2 seminar's before you can leave the philppines?

[hunnyko 0]

Hi hope I ask this question in which it is not confusing. My wife left to cagayan de oro city from Butuan today to change her passport to her married name assuming she needed to do that before her medical and visa interview. Well they told her she needed to go to the guidence and counseling seminar first to get her passport change all the way in manila or Cebu. Will she need to change her passport to her married name before the medical and visa interview? Also will the NVC accept a photo copy of her single name passport on the DS-230 form?Does she have to go to this seminar and the seminar after the visa interview called the pre- departure seminar? Thanks again for any help

[mutt 0]

You did not say if you filed her petition in her maiden name or your family name. I asked my wife to change her name legally in Philipines and get a new passport to reflect those changes before I filed her petition. She simply showed her marriage paperwork from NSO to passport office. My wife didn't have to go to Manila for that, there is a passport office in Davao City which is on same island as CDO and to my knowledge, no counseling was required. She might be having to do that as part of Embassy processing, I don't know because we are still waiting for NOA2.

If you filed in her maiden name I would assume she should keep her same passport and do paperwork in maiden name. I hope this helps.

[hunnyko 0]

You did not say if you filed her petition in her maiden name or your family name. I asked my wife to change her name legally in Philipines and get a new passport to reflect those changes before I filed her petition. She simply showed her marriage paperwork from NSO to passport office. My wife didn't have to go to Manila for that, there is a passport office in Davao City which is on same island as CDO and to my knowledge, no counseling was required. She might be having to do that as part of Embassy processing, I don't know because we are still waiting for NOA2.

If you filed in her maiden name I would assume she should keep her same passport and do paperwork in maiden name. I hope this helps.

The petition was filed in my family name.

Hi thanks for info, when my wife went to passport office she told them she was waiting for her visa petition and they said she needed to go to the CFO office (commision on filipino overseas) website http://www.cfo.gov.ph/fs_manila.htm,

and go to the guidence counseling seminar to get a certificate to bring back to get her passport name changed, they said that is a requirment for being able to leave overseas. And there is also one other seminar after getting the visa she will have to go to in Manila, called pre-departure seminar. Both seminars are at the same place. But I was confused if she needed to get her passport name changed before the medical or can get after it?

[wlisa_rbert 0]

If you get new Pasport and the purpose on it is for petition or fiance he/ she need to undergo first the GUIDANCE AND COUNSEELING in MANILA OR CEBU. that is the one requirements to get a pasport.

But if you get your pasport and the purpose is tourist, working in Asia.. no need to get the Seminar in CFO.

[vbtbmrt 2]

if you filed papers in her maiden name it is best to leave maiden name in place through whole process but if you going to change names when you fill out ds-230 you will need maggage cert. and a statement why your changing it

good luck but it is best to leave

[✿Ice Rain✿ 0]

Hi,

Yes she needs to attend a CFO seminar for her to have a CFO certificate.. This CFO certificate is additional requirement to get a new passport (using my husband's name) for those married to a foreign national or fiancee of foreign national that intend to leave the country and live permanently abroad. Once you attended the CFO , its for a lifetime membership.

i have already attended the CFO seminar, paid 250 pesos for seminar and 450 for CFO certificate (August 2007) this can be done all in one day. Morning for seminar. And Afternoon for CFO certificate release.

If you already have a passport when you are still single and wants to renew it and use the new surname (of the husband) , you still need to attend the CFO.. As to My sister's case, she renewed her passport and use her husband's name and she attended the CFO seminar.

As for the second seminar, i think its called PRISM, thats when there is a visa already, i know, it is being stamped at the passport..

I Hope this help a bit.

Edited March 18, 2008 by SHAPE OF MY HEART

[✿Ice Rain✿ 0]

It would be better if you will be consistent with your papers. I mean, since you filed for her using her new name already then its best for her to have a passport in her husband's name rather than in her single name..

That's only an advise from me, because i applied it to myself.. i have changed all the papers that has my single name and make it to my new name.. Of course not the diploma , transcript, birth certificate, ( hehe, thats not included) Im saying about the, examples are SSS, PASSPORT.. im using my husband's name already..

Edited March 18, 2008 by SHAPE OF MY HEART

[N360 0]

Wow! I am more confused after reading all of this.

My wife renewed her passport to reflect her new married name and all she had to bring was the old passport and our marriage certificate. No fuss, no seminars.

I think the office where your wife went is confused.

CFO seminars are only required for people emigrating abroad. How would they know, and why should they care, your wife is emigrating abroad if all she wanted was to change her name on her passpart. She could be just visiting Singapore for all they know.

Since we're on the subject of CFO seminars, your wife will do indeed need to go toa CFO seminars but thats way down the line after she gets her visa and before she leaves for the US.

Edited March 19, 2008 by NoelandTintin

[hunnyko 0]

Hi,

Yes she needs to attend a CFO seminar for her to have a CFO certificate.. This CFO certificate is additional requirement to get a new passport (using my husband's name) for those married to a foreign national or fiancee of foreign national that intend to leave the country and live permanently abroad. Once you attended the CFO , its for a lifetime membership.

i have already attended the CFO seminar, paid 250 pesos for seminar and 450 for CFO certificate (August 2007) this can be done all in one day. Morning for seminar. And Afternoon for CFO certificate release.

