who shut down visitation from some majority Muslim countries before. Bottom line is it sounds expensive, frustrating, and risky. (By the way, immigration officers can and sometimes do deny entry to tourists who hold a valid visa. What would you do if one of you was turned away at the border, but the other entered?) There are plenty of fun places that are happy to welcome you, visa free.

I was about as far west as one can be in Mindanao: Zamboanga to be specific, last year. No problems whatsoever, and I walked through the town center and went to the main mall near City Hall. Did a bunch of tourist stuff solo and even went to the pink beach island. Found nothing but a bunch of extremely friendly people (a family on the ferry to Santa Cruz Island adopted me for the day and invited me to share all their meals together). When I went out in the evening, a friendly police officer I had met upon arrival accompanied me at a distance, watching for my safety, due to the long time kidnapping fears. But it turned out I was safer than I am in my city back home in America. The bottom line is, don't be ostentacious. Don't be loud, rude, drunk, etc. Several other motives discussed here are dismissed by police, and "Eastman's abduction appears to have been carried out by common criminals rather than members of organized rebel groups known to operate in the region. Police believe the suspects targeted Eastman after seeing his Facebook videos documenting life in Sibuco" Sounds to me like a typical case of don't brag or put out personal information on the internet, and/or just being in the wrong place, and perhaps not having good situational awareness (it sounds like these were some known criminals he interacted with--the police found them and shot and killed at least 3 of them) I'm not sure what he was posting about but showing off wealth or extensive travels, expensive electronics, etc. amongst people earning a small fraction of your wealth is a terrible idea. Really common sense to those of us born in the last century... much less so to people who are terminally online. I'm not even *on* facebook. If the videos are still up, I'm curious what the content is. I'll keep my personal business humble and private, thanks.

Curious if anyone here knows anything about the new Freeport Area of Bataan Investment Visa, which provides permanent residency, and promises low bureaucracy for a one time investment of $75,000 USD. Philippines Permanent Residency Program (FIV) Attracts Strong Global Interest | Markets Insider The newly launched Philippines FIV permanent residency by investment program has reported impressive interest in its first few months. Since its announcement, the program has conducted over 300 interviews with applicants from 49 countries across Asia, Europe, America, and Africa. The Philippines FIV (FAB-Investor Visa) is a fast-track permanent residency program, managed by the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB), a special administrative zone in the greater metropolitan Manila area. It offers a streamlined, faster, and digital-first alternative to the country’s legacy SIRV program, which has served applicants since 1987. The FIV is a permanent resident visa that allows anyone to live, work, or study anywhere in the Philippines with the opportunity to naturalize as a Philippine citizen. With a low investment threshold of $75,000 US dollars, applicants and their entire family can become Philippine permanent residents in less than a month, with no minimum stay, intrusive net worth, or real estate purchase requirements. This makes it one of the most accessible residency-by-investment programs in Southeast Asia. Streamlined application process with a typical wait time of approximately one week after submission. Low investment threshold of USD 75,000 as a fixed deposit. Option to include family members without additional investment. No minimum stay requirements or compulsory real estate purchase requirements. Freedom to live, work, or study anywhere in the Philippines. Pathway to Citizenship Consultations can be scheduled at PhilippinesFIV.com or by emailing hello@philippinesfiv.com. I can't tell if the above website is some third party offering to apply for you for a fee, or the actual Philippines agency that is administering this program (with a processing time of 1 week, I wouldn't be surprised if it is a non-governmental agency administering the program, because that is an almost too good to be true processing time, as most VisaJourney members know!)

There is absolutely no way to know. Next president doesn't take office until January 2025 and he is somewhat of a wild card. Honestly there is no telling what he will do. Could be a complete nothingburger, or he could shut the border down. You can't worry about things you can't control. I wouldn't recommend anyone rush a dating relationship they aren't ready to formalize, but if I knew I wanted to marry this person, I would go ahead and do it. You can have a civil union now and a church ceremony in the future. This is what I did with my partner. A relative by marriage has superior standing over almost any other type of immigrant. But anyone who tells you yes or no is just speculating. I admit I was somewhat apprehensive about how our immigration system is going to change last month, but I quickly realized it's futile to worry about things you cannot control. The serenity prayer!

