evemonte

My question is how long after you get married do you to file change of status? We will go get married tomorrow after she has been here already two months. I know you need to be married within three months of her arrival, but does this also include filing for change of status? I need a little longer for the $1000 filing fee so Im hoping its not the same time line.

best wishes and congratulations! ideally, you should file for AOS before she is out of status, that is before her k1 visa expires.

Hi Everyone,

Im going to file my Adjustment of Status this month(february) and its like i dont know where to start. In the I-485 should i include an original birth certificate and marriage certificate or just photocopy of it?

Should i send the original I-130 receipt or photocopy only?

Does the Affidavit of Support needs to be notarize and if i include a copy of W2s and paystubs in there is it photocopy or the original?

How many copies of G-325A should i send,thus my husband needs to fill up one also?

How many 2"x2" picture should i send?

Should i include some copies of utility bills, bank accounts, insurances, my EAD photocopy and other documents or i just need them on the interview?

I do appreciate any inputs....Pls help me...Thanks

hello! here's the link to the k1 visa guide. you can never go wrong with this. just read carefully. good luck.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1k3aos

i just wanna clarify some things about the medical appointment. what are the diagnostic tests will be done during the medical examination? is there a urinalysis and stool exam? thank you.

hello. here's the link for info regarding the medical exam. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=medical. other info are all in this website for visa processing. just go to the guides. good luck.

Is it possilble to request our case be forwarded from the Montreal consulate to the Manila consulate? The wait time there is only 1 week from medical to interview.

what is the reason for the transfer? i had my case transferred from singapore to manila but that was the advice of the US consul in singapore. my working visa was canceled prior to the interview and since my status was then reverted to tourist, i was not eligible for processing in singapore. it took about 3 weeks from the time that i requested for transfer until i got my notice from the US embassy in manila that i was scheduled for interview. you may want to check with the montreal consulate if you can transfer your case to manila. good luck.

Hamburger, pizza, sausage, bread... they are not originally from the U.S.

I have gone to Italian, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese restaurants in places that I visited but I haven't spotted any authentic American restaurant. I mean a restaurant with that description.

Today is January 27. I arrived in the U.S. on October 27 last year. In my three months here, I have only been to Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, Burbank, Glendale, and Santa Monica. Maybe I haven't seen much but I am starting to ask myself: So... what is American cuisine really? You know, food that Americans can proudly call their own... food that has originated in the U.S.

Hakuna matata.

God bless us all.

FAE

authentic american food is found at mcdonald's. lol. america is a melting pot and the real americans are the american indians. so you may want to check where you can dine on american indian food. :-)

Well...to begin with we are just about to begin the process of applying for a VISA. I leave for the Philippines on February 5 and will meet for the first time February 6. We are both very excited to meet face to face. After I return I will start an official time line of our events. So be watching for that to come.

My question is this however. She has her name misspelled on her birth certificate and her passport has the exactly same spelling with the same error. She wants to change the misspelled name on her birth certificate and has applied for the change, however that is not suppose to be completed until next month. Will there be a problem if the spelling of the name is different on her passport? OR should she just wait until she gets her VISA and arrives in the states to change the name spelling. OR should she change the name on her passport to match the birth certificate. Her funds are very tight...and I will probably have to pick up the cost and my thinking is to just leave everything the way it currently is and see about making the change once she arrives here...anyone else have this problem.

One more thing...can anyone give us anything we need to do during are meeting that will help with our process of getting her VISA? I am really very nervous about my upcoming trip...I fly from the states to Tokyo and then to Manila. I have never flown before so any help with this or things I need to know would be greatly appreciate.

Thanks.

