Manila Embassy Interview

[YnaYeBa0808 0]

awwwwwwwww ateeeeeee maraming salamat. naka yellow ako? wow chekwang chekwa huh? hahahahha... naku sana mag dilang anghel ka. you know they are betting here that im not going to make it past the interview, im going to faint. hahahhahah actually feeling ko rin eh. i dont know what's keeping me awake at night. i didnt get to sleep until five in the morning. pinagdadasal ko sana maayus na lahat... for all of us...

thank you ate for your prayers. likewise you and kuya gary are in mine as well as the rest of us in this forum...

[Pinay Wife 47]

so i'm lost, we are saying don't take it too soon, but don't take it too far away from the interview? What is ideal? and I am not sure of the specific reasons why a week away from the interview date is a bad thing?

Taking the medical too soon or too far away from interview both have risk factors that you have to consider. Everything depends on one’s own situation.

One might encounter the problems below if one decides to take it a week prior to interview:

• monthly cycle – St. Lukes will ask one to come back after the menstrual cycle ends. What if cycle ends two days before the interview? Results might not be out in time for interview so no medical result, no interview!

• adverse x-ray results or sputum test – hospital will prescribe medicines and ask you to come back after a few weeks or months to check if lungs have cleared

• illness (colds, cough, runny nose) – St. Lukes will ask one to come back if they hear coughing or sniffing.

• surprise Philippine holidays – we’re always in fiesta mood

• typhoons causing power outage for one week!

Personally, I find it more ideal to take the medical a month early so there is time to react if something does happen along the way.

Now if I decide to take the medical 3~6 months before interview, I ran the risk of having to pay for another medical because of the possibility that I might be put in AR after interview which could take a few months.

Also when it’s time to adjust status, the USCIS instructions in Form I-485 about fiances “who had a medical taken within the past year” leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Some US Civil Surgeons insist that the medical is valid only for 6 months. I’d much rather that I have medical that is within the “6-month” validity to erase any ambiguity on the interpretation of the instructions.

Bottom line is, the choice is all ours to make whether to have the medical earlier or later.

JUST A REMINDER (FYI)- Especially if your honey is traveling without you to the states, please don't forget about the extra cost with the Phil Travel Tax of $1,620PHP and the Airport Fee of about $550PHP.

Hey Uling, you are going to give your kababayans a heart attack

The Phil. travel tax and airport fee is paid in Philippine pesos, dear friends. Uling your "kababayans" might drop us Filipina fiancees like hot potatos if they think they are paying a queen's ransom for us.

i dont know what's keeping me awake at night. i didnt get to sleep until five in the morning.

Now Yna, if you don't sleep at night, you will really pass out!

Hala! Awake at night and asleep during the day! Hindi ka kaya lumilipad-lipad sa gabi?

Edited November 3, 2006 by PatientlyWaiting

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Does my fiancee need to fast the day before the medical exam?

[john_and_marlene 162]

Does my fiancee need to fast the day before the medical exam?

No

[Dean iWait 0]

I was hoping for an "official answer" on this too. Now I have heard that the medical expires in 6 months. I've also heard 1 year. I know we are getting ahead of ourselves here. But, I was of course really hoping we will have NOA2 within the next 30 days. I was then going to have Sheryl go to Manila in December for her medical and CFO. The reason so early you might ask? She has a friend who is an OSW and she will be home in Manila in December. So she would have somewhere to stay and have someone to go with her to her medical and CFO. If not most likely I would have her go with one of her sisters and stay in a hotel. Just trying to save a little money here.

Doh I'm sorry it is 1 year.

Fiancé(e)s.

If you are a K-1 fiancé(e) or K-2 dependent who had a medical examination within the past year as required for the nonimmigrant fiancé(e) visa, you only need to submit a vaccination supplement, not the entire medical report. You may include the vaccination supplement with your adjustment of status application.

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-485.pdf

I think i got it confused with the Visa valid for 6 months

Thanks for digging that up Windchaser.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Does my fiancee need to fast the day before the medical exam?

No

Darn! I wanted to tease her with all the delicious food that I would be eating. Thanks a lot "john_and_marlene" for ruining my fun. Just kidding! LOL! I appreciate your help. Cheers!!!

[windchaser_4 0]

gratz tita, hope we are right behind you!

Also when it’s time to adjust status, the USCIS instructions in Form I-485 about fiances “who had a medical taken within the past year” leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Some US Civil Surgeons insist that the medical is valid only for 6 months. I’d much rather that I have medical that is within the “6-month” validity to erase any ambiguity on the interpretation of the instructions.

See, i was right after all

JUST A REMINDER (FYI)- Especially if your honey is traveling without you to the states, please don't forget about the extra cost with the Phil Travel Tax of $1,620PHP and the Airport Fee of about $550PHP.

I thought if you bought the ticket in the Philippines they added the travel tax on it. I could be wrong tho, but i thought our quotes had that.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

gratz tita, hope we are right behind you!