No need for more passive aggressive hostile snark to the OP, or accusing him of being a criminal or suggesting if the wait is longer than he expected it would take, then he is going to commit immigration fraud lol. Come on! I'm pretty sure it was all a wakeup call to everyone the first time we learned how lengthy / expensive / unfair / onerous the legal immigration system was. OP, the fastest (and cheapest) way to get your wife/child to the US would have been Direct Consular Filing, which bypasses the Customs and Immigration processing in the USA and does everything at the foreign embassy. But if you have filed an I-130 already, then it's too late for that and you will just need to wait for IR1 visa processing to be completed. Read the guides here and they will walk you through the steps. There is a big backlog of cases since the pandemic, so maybe as those continue to clear, the timeline will shorten, but the most realistic expectation at this time is 2 years. Yes it sucks and it is a broken system, but just start working on all the required steps now and things will go smoothly (ignore the fearmongering about how your wife might not be allowed to join you from random strangers). In the meantime, does she have visa-free ability to travel to the USA as a tourist? Perhaps she could make extended visits while her case is being processed, though read up on potential issues with that. But it's absolutely allowed and many here have done so.

Wow, thanks for posting this. It is *NOT* clear at all that a CENOMAR or Advisory on Marriage is required at the embassy interview and we certainly weren't going to bring one! The government instructions should REALLY be updated to state this! FYI, The processing time for the PSA to update their records is well over 7 months. We filed (and received our stamped copy of) our Report of Marriage 7 months ago. The documents say to check with the PSA in 6 months. After 2 trips there (the bureaucracy requires you to wait in a long, long line twice) we found out that Manila has not processed the ROM yet. So I guess we will try again in a couple of months. The best general advice is to file the Report of Marriage early in the process. We did so, pretty much right away, and we are expecting our final embassy interview within the next 6 months and still don't have it back! We should get things handled before the interview, but not with much time to spare... For the OP, I would submit your Cenomar to the US Embassy and go ahead and file the ROM for the reasons below. I don't know why ROM is not a sticky in the Philippines forum, but it's very beneficial and I believe required. Some seem to indicate you can slide by without it, but your life will be much easier if you just go ahead and do it. It's bizarre to me the US doesn't want you updating accurate records with the Philippine authorities, and will accept a marriage certificate along wtih a contradictory statement you are unmarried (that technically could have been issued before any number of unreported marriages!). ROM: Required or at least preferred for permission for Filipina to emigrate via CFO. There are threads here that say a minimum of a filed, but unprocessed ROM is required to exit the country. Some here seem to imply you can eventually exit without this, but do you risk offload or at the bare minimum a tense stressful interview before your international flight, particularly at Manila airport ( I know someone offloaded last week, because her statement of financial support document was a copy and not an original. Expensive and stressful). ROM: Establishes you as married to a Filipina, and thus eligible for balikbayan benefits ROM: Allows your spouse to change her name on her Philippine passport to husband's last name. This is cheap and fast in the Philippines, and will cost much, much more and take much longer in the USA, and you will need to change multiple documents if you wait. ROM: Allows US Green Card to be issued with husband's last name, once the PSA processes the name change (7+ months) ROM: When done before exiting Philippines, is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way of updating married name on all documents, US and PH. Yes, there are alternate ways of doing most of the above but it's far easier, cheaper and faster to report the marriage and be done with it all. I wouldn't risk trying to leave the country without filing a ROM. Here is a thread last year stating CFO office requires a filing of ROM before issuing the stamp your spouse will need to exit the Philippines which confirms what I have read and heard: CFO GCP requires to submit the ROM which I do have a hard copy signed by both but not PSA copy since we are just starting and about to register the marriage certificate hard copy we got in both countries If you search this forum, there are many threads here stating the requirement to file ROM before spouse can emigrate from the Philippines. Some in this thread now are indicating it's not necessarily required. Maybe so, but I see no reason to risk it, and it's silly to forgo the above benefits.

