CFO Seminar - Cebu

[frank&machie 0]

Most of the posts on the CFO I've seen on VJ have been about the CFO locations in Manila. Machie attended the CFO session in Cebu this past Friday.

I thought that based on reading the CFO web site and reading VJ comments I had prepared her with everything that could possibly be required. She knew all the information needed to complete the registration form, had her passport, photo(s), the registration fee and even a letter signed by her mother stating that her family knew me and approved of our plans. Just in case, she also had copies of the front page of my passport as well as copies of NOA2 approval and NVC approval. We've been together over 2 years, so she was also prepared with all of the details about our relationship, me and even my family.

So, the nun refused to give her the guidance counseling session completion certificate. Requiring that she return with the following:

1) A letter telling "the story of our relationship"

2) A copy of my birth certificate

3) A copy of my "statement of employment". (Of course, I can speculate, but don't actually know what this is).

4) A copy of my "ITR". (Later clarified that this means page 1 of my latest filed tax return)

5) Copies of all pages in my passport showing the entry / exit stamps in the Philippines for each of my visits since we met.

First of all, since these so called "requirements" are not documented anywhere, I'm pretty irritated. I just wonder if anyone has encountered this. It seems that the nuns can simply require anything they want. I don't mind at all that they added number 1. But what the heck right do they have to see a copy of my tax return? (Note that upon being questioned, the nun indicated that my SSN can be obscured, the supposed purposed of the tax return is to "verify that I'm really single"). Why should my employment be any concern of theirs? What valid reason would there be for the CFO to request my birth certificate or entry/exit stamps from my passport?

Ugh! While I love the Philippines, I can do without some of the absurd government policies, officials and inconsistencies.

[gary9891 10]

Most of the posts on the CFO I've seen on VJ have been about the CFO locations in Manila. Machie attended the CFO session in Cebu this past Friday.

I thought that based on reading the CFO web site and reading VJ comments I had prepared her with everything that could possibly be required. She knew all the information needed to complete the registration form, had her passport, photo(s), the registration fee and even a letter signed by her mother stating that her family knew me and approved of our plans. Just in case, she also had copies of the front page of my passport as well as copies of NOA2 approval and NVC approval. We've been together over 2 years, so she was also prepared with all of the details about our relationship, me and even my family.

So, the nun refused to give her the guidance counseling session completion certificate. Requiring that she return with the following:

1) A letter telling "the story of our relationship"

2) A copy of my birth certificate

3) A copy of my "statement of employment". (Of course, I can speculate, but don't actually know what this is).

4) A copy of my "ITR". (Later clarified that this means page 1 of my latest filed tax return)

5) Copies of all pages in my passport showing the entry / exit stamps in the Philippines for each of my visits since we met.

First of all, since these so called "requirements" are not documented anywhere, I'm pretty irritated. I just wonder if anyone has encountered this. It seems that the nuns can simply require anything they want. I don't mind at all that they added number 1. But what the heck right do they have to see a copy of my tax return? (Note that upon being questioned, the nun indicated that my SSN can be obscured, the supposed purposed of the tax return is to "verify that I'm really single"). Why should my employment be any concern of theirs? What valid reason would there be for the CFO to request my birth certificate or entry/exit stamps from my passport?

Ugh! While I love the Philippines, I can do without some of the absurd government policies, officials and inconsistencies.

Wow.......I know these are nuns and all but your tax info with social??? This is also the Philippines....

My advice is no, heck no. Tell her to smile, thank the nuns and take the seminar in Manila. They will ask for parental advise/consent if she is under 23 or so. My wife says the seminar is no big deal there.

[jean♥bill 2]

Wow...thats kind of scary...Our plans were to do CFO in Cebu also since Jean lives there.

Anyone know if its possible to do CFO in Manila, while she's waiting between medical and interview, and when she gets her visa in Cebu, go to the Cebu office for the sticker?

[garysworld n ana 3]

She can do the CFO seminar in Manila.

She does not need an appointment.

It can take a few hours to complete.

I do not know if she can receive the CFO stamp in Cebu but as she will be flying out of Manila anyway......