If you already have a passport when you are still single and wants to renew it and use the new surname (of the husband) , you still need to attend the CFO.. As to My sister's case, she renewed her passport and use her husband's name and she attended the CFO seminar.

As for the second seminar, i think its called PRISM, thats when there is a visa already, i know, it is being stamped at the passport..

I Hope this help a bit.

Thanks for the info:-)

One more question do you know if she can use her single name passport for the medical interview or do they even check her passport for id purpose at her medical in Manila?

[hunnyko 0]

Confusing for me to even on the main passport website for PH it did not say she had to go to the seminar?

So I guess even though your wife got her passport name changed she will still go to the seminar?

We figured we needed to change her passport name for the medical interview and embassy interview?

Wow! I am more confused after reading all of this.

My wife renewed her passport to reflect her new married name and all she had to bring was the old passport and our marriage certificate. No fuss, no seminars.

I think the office where your wife went is confused.

CFO seminars are only required for people emigrating abroad. How would they know, and why should they care, your wife is emigrating abroad if all she wanted was to change her name on her passpart. She could be just visiting Singapore for all they know.

Since we're on the subject of CFO seminars, your wife will do indeed need to go toa CFO seminars but thats way down the line after she gets her visa and before she leaves for the US.

[✿Ice Rain✿ 0]

Confusing for me to even on the main passport website for PH it did not say she had to go to the seminar?

There is a part in the instruction in the site that says :Additional supporting documents may be required when necessary.

So I guess even though your wife got her passport name changed she will still go to the seminar?

Yes.

We figured we needed to change her passport name for the medical interview and embassy interview?

Wow! I am more confused after reading all of this.

My wife renewed her passport to reflect her new married name and all she had to bring was the old passport and our marriage certificate. No fuss, no seminars.

I think the office where your wife went is confused.

CFO seminars are only required for people emigrating abroad. How would they know, and why should they care, your wife is emigrating abroad if all she wanted was to change her name on her passpart. She could be just visiting Singapore for all they know.

Since we're on the subject of CFO seminars, your wife will do indeed need to go toa CFO seminars but thats way down the line after she gets her visa and before she leaves for the US.

[✿Ice Rain✿ 0]

I am a holder of an immigrant visa. Which of your pre-departure seminars should I attend?

The Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) is required for company-sponsored, family-class and independent-class emigrants who are 20 years old and above while the Peer Counseling Program is for emigrants who are 13 to 19 years old.

The Guidance and Counseling Program is required for Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals including former Filipinos.(CFO)

[✿Ice Rain✿ 0]

For as long as the citizenship of the petitioning spouse is foreign, even if he or she is previously a Filipino citizen, the Filipino partner is required to undergo the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program.

[N360 0]

For as long as the citizenship of the petitioning spouse is foreign, even if he or she is previously a Filipino citizen, the Filipino partner is required to undergo the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program.

I know this but David's wife just wanted to change the name on her passport. There's no CFO requirement for that.

There's only a CFO requirement when you're emigrating abroad. So.. when Davids's wife gets her visa, she'll need to go attend a CFO seminar. As a matter of fact, one of the rquirements for a CFO seminar is a visa.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/emig_manila.htm

What if David's wife dont have a visa yet? My wife certainly dont have a visa yet and she should not be able to attend a CFO seminar. But knowing how things work in the Philippines, I have no doubt my wife can attend the CFO seminar even without a visa IF she wants to.

But the point is and original topic, to change your name to your new married on your passport, a CFO seminar is NOT required.

Edited March 19, 2008 by NoelandTintin

[N360 0]

Hi hope I ask this question in which it is not confusing. My wife left to cagayan de oro city from Butuan today to change her passport to her married name assuming she needed to do that before her medical and visa interview. Well they told her she needed to go to the guidence and counseling seminar first to get her passport change all the way in manila or Cebu.

Back to your original posts David. :-) It sounds like that office where your wife went to get her name changed on her passport is confused. No CFO seminar is required for a simple name change. As a matter of fact, just tell your wife to go to a travel agency and let them do it. It's faster, and worth it, that way since these travel agencies usually knows people on the inside.

Will she need to change her passport to her married name before the medical and visa interview?

This all depends on the I-130 application you filed. Did you file under her new married name? If so, and to avoid possible complications, I would highly recommend she change her name on the passport before all of that. As far as requirement, I'm not sure if it is required.

Also will the NVC accept a photo copy of her single name passport on the DS-230 form?

I am not sure. NVC are known to be picky. Like I said, If I were you, I'd just change her name. This is one of those possible complications I talked about.

Does she have to go to this seminar and the seminar after the visa interview called the pre- departure seminar? Thanks again for any help

Yes, she would have to go to a seminar after she gets her visa. The US embassy will stamp her visa to her passport. She will then need her passport with a visa to attend a CFO seminar. She would need to attend the seminar prior to her departure date. The CFO website has more details on that.

Hope that helps.

Edited March 19, 2008 by NoelandTintin