sunsetwishes

Hello, Is it possible my fiancee can have her medical exam at St. lukes during the afternoon? It seems like everyone here has it during the morning. What time should she arrive if she has medical exam during the afternoon? Thank you so much in advance:)

Yes it is possible. The cut off time is 4PM...

My husbands POE is on July 6th and he will be coming in thru Chicago! I have read the reviews on Chicago and it sounds like he should be fine and no long waits (hopefully lol)I was wondering his final destination is Seattle so will he have to get his luggage in Chicago and then recheck them to Seattle or will he be able to just go thru customes and then straight onto his connecting flight? Thanks for starting this thread im very interested in hearing everyones first entry experiences. Good luck to everyone

Hi, I just arrived here in the US and Chicago was my POE. I had no problems whatsoever there, but your husband should have at least 2 hours layover before his connecting flight so he will not be stressed out on fears of missing his flight because there will be a loooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggg line for immigration checking and if he's not lucky enough only few immigration officers on duty on the day of his arrival. Anyway, after checking in for immigration, he needs to get/claim his baggage from the carousel, go to customs inspection then after that go to his connecting flight airline's check in counter and re-check in his baggage/s. He will be told or he should ask where the terminal and gate of his connecting flight is, because he needs to ride a train going to different terminals in O'Hare airport. When he reached the his terminal, he needs to look around for his flight schedule (which is posted in big wide screen at strategic corners of the terminal)to know his gate. When confuse, he should never hesitates to ask question as I have because airport personnel there are very accommodating.

i dont think it is really needed (fiancee's relatives and address), as far as i could remember,i wrote my fiancee's name and add,,just analyze the question(you can just put(none),its not a major question to be filled anyway,as long as you have the MNL, (w/c is very important) and you passed the exam,then thats it..be sure to be in good health condition (walang ubo,lagnat,etc)when having your medical para walang sabit..

I agree!

Should i bring original copy of NOA2??? or even just printed copy?

Just a copy...

All visa applicants, regardless of age, need to complete a medical examination at the St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC) before the visa interview. Applicants are advised to have their medical examinations done at least one week before their interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

What is the cost of the medical examination at SLMCEC?

The medical exam fee is U.S. $213.35 for adults (15 years and older) and U.S. $185.35 for children (under 15 years of age).

SLMCEC does not accept credit card or dollar payments. The fees must be paid in Philippine pesos at the prevailing exchange rate.

What is the validity of the medical examination?

Medical examinations are generally valid for 6 months.

Will chest x-rays be required?

Children younger than 15 years old will not need a chest X-ray or serological test unless required by the doctor, but will instead undergo a Tuberculin Skin Test.

According to the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), chest X-rays for pregnant women are not dangerous if taken with the proper shielding.

If you have had previous X-rays, please bring them along for a comparative study.

What should I bring to my medical examination?

Appointment letter sent by the National Visa Center or an e-mail print out of your appointment sent by the Call Center or any NOA the appointment date shown on our website (http://manila.usemba...v/wwwh3218.html)

Appropriate medical examination fee.

Passport (valid for at least 6 months)

Two colored pictures (2 inches x 2 inches) with a white background

Actually 3 pcs are needed (2 for SLEC and 1 for USEM). This photo will be the one used in the visa. So for me, it is better to have your photo taken at a studio where you are comfortable so you'll have better results compared to when it is taken at some "rush photo studio" outside SLEC.

What happens after I have my medical examination?

The medical report, passport and visa pictures are normally submitted by SLMCEC to the U.S. Embassy in Manila. In most cases, only the chest x-ray film and immunization form are given to the applicants in the SLMCEC releasing section.

It is not an xray film anymore. They have it in CD, which is more convenient to carry around. It is advised too that you have to make several copies of your vaccination record as you will be using them in your AOS. Although you can ask copy of it from SLEC (for a fee) in case you lost your copy, but of course it will be an inconvenience and may result to delays. Another thing, even if you already have your xray done from other clinic/hospital, SLEC will still have you undergo xray. So for most, they don't bring their xray results anymore, because it doesn't matter anyway.

The medical examination usually takes two to three working days to process, but can extend up to a few months if there are required tests that need to be completed. http://manila.usemba...v/wwwh3218.html

My remarks here are based on my personal experience

Regarding the vaccination part of the examination, is this needed? Will she need to do this before the interview?