First of all, if there was something that blocked US media, I'd consider that a blessing, not a curse. It's not at all controversial or debatable to say the US mainstream media is untrustworthy--it has levels of trust slightly above those of Congress, and more distrust it than trust it (32%!, according to Gallop polling). The partisan lying started with Faux News a couple of decades ago but now it's spread all around, and one need only look at the treatment by long time leftist journalist Matt Taibbi when he was called in front of the US Congress, by Democratic congresscritters, (or the brilliant debate by Taibbi and Douglas Murray at the famed Munk Debates which garnered their largest ever change in opinion in history after they debated the question Can the Mainstream Media Be Trusted) or the exile of pulitzer winner Glenn Greenwald to Brazil, or the treatment of Julian Assange, to see how censorship, lying, and omission is the norm. This is all to say that reading mainstream media articles is far more likely to misinform one than it is to educate. On top of that, most news today is infiltrated with the political. Do you really want to expose your spouse to that? Personally I'd focus on things she is interested in, hobbies, interests, talents, or skills like cooking-- there are dozens of great sources that talk about American foods (from America's Test Kitchen to video blogs to Diners Dives Drive-ins or whatever that show was). Focus on feeding her positive information, not the horrible abyss that is US politics or mainstream media. Also the lament that there's a lack of English Language media to read online strikes me as quite bizarre. The vast majority of content on the web is in English and there is no difficulty accessing even niche content in English anywhere on the planet. What does she need to improve? If it's language and grammar, there are sites, videos and blogs which focus on that. Likewise culture, history, etc. Reading is probably best, but there's also a TON of niche English language content on youtube and tiktok (which my spouse prefers). The top "news" stories right now on CNN and Fox are Cuomo endorses VP Harris then slams progressive politics, including the 'dumbest words ever uttered' and Trump is getting wilder, but the race remains a toss-up Is knowing anything about that going to help her prepare for living in USA (other than developing a disgust for our politics and knowing to avoid it ) [Apologies to those that genuinely like American politics and exclusively consume mainstream media.] One final suggestion: Local, hometown papers (even those not in your actual city, but preferably in your state or region) still employ independent journalists, and write a lot of articles that are focused on day to day life in America, cultural events, human interest stories, etc. and avoid obsessing about elections that occur maybe 10 times in our lifetime, or the international stories copy/pasted from AP/UPI. Check out local, small papers in towns of 100,000. And expect to pay for good content. The stuff you find out there for free is often clickbait, propaganda, or written by a machine.

The American Embassy is not going to ask for your Report of Marriage (it's a foreign registration of marriage document--the US already has your *US* marriage certificate) but this will be required by Philippine authorities before your wife can exit the Philippines. I'm not even sure she will be allowed to do tourist travel once she has the American visa in her passport unless she gets the ROM / CFO. It certainly will be stressful and there is a risk of offloading, particularly at Manila airport. By the time you have your US immigration interview, if you haven't already submitted the ROM, you may face delays in coming to America. Currently our ROM is in process, with an expected processing time of 6 months. And we are not expecting a visa interview until next year. So go ahead and do it. The added plus is this will save you hundreds of dollars, as you can use the ROM to get a new PH passport with married name in it, which is very costly to do later in the US (and has additional paperwork and reporting costs with local and federal agencies). 900 pesos versus $415 USCIS fee + local court costs... do the math.

