how many trips to Manila

[maritoni 3]

Ate Toni, I just wanna ask if you ever did change your maiden name into married name in your passport? Because I know someone who arrived here on CR1 who didn't changed her surname in her passport but she amended her passport though.

I believe that if you WANT to renew your passport then you really HAVE to attend the seminar but anyhow, whether you will renew your passport or not, whether we like it or not, we don't have any choice but to attend that seminar if we want to be with our SO.

Yep Diane,i changed my name into married name...

[o0pink0o 3]

Ate Toni, I just wanna ask if you ever did change your maiden name into married name in your passport? Because I know someone who arrived here on CR1 who didn't changed her surname in her passport but she amended her passport though.

I believe that if you WANT to renew your passport then you really HAVE to attend the seminar but anyhow, whether you will renew your passport or not, whether we like it or not, we don't have any choice but to attend that seminar if we want to be with our SO.

Yep Diane,i changed my name into married name...

in your passport? I am sorry for being "makulit" i just want to clear things because how come they required me to attend the seminar first before renewing my passport hehe

I am sleepy now so I guess I'll read your reply tom. have a nice day te toni

[maritoni 3]

Ate Toni, I just wanna ask if you ever did change your maiden name into married name in your passport? Because I know someone who arrived here on CR1 who didn't changed her surname in her passport but she amended her passport though.

I believe that if you WANT to renew your passport then you really HAVE to attend the seminar but anyhow, whether you will renew your passport or not, whether we like it or not, we don't have any choice but to attend that seminar if we want to be with our SO.

Yep Diane,i changed my name into married name...

in your passport? I am sorry for being "makulit" i just want to clear things because how come they required me to attend the seminar first before renewing my passport hehe

I am sleepy now so I guess I'll read your reply tom. have a nice day te toni

Yes dear:) so i am officially using my husband's name..or surname:P

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

You're exactly right Pink! Shortly after my wedding, I was so excited to change my passport from my maiden name to married name so I went to DFA and brought my old one and other docs that I thought is required. I got there so early only to find out that I have to attend CFO first for me to obtain a new one. I felt frustrated that time not bcoz I need to attend the seminar but bcoz of its location. I was told I can do it either in Cebu or in Manila, my choice. Jeez, I have to fly over only for this? Hehe..Good thing my husband was coming home then so I chose the last one and had the seminar while hubby was on the plane.

I wasn't asked for the CFO certificate...here are the requirements....http://dfa.gov.ph/?page_id=64

Thanks ate (hehe..makiki-ate na rin po)!

How's the feeling now that you are using your husband's name? Ang saya-saya di po ba!!!?

Coz that's how I felt when I got mine changed and saw my married name on it...Hehe!

Best wishes!

[maritoni 3]

Thanks ate (hehe..makiki-ate na rin po)!

How's the feeling now that you are using your husband's name? Ang saya-saya di po ba!!!?

Coz that's how I felt when I got mine changed and saw my married name on it...Hehe!

Best wishes!

Siyempre masaya,dahil siguro sa fireign name sya! Lol just kidding:P okey lang maki ate ka...obviously mas matanda naman ako sa iyo:)

i just dont see why would the DFA officers ask for CFO certificate kung may marriage contact naman di ba?siguro i was just lucky that day:)sana lang tuloy tuloy na...i will be attending CFO seminar soon...hopefully may makakasabay ako from VJ:)

to the OP sorry for over using your thread:P

[majca 0]

Thanks ate (hehe..makiki-ate na rin po)!

How's the feeling now that you are using your husband's name? Ang saya-saya di po ba!!!?

Coz that's how I felt when I got mine changed and saw my married name on it...Hehe!

Best wishes!