JD & ON

i'd say just follow what is on the birth cert since it is the same name that appears on the passport. am not sure how long the process will take. i had a problem with my birth cert too and we had to fix it before my husband could file for the k1 visa. that took about 3 months to fix and leg work was done by my brother as i was living overseas then. transacting with the philippine bureaucracy is a test of patience. thing is, she might go through some kind of hearing to change the name, which is quite expensive and lengthy. i would suggest she better do a thorough research what really would entail to correct the spelling. if all her legal documents are the same as her name on the birth cert, just follow the birth cert.

if your are officially a couple now, it would be nice to bring her a little present from the states. not extravagant. if you're meeting her family, bring a little something for them too. chocolates would be fine (not M&Ms or hersheys or crunch. lots of those in manila.) read a little about philippines, culture and tradition. read up about the place she comes from and be able to at least know the major islands of the country (luzon, visayas and mindanao. hehehe.)

take lots of pictures of you together when going around and also with family and friends for evidence when you file the k1 petition. i'd suggest you read up on what is required on the k1 petition.

it is a long haul from the US to manila. i hope your lay over at narita is just a few hours. just relax and have a good time.

Thanks I'm on the case. She explained many things to me already but the rest I know I will see. She told me all the covert instructions but didn't explain why and I put 2 and 2 together and know now why she said what she did and now you just confirmed it. She is a little worried I won't want to stay there also sometimes I have to ask her 2 times why this or that before she fully explains, but now she explains right away. Usually she is happy go lucky, shy and calls me by a loving nick name but when she is serious she says me real name and repeats the info over and over and won't let me say a word till she's finished what she has to say and I say okay and promise and repeat after her what she says. I love this woman. I am 6' tall and she is 5' and says she will fight any one for me and will protect me. I believe her. In the net cafe someone did something wrong and she put them in their place. I saw everything on the web cam. I don't know what she said but she put fear in everyone there and even the people who were bystanders apologized and fell over themselves to bring peace. When a lion roars the jungle listens. thanks for your reply and all the help. I hope in the future I can hear from you again. MERRY XMAS.

ow sori, my apologies i assumed u r puti. filipinos are very warm and hospitable but we also have our quirks and we suffer some neurosis too. hahaha. just be yourself, enjoy and be ready for an adventure of a lifetime. have a safe trip. we'd love to hear ur stories from your visit. take care. meri krismas. p.s. don't bring m&m.

Hi there, my only valid proof of identification is my passport. We just filed my AOS last Dec 16, 2009. Now, Im flying to LA to renew my passport. Once i renew it i dont have any form of identification with me. What can i do about it? How can i fly back home? The TSA is strict about ID before they let somebody go on board...

hello. before you go renew your passport (i assume you still have 6 months left before expiry) i suggest you apply for state ID at your local dmv. you would need to bring your passport, marriage contract, your SSN card, letter from a government agency address to you with your current address and someone who will act as your "guarantor" (husband) who will vouch that you live in the address stated in your letter. i forgot how much is the fee, something like 20usd. dmv will print out a copy of the ID and but the actual ID will be sent to you in a week's time. the print out is valid until you get the actual ID (which looks like a state driver's license).

My fiance and I were browsing on POSSIBLE flights to consider in going to Seattle. He wanted me to take Korean Air as it is the same airline he used when he visited me. According to him, Korean air really has a very decent and exquisite accommodation.

The question is, will there be a problem with Korean Immigration if I'll have to take the flight from Cebu to Korea- Korea to Seattle considering one has to stay there for 10 hours during the stop over? Worse case, Will I have to pay for my stay? (Philippines is NOT INCLUDED in the list of countries that can stay for free in Korea for a period of 3 months even without a visa)

hello. i was trying to search the website if you will need a transit visa for her layover at incheon and i couldn't find any info. best thing would be to check with a travel agency of directly with korean air. if you need a transit visa and you were not able to get one, the host country imposes a fine (roughly around 2k usd if phil. immigration overlooked this and you were able to board the plane on a worst case scenario. best case scenario is phil. immigration will not allow you to board the plane without the transit visa.)

i'd suggest you take northwest airlines (now with delta) and you will have a layover at narita. waiting for 10 hours at incheon is not worth it. if i were you, i'd rather you fly to manila and have a 2 hour layover at tokyo. food at airports are uber expensive. i flew in with my fiance from manila to seattle in june and we had 2 hours layover at narita and it's no fun.

you may want to check other airlines that offer cheaper 1 way ticket. we paid 850usd for one way and that included travel tax and terminal fee.

