Faith & Andz

I suggest "Johnny Air". They are Philippinos, they have offices in New York and california. I shipped a camera and separately a telephone with no problem. You mail it to their office then they call you

and tell you what the price is based on weight. I think like the balikbayan boxes, they have connections so you don't get nailed by customs. Filling up a whole balikbayan box is a pain in the butt and expensive especially if you are putting new stuff in it. As the name implies Johnny air ships by air. Estimate maybe 2 days for package to get to them by US mail , then 8 days for them to get it to PI.

they can deliver to the house for maybe $5 xtra. I think they said the electronics were a couple xtra dollars because of customs. I think I paid the US mail plus about $15 to Johnny air for a small camera.

I also recommend it for documents

Agreed! It's only $8 per pound as of the last time I sent a package. Last time I sent a package, it cost me more to send a package FedEx within the U.S. than it did to send a package by Johnny Air to the Philippines. They do have connections because when my wife was in the Philippines, her package was still wrapped and taped when she received it, meaning customs did not examine it.

If I understand you correctly, you're planning to come to the U.S. on a tourist visa and then get married? If so, I wouldn't advise it. If they know you're coming to see your fiancé, they probably won't give you a tourist visa anyway. You'd be better off applying for a K1 visa and getting married in the U.S. or you could get married first in your country and then apply for a K3 visa. There may be some people who come over on a tourist visa, fall in love, and get married, but they have to prove that it was a spontaneous decision, not planned before hand. If you already have a fiancé or boyfriend, and if USCIS knows that you came over here with the INTENTION of getting married on the tourist visa, then they would consider it immigration fraud. A K1 visa would be the safer route, and I think you can still visit the U.S. on a tourist visa while you wait for the K1 to be approved. Keep in mind that even if you already have your tourist visa, they can still deny you at the port of entry in the U.S. if they think you have intentions of staying in the U.S. This article has useful information.

http://www.visapro.com/Immigration-Articles/?a=1252&z=36

I'd change my route if I were you and do the Guam, Hawaii, Houston route. That's the route we took. Guam was our POE and Hawaii was where we went through customs. It was really easy and quick even though we only had 2 hours. The officer was friendly, and my wife was there for probably 5 minutes since it was so early in the morning. I agree with the others; I would be concerned about entering U.S. territory, leaving, and then re-entering.

Green Card production today!! Yaaay!!

What a relief.. It took an entire year from gathering documentation for the K1 till Green Card

Congratulations!!! My wife just got her green card yesterday, too!! I'm surprised how quick it was to get the green card (2 months) compared to the waiting for the K1 approval (8 months).

Well, that would certainly garner some sympathy with some of the American public. The rest would see a family that came to the US with a visitors visa and just decided to stay. The end result would be the same, though. Public pressure that results from this sort of publicity is effective when there is a clear error by a US government agency, or that agency has exercised their discretion in an unfair way. There was no error or discretion by USCIS. There is no way that USCIS could have chosen to overlook the false claim of citizenship. This will also be a dead stop in immigration court and the BIA. These are divisions within DHS who are bound first by the law, and second by agency policies. The only level where the OP will be able to get an adjudicator who is permitted to apply some common sense to their decision is in the public court system.

I agree with you that USCIS made no error. They interpreted the law correctly. Public pressure may not do any good for USCIS, but perhaps it could influence congress. My point is that light should be shed on this issue so that, if possible, the law could be amended to allow room for judgment. People should be punished for fraud, but not for innocent misrepresentation. The immigrant should at least be heard to determine if it indeed was intentional or innocent misrepresentation. It may be hard for us to believe, but I think it is possible that someone could have mistakenly thought they were a U.S. citizen if they aren't familiar with our immigration system. It just seems unreasonable to have a blanket law that has only one result--deportation, especially when you consider that the government isn't strict toward people who came here illegally intentionally. Just seems to be hypocritical to me. Anyway, all of that is beside the point; the point to me is that people should be judged by their intent, not just the result, so as to allow room for human error. Maybe it won't make a difference right now, but if it were me, I would leave no stone unturned.