Siyempre masaya,dahil siguro sa fireign name sya! Lol just kidding:P okey lang maki ate ka...obviously mas matanda naman ako sa iyo:)

i just dont see why would the DFA officers ask for CFO certificate kung may marriage contact naman di ba?siguro i was just lucky that day:)sana lang tuloy tuloy na...i will be attending CFO seminar soon...hopefully may makakasabay ako from VJ:)

to the OP sorry for over using your thread:P

Ako rin po d nila ako nirequire mag seminar para ma change ko surname ko sa surname ng asawa ko nun.

Hinanap lng nila ung Marriage Cert. namin nung nagrenew ako ng passport kaya nung nag apply n kmi ng visa dala dala ko n surname asawa ko sa passport ko.

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

Thanks ate (hehe..makiki-ate na rin po)!

How's the feeling now that you are using your husband's name? Ang saya-saya di po ba!!!?

Coz that's how I felt when I got mine changed and saw my married name on it...Hehe!

Best wishes!

Siyempre masaya,dahil siguro sa fireign name sya! Lol just kidding:P okey lang maki ate ka...obviously mas matanda naman ako sa iyo:)

i just dont see why would the DFA officers ask for CFO certificate kung may marriage contact naman di ba?siguro i was just lucky that day:)sana lang tuloy tuloy na...i will be attending CFO seminar soon...hopefully may makakasabay ako from VJ:)

to the OP sorry for over using your thread:P

I was about to apologize to the OP naunahan mo lang ako ate...

Anyway, your right! I dont understand why would they do that...if their purpose is just to make sure that the applicant is indeed married to a foreigner then what's the use of the MC that they dont even consider it as a requirement? It doesnt make sense.

[maritoni 3]

I was about to apologize to the OP naunahan mo lang ako ate...

Anyway, your right! I dont understand why would they do that...if their purpose is just to make sure that the applicant is indeed married to a foreigner then what's the use of the MC that they dont even consider it as a requirement? It doesnt make sense.

i think just some DFA officers that's having bad day,to be honest i just brought my green passport together with our marriage certificate from the registry office,birth certificate from NSO..and the only question i was asked was "where did you get this MC'?....cost 750 pesos for 8 days plus 100 pesos air21 door to door) and now passport is in hand:)

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

I was about to apologize to the OP naunahan mo lang ako ate...

Anyway, your right! I dont understand why would they do that...if their purpose is just to make sure that the applicant is indeed married to a foreigner then what's the use of the MC that they dont even consider it as a requirement? It doesnt make sense.

i think just some DFA officers that's having bad day,to be honest i just brought my green passport together with our marriage certificate from the registry office,birth certificate from NSO..and the only question i was asked was "where did you get this MC'?....cost 750 pesos for 8 days plus 100 pesos air21 door to door) and now passport is in hand:)

you're lucky ate coz you got yours easy...i did the same way, i brought my green passport, marriage cert from the LCR and birth certificate from NSO with me but they still asked for my CFO cert.

anyway, congrats ate!

good luck to all of us on our visa journey!

Edited June 7, 2009 by ~hAppyndinlOve~

[PinayAmerican 0]

hi, is it really important to change your maiden name to married name on your passport? However, my passport is at St.Luke's and will be forwarded to the US embassy, so i have no choice but to wait for my passport to be sent back to me with the visa. Should I ammend it after the interview? Will it only take 8 days to have it after the application? Or, do you think it is safe to ammend the old one once you have your visa on it already? Or, I should just ammend it when I get to US? Please advise me. Thanks!

[SuperDuper! 230]

I would suggest 3 trips,first is her medical exam,and while she's waiting for the result she could attend a CFO seminar the second trip would be her interview at the USEM and the third one is when she get her visa and this time she can have the cfo sticker stamp on her visa..

