Young Turp

Thanks everyone so much for all the advice!

I'll keep looking at different airlines / travel agencies, and I'll send her a copy of my driver's license / credit card number just to be safe.

I checked American Airlines and I couldn't find similar language in the FAQ's.

To be safe, I should just scan my credit card and my driver's licence and email it to her.

I was wondering if I will encounter any problems using Expedia to book the plane tickets for my fiancee once her visa is delivered?

I created her account on Expedia and made myself her travel arranger, so I can book flights with her traveler information and pay them with my credit card. An Expedia call center agent (a Filipina I'm pretty sure) said that this was okay. From a few other discussion on this forum, however, it seems that sometimes people at the airport may ask to see a credit card number (but not all the time does this happen). Do you think this would really happen? I was thinking about using Japan Airlines/American Airlines, or perhaps Philippine Airlines/Delta. She could fly to LAX using Philippine Airlines and just pay cash, but I don't believe she could find a ticket for say, United Airlines, going from LAX to SAT. I think it's just better if I can create her entire itinerary, well, actually two (1st is from MNL to LAX, then 2nd is from LAX to SAT - much cheaper to separate the flights like that).

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear.

Well, the form does say type or use pen. Safest thing would be to have everything filled in by the website though. So if you got a nice chunk of time before the document actually needs to be prepared, you could just try filling it all out again at your leisure until it finally works and all the data is entered correctly. I don't know about Safari, but Firefox and Chrome usually store previous values of text boxes, so if you press the Down key on your keyboard when in a text box, it should pull up a list of previously input text. Either that, or typing the text sometimes allows the same option.

Doing the above also goes along with bringing up the form to see if they ever update it with a new version. You could pull it up every few days just to make sure it has changed. As far as I know, when they introduce new forms, they usually let you use the previous edition as well, at least for a while. Still, it's something to check into. DS-156K and DS-157 don't "expire" until 11/30/2013.

Regardless of what you do, I'd for sure keep the form you already have and go ahead and write the info in, in case you're not able to fill it out again viz. the web before the interview.

It worked for fiancée finally this morning. She was able to print out the DS-156 form with the barcode and everything =)

I'm not sure what happened, whether they fixed the site or what, but I'm so glad it works now!

Thanks everyone for your concern and advice! God Bless!

Her interview is in < 24 hours. Around 6 AM Thursday, June 2 (Philippine's time). =)

It worked for fiancée finally this morning. She was able to print out the DS-156 form with the barcode and everything =)

I hope it will work now for Caroline + Angelo as well.

I think you're right. Seems to be something wrong with a page, applet, or file on their server. I hope they fix it, my fiancee's interview is Thursday morning Manila time. Otherwise, I expect a white slip...

My post today deals with the same question as this post:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/312284-online-ds-156-form-will-not-print-correctly/

Have you cleared your internet browser history? Anyways, heres the state.gov pdf version of ds-156: http://www.state.gov...tion/108128.pdf - just type in the data exactly like the one you printed. If this one won't spit out/generate a barcode you bring both forms - the one with the barcode and the one with your info.

(all the forms can be found at http://www.state.gov.../visa/index.htm )

Thanks, that's what I was planning to do.

It's possible they are switching the forms. This one is suppose to expire 5/31/11... but who knows. Also, getting this error now:

Couldn't open image file 'E:\CA_WebSites\EVAF\Forms_appt\UserFiles\linS2DB4ICVPR.jpg'!I looked at the JavaScript/HTML of the website, and I can't see anything wrong. I even saw the text field validation logic to check for characters, spaces, etc. and tested it and it worked as expected. The JavaScript function for the "continue" button is not in the HTML (must keep it hidden in a file somewhere) so I cannot see what exactly is going on. I'm thinking there is a file missing or corrupted on their server that they use to generate the form. Or the server might just be down.

if its not working you may need to use a different computer - go to an internet cafe or use a friends computer

We'll keep trying different computers, but we've tried 3 now, and no luck.