Can someone please tell us what name we use on the A.O.S. forms? Do we use her maiden or married name ?

Thanks for any help ..

hello. i hyphenated my husband's last name to my maiden name so that takes care of my passport (which is still under my maiden name).

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME WITH INFO THE PAST FEW MONTHS BUT NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION. I WILL BE VISITING MY LADY AND FORMALLY GET ENGAGED TO HER ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE PHILIPPINES AND PRESENT HER WITH THE RING. SHE IS GOING CRAZY RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK THAT SHE HAS FOUND ME AND WE WILL BE TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS TOGETHER WITH HER FAMILY......SO I SAY MERRY XMAS TO EVERYONE, ANY MORE ADVICE on what to do and what not to do IN MANILA, DAVAO,QUEZON CITY, MAKATI, OR CEBU. Please let me know. Igo to "Meet the Parents" and believe me dozens of family members her mom and dad had six of them but her family is huge.

P.S. I will be filling out our documents there with her too(K-1) so I can return to USA and finish my half of the K-1 and file in February in my state after I receive my W-2s and file my 2009 taxes. WISH ME LUCK

hello. the most important thing to remember as soon as you step on philippine soil is be alert of your surroundings (am sure your lady has advised you about "scammers"/snatchers/holdupers). don't talk to strangers or provide info when someone comes up to you who is a stranger. keep your possessions near you and make sure your valuables (passport, wallet, cash)are safe. the airport is a "circus", so don't get overwhelmed with the crowd.

since you're "puti" (white guy), people will always see the dollar sign on you. hahaha! and you will get preferential treatment. they expect a tip of course. don't be self-conscious as you will be stared at and examined.

read up a little about philippine history and culture. people will want to ask you what you know about the country and they are easily impressed if you can talk to them.

learn some tagalog or visayan words (whatever the language your girl speaks) like good morning, thank you, etc.

bring "pasalubong" for everyone (generic like chocolates, key chain, small souvenirs from the US for the other relatives but pick-up nice gifts for your girl's parents and siblings.

take a lot of photos with your girl as these will be for your "evidence of existing relationship".

be prepared to taste every food they offer you.

they will expect you to pay for everything since you are the rich "kano" (when you go dine out or go for an outing. maybe you can discuss this further with your girl, how you can share the expenses. if you will be staying in hotels, it will get pricey. my husband and i came up with a scheme how to split the expenses -- he pays for hotel, i pay for food and transpo. for about 20 days, he spent roughly 2k usd for hotel.)

and above all, have fun.

p.s. my hubby was lucky, i only got 1 bro and my dad in the phils.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/3...hip.html?cat=49

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1...ion.html?cat=47

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7...pg2.html?cat=46 (you might pick-up a little info on decorum)

hi guys! im just collecting every needed document for my Adjusment of Status... my question is, when do I need to submit a copy of our billing statements/ lease of contract with both of my name & my wife? do we also need to send pictures from our wedding with the billing statements as well? thanks.

hello. you bring those "evidence" during the interview with the local uscis. you don't need to send in the aos package. you may also want to check this link http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1k3aos. good luck.

Just wondering what your favorite places to visit in the Philippines are and why ?

I'm heading back soon. Besides Davao City and my girls hometown the only other place I have visited so far is Cebu City.

you can go up north like baguio city or vigan city.

A K1 visa entrant can apply for a SSN up until two weeks before the I-94 expires (around day 75). After this he/she will need to wait to get an EAD or Green Card to get a SSN.

