Manila Embassy Interview

[sunandmoon 450]

My wife just called and she's headed to the embassy now. Good luck everyone!

Gary

It's now 4:28am Manila time. Feb 13th. first up this week Ken & Maria and garya505. best of luck with the interview.

Gary, she'll breeze right thru it. best of luck looking forward to 3 approvals later today.

[panicked 0]

With the talk a little earlier about the SSN: Is the 10 day wait for applying for a US SSN, required, upon entering the US? Or can a person apply for it immediately upon arrival to the USA?

My understanding, that for the work permit, a k-1 person must wait until after the marriage occurred. Or is that simply part of the AOS process?

Thank you

[sunandmoon 450]

With the talk a little earlier about the SSN: Is the 10 day wait for applying for a US SSN, required, upon entering the US? Or can a person apply for it immediately upon arrival to the USA?

My understanding, that for the work permit, a k-1 person must wait until after the marriage occurred. Or is that simply part of the AOS process?

Thank you

I think the reason for ten days is to allow time for your fiancee's name to be entered into the database.

you would file for EAD (I-765) at the same time as you file for AOS ( I-485). believe a I-485 was to be pending to file a

I-765. the hope is the EAD will be approved faster than time takes to AOS, so your wife can work if she wants to.

once she receives green card, no need for EAD.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

I remember reading here on VJ somewhere that it was recommend that the foreign fiancee apply for SSN before getting married because it is easier to change your name with Social Security after you've initially applied with maiden name vs. applying for it with your married name. Does anybody have any experience with this directly?

Well, my wife (then fiancee) applied for her SSN two weeks after she arrived (maiden name). It took one week for her to receive her SS card. She applied for her SS card after we were married and it arrived in about five days. Conversely, my wife's friend who applied for her SS card after she was married has been waiting for three weeks now and still does not have her card. This may either be a coincidence or what I call blind irony. The only problem is the SSN, at least here in California, is not given at the point the beneficiary applies. SS cards are free of charge so the only thing that is spent is time in applying. Either way, your beloved will eventually receive her SS card. Just make sure that you get it done before the I-94 expires or your wife will have to wait until the AOS is approve to have the SS card updated to her married name.

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

[Dean iWait 0]

Any April interviews scheduled yet...?? I keep putting our case number in the website and nothing yet. Hoping to hear something soon here.

[sunandmoon 450]

Any April interviews scheduled yet...?? I keep putting our case number in the website and nothing yet. Hoping to hear something soon here.

anytime after the 15th they should be released. hopefully by end of week, your interview date will appear.

[kismet 0]

It's a busy and exciting Valentine's week indeed! Looking forward to good news of approvals from all of you.

Bring 'em on,guys.

Gen

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I remember reading here on VJ somewhere that it was recommend that the foreign fiancee apply for SSN before getting married because it is easier to change your name with Social Security after you've initially applied with maiden name vs. applying for it with your married name. Does anybody have any experience with this directly?

Well, my wife (then fiancee) applied for her SSN two weeks after she arrived (maiden name). It took one week for her to receive her SS card. She applied for her SS card after we were married and it arrived in about five days. Conversely, my wife's friend who applied for her SS card after she was married has been waiting for three weeks now and still does not have her card. This may either be a coincidence or what I call blind irony. The only problem is the SSN, at least here in California, is not given at the point the beneficiary applies. SS cards are free of charge so the only thing that is spent is time in applying. Either way, your beloved will eventually receive her SS card. Just make sure that you get it done before the I-94 expires or your wife will have to wait until the AOS is approve to have the SS card updated to her married name.

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

Sound advice, right there! Thank you, Sheriff!

[soulm8z0928 0]

hey everybody, good luck to all those with upcoming interviews! and for those of you waiting for your interview appointments, good luck, you should hear any day now! here's hoping you all get april interviews!

[gobdogman 0]

Hey PW, as much as i wish our interview is the 16th it isnt until the 26th. I wish we can cut 10 days of waiting from our life.

We also have an interview on the 27th for the registration of birth abroad for our baby and they want the same things required for the k1 interview.

You would think they could just forward the info to the appropriate office and save us all the headaches but that would be asking too much of the govt.

They did have us for the 22nd for the babys registration but i asked them to change it to the 27th so she didnt have to travel to manila so much.

[Pinay Wife 47]

Hi Cora,

Thats not correct. Jasmin was issued a new passport and it was not expiring...she turned in the old one...they issued a new one and gave her back the old one also with an invalidation stamp on it....the embassy even asked her for the old passport at the interview. We had initially requested amendment but there was a posting here in VJ about it at the time so we got the ne passport.