I agree with what one of the other posters mentioned. While you are consulting with lawyers, contact your local or even national news outlet. Call and email your congressman and senators. Sometimes the law is blind to the fact that people make mistakes. This case should be a judgment call, not a automatic deportation. The law isn't on your side, so I'm not sure how much lawyers will be able to help since they can only deal with the facts, not their opinion. They cannnot change the fact that the law says there is only one exception to the rule. But, people are not blind like the law, so call your media outlets and representatives. Get as much publicity as possible to shed light on this law that does not consider the intent of the immigrant. It should consider whether the immigrant intentionally misrepresented citizenship in order to gain benefits vs. an innocent mistake.

Agreed...wouldn't use anyone else!

My insincts tell me that you would have to answer "yes" to the first question and "no" to the second. But, I'd wait for an answer from someone who has had that experience. It sounds like she was innocent in her intentions, so I would not say that she was unlawfully present or violated her visa. After all, she had a visa, so she was there lawfully; the officers just determined that she was there as an immigrant, not a tourist, which is just a judgment call, not your fiancee's fault.

Try not to worry too much. I think if you can print something showing you paid for the tickets, including the date of the flights, and if you give them those pictures, it should be enough. Do you have receipts showing where and when you stayed when you were in China? That would definitely be good evidence. Also, I'm not sure if this is possible, but maybe you could contact the airline you used to see if they can give you a copy of your old boarding pass.

The DS-156, DS-156K, and DS-157 are filled out by you.

He's going to need to send you a copy of the info he sent in with the I-129F packet. Also, he needs to send the proof that you still have a relationship. Copies of letters, emails, skype conversations, phone logs; things like that. Also, make sure to get more passport photos of yourself.

He'll also need to send you his form I-134 to show evidence of financial support and divorce certificates if he is divorced. Just a side note, I'm not sure how up-to-date the info is in my original post since from what I've read on VJ, they changed the online appointment scheduling system.

Where to? $600 dollars seems to good to be true. The lowest prices that I've seen are around $850 to various locations on the east coast and some folks here even doubted that I'd found those.

The Airlines websites tend to offer the best fares. You'll also find lower fares if you have flexible travel dates and don't have to leave on a particular day.

I tend to fly Continental myself because I live on Guam. Check out Philippines Airlines and Delta also. BTW, Guam is a great place for someone from Phils. to do their POE. A large number of the immigration/customs folks are of Filipino descent.

George

I agree with this post. We flew Continental, so we went through Manila, Guam, and Hawaii to get back to the U.S. Her POE was Guam, and the officer was young and very friendly. Our flight was early in the morning, too, so she got out pretty fast. There were only 2 or 3 other K1 visa holders there, and I think she was only in his office for about 5 minutes. I imagine it would be worse going through a big city like L.A. Of course, it's going to cost you more than $1,000 to fly Continental, but we couldn't find anything cheaper, even through the discount places like Orbitz and Priceline. We booked 5 months in advance, and it was about $1400 per person. Next time, I think I'll fly Philippine Airlines since I don't have to worry about meeeting with an immigration officer and since they have a direct flight from LA to Manila, and they have more leg room than Continental. But, I would choose to go through Guam for a first-time entry into the U.S. because of the POE.

Though I don't see it listed on the TN DMV site, try bringing the NOA for the I-485. This essentially proves that your wife is in an authorized period of stay while the AOS is being processed. My husband got his DL in VA by showing the NOA. His license expires one year from the date on the NOA.

Just got an email back from the TN DMV,and it looks like all I need is the K1 visa, expired or unexpired I-94, and a NOA for the I-485. Gonna try that once I get the NOA. Thanks for all the responses.

