militarygf

Hi Rengi. I posted a similar question a few weeks back, and i got a definite no from the community; you dont need to get a local annulment first to petition your fiancee. Just make sure that you include your divorce papers in your I-129F package. Your fiancee has to get a CENOMAR for her interview proper. Both the divorce papers and CENOMAR stand as proofs that you are both legally free to marry.

Best of luck!

Yes, fiance is in the military and we were approved for an expedite for military reasons.

To get a B2 visa here is really not an impossibility as long as u can show ties, meaning u have every reason to go back home. I certainly do, and cheesy as this may sound, but love is the only reason why I agreed to relocate.

If it would help your fiancee, I submitted the following documents for my tourist visa interview, a few years back:

1. my business registration, permits, and taxes for 2 years,and other documents pertaining to business including lease contract, bills, assets.

2. bank certificates and statements both of my personal and business accounts

3. assets and properties under my name

4. photocopies of the individual B2 visas of my family, who had been going back and forth the US. I also included the arrival/ departure stamps.

5. both bank accounts of my parents

6. authenticated birth certficate

7. old passports which bore my tourist visas from the other countries I've visited.

8. sense of humor and confidence lol

nos. 7&8 may have been the cincher, since the consul hardly checked the supporting documents, but smiled broadly when he saw my other visas, and remarked that i have been to several countries, to which I replied that some were university scholarship grants, then side trips; the others were a form of escape from the nitty gritty of operating my own biz. He said great, then added I don't see why you shouldn't visit US too.

During my k1 visa interview, the Filipino interviewer asked me if my other travels were for tourism alone, and i simply answered yes. no further questions asked aside from the name of the petitioner, and when was the last time we saw each other.

I sincerely hope that your journey will be a smooth one. I must say that the unnecessary stress of waiting for a K1 approval is something that military members should not be burdened with.

How did you get your K-1 3 days after the interview. Did you pick it up in Manila?

No, it was delivered right in my doorstep. There was a form I submitted after the interview where I wrote down my residential address, and if my memory serves me right, I was asked by the customer service of USEM if I would opt for a delivery or a pick up of the visa, when I called to schedule my interview.

I may have received the visa in a short notice since I live in the metro; those who are in the province may have a longer waiting time though, but I'm sure once a beneficiary gets approved, the visa will be delivered (if requested)safely. 2go is owned by Aboitiz, a trusted freight company.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Lets see how many direct flights are there from you exit airport directly to the US ? Be careful not to post or email anyone the date of your departure or you WILL have left enough information to have told them the keys ( WHEN WHERE and HOW )

If you mean non-stop from Phils to mainland US, none I believe; but several for US territories such as Hawaii and Guam. There would be at least 1 stop over if the final destination is Contiguous US, and several airlines from here fly daily. US is a popular destination for Filipinos, along with HK and Thailand. Thank you for the reminder! I had been searching the forum as quietly as i can since I was notified of the military rules

May you have a blessed journey!

For what its worth - the POE list here on VJ is not complete (only the ones folks have requested or the most common ones are listed) and of course, a person's final destination may/may-not be a POE - only the first US Airport (or foreign pre-clearance) is.

For a complete list of all US POEs, see CBP Port of Entry.

i came to the conclusion that the airport and the city are less popular when I could not find in the search tool the name of the airport nor any experiences shared by VJ members. My next worry will be if I will find friends when I've reached the installation, but that will be for another post. I found the airport however, on the link you provided, Otto, thank you. For your LOOONG patience with me, double thanks

Hello Cazwik,

my fiance lives in the single soldiers housing/ barracks in US. Dependents, friends, family are not allowed to stay there even for a night, as you may know. Thus, fiance arranged a living arrangement with a unit buddy living on a housing on-post for military members and their dependents. That is the address we included in our I-129F, and made an attachment explaining the above reason I stated, thus, making the arrangement temporary, and then he further added "....until my fiancee and I find a home that will suit our needs."

For proof of relationship, try to gather the primary evidences such as boarding passes, passport stamps, etc. We included ticket stubs of the places that we went to when I visited US, which were backed up by the photos we attached. Further, it may not be necessary at the I-129F stage, but we included a business card and affidavits of my fiance's recruiter and wife, whom I became close friends with during my vacation. That was upon the suggestion of an immigration lawyer. So if any of your NCOs met your fiancee, include any proofs that may show she is already a part of your future plan. Military stresses the importance of family and soldiers' welfare, I believe.