Note, many employees of SS are not aware of all the immigration laws pertaining to getting a SSN.

thanks for your reply. i did search the website when i went to apply for my ssn when i arrived here in june and i had to show the print out to the ssn people. i did not have any problem with my ssn application. lady H was telling me that there was a different rule for new jersey (i am in washington state).

hello! this does not personally concern me but an acquaintance's. when lady H arrived in the US sometime september 09, i advised her to apply for ssn. she said she'll do it later on as she was busy preparing for her church wedding. eventually, she made time to go and apply for one and mentioned that she was getting married later in the month. the ssn people said she'll have to apply after the marriage so that the card will be under her name. lady H got married (pls note that her wedding was almost 2 weeks before her 90-day K1 visa expires) and after she got her marriage cert, she went to the ssn office and was advised that she can no longer apply for one unless she has proof that she is a resident of US (pls note again that she is already out of status). my question is -- if one is out of status, can one not be issued an ssn? up to now she still has not filed her AOS since she is waiting for further evidence of her marriage. lady H and husband applied for a joint account and the bank is asking her to provide an ssn before they can process it.

Hello everyone!

I have read the VJ AOS guide thoroughly but can anyone give me a complete summary of what makes up the AOS package that my husband and I are to send?

FAE

hello. pls check the guides section of this website or you may click the following link. i believe it's the same guide that most members of this site have followed. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1k3aos.

Is the NSO birth certificate necessary in filing the AOS?

FAE

yes you will need to send a copy of your birth cert with the aos application. pls note that all birth cert issued in the philippines are authenticated by nso. it's the same document you submitted when your fiance filed for the k1 petition and during your interview at the embassy.

Hello! Good day to everyone!

I am done with my interview, and luckily i passed it... the guy at the cashier gave me a little small pink slip for me to fill it out and forward it to AIR21 cashier and pay the visa delivery...and the cashier told me, I may go home now...just wait for the visa...it will be delivered on 10 working days and uhmm... what am I suppose to do now? or after I received my visa on hand? is there something I still need to prepare or do?..what do you guys think?for those who had already an experience in my situation..

get extra copy of your authenticated birth cert from nso. you will need that here. shop for clothes, undies and pinoy comfort food. (clothes here are quite expensive. if you can buy some good winter stuff at the ukay-ukay, go.) if you have sensitive skin, try to stock up on your "hiyang" brand. there's a wide selection of shampoos, conditioner and body wash/soaps here but you might not be hiyang. it was a hit and miss for me (tried those "expensive" brands but eventually, i settled for ivory soap and vaseline lotion. was itchy all over.)

get a haircut, hot oil/spa, pedicure, manicure as these are expensive over here.

I just had my interview this morning for K1 visa. My most awaited one. I had mine at 8:00 Am at window 29. The guy was a good looking one, but behind that gorgeous face was a horrible character. I know that their job is to scrutinize people, but wasn't expecting him to call me a liar where in fact I said all truth and nothing but the truth. I just don't understand what went wrong. Docs were all good and complete.. Questions were answered honestly. What more should I say? And when my name was called at the counter 37, the pinoy guy told me my case is for further review. They didnt say if i am denied or approve. Im so nervous that I wanna die now. Like my whole world and dream to be with my fiance all vanished. But my loved ones said, you said all truth and we don't know yet what will be their decision about it. But I don't want to hold on anymore. My dreams were all shattered and felt so humiliated.

I just want to know if this case really happens? I am now praying hard..really hard.. that somehow God will listen to me and hoping it'll be approved. Or will I ever have another interview? I don't like another humiliation from a consul.

Is there anybody here who has the same case? Or experienced same thing? Why do they need further review? Where all i said were true and honest. :crying: :crying: :crying: :crying:

hello! so sorry you had a bad experience. as details of your posting is slightly sketchy, maybe you can narrate to us exactly what happened so we can give you more advice (helps to get it out of your system). why did the interview become awful?

Hi everybody, im happy im going to have my biometrics on dec 22.

enjoy! don't forget to bring the appointment letter, passport and your marriage certificate.