Yes, it is needed as part of the medical procedure. She will be asked to do this on the second day of the medical if and when there's no problem with the medical (like the sputum,etc.). You will know she passed the medical if she is allowed to proceed for the vaccination.

Will it also delay the procedure? If so, do we need to allow more time for this (in addition to the med exam) before the scheduled interview? Also, how long does the total med exam time? Entire day? Thanks!

The medical procedure will be delayed only if she has to undergo the dreaded Sputum test or any other problems that SLEC will find.

She should bring her passport, 2 photocopies each of confirmation letter from USEM and NVC letter, 3 pcs 2x2 photos (with both ears showing). If she has an annulled marriage, she should also bring photocopies of her annulment papers. The usual advise is, 5 to 7 days before interview.

Only NBI clearance... If she was married before and annulled, she should get NBI clearance on her married name and another one on her maiden name...For some reason, that's what they call, A.K.A...

What a process!! I can't thank all of you enough for your help and support! It's the hardest thing a lot of us will have to do with all the ups and downs, months of waiting and worrying about the outcome. We had it easier than a lot of you will or did and I'm greatfull. For those of you who are still in the middle of it all or about to start, just hang in there...it'll come

Her flight was really good and the Detroit POE was really easy and stress free. It was extremely busy so the wait was pretty long but it was good other than that.

So thanks again everyone and we'll be here to cheer you on and help if we can

Can't resist the chance to be the first to say, congratulations! Happy for you guys!

sunsetwishes...thanks for the information!

You're welcome...

sunset wishes...

> Did BDO ask to see your DS-156 or DS-156K?

No, only my DS 157...

> I thought the DS-157 was the receipt which BDO gives you after you pay the visa fee. I must be wrong about this. After you paid BDO, did they stamp your DS-157 or did they attach a receipt to it?

DS 157 is not a receipt. BDO gives their own receipt which will be stapled/attached to DS 157. When I asked about stamping it (as I've read from some threads here), I was told they don't stamp the DS form 157 anymore. The attached receipt is already enough.

Thank you also for the clarification. Here's another stupid question, how does USEM know the email address of my fiancee when I never provided it on the I-129F or any other form/application.....

In my case, the Appointment Confirmation was sent to my fiance then he forwarded it to me and I printed it out. But again, this is not needed to pay at BDO...

Let me add...In this Appointment Confirmation, you will be given a certain date when you could re-schedule your interview in case some circumstances would caused rescheduling. A day or two before your interview schedule, you will receive again another Appointment Confirmation (maybe just a reminder). This, you should forward to your fiancee and have her print it out to bring with her to USEM on her interview date. This will be asked from her by the guard.

I am talking here from my own experience last April 26, 2010...

The Appointment Confirmation will be sent to you just minutes after you have set the date of your interview schedule. It is a letter confirming the date of your interview schedule. It's not a receipt...

Add/edit: When I went to BDO to pay, I only gave/shown my filled out DS 157 form...

how to schedule this cfo seminar?

No need to schedule. You can just go there and attend the seminar. Just bring copies of 2 valid IDs or copies of your NSO birth certificate and passport plus P250.00 registration fee. Sessions are: 10:00 AM, 1:00PM and 3:00PM...

From what I've read somewhere, USEM will only check your bank statements and other supporting documents if you have not met the 125% poverty level based on your current income tax return...

Hi wilgrace, I saw you visited my page... USEM will issue delivery of your visa the moment they receive the documents requested from you. We have similar situation when I had my interview. The Consul told me she would like NSO to send directly to USEM my CENOMAR and Annotated Marriage Certificate even if I had them on hand. I told her that the documents she was asking are the same documents she had in her hands, but to no avail. And so I ordered those documents online when I got home (April 28). I got my visa on May 15. Actually, air21 attempted delivery May 14 but I was not home.

Did you order your CENOMAR online (e-census.com.ph)? It is easier and no hassles at all. They would send it to USEM directly. What's nice about it too is that you can check/track online the status of your request so you will have an idea if USEM receive the document already.

does she need the registration form or can she do it at the seminar?

She will fill out the registration form at the seminar venue.

Hotel Soriente. Only P1,499.00 per night. It's the only hotel nearest to St. Luke's, with only just a few steps away.

Address: 545 Flores Street, Ermita

Phone #: (632) 525 7304 / (632) 523-9480

Make sure your fiancee knows your mother's maiden name, the reason of your divorce if you were divorced. And I would suggest too that while she is attending the seminar to have your phone on incase she needs to call you for some info that CFO personnel might ask during the one on one interview.