I think there had been an increase in the application fee for 1-129F since we filed in Dec. Other senior VJ members may help u better with your third concern.

I was told that USCIS handle petitions from military members like they do w/ everyone else. In our case however, we were extremely lucky that we never received any RFEs, and got approved for an expeditious processing of the I-129F. During my interview, I was not asked of any other documents aside from the basics (my CENOMAR, NBI and police clearances, my birth certificate, my fiance's 2010 tax forms and his LES). My interview w/the consul lasted 5 minutes max I think, and that was because i made some comments on the side while he was leafing thru our papers (as an example, when he asked if I would be marrying my man and living with him, i answered, "for sure. after almost 9 years in the relationship, its about time that we did, before my biological clock and his hair follicles give up on us" Both the Filipino interviewer and consul were chuckling while I was answering their questions. The consul's parting words to me were, "Well, I'll have to cancel your B2 visa since you won't be needing it anymore." Im not exactly sure if my experience was because the petitioner is a military member, or because of the presentation of documents both for I-129 F and interview proper (I was almost disappointed that they did not even ask to see the files I brought at USEM ) or because of the length of the relationship, or even because of the other visas stamped in my passport, but whatever it may have been, I'm glad that lady luck has been smiling on us since we started the journey.

Again, I am not in the best position to answer your end note, but it is to my belief that yes, you may file for the application while you are still abroad, and indicate through attachments the expected day of your unit's pull-out, arrival, and other plans. Ask a trusted family member to file it once you have completed the requirements. choose a trusted parcel carrier. Other VJ members are free to correct me on this.

I wish you the best on your journey!

hello Demio, my fiance simply wrote, "fully support her as my legal wife" We did not encounter any problems.

Good luck on your journey!

Just be careful if you are going to fly Continental that you do not go through Guam then go to Narita. You will be screwed when hit the US the second time. Just something to keep in mind.

I had checked the flight schedule of Continental airlines, and the route will be Manila to Narita then to Mainland USA. There will be no other stops aside from the Narita lay over. Thank you for the reminder!

Cool, I did not realize that there was a direct flight from Narita to Area 51.

Any airport that you fly into on a commercial flight is a public area. Giving the name here won't violate any military secrets.

I suspect the rule is most likely that members of the military and their dependants can't say which flights they will take in public forums because that could cause that flight to be a terrorist target. Stands to reason, really.

Thank you for understanding HeatDeath! Much as the info withheld may sound silly to others, I really would not want to jeopardize my man's career, nor put the military men and their dependents in danger by breaking rules, no matter how innocent my intention is. Better safe than sorry.

militarygf...

Congratz on your visa approval...!!!

No worries regarding your POE.

Thank you so much for your never-ending kindness!

What list are you talking about?

The first US airport you would fly into from Tokyo would be an acceptable POE. What is the first US airport you would be arriving at from Tokyo?

Its a list of POEs i found here on VJ. I'm sorry but i cannot divulge more info, as i was warned of military rules before, but i can assure the airport is in US Thank you for your help!

No, there are alternatives (probably not practical in your case) such as going through Canadian airport with US-destinations PFI (where you clear immigration & customs) or going through Dublin or Shannon airports in Ireland (both equipped with US mmigration, but not customs, PFI's).

If the airline lands there after nonstop flight from Narita, it is a POE.

Continental Airline for the airport most practical for me

OK - so - where ever there is a continental airline, just come in the USA, ok ?

Someone will take care of you, no worries.

Yes, it is in US,not a popular destination I suppose. And I did indeed worry that there may not be an immigration officer; I wouldn't want to be stuck in la-la land Thanks very much for the clarification!

If the airport has the word "International" in it's name (check it's website if you're not sure), it's a PoE. "International" airports in the US, by definition, have a US Customs and Immigration section to receive and process travelers from other countries.

I did what you suggested, and the airport has "International" Thank you for the tip.

I suppose with everyone's replies, there will be an immigration office in the airport; i just would not know what the other members experienced.I'll just have to wear a big smile, whether the officers are strict or not. Thanks again and good luck to your respective journeys!