What you need:

• Your Internet browser must support 128-bit encryption.
• If you are using Internet Explorer (Windows), the minimum version that will work with this site is version 5.0, with service pack 2.
• If you are using Netscape, the minimum version that will work with this site is version 6.2.
• You must also have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher installed on your PC in order to download and print the completed application form. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher, you may download a copy from Adobe's web site.
• You should use either an ink-jet or laser printer to print the completed application form.

I have all of these things. I'm not sure why it's not working.

yeah i had the same problem i could type in the form but it would not print correctly

i mean download a blank DS-156 and upload it to the website fill it in on the website and make sure you hit save before you download the filled in version

it will have everything there

I'm not sure I follow how exactly this will help. It won't have the barcode, and the form itself says it's ok to print in the text boxes.

It can be Adobe in a nutshell. Have you tried using foxit reader or other pdf friendly programs?

I have Adobe, and I installed Foxit, but I'm not sure it's doing anything for me.

it didnt work for me either

this takes a few extra minutes but it will work

download the DS-156 and upload it into www.fillanypdf.com

this website allows u to create textboxes on the pdf which when printed looked like it was typed directly on the pdf

good luck

Tyeger87,

Do you mean, fill out the form and click "continue" and then take that pdf and load it to the site you mentioned?

I don't have a problem filling out the data. That works fine. It's just that after hitting continue, only the answers are displayed on the next screen, with no questions or form formatting (like lines and boxes).

I just tried using Safari 5 with Windows Vista, and it didn't work for me.

Add Safari and IE7 (two versions back) and Adobe 8 to the list of broswers/pdf viewers that still didn't work.

My fiance had the same problem. He ended up printing the version with only answers. When we got to our interview they wanted him to use thier computer to fill it out, however the internet was down so the embassy personnel ended up filling it out for him to verify.

That would be great if the Manila office allows her to do that. At this point, the printout with the answers is the only thing I can see happening. I even used my work computer with IE 7 and Adobe 8 to see if the form would be created properly after clicking "continue," and no, it wasn't.

Hi inloveVEN,

Yes, she went to a cyber cafe, and experienced the same issue

LookyWhatIfound,

Thanks, I'll try searching for that information. I hope someone who has experienced this will answer

Hello, I was wondering if anyone was having trouble with the online DS-156 form. When either my fiancee or I try to fill out all the information and click continue, the resulting PDF that the browser displays only shows the answers, not the questions (except for #38 bullet 3). There is a barcode on first page that has a pattern that usually looks similar to this MBBBWWWWWI. And it does generate a barcode at the bottom of third page that is a series of square pixels with no labels, characters, or numbers beside it (the one they scan to import all the encrypted data into their system).

Is this the way the form is suppose to behave? I was thinking if I couldn't get this resolved before Thursday (3 days from now, her interview), we would just print these weird forms with the barcodes and then print two blank copies of the forms so that she can hand print her information. (Yes, I know they technically don't want hand-printed forms without a barcode). Moreover, I use Windows Vista, and tried the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, along with the most updated Adobe Acrobat. She was at an Internet Cafe using the same or slightly older software (but definitely more recent than the IE 5.0 the website talks about - http://evisaforms.state.gov/)

I'm just not sure what to do at this point. This is the only thing left we need for the interview.

Any help that you guys and gals can provide would be greatly appreciated. I should have screen shots of the web PDF attached below in a Word Document. Of course, this example doesn't have any data put into it (other than a random passport number I entered). The only difference between this form and a completely filled one is that there are 2 pages full of answers (and still no questions). But other than that, the problem listed above remains the same.

DS 156 PDF.doc

All names need to be correct and valid before you file in my point of view, to avoid any problems especially with the birth cert saying she is a male. 6 mo. sounds like a long time for anyone to correct it?