Hi Jazzy,

This is another case of a government agency not implementing their policy in a standard or consistent manner, much like the US embassy (yaiks, if someone from the USE is reading this, well, there goes my fiancee visa! )

I called the DFA this morning (834-3000). The guy I spoke with said that if passport is not expiring "soon", DFA would only amend the passport to reflect married name. Maybe if I called them again later, I would get a reply that is totally different. I will try to call them this afternoon to check my theory.

Jasmin had the good fortune to have been processed by a person who was probably lenient with the procedures. Others who requested for new passports instead of amendment were not as lucky.

Regards,

PW

[Paulily 0]

Hi! I need advise if just in-case my fiance's documents will not arrive on time before I go to USE for my interview. Will I still have my interview and just bring back the lacking documents?

Lacking documents - Evidence of Support

FedEx Tracking Number is: 858509113023

Left Jacksonville - Feb 10

Estimated delivery Feb 14 - 6 pm

I called FedEx customer service - the route will be from Subic to NAIA Parañaque then to Sta. Rosa Laguna then to my residence in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

I'm freaking out here

Lily

[sunandmoon 450]

Hi! I need advise if just in-case my fiance's documents will not arrive on time before I go to USE for my interview. Will I still have my interview and just bring back the lacking documents?

Lacking documents - Evidence of Support

FedEx Tracking Number is: 858509113023

Left Jacksonville - Feb 10

Estimated delivery Feb 14 - 6 pm

I called FedEx customer service - the route will be from Subic to NAIA Parañaque then to Sta. Rosa Laguna then to my residence in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

I'm freaking out here

Lily

If it does not arrive, could your fiancee fax you copy of his tax return and W-2? probably still be put in AR, but at least you have something to submit till you receive the documents.

[sbgwolf1 0]

Woo Hoo!!!

Visa is in her hand, ticket is purchased......We will be together in 95 hours. It seems like this has taken forever.

Also, Lebby. It appears you were talking to my fiancee there at the embassy.

Good luck to all!

S&T

[God is Good 0]

I hope this helps- not too late!!.. I bought the ticket in Manila and I paid including the taxes a total of $658 for Northwest Airline.. I did inquire for like 4 travel agencies and found the cheapest one in Quezzon City.....that price above includes the Philippine travel tax of P1620.00. I inquiired for the same flight at one of the travel agencies in Makati - one where my previous employer uses for all our consultants.. and they gave me a qoute for $748 for the same flight without the P1620 travel tax..Here's the name of the travel agency.. Chrislink Travel agency, they send me my e-ticket and i fxe them my deposit slip and that's just it!!! You can go online and book a seat for your trip so that you can choose what seat do you want... and print that e-ticket with the seat number on so that you will have no problem and you know where you are going to seat for the long trip ahead!!!

her;s the name of the agncy.. Chrislink Travel 632-373-3305 and 373-3212 look for allan.. he's the guy who accomodated my trip..He rserved me even though I dont have the visa in my hand and jut faxed my a copy of my visa to their office.. :=) you dont hve to go to their office..:-)

This agency really is the cheapest so far!!! and oh that trip is from MANILA-MINNEAPOLIS-BOSTON via Northwest..stop over in Narita Japan.. Jan 24 07

God bless!!!

I apologize if this has already been talked about before, but I'd like to know who here was able to have the beneficiary purchase their plane tickets in the Philippines?

I am hoping to have Jinky purchase her plane ticket through a travel agent the day after her interview.

I remember someone posted earlier that if your fiancee purchases the tickets, the travel agent will ask to see her Visa.

If that is the case, how are we able to purchase plan tickets far enough in advance to get the cheapest tickets available?

In our case, I purchased the plane ticket in advance thru PAL and Jhen picked it up from the Ticketing Office (where she paid the travel tax). However, she could only pick up the ticket after receipt of the visa. I am not aware of how the travel agencies handle ticket purchases in the Phil.

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

Thanks, Sheriff! I was hoping to save from paying the extra tax.

There are two unavoidable taxes. The travel tax of 1620 PHP for domestic and business flights, and the airport tax/fee of 520 PHP that is paid before the traveler reaches customs at the airport.

Hello,

My wife is buying her ticket Friday so I'll let you know what happens. She already reserved the ticket at Northwest without a visa, so I'm not sure but we will see if they sell it to her Friday. Thanks,

Gary

PS-Good luck today Jello Shot Girl!

If I buy the ticket, there is a US Tax of about $107 USD per ticket, whereas if Jinky were to purchase the ticket, she would only have to pay the Philippine taxes (1650 and 200 pesos) - am I understanding this correctly?