Overall K3 Visa Process from day 1 to ...

[Giskat09 2]

I was reading some stuffs about K3 Visa and i just found this website, it helps me a lot but i want to make sure that everything that was written here was really true.

Please correct if there are any corrections or mistakes below: Thanks for the help. The amounts is not correct for sure but its ok if u can give me the exact amount too.

The Whole K3 Visa Process Overview for the Philippines

1. I'll get my baptismal record and bring it with me if we will marry in the Catholic Church. The certificate must be dated no more than 3 months before the date of the marriage and noted "For Marriage Purposes Only" by the church where I obtain it.

2. I arrive in the Philippines for a Minimum of a 21 Days stay.

3. I stop in Manila (M-F,8-9am) or Cebu (call ahead 32-231-1261, they are rather "informal") to get a "Legal Capacity to Marry Document" from the Consulate. (For Manila see http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwha009.html or for Cebu see http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwha015.html ).

4. We apply for a Marriage certificate on the day I arrive. (I know it takes 10 business day wait does not normally include weekends/holidays, so we'll have to wait at least until day 14 to marry!)

5. We will attend the pre seminar to meet the Counseling Requirement. Some churches will allows us to attend a "Discovery Weekend" or "Catholic Engaged Encounter" instead.

6. If this is a Catholic wedding, and I am not catholic -- We need to apply for a dispensation from the Parish Office. The dispensation is released after the canonical interview with the parish priest or his assistant. These must be presented one week before the wedding.

7. We will meet with the Priest to see about the Baptismal requirement and show my Baptismal Records (If married in catholic church)

8. You (the bride) check to see if you need permission to marry from your parish, if the venue is in another parish.

9. We post a Wedding Bann. We must post the schedule of our wedding at the two parishes (your local parish, and the one where we will marry if it is different). These will be provided during the canonical interview and have to be brought immediately to the respective parishes of the bride and groom for posting. They have to be returned after three Sundays. Some parishes may require us to also provide pictures for the Bann.

10. We furnish the names and addresses of the principal sponsors (Ninongs and Ninangs) to the parish office one week before the wedding date. We need a minimum of two sponsors... and can have up to six.

11. If either of us was previously married (and our spouse died), we need to furnish a death certificate to the parish office.

12. I will start the 4 weeks of Catholic Seminar on Wed Nights (Or make a "Donation" to your Priest so we can do it all in one day.) to meet the Catholic Seminar Requirement (If this is a civil Ceremony or protestant wedding, it may be easier)

13. We Get Married and I'll return to the US.

14. I must get a "certified marriage certificate" before or after I leave before I can apply for the IR-1.

15. I begin to file an IR-1 Visa with Form I-130 at the USCIS

16. I get a receipt for the I-130 from the USCIS

17. I file an I-129F (K3 Petition) using the receipt from the I-130 (IR-1). The K3 Visa is essentially "Permission to wait in the United States" while the IR-1 Visa is approved.

18. I receive a receipt from the USCIS that they have the K3 application.

19. We wait for 30-300 days for them to approve the application.

20. While we wait, you need to start getting the items needed for your Passport Application

* Make sure you have 1 Passport Style Photo

* Make sure you have a Photo ID (NBI Clearance, passport, PRC license, voter id, or school id)

* Travel alone or with someone to Manila or Cebu for the 1st CFO Visit for the "Guidance and Counseling Seminar": (Even if you HAVE a passport, you will still need this to leave the country. But, you can get this certificate after you have the VISA when you go for the 2nd CFO visit to get the PDOS - Pre Departure Orientation Stamp)

1. Attend CFO Guidance and Counseling Seminar for 100p at Cebu or Manila CFO (info at: http://www.cfo.gov.ph/filmigrants_bod.htm). They may show some videos or tell stories of ladies who had BAD PROBLEMS with foreigners. Do not worry too much if they do that.