If you feel the need for a for a lawyer,have your "lady" shop around but don't let them know the Kano is paying if you get my point....

Yes, her name is valid. It's just that her birth certificate says "male." Haha, she is indeed a "lady" my friend And her lawyer friend has no idea why she is getting this service done. He asked her if she was going overseas, and she simply said, "yes (with one of those shy laughs)."

6 months is the average time I believe. Some can be done in 3 months. Yes, it seems long, especially when in America it is so easy to fix such things.

I am writing here to give you an advise and not to ruin your trust, I am from Manila and had dealth with my relatives problem with regards to Birth Certificate. 20,000 Pesos for this is way toooooo much i can say! I suggest you to ask your girlfriend to file for late registration even if she have her birth certificate already instead of going through a lawyer. We did this to our aunt who have incorrect birthday and surname and cousin who have the same problem with your girl friend in their birth certificates. We only paid around 500 Pesos (11 dollars).

Do yourself a favor and do some research bout this. You may check this site for your reference. http://www.census.gov.ph/

Good luck.

Hello Faith. I couldn't even find information about a late registration on the website, or any of the others I've been looking at for the past week. Would you happen to have a concrete website where I can find this information at? Thanks!

Faith, I don't know where you got that idea but you might be missing parts of the real story.

Some lawyers in private practice even cost Php 25, 000 to 70, 000 or even 80, 000 to do it for three months. If you have read newspapers when you were still in the Philippines, you'd see every now and then names of those who have the entries in their birth certificate corrected. That's the publication requirement as the law states.

To Jimmy, I hope you get the progress run swift.

Hakuna matata.

God bless us all.

FAE

Fae, thank you so much for all your advice and help. It's great to hear the news, and I really hope she can her certificate fixed in three months, or at least before her interview

Hello everyone =)

I'll be going to the Philippines in April to propose to the woman of my dreams, and I will be filing a K-1 129F petition immediately thereafter. My lady's birth certificate has been labeled "male" for gender since birth. We have found a good lawyer, who is a personal friend of hers, that will do the case for 20,000 pesos, publication fee and everything else included. He says the quickest that this process can occur is about 6 months. She plans to start this birth certificate process about the middle of this month, February. So, it could be completed by mid-August, maybe sooner, maybe later.

Anyways, I will file my 129F in late April. Will the incorrect birth certificate be a hindrance, or will they accept either it or the correction process as valid at the interview? If not, then I suppose they would just need to delay her interview until she actually got the corrected birth certificate, am I correct? And then she could proceed with the final stages of the Visa process?

Any advice that you guys can offer will surely be appreciated. Please tell me which steps to take.

Thanks very much =)

Hello,

I'm new here to the forums (memberwise) but have been reading them for a while. I'm an American (of course) and my soon-to-be fiancée is from the Philippines. I know that the issue of IMBRA and what constitutes a marriage broker have been beaten to death, but still, I still feel uneasy, and was hoping for solid evidence to ease these qualms. I have done a lot of reading of material from this site and others about this. And, of course, I raise this question because my (soon-to-be) fiancée and I met on FilipinaHeart (though never talked there - started on Yahoo IM, Facebook, Email, and Skype).

Here is the email response that I have recieved from FilipinaHeart:

Please be advised that section 4 (B) (ii) of IMBRA exempts dating companies

whose principal business is not to provide dating services between US

citizens and foreign nationals so long as it charges comparable rates and

offers comparable services to all individuals regardless of gender or

country of citizenship. Consequently our company is exempt as it falls

within this exemption (as do many other large dating companies).

Here is the primary contention in the IMBRA law concerning the definition of marriage broker:

(4) INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGE BROKER.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘international marriage

broker’’ means a corporation, partnership, business, individual,

or other legal entity, whether or not organized

under any law of the United States, that charges fees

for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services,

or social referrals between United States citizens or

nationals or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States

as permanent residents and foreign national clients by

providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating

communication between individuals.