I am sure the nun thinks she is doing what is best but.......wow!!! that is interesting then...

Edited July 11, 2010 by garysworld

[k1member 0]

Most of the posts on the CFO I've seen on VJ have been about the CFO locations in Manila. Machie attended the CFO session in Cebu this past Friday.

I thought that based on reading the CFO web site and reading VJ comments I had prepared her with everything that could possibly be required. She knew all the information needed to complete the registration form, had her passport, photo(s), the registration fee and even a letter signed by her mother stating that her family knew me and approved of our plans. Just in case, she also had copies of the front page of my passport as well as copies of NOA2 approval and NVC approval. We've been together over 2 years, so she was also prepared with all of the details about our relationship, me and even my family.

So, the nun refused to give her the guidance counseling session completion certificate. Requiring that she return with the following:

1) A letter telling "the story of our relationship"

2) A copy of my birth certificate

3) A copy of my "statement of employment". (Of course, I can speculate, but don't actually know what this is).

4) A copy of my "ITR". (Later clarified that this means page 1 of my latest filed tax return)

5) Copies of all pages in my passport showing the entry / exit stamps in the Philippines for each of my visits since we met.

First of all, since these so called "requirements" are not documented anywhere, I'm pretty irritated. I just wonder if anyone has encountered this. It seems that the nuns can simply require anything they want. I don't mind at all that they added number 1. But what the heck right do they have to see a copy of my tax return? (Note that upon being questioned, the nun indicated that my SSN can be obscured, the supposed purposed of the tax return is to "verify that I'm really single"). Why should my employment be any concern of theirs? What valid reason would there be for the CFO to request my birth certificate or entry/exit stamps from my passport?

Ugh! While I love the Philippines, I can do without some of the absurd government policies, officials and inconsistencies.

I also took my CFO in cebu last week. but they didn't require those documents you stated.

Did your fiancee already passed the interview? If not, then they might require those things for her to submit the following documents because it's also required in submitting at the embassy during the interview.

the best thing to do is submit the following requirements that they want. you may fax it to avoid expensive shipment. then your problems are solved.

[Atencio 43]

My experience with getting my marriage license is that any requirements you see are merely guidelines. Find out from the source what they want ahead of time.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Atencio

[CATHYlovesRICK 2]

with all the CFO threads I have read here,Its the first time i have read something like this. If you don't wanna give some of the documents they require you might just want your Fiancee take her CFO seminar in Manila. Best of Luck to the rest of your journey..Hope everything goes well.

[frank&machie 0]

I also took my CFO in cebu last week. but they didn't require those documents you stated.

Did your fiancee already passed the interview? If not, then they might require those things for her to submit the following documents because it's also required in submitting at the embassy during the interview.

the best thing to do is submit the following requirements that they want. you may fax it to avoid expensive shipment. then your problems are solved.

Nah, she was trying to do the CFO seminar first just to get it out of the way. She'll do the medical in Manila next week and the interview (date to be set) probably in early to mid-August.

Machie did the CFO seminar with 2 friends who are both also engaged to American guys. Each of the 3 was asked for different things. So, partly my post was a warning about the inconsistency in requirements in Cebu.

I know most of those documents (like tax return, verification of employment and birth certificate) are requirements for the visa and for the visa interview. I just don't see what they have to do with the mission and purpose of the CFO seminar. It really irritates me when someone in the Philippines is given a little power and (even if she's a nun) let's it get to her head and starts making up her own rules and "requirements".

[frank&machie 0]

My experience with getting my marriage license is that any requirements you see are merely guidelines. Find out from the source what they want ahead of time.

Thanks Atencio, agree with you. That's why we called the CFO office to verify the seminar times as posted on their website (since there is no knowing if the times are accurate or were changed months ago and just never updated) and to confirm the specific documents that Machie should bring. Those I cited in my OP are not listed and were not mentioned when we called. Seems they are not official requirements but the nun just decided to make up some stuff she wanted to see.