Hi VJ members!..For those who already have taken their medical exam or for those who might know, I was wondering regarding the vaccination process at St. Lukes. Are we allowed to get all those shots within that time so that I dont have to take those other vaccinations in the States. Is it safe to receive all the injections in one time?. I remember reading 1 blog here and the lady said she only got 1 injection. However, on the paperwork they required multiple vaccinations. Any input would be appreciated. God bless us all!

See chart attached, but note that HPV is no longer required, even though the chart says it is. Depending on your age, you won't need every shot. My wife only got 2 shots at St. Luke's (MMR and Tdap). The only other one she would have needed would have been Varicella (chicken pox), but she told them she had chicken pox when she was young, so they took her word for it and wrote "Varicella history" on her paperwork. If you have records of your vaccines, I would bring them to be safe. The rest of them were not applicable for her age. You can check to see which ones you need by looking at the chart attached.Vaccination Chart.pdf

My fiance`& I met December 2010 & we are already applying for I-I29F (K-FIANCEE`)

We been together for almost half a year & the reason i wanted to apply for fiance visa is because I reside in the U.S & Im pregnant with his baby.

With this scenario is it still possible for us to continue our said application, or should we think of other options ?

I would Love for him to be in the U.S by the time im due to give birth . , My due date is December 16 2011 .

K1 sounds like the best option for you. You're not married, so you can't do the K3 visa unless you want to go to his country to get married. I think K1 is faster than the K3 usually, although it varies. I wouldn't count on being together by December, though. I was hoping to see my fiancee (now wife) by Christmas after I filed in July, 2010, but our petition didn't get approved until January, so she finally arrived this March. Check out our timeline, and you'll see that it's not always as quick as 6 months, especially if you file in the summer (one of their busiest times).

Agree completely with other posters. I had several problems scheduling my interview, and I know that sometimes the embassy system is not up-to-date. For instance, when they receive your case, they may have the case but not have it listed in their system. As long as you have proof on paper with a UID number and date, there is no reason for you to question the interview date. You never would have known it wasn't in the system if you haven't called, and most people wouldn't call since they already had the interview letter, so they would have no reason to turn you away either since you have proof.

Been so busy with the wedding that I'm just now getting a chance to post my review. I stayed at Mabuhay when I went to get my fiancee (now wife). Overall, I'd say it's not bad for an overnight stay. The staff were friendly, had a nice free bfast, and the location is very close to the airport so you can catch your flight in the morning. The airport pick-up is free, and you can pay 250PHP to have them drop you off the next morning. The thing I didn't like was that it was kinda noisy in the room (I guess people were at the swimming pool during the night) and the beds were very hard. I can't complain, though, because of the low price and since it was only for one night. I also didn't like the fact that the only lock on the door was a chain. Most motels have a regular lock in addition to the chain. Not a big deal except that the rooms are accessible from the outside, so if you're willing to pay the extra money to stay at a hotel that has rooms inside the building like the Marriott, it might be a better choice. Just depends on your preference.

if your looking for a hotel nearby the st.lukes medical center and us embassy..i may suggest casa bocobo hotel.my daughter and i stayed there for 2 weeks..for our medical and us embassy interview.its clean,cool and safe too.

but when my fiancee came here to visit me and my family..we stayed 7 nights in holiday inn ortigas then in taclobn we stay at hotel alejandro for a week and had our engagement on that same hotel too with my family and close friends:)

My wife also stayed there with her sister. It's on the same street as St. Luke's Medical, and it's on a side street, so it's a good option if you don't want to stay right in the middle of the nightlife. They also had a security guard and taxis right outside, so my wife felt pretty safe. The rooms are simple, but it's affordable and has a great location.

Thanks to everyone for the good advice. I'll take it up there to get her learner's permit and see if they will accept her visa and I-94 as evidence. If not, I guess I'll just have to wait for the GC, and hopefully it won't be too long.

Actually, from that list, TN looks like it is one of the more difficult states in that they want something that already shows LPR status (or refugee/asylum status). If that is a complete list, it looks like she'll have to wait for the GC.

You might want to double check TN's NON-Immigrant requirements. Reading it again, these are the LPR requirements. They should have a list for the non-immigrant requirements as well (and K-1 is considered non-immigrant until AOS is approved.)