2. Get a Counseling Certificate from CFO

*** NOTE: This may take several days, so leave enough time during your visit! This certificate is a requirement to get a Passport if you don't already have one. If you do have a passport, you'll still need this certificate to leave the country. There will be a 2nd visit to the CFO Later after you get the Visa

3. They will ask you some questions about me (Place of Birth, SSN Number, Address, My Employer...). Make sure you know these before you go, or bring a cell phone and call me if you have questions.

* If you visit the CFO during your visit to Manila get 4 Birth Certificates. (If you go to Cebu, tell me to order them on the web from the Census web site. I'll give you a reference number that you'll have to pay at a local bank before they will be delivered to your house by mail.)

* Return from Manila

21. Apply for a passport at the nearest DFA Office. The cost is 500p. The requirements are found at http://www.dfa.gov.ph/consular/passport.htm. You can find the nearest Regional DFA Office at http://www.dfa.gov.ph/consular/rco.htm To get a passport, you'll need to take:

* An Official Birth Certificate on Security Paper (SECPA) issued by NSO

* 3 Passport Photos 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm new photo (colored with plain white background)

* Your Counseling Certificate from the CFO(from above)

* A Photo ID (School ID or SS Card would do)

22. I will prepare and mail you a Notarized Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) document to keep for the US Embassy Interview later

23. After application is approved, they send it to the US Consulate in the Philippines

24. You should have your passport by this time, if not... get it quickly!

25. You will be sent a K-Packet. (In years past, you could order one as soon as you have a petition. I'm not sure if this is still possible If so, You call 909-01-0011 and request the "K Packet" Or I call the $6 number for foreign citizens 63-2-843-8414 and order it for you.)

26. You will be notified of a date and time to attend a medical exam at St. Luke's.

27. You fill out all of the forms from the K-Packet and wait for your scheduled Medical Exam at St. Luke's Medical Center in Manila.

28. You go St. Luke's for a 2-day medical exam.

29. I send you an Affidavit of Support document for your interview.

30. St. Luke's helps you organize your papers on the last day, and you will be issued an interview date & time for the K3 Interview.

31. You wait in Manila or return home for 2-6 weeks until the interview, then you return.

32. You attend the interview and present your paperwork.

33. You return to your city while the US Consulate Processes the Visa

34. US Consulate approves Visa in several weeks (unless we enter Administrative Review)

35. You get your K3 VISA

36. I come to Get you (or you travel to the US on your own).

37. On the way back you stop in Manila for the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) PDOS (Pre Departure Orientation Seminar)

38. You attend the PDOS at the CFO. (This is the 2nd CFO Visit) You show your passport and CFO certificate to get a special stamp on your passport.

39. You come on to the United States.

40. We file for an adjustment of Status.

41. The IR-1 gets approved about a year after you've been here, and we laugh at how slow the USCIS is. You've already been in the country for months, and they still send out a notice. We save the notice, but don't do anything with it.

42. We are given a fingerprinting date, and go for fingerprinting.

43. We are given an EAD (Employment Authorization Interview Date), and we attend the EAD interview. You are given an employment authorization card.

44. We go to the Social Security Office, and apply for a SSN card using your new Employment Authorization Card.

45. We are notified of an "Adjustment of Status Interview"

46. We attend the interview, and your passport is stamped with a temporary notice saying that you are approved.

47. 1-3 weeks later, you get a Green Card in the mail.

48. The IR-1 will probably be approved after you have your Green Card. We will laugh at how slow the USCIS is. You've already been in the country for months, and they still send out a notice. We save the notice, but don't do anything with it.

49. 23 Months after you get your green card, we file to remove all conditions of your temporary residency. This will make you a "Permanent Legal Resident".

50. 2 years after you become a Permanent Legal Resident, You can apply for citizenship.

51. You apply for citizenship. (You could start voting now. And, after 5 years, you will qualify for Social Security Beneifts... even if you go back to the Philippines.)