Have her bring photocopies of her ID and NSO birth certificate or passport and also payment of P250.00 for the seminar. The seminar would only last for 1-2 hours, including the one on one interview. Then she will be given a yellow ceertificate which is a requirement for stamping and the sticker.

The seminar is at the 2nd Floor of BDO Building at Taft Avenue, in front of De La Salle University. To get the sticker, she needs to go to Citigold Center, 1345 Pres. Quirino Avenue, corner South Superhighway, Manila. She needs to bring photocopies of her visa, yellow certificate and another payment of P400.00.

The BDO thing is not compulsory, so doesn't need to open an account if she doesn't want to.

Add/edit: Seminar sessions are : 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. She just have to choose which time is convenient to her. But I would suggest she attend the morning session so she still has enough time to get the sticker.

Hello i will just ask if the I134 which is from my fiance, where do he gonna send it? is it only me who will bring it to my interview on the embassy? thanks in advance and takecare all

Your fiance should fill it out, sign it and send to you. That will be asked from you during your interview at USEM.

hello. i will just ask what is the delbros and how will i pay that?we are scheduling my interview this week, thanks in advance takecare and Godbless

If you are given the pink slip (meaning passed), the next step is to fill out a form and pay for visa delivery at the air21 counter, still inside USEM. The fee depends on where to deliver the visa. Estimated fee is P400.00-P500.00

The best route to take is to complete the medical at St. Lukes, and only after being certain she has cleared the chest x-ray immediately book your interview appointment for a week or so out -- which allows enough time for the packet to make it over to the embassy.

If she does come up positive on the x-ray she could be delayed for several to more than six months while she receives treatment -- for that reason, as well as not knowing for certain whether her visa application will be approved, it is inadvisable to purchase her ticket ahead of time.

Also keep in mind she has to attend the CFO briefing prior to leaving the country --

And, yes, some have told the CO at the end of the interview that they wish to pick up their visa in person and it has been allowed. Not sure if that is a standard allowance, but the typical way to receive it is via Air21. We lived in Pampanga and it took five days to arrive.

In general, if you try to arrange everything around such an optimistic schedule you may find yourself having to re-arrange. There is a lot of little factors that could delay you. If you are only going to be in the PI for a week, it'll be tight for you to make it to everything with her. You might be able to schedule your interview for, say, two or three days after her medical and keep your fingers crossed that the packed has made it across the street in time...

Or let her go with family to her medical before you get there, and then use your week of leave to physically be there with her for the interview -- which is far more important. People will argue that it doesn't matter if you are there, but if you actually love your fiancée I don't see how you could not attend one of the most pivotal events in your relationship. It's a nerve racking experience to sit there waiting on an Interviewer that will invariably determine the course of your life. Plus, the minimal conversation we had with the CO was directed at me as much as it was my fiancée.

Besides, you won't serve much of a purpose at St. Lukes as you can't even enter the building with her, so if you have limited time that'd be a better use of it.

Good luck.

My fiancee will be interview, one week from now. From recent previous K-1 Approved Interview-Visa, does the I-134 affidavit of support have to be notarized? Thanks again!!

Not anymore. But make sure you have the latest/updated version of the form.

I am glad to say today I married my fiancé in Hawaii by civil ceremony. We stopped here for our wedding and to enjoy Hawaii for a few days before we head home. We have a family church wedding planned in the next two months or so also.

Both of us are very happy. Thanks to God and also many thanks to VJ and the helpful folks here.

Ccongratulations Ibounds!!! Pictures pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

BTW..... Where does can I find Cebu Pacific ? is that at Terminal 3 ?

Yes, Terminal 3...

Added info: Terminal 3 to Bocobo St. is only P120-150 in moderate traffic. I paid P127.00 only. This is on my second trip to Manila. On my first trip? I paid P300.00! But reading from other people's experience that is still considered "cheap".

Ok when I arrived at Terminal 2 I was tired, dazed and confused. I know that Term 2 is just for PAL, does anyone know or can anyone confirm this but are there taxis in there ? or are you subjected to no choice and only use the Airport Cab service ? Will someone confirm this for me ?

tnx

Ask direction from any airport personnel where to ride regular taxi and they will tell you which way to go. This is actually the drop off area for Cebu Pacific passengers, so taxis there come and go and they are cheaper than the yellow cabs or airport taxis which have fixed rate. Don't worry even if you have lots of bags with you as you can take the baggage cart even inside the elevators. That's what I did last April 22...