Some K1 Q's: Military member currently in Germany w/ Fiancee in Philippines

[A&M-Forever 0]

Yeah, I think my plan is to just go ahead and head to where it is I need to go - if you catch my drift

I'll be saying all the right things (Manila) and my supervisor and flight chief have already been placed in the loop about my intention to marry in the Philippines. I will register on that site (did that before during my last trip there in February from PACAF, so I'll just do it the same way I did previously). I will have to have the CC sign off on my leave though for sure....because it looks like I may need to take 2.5 days of advance leave...which I don't think will be a problem. I'll also be deleting these posts in a few days - just in case

My plan is to spend the minimum amount of time required in her province (maybe 4 days/nights), and spend the majority of it in Manila (and perhaps Boracay)...so 1-2 days to apply for the Marriage License and 1-2 days for the actual Civil Marriage ceremony (we have totally abandoned the church wedding as it will likely be impossible to do in our circumstances) and celebration with her family and friends before going back to Manila. As far as the leave address goes, I have that covered (Pan Pacific Hotel in Manila and also she has a brother who lives in Manila). I also have a Cell Phone that I use there and can use that as an emergency contact number along with her cell phone. We'll always have those on us. I am also pretty good at acting German...so I can keep a somewhat lower profile by speaking Deutch and dressing a bit odd

At least this is my plan for today

I'm sure something will change in the next 24 hours though

Thanks once again for all the great help!

Edited April 26, 2010 by A&M-Forever

[Tahoma 2,292]

BTW: Here is our plan for June....well, the Tagum City plan anyway.....so I may have to revise this if I don't risk it and go to Mindanao anyway...without any approval to do so

31 May PM: I fly from Germany

01 June AM: I arrive Manila

01 June AM: A fly's from Davao to Manila - Meet me in Terminal 1

01 June PM: Need Manila Hotel for 1 night

City State Tower Hotel

#1315 A. Mabini Street

Ermita, Manila

phone: 63-2-400-7351

My wife stayed twice at City State Tower Hotel and said it was a decent place to stay for around $35 per night. They have a restaurant and good security. It's a very short taxi ride to the USEM, or a nice long walk.

02 June AM: Go to US Embassy - Get Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry ($30 USD)

Double check to make sure the USEM will be open for business on June 2, and double check their hours of operation. Make sure that there are no U.S. holidays or Filipino holidays.

02 June PM: We both fly to Davao

02 June PM: Need Davao Hotel for 1 night

By all accounts a very safe city.

03 June AM: Go to Civil Registrar in Tagum City to apply for Marriage License

Make sure they will be open...no national holidays nor local festivals / celebrations!

03 June PM to 08 June AM: Need Tagum City Hotel; Confirm wedding w/ Judge; Setup Location and Celebration of our marriage if not already completed

08 June AM: We both fly from Davao to Manila

08 June PM to 15 June AM: Use already paid for Hotel (Pan Pacific) - A needs to do CFO Seminar during this time in Manila (return after wedding for stamp/sticker)

She can attend the CFO seminar at PRISM, and then take a taxi to the CFO main office to get the sticker in her passport all in one day after she receives her visa. This can be done the next time she comes to Manila. I wouldn't waste the good part of a day on it while you two are together.

14 June: Philippines Holiday (All Embassy/Govt services closed)

15 June AM: We both fly from Manila to Davao; Go to Civil Registrar in Tagum City to get our Marriage License (waited 12 days)

Will they be open? Are you sure?

16 June PM: Wedding/Celebration @ TBD

17 June AM: We both fly to Manila for short Honeymoon...need Hotel for 2 nights; A needs to get CFO stamp/sticker, must do this on 17 or 18 June!

Again, she could wait and do this all at once the day before she leaves the country.

19 June PM: I fly to Germany w/ A's Passport

Why are you taking her passport with you?

19 June PM: A fly's to Davao

20 June AM: I arrive in Germany

21 June AM: I start the I-130 Visa paperwork w/ US Embassy in Frankfurt and start processing the SOFA Stamp and Command Sponsorship stuff...

SEP/OCT: ~90 days later: A arrives in Germany!!!!!

What am I missing ?

[A&M-Forever 0]

Tahoma:

Thanks for your last post!

Why am I taking her passport with me?