Ah, I see what you mean. Thanks for that tip! I checked under the non-immigrant section, and there is a separate list for an authorized stay (rather than legal permanent residence). These documents are listed below. The only one I could hope for would be the visa w/ the I-94, but her I-94 is already expired =/. I guess it won't hurt to try, though.

-Conditional Resident Alien Card (I-551)

-Valid Foreign Passport with Valid Visa and I-94 attached

(Note: The passport must have an English translation)

-Valid Foreign Passport with I-94W attached

Holders of F1, F2, M1, or M2 status should also present a valid SEVIS I-20

Holders of J1 or J2 status should also present a valid DS-2019

-Temporary Resident Identification Card (I-688)

-Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

my advice would be.. go to the DL office and ask yourself! (not being rude) its just the only way to know for sure.. I tried asking on visajourney!.. some ppl said I would be able to get it and other said I wouldn't... I live in Georgia and like DAve said his wife got her license with her greencard... for me it was different! I got my license with my EAD!... EVEN THOUGH We are in the same State.. it worked out for us differently.. I was allowed to get it with my EAD and she wasn't.. so .. everyone has different experience!.. I say you go and ask what you would need .. who knows.. maybe she is lucky and allowed to apply for it only with her SSN and visa

Haha, yea, I plan to call or email them about it to make sure. I would still like to get an idea of how long most of you had to wait before you could get your license. Is there a big time difference in the EAD and the GC?

Hi Andz and Faith,

Please give my regards to Faith. I also took my CFO seminar last February 16, 2011. First of all, I want to say that you have a beautiful fiancee and "wife to be Andz". The 4 of us (Roselyn, April, the other girl and me) waited for Faith to be done with her interview because we were planning to go together to CFO office to pick up the CFO certificate. And you are right, she needed to go back the next day to pick up the certificate because she forgot a copy of your passport, birth certificate, etc. While we were waiting for her outside the room, the rest of us were exchanging email addresses and cellphone number. I feel bad, we didn't get FAith's contact because we were on a hurry that the CFO might close sooner. But no worries at all. Faith, live in cebu and she can go to the CFO office anytime she wanted too.

Thanks for the compliment, and I'll send your regards to Faith today! I'm sure she'll be glad to hear from you =).

I have a question regarding getting a driver's license. My wife is on a K-1 visa and just filed for her I-485 on June 13. However, I just learned from some posts that you have to have a GC or an EAD to get a driver's license. I had no idea of this because I just assumed that as long as she has a visa to show that she's not here illegally and as long as we got married within the 90 days, she could get a license. My wife does not plan on working, so we did not fill out the I-765 (for the EAD). So, my questions are:

1) Is there a big difference in the amount of time it takes to process the EAD vs. the I-485? If so, would it be wise to file for an EAD now even though we already filed our I-485 so that she can get her license more quickly?

2) Can she get a learner's permit without having to show a GC or EAD?

I'm posting my state (TN) requirements at the bottom. Out of the documents that they require, I didn't see any that my wife has available. I don't even see EAD on the list of acceptable documents. (See below). Thanks to anyone for their help. I'll probably have to contact the state DMV to find out about the permit, but I wanted to get an idea from everyone else on VJ first. Thanks!

Acceptable Documents for Lawful Permanent Resident Status:

• Permanent Resident Alien Card (I-551)

• Foreign passport stamped by the U.S. Government indicating that the holder has been

"Processed for I-551"

• Permanent resident Re-entry Permit (I-327)

• Arrival Departure Form I-94 with “Temporary I-551” stamp and holder’s photograph affixed

• Travel Document issued to Permanent Residents (I-327)

• Travel Document issued to Refugees (I-571)

• Form I-94 stamped with one of the following statuses: Asylee, Parolee or Parole,

