Nathan Alden, Sr.

Thank you VisaJourney!!!

I'll be filing the I-130 shortly! My bride is out getting her passport photo as I type this. All she has to do after that is scan one of the signed affidavits.

@Theersink I used the fillable form already. The instructions that the San Francisco consulate told me today over the phone are authoritative clearly say the form must be notarized. My question was the exact logistics of notarization due to two signatures and two geographic locations.

I hope when my bride goes to get her signature on the Report of Marriage form notarized, the notary won't complain about me not being there to sign my name. If we have to both be physically present for notarization of any of these documents, that will really suck.

Here is the final version of my cover letter. Thank you to @hunny&me for the inspiration! This was the result of hours of work.

I shouldn't have used the term "apostilled version" as that is not accurate, but, in essence, yes. According to the most recent checklist: The new checklist has significantly relaxed requirements compared to the incorrect version on the main page. Both versions differ significantly from what the DFA claims they want if one were in Manila filing directly. It's super confusing. Whenever I see the term "original" in relation to a vital record like a birth certificate, I always substitute it in my mind with "certified copy." They seem to be used interchangeably depending on who wrote the language in these things.

For anyone interested: The San Francisco consulate actually called me back just a few hours after I submitted my question! I had trouble understanding the woman, but it turns out that the checklist PDF is authoritative. The information on the main page should only be used to supplement the PDF. I made them aware there were several discrepancies; whether they correct them is up to them.

There are so many discrepancies between the two lists that I decided to email a question to the Consulate General. We'll see how they respond. It's likely others will notice these discrepancies so I'll report back here once I learn something.

The checklist does not match the details. For example, the checklist says "One (1) Application Form originally signed and notarized and three (3) photocopies of the notarized Application Form" but the details say "Four (4) original duly-accomplished Report of Marriage (ROM) forms." I guess I'll go with the stricter requirements. Ain't government grand? 🤣

Interesting that the checklist on the San Francisco consulate's website doesn't mention CENOMAR at all. I may include it anyway.

@hunny&me You are the absolute best. Thank you so much!

I feel you. I'm younger than you but I am absolutely feeling the two years. Time wins all battles. Hang in there. 🙂

It is absolutely insane, yes. For us, the chance of an officer just having a bad day and determining our non-married relationship was not bona fide was simply not worth it.

@hunny&me Who did you make the cashier's check out to? Do you know if the fee is still $25?

@hunny&me Can you post your Affidavit of Explanation, too? We're in the same situation because we performed a Utah County's Zoom wedding from the Philippines.

@hunny&me How did you calculate the return postage on the self-addressed stamped return envelope?

It's amusing (and not unexpected), but the DFA's description of what must be included in the Report of Marriage does not match the New York consulate's. The consulate wants multiple copies of everything, while the DFA only wants multiple Report of Marriage forms and passport photos. Note that I couldn't find a corresponding informational page on the San Francisco consulate's website. I misinterpreted. Disregard.

For anyone else looking at that cover letter, note that current DFA requirements indicate that five copies must be provided, not four.

@hunny&me Thank you so much for the example! This will prove extremely useful. Did the Filipino spouse fill it out first and then mail it to the US for completion and further mailing to the San Francisco consulate? In other words, is my logistics assumption in the OP correct?

As far as names go, Form I-130 is the least of my concerns. Far more onerous are the repercussions of changing one's name in the Philippines. For me, it's a matter of keeping the moving parts to a minimum, which is why we'll leave her name unchanged as of now.

Another question about my birth certificate: Apparently, I can order an apostille version. Is this what the consulate expects, or should I just get a regular certified copy?

I think I have a decent grasp on the Report of Marriage process at this point. However, I do have a few questions: Logistics I am proceeding assuming that my bride should fill out the completed forms in the Philippines, get her signature notarized there, then mail me the completed forms along with a certified copy of her birth certificate from the PSA, the five physical passport photos, and the CENOMAR. I then add my signature with notarization and send the completed packet to the consulate in San Francisco, which has jurisdiction over Utah County marriages. Notarization Will the Philippine government accept a form notarized twice, once by a foreign entity? Marriage License The instructions at the link above say "Marriage Contract / Certificate (original copy should be submitted to the DFA)." I am assuming they want an apostille version of the marriage license (in my case, a Utah County marriage license). Do I have to do anything to the apostille copy or do I just send it as-is? Birth Certificate I only have one copy of my birth certificate in my possession and I'd rather not go long periods of time without it. It looks like the Philippine government wants an "original copy," so I'll probably have to order a copy. Passports Will they accept photocopied print-outs of each page of my passport? Additional Documents The link above says "For applicants in the USA and Canada – kindly submit documents specified in a & b together with any of the following." However, I have neither a green card, nor a copy of a visa, nor a job contract or working permit. I'm assuming these are not needed in my case because I'm a US citizen rather than a Filipino living in the US.

My age gap is not so great--24 years--but I decided to go the marriage route because the K-1 path seems to involve too much of a chance to be discriminated against by the government agents involved on both sides. Having a marriage license is better "proof" than proving a relationship in other ways; it at least shows a level of seriousness and commitment, especially since marriages often come with photos of happy family members, a reception, etc. that give the impression of a bona fide relationship.

Lucky you. Neither my bank nor my Discover card allow that.

Thanks for the insistent advice, truly. I already determined that I can't add her as an authorized user of my credit card because the issuer requires a US SSN. I'll do what I can. 😊