what the weird CFO for passport renewal?

[rochelle 0]

Ok I have something to ask if anyone can help because this is really confusing. So let me start by saying my filipina wife already has a passport and it shows her old maiden name on it but for her to renew it with my surname then she has to have CFO. Now from what I have read here is that most filipinas will get the CFO after they already pass interview or get visa but what about before interview can you get that? Or does my wife even have to renew her passport yet or can it wait until after interview to get that. The only reason Im thinking she needs to renew her passport now is because NVC requires you to send a xerox copy of her passport but what would they say if it shows her maiden name on it still or does she really need to renew it with my surname before NVC?

Your opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks,

Jers

[Frank+Jocelyn 1]

She can attend the CFO briefing at anytime, before or after. As for the passport, you will want to change it anyway, so it may be easier to do it in the Philippines. I have dealt with both the San Francisco and Washington Philippine embassies and they are everything but efficient.

[sylver 0]

is it only the name on the passport is the issue? the US embassy would prefer to have the passport at least 6months before it expires..so incase the passport expires this year it will be good to have it renew on her maiden name..if it is not yet soon to expire no worries about it even if it is under maiden name.. it is still her... that is if you're are applying for K1? cause if it is K1, St. Luke's will be the one who will bring the passport to US Embassy, they can check if there is any conflict on the passport.. about the CFO as i read the forum there are a lot of fiancee, having CFO right after medical, so maybe she can have CFO even before she has interview....I will be attending CFO sometime next week before i have my interview at US Embassy

[Leiy 0]

I had my passport renewed at DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) here in my place and one of the requirements is the CFO certificate since my husband is a foreigner. I attended CFO seminar at St. Mary's last month Jan. 15 and had no problem at all. I was able to get the counselling certificate as well as the CFO certificate however not the sticker yet. The lady told me that if I already have my visa I just have to go back and show the certificates to be able to get the CFO sticker.

Aloha

[abbielovesjeremy 5]

what i did is change my maiden name on my passport first to my married name before sending the photocopy to NVC. to make sure that everything in there has the same name.

first have your wife attend the CFO seminar even without the visa yet so she will have that certificate of attendance. then have her prepare your NSO certified MC.. and then her NSO certified BC. then when she has all these including the CFO certificate of attendance. if she is in manila, make an online reservation (click here) so she doesnt need to be at DFA too early. they prioritize those with online appointments. they have different lines (MUCH MUUUUUCCCCHHHHH shorter line ) i was in and out of DFA in less than half an hour

oh btw, DFA didnt ask for my CFO certificate because i have been married more than 6 months when i applied for a change in passport name i had it with me though.

Edited February 5, 2010 by abbielovesjeremy

[rochelle 0]

is it only the name on the passport is the issue? the US embassy would prefer to have the passport at least 6months before it expires..so incase the passport expires this year it will be good to have it renew on her maiden name..if it is not yet soon to expire no worries about it even if it is under maiden name.. it is still her... that is if you're are applying for K1? cause if it is K1, St. Luke's will be the one who will bring the passport to US Embassy, they can check if there is any conflict on the passport.. about the CFO as i read the forum there are a lot of fiancee, having CFO right after medical, so maybe she can have CFO even before she has interview....I will be attending CFO sometime next week before i have my interview at US Embassy

No I said she is my wife, so we are married. We are doing CR-1, so does she need to change her on passport before i submit the xerox copy of her passport before NVC?

[Dakine 26]

No I said she is my wife, so we are married. We are doing CR-1, so does she need to change her on passport before i submit the xerox copy of her passport before NVC?

No need but may as well if she intends to change her name to yours.

She will have to attend CFO sometime anyway. If it's a time factor go ahead and submit a copy of her current passport.

Edited February 5, 2010 by Dakine

[rochelle 0]

No need but may as well if she intends to change her name to yours.

She will have to attend CFO sometime anyway. If it's a time factor go ahead and submit a copy of her current passport.

Well time is not a factor but I just hate that my wife has to take a trip to Cebu or Manila just to get a CFO certificate to renew her passport in my name when she can get that CFO when she is already in Manila for the medical exam.

[DouglasFiel 53]

Maybe this will help...