Does anyone know of a good Civil Surgeon in the Houston Texas area that isn’t trying to get to deep in the pockets? I am tired of trying to explain to these doctors that K1 doesn’t need a full blown physical they only need a vaccination review. They have already had an exam before that someone coming on a K1 Visa is require having a medical exam before they are allowed in the US. I’m sure that someone people have run into this.

They also ask for the proof of the exam. If I’m not mistaken the exam results are given to the Consulate and then handed off when the immigrant enters the POE point of entry.

Good experiences please reply.

Thanks in advance.

Just print out the instructions for the 485, and the instructions for the 693, and show them it where it states someone coming in on a K-1, and it's less than 1 year, does not need to do the whole medical again.

(Plus show the visa (k-1) and entry date (I-94)) - The only thing I had to really bring along was a copy of Umit's vaccinations, from the CS in Turkey. (we had them make us a copy for her records).

I had the same issue, but I called around till I found one that actually understands the instructions. (or my insistence in bringing them up )

I can't recommend a doctor in that area, but I would avoid Dr. Arnold (I haven't been following up on his case - but some users here reported issues with USCIS and his work).

(ah - looked up the thread here about Dr. Arnold)

hello! i've read previous posts here not to go to dr arnold because he doesn't follow the process according to one member who had an rfe because she had her vaccine record certified by him.

We had out interview this afternoon in Detroit. Bing passed of course. It took about 20 minutes. They mainly asked all the questions on the I-485, "Have you ever been arrested?, Are you a terrorist?", etc. I supplied a few documents showing that Bing was included on our bank accounts and insurance, etc. I showed a few pictures that he looked at but did not keep. Pretty painless overall. They did not ask for the NOA2, Petition approval notice like everyone says you need.

So no worries for 2 years - Its nice to have all this over with!

congratulations! it's a breeze for people who do not have any issues.

My fiance is going through the medical process in a few hours. She's worried about it, but I told her not to worry. Funny, I'm worried about the interview and she tells me not to worry about it. I'm glad we're getting one step closer to her being here. Sucks having to delay it when our NOA2 arrived in October.

good luck to you both. no worried if she's in the pink of health.

Okay we finally done and now looking to book the flight. The problem is i tried hawaii airlines but they want it in her name for credit card. If i use my card will there be problems for her boarding. i have read here that sometimes they do and sometimes you shoudl copy credit card and that is it.

i tried using travel agent but they are more then what i can find on interenet and a couple aren't really helping me they want me to use an airlined i don't want to.

Another question is now with the new rules has anyone flown latley? the reason i ask is they are chaging for bags. Internationally they don't but if she flys into SFO or hawaii then she will fly domestic will she be charged?

If anyone knows this anwser please help, I am goign to call hawaii airlines right now and ask them about this.

thanks guys

robert

try other airlines. i think for connecting flights, no extra charge for baggage. you can still purchase a ticket for her using your credit card but you will need to scan your credit card and email the copy to her.

Hi,

We are applying for AOS and will be having my wife's follow up vaccine. We called one of the civil surgeons here in Oklahoma today and we got an appointment for everything we need to be done. It's so sad that they are charging us an "amazing" price like $500 all in all for all the vaccines. Now, I realized if we can just go to a local health department here and have it them since that's like half of the ticket that we purchased last year to go to the Philippines. I guess we could just print out the I-693, filled it and then have the civil surgeon transcribe it. Do you think that would work?

Thanks for every ideas.

wow! that is too much. i went to walgreens and had a tdap shot for 65usd. then i went to a civil surgeon to have the vaccine record certified and i was told that i still lack another shot -- mmr (now i wonder what shots were administered to me in st. luke's. i had 2 over there.) anyway, as i was already there at the civil surgeon's clinic, i had the mmr shot (95usd) and paid for 70usd for transcription. i suggest look for another civil surgeon in your area.