SnME

You should pay your wife $1200. to handle the paperwork!

It really isnt that hard to do yourself. I have read on here where someone paid one of those services (or lawyer)and messed up on one of the forms (granted the person should have double checked and verified everything). It's not that hard...just answer the questions literally...dont think too much into them. In most cases if you get a lawyer it will slow down the process. No one cares as much about getting the visa than you. If you can check up all the time yourself instead of waiting for an update. Most lawyers will wait for the NVC to send stuff out when you are at that stage....We still have never received any hard copy anything from the NVC...they are extremely slow.
What is unclear and which form? $1200 extra could buy a lot of clothes and for your wife. The process is expensive enough as it is, not alone to add to the expense with a lawyer or "service."

Hello My friend!! Welcome here!
To me you can do this by yourself, visit "EXAMPLE FORMS" - "GUIDES" and you can always ask here, for sure somebody will give you some advice...Believe-me!! You can go under USCIS.COM website and find the forms and explanation as how to fill out.
I´m telling you those things ´cause We(My hubby & I) Hired a lawyer that just Fu..us...He started our process back 03/2008 and now I´m near to get my interview date, because they lost our docs., filled out forms with wrong information e blablaba...and just delay our entire process in 2 years...Unfortunately, that time I had no idea about VJ, only when I got here I notice that my process was been messed up by that jerks.Take a time, read, you are able don´t worry...most couples here use to do By themselves... So many others had problems with lawyers.
My best for you.
Adriana & Henry

Time to lay the SMACK DOWN

Aww.. Thanks, DobermanGuy!
It won't hurt to get out there and earn an extra buck. I guess your girl just has to stretch the peso for now. She should demand for receipts just so she can take note of their disbursements. I believe that's fair since the money does come from your girl's pocket. She's a kindhearted girl and probably feels that it's her duty to provide all those needs for her family. You have to remind her that no matter how necessary money may be, she can always help them in kind. She can send a trusted friend of hers in Cebu a little money and allocate that for groceries so she can be appeased knowing where it went.
I get how your girl is because I never asked my fiance for money too. We apportioned the visa expenses so everything that I have to pay for while I'm in the Philippines will come from my pocket while the ticket and the green card will be his responsibility. Anything thereafter will be jointly shouldered. Team work.
Tell her to be stern about the amount she sends because she has to live a little. After everything she has done for them, she deserves to be worry free and at least have a taste of financial security in exchange for her hard work. Little sissy needs a wake up call!
Btw, her company should give her medical insurance. In most cases, dental care is included.
Toni

I'm sorry to hear about your dilemma but I admire your honey for sending her sister to school. Some families practice this to help ease the parents' expenses especially when they're headed towards retirement. My mom always shouldered our expenses and there are five of us so I'm grateful for that. I believe that you can pay the tuition in either in full, quarterly or monthly. My mom opted for quarterly payments in case one of her children decide to drop out of school. At that time, she was sending 3 girls to universities and the 2 younger ones to high school so it was easier that way. Now, I have two siblings currently studying. One taking up Interior Design and the other studying Culinary Arts.
Why not advise the family to minimize their expenses? I don't see the point of them asking for more money when your honey is still earning the same amount every time they ask her for it. If the little sister isn't willing to take part-time work at the moment, why not try a summer job at a call center? I had a friend who did that and she was able to pay for her first quarterly tuition the for the following year. I understand that there are tuition fee hikes but it's like they implement it every month. lol. Maybe it's about time that your honey should put her foot down. Why not give the little sister an ultimatum? I wanted more money without leeching on my mom so on a whim, I went to Marikina and saw the opportunity to sell Rattan slippers. I also contacted a friend of mine whose aunt supplied imported perfume to malls. I had a capital of Php500 for the slippers and made 5,000 a month on orders. My perfume business made double of that depending on the influx of orders. I used that money for "gimmicks", miscellaneous school expenses and of course, put the rest in my savings account.
She should give them a fixed amount to budget monthly. Money doesn't grow on trees and even if your honey does it out of the goodness of her heart, they should consider that it all comes from the sweat of her brow. Think of a sustainable sideline business that they can earn from monthly so they can be preoccupied with that.
Good luck and I hope things will pan out!
Toni

I understand what your saying it's hard for us Kanos to get our minds around the Filipino family and culture.
Yes their are demanding, greedy and selfish Filipinos like any other place on the planet. My wife's family never ask for money and they are poor farmers, what I do is ask them what do you need, to make life better. I don't just send money not knowing what it is used for, I guess it make me feel better knowing what I do will make there life more comfortable, and I know they respect me more for doing that. you don't need to be a cash cow, but when it comes from the heart you'll feel better,