Hello VJ family,I have finished my interview on the 17th, received my approved K1 visa 3 days after, and now ironing out last minute kinks before my departure.

May I ask if the the airports listed as POEs are the only acceptable ones? I am looking to book for July, and I favor Continental Airline for the airport most practical for me and my fiance-1 short lay-over in Narita, then non stop to US; with only 16 hrs of flying time, plus its the nearest airport for my fiance's installation. The airport is not included in the list I found here however, so I was wondering if that is fine for K1 visa holders?

Much thanks again for the help.

hi, when i visited my beau on June 2009, my return ticket was for October. I was approved to stay for the max days for Philippine passport holders - 6 months. When he was given the sched for boot camp,and he opted for the Jan 2010 sched, we mutually decided to rebook my flight back for Dec. It did not pose as prob when we filed the I-129F nor was it asked during my interview. We did however, include that info in our separate affidavits, citing the reason that we wanted to maximize the allowed period i can stay with him. hope this helps. Good luck in your journey!

Thanks fr your detailed response Congratulations on your interview btw What's a 4010 form? are you referring to the 1040 form or is that a different form specific to the US armed forces?

oh, i had it backwards,sorry for the confusion. yes, i was actually referring to the 1040, the excitement of the day can make 1 incoherent. thanks for the warm greet!

Hello! I just had my interview earlier. The pre-screener just got my fiance's 2010 W2s and form 4010, plus his LES. I compiled my documents for support in 1 folder and sub-divided them:

1. W2s stapled with 4010 per year (i had 2008-2010)

2. LES for 12 months

3. bank statement

4. bank certification

Both the pre-screener and consulted just asked if my fiance is in active duty and how long he has been in service. No questions pertained to his MOS, rank, or anything that pertained to his duties. The interview was a breeze, in fact, the consul did not ask for any supporting proofs or documents, while the pre-screener just got my NBI and police clearances; CENOMAR and birth certificate. To think that i brought about 3 kg of documents filed in an expandable folder LOL.

Good luck~

It is what i was told also. Perhaps you may bring a copy of the NOA2. i had the letter of eligibility from embassy though; just the same they asked for the appointment letter. i scheduled my interview before I received the letter however.

The vaccines were included in the fee...I had 3; but not everything that were listed as requirement for change of status. There is 1 k that is not available locally, accdg to the med tech, and u really have to get in US. The other 1, they said could not be administered if you plan on getting pregnant w/in a month. The other vaccine was for chicken pox, since i couldn't show them any scars.

Good luck!

Hi, I just had my medical last Wed, May 5. Mayhap, in sharing some of the questions the attending physician asked me, you will be able to help your friend.

The very first question I was asked is the first day of my last period. Then, if i have kids, or if i ever got pregnant, or had a miscarriage. She then asked me if I were ever hospitalized. I had a traumatic mountaineering accident in 1995, was in coma for 3 weeks, due to the severe head injury. She asked if i had records, and i told her that i couldn't find them anymore, but i gave her the name of the hospital and my specialists. She then asked if i had surgery, and on maintenance. i told her the surgical procedure, therapy i underwent to, and medicines I was prescribed. Fortunately, I am not under maintenance anymore.

She then asked me if I had ever taken illegal drugs, or had a history of TB. the last question before she asked me to unrobe is my educational attainment. We must have attended the same university, because she asked for my degree. Im not exactly sure how my education relates to the medical exam though

When i was claiming my copy the next day, after the vaccinations. The lady behind the counter went through what i narrated, then asked if i had any dental fillings. And that was that. It was a breeze. I arrived around lunch for the Medical, and finished about 3 pm.

I would suggest that your friend bring her medical records and prescriptions; Xrays, CT scans, MRI, etc from her physicians; if she had lost them, I suppose she may retrieve them from the clinic/ hospital she went to. She may also want to bring some medical clearance from her doctors; i brought one for my gurd, but was never asked anything in relation to that. I did not bring anything else relating to my hospitalization, but the doctor found my narrative sufficient to approve me.