(B) EXCEPTIONS.—Such term does not include—

(i) a traditional matchmaking organization of a

cultural or religious nature that operates on a nonprofit

basis and otherwise operates in compliance with the

laws of the countries in which it operates, including

the laws of the United States; or

(ii) an entity that provides dating services if its

principal business is not to provide international dating

services between United States citizens or United

States residents and foreign nationals and it charges

comparable rates and offers comparable services to

all individuals it serves regardless of the individual’s

gender or country of citizenship.

As you can see, FilipinaHeart (as well as any service including Yahoo or Match.com) would surely meet this definition. EXCEPT, for Section 4 B) ii) - FilipinaHeart is a service that specifically says in the About Us page that it is for those of Western Backgrounds and Filipinos to meet (not U.S. Citizens and a foreign national specifically). Further, Cupid Media specializes in many types of dating - worldwide dating, in fact, based on sexual preferences, niches, and more. It is not American focused. Heck, it's not even an American company, and many clients on FilipinaHearts are in Britain, throughout Europe, and in Australia, as well as in the Philippines itself. Additionally, FilipinaHeart gives the same three membership options at the same approximate cost (dollars equaling php) to all members - regardless of location or gender (I proved this by creating an account with a membership with female gender from the Philippines - then closed it down after my test was over). We may well conclude that FilipinaHearts is exempt. It is a very large company, not quite like Match.com, but still significant. Perhaps that is its advantage; it has the money to lobby (or at least copy the lobbyists) who petitioned the government for that exception (Yahoo and Match.com included).

So why all the fear (with me and others)? Because so many people continue to claim that it is an IMB, even though many other people clearly state they meet in FilipinaHearts on Part B, Question 18 (not 19) of their I-129F. It rarely seems to matter, even in the consular interview in the Philippines. Still, the fear is always there because the adjudicators literally control the fate of any two lives that seek to join.

So, my questions are thus:

A). Is it smart to include in Part B, Question 18, while describing the details of how we met, the initial meeting in FiliipinaHearts? (And no, I will not check the Yes box of Question 19 because that makes little logical sense based on my research and goes against how I truly feel the law to read).

B). Has anyone in this forum actually done this and still been approved for the K-1 Visa after the consular interview? I am dying to hear some answers to this question.

C). If I were to check Yes to Part B, Question 19, that would invalidate the whole relationship because it would not be a proper introduction due to the requirement that the IMB do a background check and send the provided information to beneficiary so that s/he can agree to an initial contact. This would really screw anyone over. How could such a situation be remedied, if it were to be so unfortunate enough as to occur? K-3 visa? A re-establishment of the bona fide relationship from the point of actually personally meeting, and from there, refilling the K-1 petition?

D). Is it commonly told by the beneficiary to the Philippines consular that the couple met online through FilipinaHearts or a similar site? Are they given much grief? Is it looked over?

E). Should I call the USCIS and ask them personally if FilipinaHeart is an IMB. I seen a response on another site that said out of a survey of 200 people who did this for Cherry Blossoms, only 2 reported that the USCIS official said that Cherry Blossoms was indeed an IMB.

For me personally, I plan to include all the details of the relationship in Part B, Question 18, and include something like this: "We initially met each other online, on a site called FilipinaHeart (which is not classified as an IMB due to Section 4 B) ii) in the IMBRA law)... We began our relationship through Yahoo Instant Messenger, Facebook, Email, and soon, Skype... etc." I don't see any reason to hide this fact; others don't seem to be. They will find out sooner or later anyway. Moreover, it is not an IMB as I understand the exemption. She will mention we met online, and if pressed, FilipinaHeart at the interview. I don't anticipate this honesty being reciprocated with a denial.

Thanks a lot guys, please let me know if my thinking is correct. I hope this is a very comprehensive analysis and inquiry of the situation, and I hope it helps many people out through its discussion =)