ivantulier

Have your fiancee buy Rosetta stone from the Muslim vendors at the mall, it'll about $1 at the most.

Have your fiancee buy Rosetta stone from the Muslim vendors at the mall, it'll about $1 at the most.

Which Mall?

ivantulier, we were married in Parañaque City which borders Manila. The cost will vary per city. You get the license in the city your fiancee lives in.

The mariage license was around $15 US, another 350 PHP or $7 for required marriage counseling, and less than $2 for copies (xerox). Add another $2 for lunch for Marlin, who did all the running for copies and such for us.

We used Max's wedding venue which was $1,053 for food for 150, cake, champaigne, gold coins, doves to release, and wedding momentos. The extra fod was packed up and loaded into the families cars. The price was lower if you did your own setup and cleanup, but not worth the hassle for the price.

Well I have the other things taken care for the wedding since will have the venue at a hotel in Manila and my fiancé lives in Tondo so we have to go Manila City hall for the license. At least I have an idea of the cost for the license and the waste of money for the marriage counseling.

You each will have to pay the 750 pesos airport departure fee on the way to the gate after you get your boarding pass. Your fiancée will owe the Philippine citizen travel tax, 1,620 pesos last time that I checked. If you bought her ticket from a Philippine's travel agent or company, then you may have paid it already. Check your receipt. If you purchased her ticket online or in the USA, you probably have not paid it yet. You will need to pay it at the travel tax counter, before falling in line at the airline ticket counter.

There will be nothing to pay in Hong Kong, as it is just a transfer point.

Good luck & Ingats!

It's not a transfer because we are going their for our honeymoon and coming back to Manila. So I don't have to worry about 1640.00 only for her?

I wanted to know what taxes I have to pay when I leave from Manila for my self and my future wife. If their taxes to pay leaving from Hong Kong?

The Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry is issued at the US Embassy in Manila (USEM) as this is a Philippine requirement to get married in the Philippines. This means going to the USEM in person. The hours are from 8 AM to 10 AM, but I recommend getting there no later than 7:30 AM.

The ten day waiting period starts after you get your marriage contract submitted at the local civil registry of the bride's resident city. The ten days are working days with Philippine holidays excluded. As previously mentioned you may be able to get around the ten day waiting period with knowing someone or money under the table. One thing to remember is getting around the ten day waiting period can mean you were not legally married.

My wife and I were able to get the Affidavit, Marriage certificate, seminars, and payments all in one day. But everything was in the Metro Manila area.

There are many wedding venues to hold your wedding at. We had ours at Max's Wedding Venue.

As previously mentioned a Church wedding will take more time and planning. Many churches have a several month waiting list so you must make reservations way in advance.

I am wondeing since you were married in Manila how much was the marriage license their in Manila city hall?

Then have her fill out the forms & e-mail them to your for review before submission. It will help build her confidence...

Well she has no Internet at this time and she can only go the cafe and I don't trust having info being done a computer were info can be stolen

Maybe your future wife would be willing to learn the paperwork. Have you asked her?

Well my future wife is unfamiler these things and rather let me do it because she is afarid to make a mistake.

She fell unsure about doing and rather that I do it because she is not familer with it

FWIW, nobody is "familiar with the paper work" until they have completed it.

My wife and I did all of our paperwork together and we don't regret it. It was something that we were able to accomplish as a team. We both learned a lot about other in the process (such as how we learn things and tackle problems).

It really isn't that complex and honestly any service or lawyer is going to request the same amount of information just on different forms and then they will transcribe your answers to the USCIS forms.

Why not do as much as you can and then return to VJ with questions about the rest of it?

Well if get through this and figure it all out on to do it then I will write book for dummies on how to fill out Government paper

Why is it stupid? It is simply a suggestion. It might be a good idea. Maybe your wife would enjoy the work...and enjoy the $1200. too.

One my future wife is not familer with the paper work and second the 1200 was quote that was given and in which I mean that I am not stupid to pay someone else that type of money.

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

I am not stupid to do that I am just saying that because I was quoted with that amount.