Not necessary. Many pinays stay in manila for a week: They do their medical, go to first cfo meeting (scared straight, hehe), then go to usem interview. Oh, and sight see and spend more of kanoz money on clothes and shoes, hehe.

so mavbe 10 days in manila to do medical/cfo/interview. Then fly back home (cheap, maybe $35USD) and wait for visa to be delivered by AIR21, then pack up bags, and back to manila, get cfo stamp, then catch flight to LA. Simple really if you plan ahead, gud luck :star:

Edited June 7, 2009 by itzallgood

[angel7407 33]

Hi all,

How many trips will my wife have to make from Bislig to Manila, for the visa process? I am estimating 4 trips there: 1 trip there for CFO seminar, 1 trip there for medical exam, 1 trip there for interview, and the final trip there to cfo to register and get sticker, then she can get on the plane.

I am correct 4 trips? they make it so difficult, and expensive for everyone, it could be so much easy if organized properly.

Is ther anyway to combine the activities to reduce the number of trips?

Thanks much

Steve

I only had mine two trips to Manila. I live in Leyte, so I applied my passport renewal in Tacloban City since it was already expired (I went there and was told to have CFO guidance counseling first...grrrr!!!). So, I went to Cebu (by boat) to have the CFO thing and went to Tacloban City again for my passport. After 15 days (Oh, I'm not really sure! But DFA have two choices: the rush one and the 21-day pick-up, I chose the shortest one with additional charge), there was an LBC stand at the DFA office where you can have your passport be delivered to you at a fee of P100, so I had that. When my interview was scheduled, I flew to Manila and had my medical exam the following morning and finished on the 3rd day, then my interview after that. So, bale 1 trip lang yun. Then when my visa was delivered, went to Cebu to have the sticker stamped and then flew from Cebu to US. If your interview is not scheduled yet, have your wife go to Cebu and have the CFO counseling and apply for passport at the same time. Or she can have a travel agency in Cebu do it for her (I think the fastest at DFA is P750 and at the travel agency is P1,000) and there will be no hassle of falling in line at the DFA office so early in the morning. I think the travel agency will bring her to DFA office for a certain signature. But in my opinion, I think it will be cheaper for her to have the CFO counseling in Cebu than fly to Manila where daily expenses are higher too. Just my piece of thoughts...

[Joan >3 Bob 20]

To be on the safe side, 1 trip for the medical, 1 trip for the interview. Then one trip to take care of CFO after she receives her visa and also the 3rd trip can be the one for her departing the Philippines to travel to you. so I think a minimum of 3. depending on her medical circumstances, you can not count on the 2 days of medical be 2 days in a row...some people have the first day and then are told to come back maybe 3 days later for the second day.

[SuperDuper! 230]

To be on the safe side, 1 trip for the medical, 1 trip for the interview. Then one trip to take care of CFO after she receives her visa and also the 3rd trip can be the one for her departing the Philippines to travel to you. so I think a minimum of 3. depending on her medical circumstances, you can not count on the 2 days of medical be 2 days in a row...some people have the first day and then are told to come back maybe 3 days later for the second day.

Itz better to do medical then stay for a few days in manila for interview. Less running around. :star:

[MikeA 0]

You're exactly right Pink! Shortly after my wedding, I was so excited to change my passport from my maiden name to married name so I went to DFA and brought my old one and other docs that I thought is required. I got there so early only to find out that I have to attend CFO first for me to obtain a new one. I felt frustrated that time not bcoz I need to attend the seminar but bcoz of its location. I was told I can do it either in Cebu or in Manila, my choice. Jeez, I have to fly over only for this? Hehe..Good thing my husband was coming home then so I chose the last one and had the seminar while hubby was on the plane.

I wasn't asked for the CFO certificate...here are the requirements....http://dfa.gov.ph/?page_id=64

Ate Toni, I just wanna ask if you ever did change your maiden name into married name in your passport? Because I know someone who arrived here on CR1 who didn't changed her surname in her passport but she amended her passport though.

I believe that if you WANT to renew your passport then you really HAVE to attend the seminar but anyhow, whether you will renew your passport or not, whether we like it or not, we don't have any choice but to attend that seminar if we want to be with our SO.

* Does anyone know if the Consulate Officer will allow you to pick up Visa at Embassy or do they not like you to ask them for that?