I hope the best for your friend. Everyone deserves to find his true happiness.

you can also order the tax transcripts online through the irs.gov website for free as well I ordered mine and received them in a week by mail.

thank you for the link, I shall send a sms msg informing him of that option, along with the phone number provided previously

You could also provide COPIES of W2s and 1040s in lieu of tax transcripts.

thats a relief, with his sched, im not sure if he make request of the tax transcripts asap. thank you for the info!

You have nothing to worry about. Copies of his income tax returns are fine. The Embassy will accept them. The copies of his income tax returns do not have to be notarized. Also, there are no certified true copies of an income tax return, so there's nothing to worry about there.

You can submit copies of his W-2's to the Embassy. The original W-2's should be in your possession in case the consul officer wants to see them.

You can avoid income tax returns and W-2's altogether if you submit copies of income tax transcripts. Your fiancé can get his income tax transcripts immediately by going to his local IRS office.

Good luck with your interview!!!

Tahoma, you've been a great help through this journey, and i can't thank you enough. i mentioned the tax transcripts and he didn't have a clue what they are LOL. i bet my man would be shaking your hand in thanks for this info, as it makes his paper work less burdensome. just the same, I will still ask him to try to get those transcripts from their local IRS, if he can find it in their installation, that is. i will have my medical tom, hope that luck you sent for the interview rubs in for tom's big day.

Thanks again for the help VJ family! best regards on everyone's journeys!

Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to order tax transcripts. They are free and usually take about 5-10 days to arrive. Then you do not need the W-2s as the tax transcripts have the numbers the IRS considers official. I ordered the last three years for the K-1 interview and again for the AOS I-864 form. Simple to do.

Good luck,

Dave

Thank you for the tip, Dave. My interview is on the 17th. We may not have enough time, but will ask just the same.

How bout for the other tax forms, the 1040 and 1041, if we cannot get the tax transcript in time for the interview, may he send notarized or certified true copies in lieu of the tax transcript or original? All help will be much appreciated.

Hello VJers,

Fiance is finalizing the documents he needs to send me for my visa interview. He mentioned that he is having his tax forms photocopied, he only has 1 copy, and he says he needs those forms as well..perhaps for records. will a notarized photocopy of the tax forms (1040 and 1041? not sure if he has tax transcripts) be accepted at the embassy? or do we need to get certified true copies from IRS? how long does that usually take to be prepared if true copies are needed?

He has W2, do they have to be originals too?

Much thanks in advance.

thats a big big relief to hear (or in this matter, to read ) Tina, thank you so much again.

Hi December family, just dropping in to wave to everyone! How is everyone doing? VSC has been busy the last few weeks it seems, I hope they keep it up until we see our table reflecting approved for all December filers!

I'm scheduled for my visa interview on the 17th, and my nerves are so frazzled Reading such warm posts from members made me smile, thank you.

Wishing everyone all the best!

congrats Moonlight!!!!

i initially scheduled for May 13 yesterday, but then saw it was a Friday, so i called back, and asked for May 17 instead. "Rescheduled due to superstitious reasons." Good luck on getting your interview date.

Maybe you have to be Filipino to understand what's going on here, but the timeline and events are confusing the heck out of me.

The divorce and annulment occurred in 2002? At a church? Where was this? Churches do not grant divorces or annulments in the US.

He immigrated to the US in 2006? On what basis did he immigrate if he was already divorced? It must have been based on marriage because he obtained his US citizenship in less than five years. So, did he immigrate to the US in 2006 based on a marriage that ended in 2002?

I'm sorry to have confused you! i'll try to summarize the timeline, pls let me know if there is something else amiss

1993 - fiance and ex married in PI because she got pregnant. Daughter was born in the same year.

1995 - Ex left for US to work as a nurse; fiance and daughter were left behind since he was still in med school.

bet 96 - 2000 - ex visited PI twice; she had already filed for a petition for fiance and daughter but was denied the first time, just don't know the exact year.

2000 - Petition for fiance and daughter approved. they went to US for a month long vacation, but they had agreed on separating. Both father and daughter got their green cards.

2001- ex requested for Church annulment and a divorce. All paperwork were sent to Manila where fiance and daughter reside.

2002 - The church annulment was obtained from the Archdiocese of Chicago, while the divorce decree from Cook. These are separate papers.

mid 2002 - we met and started dating.

2003 - ex remarried in US.

may 2006- he migrated with his daughter.