I'll need it here at my base in Germany to process her SOFA stamp...as she can actually come here with that (along with confirmation that we have an approved I-130 processing here with the embassy in Frankfurt). As soon as I get that confirmation (which is supposed to come within 90 days no matter what) I can take her passport to the approving official (along with the confirmation) and they will give me the SOFA stamp, which is all she will need to fly into Frankfurt as my dependent. As soon as I get the stamp...I'll FEDEX it back to her...and she can fly here at any point after that. No visa necessary in our situation...at least at that moment...as long as her flight terminates in Germany...she will be fine. We then, of course, need the Visa for any travel to the United States after that point (say my next assignment, if it is stateside), but the military will help with that...and I'll have it before we have to go, as I will be staying in Germany as long as I can (most likely anyway).

The Holidays:

I've checked and the only ones I'm seeing for June is June 12th (Saturday), but is to be celebrated on June 14th (Monday).

CFO Seminar:

In our situation...she may not even need this...as she won't have a Visa...she'll have a SOFA stamp. My friend (who's Filipina wife just came here a few days ago just on the SOFA stamp) told us she did the CFO thing just to be safe...but nobody asked her for it or to see it at the airport when she came. I'm guessing the SOFA stamp is a whole new ballgame...or maybe she just got lucky? I'll try to find out more info on this for sure.

Again...MANY THANKS!

[Tahoma 2,292]

Tahoma:

Thanks for your last post!

Why am I taking her passport with me?

I'll need it here at my base in Germany to process her SOFA stamp...as she can actually come here with that (along with confirmation that we have an approved I-130 processing here with the embassy in Frankfurt). As soon as I get that confirmation (which is supposed to come within 90 days no matter what) I can take her passport to the approving official (along with the confirmation) and they will give me the SOFA stamp, which is all she will need to fly into Frankfurt as my dependent. As soon as I get the stamp...I'll FEDEX it back to her...and she can fly here at any point after that. No visa necessary in our situation...at least at that moment...as long as her flight terminates in Germany...she will be fine. We then, of course, need the Visa for any travel to the United States after that point (say my next assignment, if it is stateside), but the military will help with that...and I'll have it before we have to go, as I will be staying in Germany as long as I can (most likely anyway).

That clears it up...thanks for the info. SOFA sounds like the way to go.

The Holidays:

I've checked and the only ones I'm seeing for June is June 12th (Saturday), but is to be celebrated on June 14th (Monday).

Maybe you will want to check with your sweetheart to see about any local festivals which may shut down Tagum City.

CFO Seminar:

In our situation...she may not even need this...as she won't have a Visa...she'll have a SOFA stamp. My friend (who's Filipina wife just came here a few days ago just on the SOFA stamp) told us she did the CFO thing just to be safe...but nobody asked her for it or to see it at the airport when she came. I'm guessing the SOFA stamp is a whole new ballgame...or maybe she just got lucky? I'll try to find out more info on this for sure.

Hmmm...I would play it safe. The CFO seminar and sticker only costs about $15...not counting taxi rides. It can all be done in a half day or so. However, after attending the CFO seminar, I wonder whether she will be allowed to get a sticker at the CFO main office without a SOFA nor a visa. Maybe she will have to wait until she has the SOFA in her hand. Maybe you can call or email the CFO and ask them.

Again...MANY THANKS!

Walang anuman...and thank you for your service to our country.

[Darnell 8,479]

if you do get married -

you'll need to file 2 I-130 petitions -

1 for the wife (CR-1) and 1 for the child (CR-2).

[Scott and Mhay 57]

Yeah, I think my plan is to just go ahead and head to where it is I need to go - if you catch my drift

I'll be saying all the right things (Manila) and my supervisor and flight chief have already been placed in the loop about my intention to marry in the Philippines. I will register on that site (did that before during my last trip there in February from PACAF, so I'll just do it the same way I did previously). I will have to have the CC sign off on my leave though for sure....because it looks like I may need to take 2.5 days of advance leave...which I don't think will be a problem. I'll also be deleting these posts in a few days - just in case

My plan is to spend the minimum amount of time required in her province (maybe 4 days/nights), and spend the majority of it in Manila (and perhaps Boracay)...so 1-2 days to apply for the Marriage License and 1-2 days for the actual Civil Marriage ceremony (we have totally abandoned the church wedding as it will likely be impossible to do in our circumstances) and celebration with her family and friends before going back to Manila. As far as the leave address goes, I have that covered (Pan Pacific Hotel in Manila and also she has a brother who lives in Manila). I also have a Cell Phone that I use there and can use that as an emergency contact number along with her cell phone. We'll always have those on us. I am also pretty good at acting German...so I can keep a somewhat lower profile by speaking Deutch and dressing a bit odd

At least this is my plan for today

I'm sure something will change in the next 24 hours though

Thanks once again for all the great help!