I second a lot of the info here: Truly the friendliest people I've met (Costa Rica is the closest in the western hemisphere but PH is times 10). Strangers will just strike up conversations on buses, in restaurants, etc. First time I was there riding a motorcycle along the roads of Bohol with a Filipina girl this group of young guys rode by yelling at us. I thought maybe it was something like "Go Home Gringo" or "Don't Take Our Women" but my partner told me they were just yelling "Welcome to the Philippines!" I never rent a car abroad (other than Australia). Why do the work yourself, worry about getting lost, parking, fees, navigating, traffic, etc. when you can pay a professional who knows the roads? But especially in PH--taxis are cheap and ubiquitous--plus they will handle luggage for you and everything. It's like being a VIP. Traffic is a nightmare and you want someone who knows the routes. Grab is good but not needed. If your girl has the app you can use it but I always just flag a regular taxi (there are huge lines of them at any airport) and never had a problem other than the Manila Airport Taxis which will rip you off and say the meter is broken. Been using Schwab card for years traveling abroad. It basically gives you the equivalent of a temporary local bank account abroad--you can withdraw money from ATMs in local currency without any fees at the prevailing VISA exchange rate. Without this you're paying 500PHP every time you get cash PLUS 4.5% or higher markup on the conversion (or exchanging in bulk at the airport or Western Union / M'Luihiller with the risk of carrying around too much money). Also strongly recommend the IR1 over the fiance K1, if you're sure you will marry. Great plan would be to do the Utah marriage in PH before you head home, because the clock starts ticking at your first physical presence together as husband and wife. Very strongly recommend universal heart ministry Rev. Chris who made our day so special but you can also get a Utah state bureaucrat to do it for about $10 cheaper. I did the Utah online ceremony as a civil union and then planned a religious church ceremony the next year in PH (also a great way to make the waiting time go by). The denial rate for bringing a stranger to the country (K1 fiance) is always higher than bringing your wife or any other family member (IR1/5). And of course some fiances come to USA and never marry. Do they all return home? The bar is lower and less evidence required for family members. Either way PH does not have a high denial rate for either case. and will add: Filipinos love to talk loudly and laugh a lot! Get out of the cities, *ESPECIALLY MANILA*. I have traveled all over the world and Manila is the poorest presenting and most depressing I've seen (I've been to poorer countries but none affected me the way Manila did--it was truly a shocker). I avoid Manila at all costs for multiple reasons (taxi drivers there rip you off but never had a single problem in Cebu, authorities much stricter, etc.) but I spent one night in Manila and I had to literally step over the bodies of homeless people sleeping on the bridge to cross to the other side and catch my bus... sad, dirty, noisy, (to me) very ugly. Anywhere out of the city is fantastic. I love Bohol! You need a copy of your airline ticket to enter the airport--you can't just show up and expect to check in and get your boarding pass. There is a guard at the door who only lets people into the airport who can show proof of a ticket. Learned this the hard way once when I had to go walk with all my luggage to some office and pay ~$1 for a paper ticket and come back to him, wasting an hour in the heat). Screenshot on your phone is fine. I suppose it keeps pickpockets, etc. out of the airport. Expect incredible levels of service. I am so spoiled by the general service levels in Asia and particularly PH that I can barely tolerate American taxis, hotels, waitresses, etc. Enjoy breakfasts at your $75 hotel that will rival what you get at the Four Seasons back home. Doormen, Bellhops, guards, sharply dressed in uniform, happy to assist you with a smile while they address you as sir. Baggage carts will be personally delivered to you at the airport for free--they cost $15 to RENT in Atlanta's airport. You can enjoy an hour massage every day for the cost of a fast food meal back home. Really incredible lifestyle. Going to the mall is FUN! As a guy I can honestly say I like shopping there. Malls are big social events. Transportation is great. No matter where you want to go, there is a plane, bus, boat, rapid van, jeepney, taxi or tricycle heading there every few minutes, or just flag down someone with a motorbike and they'll take you for as little as 50p! You are treated the way you deserve (unlike say the TSA who pats down grandmas, often I'm just waved into the mall by the security guard at the door because I'm obviously not there to cause harm). If you need data, SIM card is easy and cheap (well not as easy now with new identity registration law but still cheap--or just use wifi in your hotel and I get around with Maps.me offline map app). The food is below par in Asia for a westerner, nothing like Taiwan or Japan with lots of delicious Sushi and high quality beef--it's low quality pork cuts and lots of unhealthy fried foods (my girl loves Pork Knuckles). You can find decent food but this was perhaps my biggest disappointment. But great cheap fruits and fresh juices/smoothies and Buko pie is amazing. Do extra cheesy / romantic things. Buy your girl flowers. Make her feel special / different. #1 country in the world for Facebook is Philippines so she will take a hundred photos of it and feel very kilig. Bring some pasalubong and sing karaoke and the family will be ready for you to marry that night 😁