Dec 2010 - he filed for our I-129F.

He obtained the citizenship through military, shortly after his boot camp. Although he became a permanent resident in 2000, he only visited US twice, in 2000 and 2003 for short periods, 1 month at the most. These visits were for the daughter to form some bond with her mom, because she was raised by my fiance and his family. They were allowed re-entry permits, because the daughter was studying here and my fiance was practicing in their clinic whilst taking care of his ailing dad.

Do you reckon I would meet any sort of problems during my interview please? I certainly hope not, Im scheduled on the 17th. He was already divorced when we met, and did not foresee any problem that may arise from his previous marriage. He has been very honest with me regarding his status from the start. Would you be kind enough to clarify me on the matter or why you raised the questions, pls. He showed me both the divorce decree and church annulment, even read the child custody agreements made by the local mediator; so i never had a doubt about the sincerity of his intentions. Thank you so much for your help.

For beneficiary:

You want an exact or reasonable copy of the I-129F cause you want to make a good presentation on them, if asked. Original receipts and proof of evidence too.

Don't forget the things you have to do like:

Get police reports for places you lived over 6 months, since age 16.

Birth certificate.

Divorce certificate

translations.

You'll also have to get the medical exam done several days or a week or so before your interview so they will have the results.

I don't know about beneficiary's daughters birth certificate, but probably good to have to prove she is under 18, to be eligible for K-2 visa. I wouldn't take chances on this.

Thank you for the reminder of what I have to bring to the interview! I am the beneficiary, by the way, and I've never had any kids nor contracted any marriage. It is the petitioner, my fiance, who has a 16 yr old daughter, who had obtained her citizenship as well. And I was wondering if i need to bring her birth certificate to the interview since she was born here in Philippines.

thanks again and I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

you had everything:) but for me i'll just follow what's on the packet because everything what our fiance sent over the uscis will be forwarded to the us embassy manila:) best of luck to you:)

thanks. it seems that i may be mulling over unnecessary matters as the interview date nears I hope your journey will be smooth sailing!

This is extremely simple. BOTH parties MUST be "free to marry" BEFORE the petition is filed. Was he divorced BEFORE the petition was filed? If yes, then you have nothing to worry about.

Yes, matter of fact, they were already divorced and anulled in the church, before I met him in 2002. He only filed for our K1 application December 2010; shortly after he obtained his citizenship. Thank you so much for your clarification

ito ang answer sa question mo sis..

to a divorce obtained by a former Filipino who had been naturalized in another country after his naturalization, as it might open the door to rich Filipinos’ obtaining naturalization abroad for no other reason than to be able to divorce their Filipino spouse (Handbook on the Family Code of the Philippines, 1995 Ed., p. 30).

However, this provision was later interpreted by the Supreme Court to include cases involving parties who, at the time of the celebration of the marriage were Filipino citizens, but later on, one of them becomes naturalized as a foreign citizen and obtains a divorce decree. The reckoning point is not the citizenship of the parties at the time of marriage, but their citizenship at the time a valid divorce is obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating the latter to remarry.

sis, thank you so much for the article! I was gnawing my nails the whole time I was in a mtng this afternoon, and only relieved a sigh of relief when I read the above posts. His ex obtained the citizenship much earlier than he did since she left for US way back 95, while my fiance migrated with their daughter in 2006. They were already divorced that time, and the ex is already married to another man. My fiance only obtained his citizenship June 2010, and filed for our K1 in Dec. Whilst i am sure that there is no intentions to misrepresent his status; we have been in the relationship for almost 9 yrs after all, i wanted to make certain that nothing will go wrong during my interview on May 17. Thanks again hun, and I wish you a smooth sailing journey with your lovey xoxo

The thread got me worried along with a PM from another VJ member. my fiance (petitioner) and his ex were married here in PI sometime 1993 the ex moved to US in 1995 and they became estranged. She remarried in US in 2002 or 2003 without getting a local annulment. They did however obtain a church annulment and a divorce in 2000. Fiance and his ex, and their daughter are now naturalized US citizens. Will that pose a problem for us during my interview? I'm the beneficiary, I have never married nor do I have children out of wedlock. I suddenly got nervous, and clarifications will be appreciated.My apologies to the OP if it seems that I hijacked your thread.