Manila Embassy Interview

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Glen and Rosemarie - Break a leg and bring us back an approval. By the by, it's cool to keep your information organized in folders. However, the USE staff is going to demand that you take the applications out from the folders. Don't be discourage by the rudeness of the people working there (of course, not everyone is rude, but enough of them to make you want to slap the taste out of their mouths... LOL). One of my Pinoy friends at work said they're jealous because they can't go to America with you, but he's crazy like that... LOL!

Erichu - Glad to see your time has come... Congrats!!!

Garya505 - I sent an original and copy of my BC to Jhen as well (Just in case). However, it's not required, but it's one of those things just to have in your back pocket (Just in case). But, I'm more than certain that you will not need the petitioner's BC. Only the beneficiary's BC is collected during the pre-interview.

[Glenn & Rosemarie 0]

Glen and Rosemarie - Break a leg and bring us back an approval. By the by, it's cool to keep your information organized in folders. However, the USE staff is going to demand that you take the applications out from the folders. Don't be discourage by the rudeness of the people working there (of course, not everyone is rude, but enough of them to make you want to slap the taste out of their mouths... LOL). One of my Pinoy friends at work said they're jealous because they can't go to America with you, but he's crazy like that... LOL!

Erichu - Glad to see your time has come... Congrats!!!

Garya505 - I sent an original and copy of my BC to Jhen as well (Just in case). However, it's not required, but it's one of those things just to have in your back pocket (Just in case). But, I'm more than certain that you will not need the petitioner's BC. Only the beneficiary's BC is collected during the pre-interview.

Hey Sheriff! Rosemarie is already here in Florida with me. Her interview was January 25 and she arrived here on February 7. Now for us, it's AOS, etc. The waiting is over, we are together now, so if the government wants to drag the rest of the process for us the waiting is no problem..............Good luck to all with interviews this week!

[sunandmoon 450]

on getting SSN before getting married. I think I remember someone recommending on another forum that since your fiancee's name is in the database from the I-94 or visa in her maiden name.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

Hey Sheriff! Rosemarie is already here in Florida with me. Her interview was January 25 and she arrived here on February 7. Now for us, it's AOS, etc. The waiting is over, we are together now, so if the government wants to drag the rest of the process for us the waiting is no problem..............Good luck to all with interviews this week!

Oppsss and Congrats!!! I was looking at someone else's timeline and confused them with yours. Anywho, you are golden now with the K3 you get a break from the madness. That's a beautiful thing only second to the reunion of you and your beloved Rosemarie. YEAH!

[Sheriff Uling 3]

on getting SSN before getting married. I think I remember someone recommending on another forum that since your fiancee's name is in the database from the I-94 or visa in her maiden name.

You are absolutely correct. Upon entering the US, the beneficiary's information is enter into a database at the POE. So if the beneficiary goes to the SSA to apply for their SSN, their name and information must match. That's why it's imperative to ensure the visa is correct before leaving the Phil. However, I'm not sure. We took the route that we knew would give us the least resistence. We applied for the SSN under Jhen's maiden (before getting married and 10 days after arriving to ensure the system would be updated with her information). Then we returned to re-apply under her married name and received a new card. OK! Now I remember what happend with those folks who were forced to apply for their SSN under their maiden names after being married. The waited until after the I-94 expired. So if you wait until the I-94 expires, the only way to change the name on the beneficiary's SSN card is after the AOS is approved. They SSA application does ask for your name then other names used in which could be done after a couple is married, which means of course that the couple would bring ID's and the marriage certificate (is does NOT have to be the certified copy) (BENEFICIARIES PLEASE APPLY FOR YOUR SSN BEFORE THE I-94 EXPIRES OR YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE NAME ON YOUR SSN CARD TO YOUR MARRIED NAME UNTIL AFTER THE AOS IS APPROVED, WHICH COULD BE UPTO A YEAR AFTER YOU ARRIVE IN THE US). Cheers!!! - Sheriff Uling

Edited February 11, 2007 by Sheriff Uling

[Glenn & Rosemarie 0]

Hey Sheriff! Rosemarie is already here in Florida with me. Her interview was January 25 and she arrived here on February 7. Now for us, it's AOS, etc. The waiting is over, we are together now, so if the government wants to drag the rest of the process for us the waiting is no problem..............Good luck to all with interviews this week!

Oppsss and Congrats!!! I was looking at someone else's timeline and confused them with yours. Anywho, you are golden now with the K3 you get a break from the madness. That's a beautiful thing only second to the reunion of you and your beloved Rosemarie. YEAH!

Thanks for the congrats Sheriff. You are right, it is a blessed reunion for us both. You know, it seems that during all the waiting that the days sometimes drag by slowly, but it makes the finality of being together so wonderful when the time finally comes.