We submitted all I130/I129F CR1/K3 paperwork with her married name.

We submitted to NVC Maiden Name passport copy...

NVC Changed the name on the her petition to the maiden name. which matched the passport.

In the mean time we got her passport re-issued with her married name.

We presented the new passport to St Lukes...

After the interview,,, we received back the passport with the Visa in her married name.

We did the CFO/PDOS and left for the USA.

SSN and GreenCard issued in USA under married name.

Regards,

[Scott and Mhay 57]

my wife just got a new passport with her married name in it and she didnt need the CFO stamp or certificate....just NSO marriage certificate. She just went to the DFA in manila to get it done. Nothing special. We have just been married for 5 months now. My wife started the application for the passport on 8 Jan and then had to go back a week later to pay?? In any case it got delivered on 2 Feb i think (we were in manila together on the day when it got delivered to her house in Baliuag).

[rochelle 0]

Maybe this will help...

We submitted all I130/I129F CR1/K3 paperwork with her married name.

We submitted to NVC Maiden Name passport copy...

NVC Changed the name on the her petition to the maiden name. which matched the passport.

In the mean time we got her passport re-issued with her married name.

We presented the new passport to St Lukes...

After the interview,,, we received back the passport with the Visa in her married name.

We did the CFO/PDOS and left for the USA.

SSN and GreenCard issued in USA under married name.

Regards,

That's perfect Douglas, thanks for the info it really helped!

[rochelle 0]

my wife just got a new passport with her married name in it and she didnt need the CFO stamp or certificate....just NSO marriage certificate. She just went to the DFA in manila to get it done. Nothing special. We have just been married for 5 months now. My wife started the application for the passport on 8 Jan and then had to go back a week later to pay?? In any case it got delivered on 2 Feb i think (we were in manila together on the day when it got delivered to her house in Baliuag).

Yea Scott I have also heard from others saying they were able to renew passport with only NSO MC but they are already married for 5-6 months like you. I'm not sure if the length of time matters or not because we have been married for 3 months and my wife just went to DFA and they told her she needs CFO certificate also. So who knows for sure but I will have her try again at DFA on our 5th Monthsary. Thanks for your help.

[rochelle 0]

what i did is change my maiden name on my passport first to my married name before sending the photocopy to NVC. to make sure that everything in there has the same name.

first have your wife attend the CFO seminar even without the visa yet so she will have that certificate of attendance. then have her prepare your NSO certified MC.. and then her NSO certified BC. then when she has all these including the CFO certificate of attendance. if she is in manila, make an online reservation (click here) so she doesnt need to be at DFA too early. they prioritize those with online appointments. they have different lines (MUCH MUUUUUCCCCHHHHH shorter line ) i was in and out of DFA in less than half an hour

oh btw, DFA didnt ask for my CFO certificate because i have been married more than 6 months when i applied for a change in passport name i had it with me though.

Hey I think my wife already PM you about this but thanks again for ur advice. I will have my wife try again at DFA in a few months and hopefully they will allow her to renew the passport without the CFO certificate like some other people were able to do on here. But if not then off to Cebu heh.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

Yea Scott I have also heard from others saying they were able to renew passport with only NSO MC but they are already married for 5-6 months like you. I'm not sure if the length of time matters or not because we have been married for 3 months and my wife just went to DFA and they told her she needs CFO certificate also. So who knows for sure but I will have her try again at DFA on our 5th Monthsary. Thanks for your help.

Yeah, but we were only married for a little over 4 months when she applied, so I don't know. We got married on 29 August 2009 and she applied for her passport on 8 Jan 2010. Maybe she just needed to talk to someone else. I know that when my wife went there, they just gave her the paperwork and a number to come back a week later to pay the fee. She also paid for the delivery on the second trip so we didnt have to go to the DFA when I first got here and she wouldnt have had to make another trip if I couldnt get my leave approved. Delivery was like 99 pesos or so.

[dannyannemj 0]

I think its their new policy for this year due to a new machine readable passports, once a spouse is married to a foreigner, she should get a cfo otherwise the passport will not be released, I just knew it yesterday when I renew my passport to my husband name, I will be going to cebu or manila before 31st this month though