Refugee,Asylum, HP-humanitarian parolee or PIP-public interest parolee

I've been doing a lot of research on the preparation of Form I-693 for a K1 visa holder since my fiancée and I are about to file for her AOS after we get married in a few weeks. I just need someone to verify that the info I have is correct. My fiancée, based on her age, is only required to receive the MMR, Tdap, and Varicella shots. She received the MMR and Tdap in the Philippines, and under Varicella on her form DS-3025, it was marked VH (Varicella history) since she told the doctor she had chicken pox as a child. However, the doctor at St. Luke's Medical told her that she would need to get the shot when she came to the U.S. Is this correct? From what I've read, if the Form DS-3025 is marked VH, then you do NOT need the varicella shot since you already had it when you were younger. I just don't want to make an appt with a CS only to find out that I have to go get the varicella shot and come back another day. Which is correct?

Thanks

Wow, I love this thread! It makes me reminisce on my first meeting with my pinangga =). After reading others' experiences, I'm glad we chose not to meet at the airport lol. I got there in the morning, and the hotel had a shuttle that was picking me up, so we decided to meet later because we wanted our first meeting to be private so it would be more special and we would both feel more comfortable. I got to the airport around 10:00 a.m. and went to the hotel, which gave me a chance to put my things up, get settled, and buy a sim card to call my fiancée and let her know that I am in the Philippines. Then, we decided we would just meet up later that afternoon in a park where we could have some peace and quiet and when it wasn’t quite so hot. I can remember just how nervous and excited I was waiting on the appointed time to meet!!! I tried to sit down, but I found myself pacing because I was just so excited! I decided to pick up the Psalms and read to make me relaxed before our meeting, but it was more excitement than nervousness. As the time approached and I knew my fiancée was on her way to the park, I couldn’t believe that finally I would see her face to face instead of just on the computer. I felt like I was in a dream or a movie lol, and sometimes I had to pinch myself to realize that it was real =). I finally got the text from her saying she was there and then responded to tell her I was on my way (it was about a 30 min drive from my hotel). When I got there, I decided not to send her a text to let her know I was there because I know my pinangga, and it might just make her more nervous if she knew I was going to be there any moment lol. Besides, I thought it was more romantic to have the element of surprise when I just showed up one moment. As I got out of the taxi, my heart was pounding as I breathed a silent prayer and walked to the corner of the park at the bench where we were supposed to meet. As I turned the corner, I could see through the bushes that someone was sitting there, but I know she could not see me because I deliberately took the route so that she couldn’t see me coming =). As I later found out, my fiancée was really surprised because she had just seen another American behind me, but the bushes were blocking her view of me. Finally, when I arrived, she looked up and saw me there and stood up to meet me. Finally, I gave her the hug I promised and the one I’d been waiting so long for, but it was just a short one since it was the first time we’d ever hugged and we were still in a public setting. I remember that I could rest my chin on her head lol, but it was really sweet. Before, I had wondered how it would be since we’re so used to just talking online, but as we sat there on the bench talking, I grew more comfortable with her. I put my arm around her for the first time, and she immediately leaned against me and rested her head on my shoulder. That’s when I felt as if I’d known her all my life. She was still the same woman (but even prettier!) We talked for over an hour, said a prayer of thanks, took a stroll around the park, and then went out to eat for the first time. That was the beginning of the best week in my life, and the second hug (this time a long one in private) was even 10 times better than the first!!! I spent the week there, and we got engaged toward the end of the trip, and the rest is history. Now, the woman I love will be in my arms soon to spend the rest of our lives together =). Thank God for this wonderful blessing in my life!!!

I Searched the website. They are not near where I live.

Do you mean they're not near where you live in the U.S.? If so, they don't have to be. You can mail the package to them or FedEx it to one of their offices. For instance, I FedExed it to their office in New York and they sent it to the Philippines. However, if your fiancee doesn't live near an office in the Philippines, I'm afraid you'll have to pay extra to have them deliver it to her house, although I'm unsure what the fee is. I've attached a file that lists their rates as of last year.

ONLINE RATES - Manila.doc