Yeah I understand what you are saying. Pan Pacific hotel looked nice. We stayed at Pearl Garden (almost right across the street from Pan Pacific). I know a couple of the cab drivers didnt know where Pan Pacific was. You can walk to St Lukes from there, but we took a taxi as we didnt know exactly where it was...but we walked back. Of course this is ahead of what you will be doing anyway.

We have stayed in Lotus Garden (loud at night..at least when we went there) and Pearl Garden...owned by the same people but much nicer IMO and pretty much the same price...Free breakfast if your flight doesnt leave too early in the morning.

Have a safe trip and let us know how it turns out for you. I only have a little under 2 weeks until I will be picking up Mhay in Anchorage. Hopefully she wont think it's too cold here.

[A&M-Forever 0]

The fall/winter temps here in Germany have me worried as well...."A" often is cold in the PI when it gets done to 80F at night

[Scott and Mhay 57]

I know Mhay will be cold here even now. It has been 60-65 during the day...in the PI it is what like 95-100 now? Although she told me that she will feel like cooking more because it wont be so hot. I will be grilling for her anyway. I think I will have stuff at the house ready to throw on the grill and cook when we get back to the house on 11 May.

[Tahoma 2,292]

The fall/winter temps here in Germany have me worried as well...."A" often is cold in the PI when it gets done to 80F at night

Be ready for some head-to-toe clothes shopping when she arrives in Germany!

[A&M-Forever 0]

Advance leave approved!!! (2.5 days) So I'll have 19 days in country and we should be able to get everything accomplished to be married on the 17th of June in Tagum City.

Let me rephrase that...WE WILL get everything accomplished!!!!!

Purchased my flight ticket a few moments ago: Cathay Pacific (Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong (10:55min) to Manila (1:50min)....only 14hrs total travel time, which isn't too awful bad...Anyone have any Cathay Pacific experiences?

My Commander is aware of my plans to marry in the Philippines...and had no problem signing my leave request...so, he is officially in the loop now and that can't be something to stand in my way should someone throw up a red flag and say that I didn't have his approval - which according to Air Force regulations...I'm supposed to get

So, definitely a happy day for A&M...now, that dang volcano better not shut down Europe again!!!!!! Fingers crossed!

[A&M-Forever 0]

More questions!!!!!

1) Will she need the CFO? Remember...she will not be traveling here to Germany on a Visa of any kind...it will be on a passport with a SOFA stamp that will let her into the country here. Will she be able to depart the airport without the CFO stamp/sticker?

Oooops, I think I have answered my own question...she will still need the CFO, as it goes on her passport.

So, I will just have her do the CFO Seminar at PRISM anyway while we are in Manila (before our marriage) and then return (after our marriage) to get the stamp/sticker on her passport (if they do that?)? Or will she not be allowed to attend because she doesn't have a Visa? Question upon question...I know

Edited May 6, 2010 by A&M-Forever

[A&M-Forever 0]

And I just talked with my friend who just accomplished everything I'm trying to do (in Germany also) and his wife went to the seminar, never got the sticker (because she didn't have a Visa either...only the SOFA stamp) and she was allowed to leave the airport without it.

So, I THINK I'm ok

[Scott and Mhay 57]

That's good.

[Tahoma 2,292]

And I just talked with my friend who just accomplished everything I'm trying to do (in Germany also) and his wife went to the seminar, never got the sticker (because she didn't have a Visa either...only the SOFA stamp) and she was allowed to leave the airport without it.

So, I THINK I'm ok

Since she is using a SOFA stamp, will she still be required to pass the medical exam? Will she be required to interview at the USEM?

[A&M-Forever 0]

Since she is using a SOFA stamp, will she still be required to pass the medical exam? Will she be required to interview at the USEM?

From my understanding...no on both accounts. I simply bring her passport/Birth Cert/CENOMAR/Marriage Cert all back with me to Germany. Take all that, along with the I-130 application to the US Embassy here in Germany (in Frankfurt - which is about 1.5hr drive from where I'm at) and then within 90 days, they are supposed to have her passport back to me with the SOFA stamp. I then just need to mail her passport back to her and she can travel here as soon as she gets it. I believe she will then have the medical appointment here on base...and will eventually have to interview at the embassy here as well, although I might have heard that the interview may not even be necessary in our situation...but I'm not sure.