[ivory 1]

HI there. I just attended the CFO seminar here in Cebu yesterday and was granted a certificate and the sticker right away. Yes, the nuns are really strict but its for the own good of your fiancee. I really look up to the nun who interviewed me yesterday because I learned a lot of insights from her. As long as your fiancee is very fluent in English, and can tell a story about your relationship then she will not be asking a lot of things from you. They are looking for a genuine relationship. They are not only nuns but psychologist as well. They will really look from all angles even on the filling out of forms, the way your fiancee talks, the way your fiancee dress up. There are some girls yesterday who were not given a certificate right away and was asked to go back. How will you tell if the relationship is genuine if you cant fill out all those information asked on the form about your fiancee? :-)

[Tahoma 2,292]

I guess Cebu is not the place to take the CFO seminar! Sheesh...

Chinook took the CFO at PRISM in Manila after her medical. She said that some of the women there did not have all of the documents asked of them. However, they were allowed to take the seminar anyway. PRISM did not ask anyone for extensive documentation like they did in Cebu.

[pinkhonu 5]

I guess Cebu is not the place to take the CFO seminar! Sheesh...

Chinook took the CFO at PRISM in Manila after her medical. She said that some of the women there did not have all of the documents asked of them. However, they were allowed to take the seminar anyway. PRISM did not ask anyone for extensive documentation like they did in Cebu.

oh oh!! i'm actually planning to do the seminar in Cebu.. just passed my interview...

should i be worried about this? coz we've already given the affidavit of support to the embassy... but if they do ask for that.. i am going to complain.

[Tahoma 2,292]

oh oh!! i'm actually planning to do the seminar in Cebu.. just passed my interview...

should i be worried about this? coz we've already given the affidavit of support to the embassy... but if they do ask for that.. i am going to complain.

I hope you have a copy of your I-134 affidavit of support...and a copy of everything else too. The case workers at the Embassy lose papers. They lost our papers. That's why it's a good idea to have backup copies of everything.

Why not complete your CFO seminar in Manila since you will be there for your interview anyway? You will also be in Manila before you fly to the U.S. and you could do it at that time.

The Cebu CFO seems to have some serious document requirements for some people. You can complain to them all you want, but they may still require all of the documents. It doesn't seem worth it to risk taking the Cebu CFO.

[pinkhonu 5]

I hope you have a copy of your I-134 affidavit of support...and a copy of everything else too. The case workers at the Embassy lose papers. They lost our papers. That's why it's a good idea to have backup copies of everything.

Why not complete your CFO seminar in Manila since you will be there for your interview anyway? You will also be in Manila before you fly to the U.S. and you could do it at that time.

The Cebu CFO seems to have some serious document requirements for some people. You can complain to them all you want, but they may still require all of the documents. It doesn't seem worth it to risk taking the Cebu CFO.

oh no.. i'm done with my interview already.. i got approved. u see i'm here in davao.. down down south!

this is what we were planning to do... when we go to manila we would rather stay in the airport and wait for our flight out of the philippines.. it's better to fly to cebu with a backpack.. come back here (in davao). then go to manila with all of my stuff.

coz if i go to manila.. it would be impractical to come back here... or to stay a night in manila with all our stuff. hate the taxi rides in manila.. so we'd rather go thru with it in cebu.. the plane tickets are cheaper.. i feel safer in cebu than in manila... don't get me wrong i grew up in quezon city.. but all the offices that you have to go thru for the whole visa application was in ermita. not my kind of neighborhood!

our old apartment is in qc. so it would be too far and too inconvenient for me to go to the PRISM office and the CFO office.. then after all that... have to go to the airport again with all my stuff... might take my chances in cebu.

have stayed in cebu for 2 weeks before.. hated the graffitis in the area.. but so far it was ok... people were helpful.. not like in Manila... you can only count with your 2 hands the nice people who live in Manila (making it clear NOT IN METRO MANILA -- JUST MANILA ITSELF). i'll write something about my experience in cebu.. so that we can have more reviews about the cfo in cebu.. thanks tahoma!!

[JORDANTONI09 10]

PRISM and CFO in Manila require less documents than the Cebu branch. I finally went to CFO this morning and it was hassle free.