Also when it’s time to adjust status, the USCIS instructions in Form I-485 about fiances “who had a medical taken within the past year” leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Some US Civil Surgeons insist that the medical is valid only for 6 months. I’d much rather that I have medical that is within the “6-month” validity to erase any ambiguity on the interpretation of the instructions.

See, i was right after all

JUST A REMINDER (FYI)- Especially if your honey is traveling without you to the states, please don't forget about the extra cost with the Phil Travel Tax of $1,620PHP and the Airport Fee of about $550PHP.

I thought if you bought the ticket in the Philippines they added the travel tax on it. I could be wrong tho, but i thought our quotes had that.

I could not pay the Phil Travel Tax from here in the states... my fiancee must do that but I'm not sure whether she pays that at the PAL Ticketing office or at the airport (I have another research assignment... thanks a lot windchaser LOL..). However, the Airport Fee is only collected at the airport. Cheers!!

windchaser - I wrote the PAL Ticketing Office in Manila because she has not picked up the ticket yet. Therefore I'm not sure whether the Philippine government requires the Travel Tax to be paid when the ticket is surrendered to the traveler or at the airport before departure (that's my assignment to figure out and report back... not unless someone else knows the answer).

Edited November 3, 2006 by Uling

[Audrey&Romy 0]

Hello PW and everyone here in this forum. I finally got to LAX from Manila via Taipei on Tuesday, 31 October. No problem at all in the POE. For K-1 visa holders, you use the line for visitors and give your passport, the sealed envelope, I-94 (which the flight stewardess will issue in the plane) and a customs declaration form (also given out in the plane; you have to fill it out even if you are not declaring anything).

I was attended to by a Filipino immigration officer who opened the envelope, stamped my passport and attached the departure portion of my I-94 next to my visa. He took fingerprints of my left and right index fingers, took a picture, asked a few questions and that was it. Everything was very straightforward and fast.

I wish everyone here waiting for their visas the best of luck. If you have all your documents in order, there is nothing to worry about.

Audrey

[mychelle 1]

I wrote the PAL Ticketing Office in Manila because she has not picked up the ticket yet. Therefore I'm not sure whether the Philippine government requires the Travel Tax to be paid when the ticket is surrendered to the traveler or at the airport before departure (that's my assignment to figure out and report back... not unless someone else knows the answer).

she can pay for the Phil Travel Tax @ the PAL ticketing office when she picks up her ticket. one less thing to worry about during departure.

[zethris 0]

So even though it's probably been asked before, i'll ask now. When should the tickets to the states be bought exactly? Before so it's cheaper? Or right after the visa is in hand?

One caveat I have now is that we are coming up to the holidays and tickets get more expensive as we creep closer to Christmas and into even feb they stay pretty elevated.

What do you guys recommend?

Also, if I buy them at orbitz.com, I can send her the e-ticket code and she can pick them up just fine at the PAL ticket office, right? (she wants to fly PAL because I told her how much I enjoyed the flight, and she wants to easily be able to talk to others)

Edited November 3, 2006 by zethris

[YnaYeBa0808 0]

hi zethris here's the deal, i cant speak for everyone but my own reasons for purchasing tickets prior to visa issuance. if the tickets were bought prior to hand, the usually cost a lot cheaper. i think that is the underlying reason why most of us bought tickets ahead of time. but if you buy the tickets after visa issuance, i dont see that there should be a problem except that it MAY (may being the operative word) cost a little bit more and the chances of running out of seats during peak season is quite high. christmas, new years and the like. other than that, you are free to buy whenever you choose to.

for flights to asia, the peak times are a week or two before christmas up to a week after new years. unfortunately though that the prices will start rising again towards the end of january due to chinese new year. then come february prices will go back down.

i hope this helps

[sunandmoon 450]

My fiance will be flying up from Davao for the medical and interview. she will be returning to Davao after medical since planning on taking it earlier than scheduled date. I know you have to allow two days for the medical. On the second day, are you usaully doe by noontime? trying to plan whether she could take 4pm back flight to Davao or best to wait till the next morning. any thoughts appreciated.

[YnaYeBa0808 0]

hi roy, i want to say just book it for the third day to be on the safer side. getting out at 4PM is not guaranteed because it depends what time they let you come back the second day. my fiance will have his medical on monday. im stressed out as can be (yeech it's a bad habit) but if anything (if it helps) i can post what time he got done on the second day.

just my 2cents. maybe someone who has taken their medical already can give a clear idea

[sunandmoon 450]

hi roy, i want to say just book it for the third day to be on the safer side. getting out at 4PM is not guaranteed because it depends what time they let you come back the second day. my fiance will have his medical on monday. im stressed out as can be (yeech it's a bad habit) but if anything (if it helps) i can post what time he got done on the second day.

just my 2cents. maybe someone who has taken their medical already can give a clear idea

thanks! that's the way i was leaning, since she's not that familar with Manila. I'm starting to get a little stressed out. when first mailed the petition, everything was months away, now it's weeks. and soon it will be days...