[jeffry 0]

thx sheriff. looking for some more advice. my wifes passport is still in her married name. in order to get it amended, is it required to go to the cfo first? secondly, if it is not changed to her married name will that present problems later on at the cfo or consulate? third(if i may) if we are already married, the cfo can still ask for written parental advice? thx for any help, jeff

[jeffry 0]

thx sheriff. looking for some more advice. my wifes passport is still in her maiden name. in order to get it amended, is it required to go to the cfo first? secondly, if it is not changed to her married name will that present problems later on at the cfo or consulate? third(if i may) if we are already married, the cfo can still ask for written parental advice? thx for any help, jeff

sorry

[jazzy 0]

Hi,

No it not necessary to go to cfo for that. Just go to where you got the passport, with your nso marraige paper. Tell them you want a NEW passport...some offices will tell you you just need a stamp or something in the old passport, or try to convince you you dont need to change it to married name (i dont know why they do this...we pay for it). Anyway, you just get a new passport with married name. Not changing it will not present problems so long as you have your marraige papers. We had it changed so that the name would match across the board...and in my opinion...makes the marraige look more sincere.

Jazzy

thx sheriff. looking for some more advice. my wifes passport is still in her married name. in order to get it amended, is it required to go to the cfo first? secondly, if it is not changed to her married name will that present problems later on at the cfo or consulate? third(if i may) if we are already married, the cfo can still ask for written parental advice? thx for any help, jeff

[vic&el4ever 0]

We are in Manila now getting ready for interview Tuesday!!!

Best of luck Gary and all who have interviews this week!!!

[StarProg 0]

Hi,

No it not necessary to go to cfo for that. Just go to where you got the passport, with your nso marraige paper. Tell them you want a NEW passport...some offices will tell you you just need a stamp or something in the old passport, or try to convince you you dont need to change it to married name (i dont know why they do this...we pay for it). Anyway, you just get a new passport with married name. Not changing it will not present problems so long as you have your marraige papers. We had it changed so that the name would match across the board...and in my opinion...makes the marraige look more sincere.

When we returned to PI from our honeymoon, the officer at the POE gave my wife a lecture because she had not changed her passport to her married name yet. Don't know why he thought it would even have been possible by that time, as we're still waiting for the NSO to officially register our marriage after 5 months. Last Friday she was told that she has to go to the Manila office to get her marriage certificate. At least once in Manila she'll be able to take care of that, plus the passport change, new NBI, and all the other papers we'll be needing very soon.

[Pinay Wife 47]

my friend will have her interview for CR1 this coming March 13 and she would like to know what are the things that she needs to bring with her from both the petitioner and the beneficiary for the interview...We just know her schedule 3 nights ago & she is freakin' worried right now coz she neither receive a pre-interview notice nor the packet, not ready with her documents & dont even know what are the forms that she needs to fill up , if there's any...

Marie,

Click on the links below for the documents that your friend will need for her interview and the forms required.

http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwfirfe.pdf

http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwhirfe.html

[Amerikano 0]

We are in Manila now getting ready for interview Tuesday!!!

Goodluck! you will sure get the visa!

Yes, we pray that everyone gets a visa with no problems this week (and everyone to come). This process sometimes makes a person a little crazy, I'm having lots of difficulty sleeping and concentrating on work, etc. Good luck everybody!

Gary

[MarieandBryan 0]

my friend will have her interview for CR1 this coming March 13 and she would like to know what are the things that she needs to bring with her from both the petitioner and the beneficiary for the interview...We just know her schedule 3 nights ago & she is freakin' worried right now coz she neither receive a pre-interview notice nor the packet, not ready with her documents & dont even know what are the forms that she needs to fill up , if there's any...

Marie,

Click on the links below for the documents that your friend will need for her interview and the forms required.

http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwfirfe.pdf

http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwhirfe.html

Thank you so much PW. I have hard copies now of those docs & ill give this to her...

God bless to everyone who will have their interview soon...

Marie

[Pinay Wife 47]

I have been dealing with this issue recently myself. The latest I've been able to read is that the officers at the US Embassy are not authorized to notarize a Philippine passport. What is reccomended is to go to the nearest DFA office where the passports are issued, and get a certified copy of your passport. You will receive a copy of the biographic page which has been certified by the DFA. Submit this along with a xerox of the pages of the passport with information or stamps, along with your tax return and the W7 form.

To those who want to have their documents authenticated by the American Embassy, below is a helpful link.

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwha005.html

Authentications

The primary purpose of an authentication, which is a governmental act by a U.S. consular officer, is to certify the official seal, signature and/ or authority of foreign officials who perform an official act with regard to a document that is to be used in the United States. On December 11, 2006, U.S. consular officers will no longer authenticate the seals and signatures of any accredited Philippine notaries public. Also, the U.S. Embassy will no longer offer to the public a list of registered Philippine notaries public for whom the Embassy maintains such information. Only authentication requests for originally signed documents from key Department of Foreign Affairs and National Statistics Office officials will be authenticated.

*Individuals seeking acknowledgments of signatures on documents for use in the United States, or who wish to execute an affidavit before a notarizing officer, may find it easier to go directly to the Embassy in Manila or to the Consular Agency in Cebu. If an individual insists upon authenticating the signature of a Philippine notary public he or she may do so by obtaining certification of the notary public from the accrediting court, followed by certification by the Malcanang Records Office, followed by certification from a Department of Foreign Affairs official. An Embassy consular officer will then be able to authenticate the seal and signature of the Department of Foreign Affairs official.

A consular authentication of a document to be used in the U.S. in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing Philippine government official.

*This provision applies only to US citizens. Filipino citizens cannot have their documents notarized by the USE. They follow the authentication process as described above.