Need help as i'm going to the philippines this coming April 15, 2009.

[edp333 9]

I changed my departure date on April 11 and arrive in the philippines on Aprill 12. But i had to pay $250 for the penalty for changing my plane ticket. Wedding date is on May 1.

Does she needs to bring any document if she accompany me to go to the US embassy in manila?

If I remember correctly, my asawa to be was asked for two forms of ID to get in the Embassy with me.

We spent the morning at the Embassy and rushed to the local civil registry. We made copies of the Legal Capacity to Marry while waiting for our number to be called. The process took a few hours, as we had to go to different departments and was required to take the marriage seminar before the application 10 days started. You will both need birth certificates, etc.

[Troy W 0]

Ok i decided to get marriend in the philippines. I only have 3 weeks to stay there.

Now i have another question to all of you?

I'll arrive in manila on April 16 (Friday). I'll go directly to US Embassy and the affidavit in lieu of a certificate of legal capacity to marry. Then go to City Hall to apply for civil marriage license.

Now do i need to get married in the City Hall on the 10th day (May 1st)? Or i can get marry to my own church on May 2nd? Please advice.

How long is the waiting time to get the marriage contract from them?

Hmmm....you have time for a civil wedding only, based upon what I've read here regarding the detailed requirements of a church wedding, especially if Catholic. Arriving on a Friday is going cause a bit of a delay for you since you can't hit the USEM until first thing Monday for the affidavit, which is only availble between 8-10 am. (I arrived late Sunday night and was at the USEM at 6 am on Monday, then we left for Leyte at 6 am Tuesday, which meant nearly no sleep since the Friday before!!!.)

Get up early and head for the USEM. When you get inside be sure you are waiting in the correct area. There are waiting areas and windows scattered throughout. Be sure you grab a number when you arrive. Your fiance must be with you. No one else is allowed inside. Bring a certfied copy of your birth certificate, your passport of course and a certified copy of a divorce degree if you are divorced. There is a fee - it was $30 US in 2006. Be sure you have plenty of certified copies of your documents because you'll need them to apply for the marriage license at her local office and also later on when you file the I-130. We applied for the license on Wednesday at her place. We had to wait the 10 days before the license was issued. Some have said you can "buy" the 10 days to save time, but I would not try that. We were married the same day the license was issued (Monday two weeks after receiving the affidavit), and did the marriage seminar the same day also (another requirement you'll need to know about). Try your best to get a copy of the certified LCRO (local civil registrar office) marriage certificate before you leave for the US. I had to leave her place the very next day and there was no time to get the copy. I had to wait a month for my asawa to send it to me which delayed our filing time. You'll need the NSO copy later on when you get into the NVC visa application process. There's loads of documents you're asawa will need to collect in the 2-3 months following your wedding. Just be prepared and you'll be fine. There are many many guides and references online that are very helpful. Do your homework now!!! There's no time waste. Good luck.

M&M

Follow the blue line for American Citizen Services, and your fiancé does not have to be with you at the embassy but she does have to be with you at the city offices when you apply for the marriage license, if your fiancé is under 25 she will have to get consent from her parents. (21 through 22 years of age require consent, 23 through 24 requires parental advice) When I did it I got into Manila at 6 am was at the embassy at 7:45 or so and was out by 8:30 or 9:00 am

[Dylan&Douglas 0]

CR1, coz she will still take the local board exam and result takes like 3months, then processing for NCLEX applications takes 5-6months, so just in time for her Visa approval..

[ChrisB0707 4]

Hello fellow filipinos!

My girlfriend lives in the philippines. We have met in person twice on April 2007 & Feb 2008. Now im planning to go back to manila this coming April 15, 2009 to celebrate our 2 years anniversary and also to get engaged.

I need your help. I'm trying to decide which is the best route to get my girlfriend. Either thru K1 or get married in the philippines this coming April 2009 instead and do the CR1 route. My girlfriend is a nursing student and will be graduating this coming Oct 2009 and hopefully take the nursing exam by Dec 2009.

Based on my observation, some of you who took the CR1 route had a 9 to 10 months time frame to get an interview which is really good. Also based on the CR1 timeline statistics the average is 338 days.

So do you think CR1 is the best route for me instead of K1 because my girlfriend is still in school? Or take the K1 route so she can be with me as soon as she graduate.

FYI: If i take the K1 visa, i'm fine if she doesn't work for a few months as she needs to study for her NCLEX exam while waiting for an AOS.

If you get married in the US she will get her visa much faster. When I started the process last year to bring ShaSha to the US I hired one of the best immigration lawyers in Las Vegas and he said he has some clients that have taken years when trying to come to the US after getting married. When you are married there are other facts and things they look for that could delay the process. We went with the fiance visa and start to finish ShaSha was in the US in less then 7 months. ShaSha is also a Filipino RN and had already passed the local exams in the Philippines. After coming to the US I signed her up for the Kaplan online review and she passed the NCLEX with no problem. You may want to wait and let her study then start the process for fiance visa about 6 months before she completes her studies. ShaSha also received her green card about 9 months after we sent in the paperwork. We just arrived in the Philippines yesterday to surprise her family it was great when went to the house, they had no idea we were coming. If you ever need a great place to stay in Makati I have a great connection for a lady to rent very new condos about 1 block from Greenbelt. She only charges 2000 pesos a day and with the current US dollar at 48.5 pesos yesterday thats only about 41.00 dollars a day. I have stayed in her condos 4 different times now. Very secure and the full kitchen and swimming pool are great.

So i need all of your suggestion! Please post it here.

Salamat!