Philippines to Texas

[Kris & Liezl 3]

You should get started on your I-129 packet. She can collect everything she needs in the Philippines while your I-129 packet is processing at the USCIS.

The only document you need from her right away, so that you can include it in your I-129 packet, is her "Letter of Intent to Marry."

Later on, she will need a passport which does not expire for at least six months after her interview at the USEM. She will also need a CENOMAR, her birth certificate, an NBI clearance, and at least a dozen official passport photos. Make copies of everything...just in case.

I'm just going by memory, so I hope I didn't leave anything out. Good luck on your visa journey!

Hi,

Thanks for this info. I can't file the I-129f until she decides definitively what she is going to do about her sister. If she manages to get her adopted, then I can put her name as the adopted "child" of beneficiary. So I'll give her more time on that, but she understands our time constraints. Anyway, about that "letter of intent to marry", can it be handwritten? Or does it need to be typed? Can she email me a letter that I then print off? Does it need specific wedding plans/dates?

[Audy_Rob 26]

Hi,

Thanks for this info. I can't file the I-129f until she decides definitively what she is going to do about her sister. If she manages to get her adopted, then I can put her name as the adopted "child" of beneficiary. So I'll give her more time on that, but she understands our time constraints. Anyway, about that "letter of intent to marry", can it be handwritten? Or does it need to be typed? Can she email me a letter that I then print off? Does it need specific wedding plans/dates?

The letter of intent can be handwritten or printed from a computer, what matters is the signature is ORIGINAL. So she cannot sign it in the Phils, then scan it into a computer and email it to you because the scan does not bear an original signature.

Wedding plans need not be mentioned.

Good luck.

[070809 0]

Hi I haven't read all the replies but I think you really need an input from another Filipina.

First, with the birth certificate.. I'm replying here in connection with what happened to my brother. He had his middle name spelled incorrectly on his BC. It only took 3mos to have it corrected. Your fiance just needs to prepare her parent's BC, go to the city hall (city where she was born) and request to have it corrected. They have a so-called "hearing" but it's not like with a judge.. my brother says she just needs talk to a person behind a desk to have it changed.

In my opinion, processing to have it change now will be good as you need NSO certified BC to have a Philippine Passport with the correct name of course. Philippines Passport will take another month to be processed.

Now while she's doing all those, you can already file the K1 packet already. Usual timeframes before it gets forwarded here in USEmba Manila takes 3-6 mos. Enough time for her and at least your "timeline" is already running.

[Kris & Liezl 3]

in the birth certificate issue, i would suggest that let you fiance go to the municipal birth registry and make an affidavit that the person appeared in the wrong birth certificate is the same person and ask in the municipal registry what other requirements to correct the error in the birth certificate. in regards to the passport,,you can get it within two weeks,,through expedite,,if you would not like to expedite it, it takes only a month.

She don't need to fix her Birth Certificate . I had error on my Birth certificate ,The middle name was wrong but all i had to do is get an affidavit from the lawyer.Alsoto get a Philippine Passport only takes a couple of weeks not months.Identification cards or any documents like Voter's Id, school Id, government id If wud help. Like i said i had the same issue but i sent copies of my different Id's with the correct name on it ad i was approved with no Problem.

Hi RoseTX and happywifemom... So, I asked my fiancee last night to take her other IDs and get an Affidavit, and then go with the Affidavit and her BC (incorrect middle name) to try to get her passport. Unfortunately they would not let her. Here is a text message from her I got this morning (let me know if I need to translate her texting). The background is she is just as lost as I am, so she is asking some "agency" for help - which supposedly helps Filipinos get the requirements they need to go abroad. She took a day off to go to Dumaguete ("dgte", Southern city in Negros Oriental) to ask around about the Affidavit thing.

Liezl: Hi kris..ive 2lkd 2d agncies n dgte nd un4tunately kris al of d agncies dat i went 2.al of thm nids my corctd BC.thy dnt acpt afidavit as wat d lady said

Liezl: .so thrs no choice 4me bt 2 w8 4 my BC.anyways thy said dat aftr i pas al d rquremnts pasport procesng only tkes 15-20dys.

Soooooo, maybe that only works for some people? They wont let her do anything w/o her corrected birth certificate, and they told her 6 months on that, so it will probably take 8 months.

I know it's a long shot: Does anyone know a Filipina who is still over there, but has gone through this issue and gotten a correction in LESS THAN 6 months? Maybe she could get in touch with my fiancee and walk her through that faster method...

[Kris & Liezl 3]

Thats correct. If you dont have your passport you will need to include all of the pages in your passport. I would also start your petition as soon as possible. It will take about 3 to 4 months for it to get approved and once approved your package is valid for 4 months.

You dont need to wait 2 years to file a petition but you need to have proof of meeting with your fiancee in person within the last two years. Its a long and time consuming process but hang in there..

I also took a video of my petition package before I sent it to the USCIS. Click the link to my blog in my signature to get an idea. The most important thing is to make sure you complete all of the forms correctly.

When you say the package is valid for 4 months, what does that mean? Do you mean I only have 4 months to complete the whole process, up through medical and Interviiew? Or does it mean she has to be here within 4 months from approval, otherwise start over?