That seems to be a universal truth in the Philippines! I won't even buy tickets abroad out of Manila due to their outgoing immigration screening. Now if only Cebu had a consulate and hospital approved for TB screenings... Thanks for the update OP... good info.

I have a friend who received Global Entry for free, as an airline frequent flyer bonus (He's a million miler). He used it once. Never used it since. He says it is always way faster just to enter using the free US Customs app. No one uses that, so there is never a line for it. Any citizen can download this app for Android or iPhone and you will basically immediately enter the country without waiting in a line, without needing to fill out an application form, or be fingerprinted or interviewed, or pay any fees. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control I'd try this before I signed up for Global Entry. Another thing to consider: Every single time I've waited in the regular line for the standard passport check WITHOUT Global Entry, I've had to wait on the other side for my baggage for several minutes before I could proceed. The baggage processing time is always greater than the passport processing time. So having Global Entry would have meant I would be waiting on the other side of the passport check in the room where you retrieve your luggage to have it possibly screened for taxed or prohibited goods, but wouldn't have reduced the waiting time at all. That's the single reason I don't have Global Entry. It's wait here, or wait there. Now, if you aren't checking luggage when you travel internationally, by all means, go for it. But otherwise not worth the time, expense, and privacy for me to do enroll in Global Entry. Of course, those who paid up for Global Entry and see the much shorter line they go through are going to sing its praises but in the end I don't see any benefit...

I'm still confused. Some indicated that marriage visa applicants (IR1) have their interviews scheduled by the embassy, but finance (K1) must schedule their own interview using a tedious system where you must log in repeatedly for days/weeks/months until you luckily catch an opening. The above seems to indicate you booked your own IR1 interview. Which is it?

I'm not following this fully. Did you obtain a CFO certificate prior to taking a tourist trip abroad? Anyone done this successfully? I am getting nervous about an upcoming trip to Japan, because the airport rules state that a Filipino citizen traveling abroad to meet their foreign spouse or fiance who does not have a CFO certificate is automatically subject to a more intense secondary screening. Obviously the Philippines exit interview is worrying, due to the arbitrary and capricious offloading (30,000 citizens were offloaded recently in a year, with reportedly 90%+ of these deemed to have not been a risk after the fact) so anything to lessen this risk would be MOST helpful. From what I've read here, the CFO certificate does not expire, so no reason not to get it ahead of time if you can... If there is a requirement to show a visa stamp to proceed, I'm planning to send the Japanese visa stamp to register for CFO. Reports here state the rules at the airport may not be followed all that closely, and she is departing from Cebu Mactan, which is far better than Manila in terms of immigration, but I'd rather be safe than sorry... It's funny the CFO rules and PI rules clearly contradict each other 😆 Nice Catch-22 there, Philippines!

The process in actuality wasn't as simple as they describe it. The steps online indicate you fill out a form and then after 5 business days you can go to the DFA office. When my spouse did so, she was told oh no we don't have your document, you have to fill out another form and it will be sent off to Manila and she needs to come back in one month to pick it up (not sure what the point of the first step was then!) Since she was already there I told her to go ahead.. the cost is 100 pesos. But if we had known this beforehand I'm not sure it was worth the trip... she had to wait several hours just to submit the application! I'm beginning to understand that's normal procedure for the federal gov't in PH... Can't beat the price though!