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."

I have looked into to web site one was this one http://www.filipinafianceevisa.com/ which is the least expensive that I have found.

Its either you do it or hire a lawyer that will cost you ungodly.

Just look and analyze the sample forms and you will get by. Most of us here did it by ourselves. Just double, triple check all the information before you send it to the service center so you won't screw up anything.

Good luck.

I have seen some agency that are very low cost. One thing is what I read is not totaly clear and cut you have to dig deeper. I am more a visuale person when it comes certain things so I rather not take the chances on doning on my own.

Thanks

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

To be honest I have looked the example and for me its not as clear so I don't want to take a chance to be separted from my wife for a long period of time if I screw up the paper work so thats why I want to look for an agency that is resonable in price and is familier with dealing with the embassy in the Philippines. One guy was going to charge me 1200.00 for his services.

I have looked for different agencies to help with the process I just wanted to find if any have used one to help filling out the papper work which to me is more complicated than to fill out your taxes. Thanks for your help.

hi!can my fiance get the "legal capacity to marry" from the USA before coming over so we will no longer go to the US Embassy in Manila?Thank you!

How can you do this before going to the Philippines to get the legal capacity to marry?

I am getting married in Manila I am just wondering when you have all the forms from the U.S. Embassy and go to city hall and apply for the wedding license can the start the waiting period before the family planning and Marriage counsel is done. Second questions is can this Family planning and Marriage conusel can be avoid due age requirements and can it be done the same day that you apply for the wedding license or if their is a need for a an appointment? Thanks

I opened an account with BPI last month without needing an ACR-1 card

Did you open your account before you were married or after you were married? I am trying to avoid the extra fees with imagration since I have to do an visa extenstion past the 21 days.

Did they want orginal divorce papers or copies are ok? If you give the orginal divorce papers do they return them?

Because I told the bank that he does not have alien registration card and so they told me that he needs to show any proof of bank account that he has in his country.

My fiance called BDO and they stated that I would need a ACR-1 card to open an account.

I'm pretty sure they open around 730 or 8am. there is a sign stating no shorts or slippers. I wore shorts and sandals both times and had no issues. I dont know if I just caught them on good days or not...Just my experience.

Ok thanks for the info I guess for first couple days that I am their I have to wake up a day break.

You can go to any Bureau of Immigration branch office throughout the PI. Just check their website to see if there is one close to where you will be staying. The last extension I got was done in 1 hour while I waited. If not it will be ready the following day. I am not sure how long it takes for the ACR-1 to be processed, but it is done in the same office.

Oh, and wear a shirt with sleeves, long pants and closed shoes or they will not let you in the office.

Thanks for the info. I already looked were the Bureau of Immigration is since I am staying in Manila. How early are they open at Bureau of Immigration I want to get out the way as early as possible to focous on other things for the wedding when I am their. thanks.

I think you misunderstood the OP... It appears he is looking for ACR-1 information for going to the PI... Not US immigration info.

yes its for the Philippine in which I have to get ACR-1 to be able to open a bank account with my future wife once we are married and I have to get extension tourist visa because I will go over my 21 days since I will be leaving to Hong Kong after the wedding and then returning back to the Philippine, so any info would help to prepare on the time frame in doing this. Thanks .

I wanted to know if anyone knows what is the process in getting ACR-1 and how long it takes to get one. Plus I have to get an extension to stay longer than 21 days as well.

Thanks

After you're married you'll file an I-130 petition for your wife. It's not a choice anymore of whether to file for a K-3 visa or CR-1 visa. All the petitons for spouses are handled as a CR-1 now - no more K-3's. If everything goes perfectly you're looking at over 6 months, yeh it's happened quicker for a very few but not for the majority. You can look at my signature here to see how my timeline has gone. Your only other option is a fiance visa. It's quicker but I didn't want to do that for the same reasons you don't plus it is quite a bit more costly. For what you'll save by not adjusting status you can throw a hellova reception party there in the Phils!

Thanks that helps a lot since I am going to have someone do it for me so I dont mess up the paper work.