Another.....CFO Question! (How quick/long does it take to get the sticker?)

[A&M-Forever 0]

Greetings

Well.....what a mess (but hopefully not!)

My wife flies into Manila tomorrow (arrives at 2:10PM)

Will be at the CFO Office by 3pm (they close at 5pm)

Flight bound for Germany leaves at 8pm

The big question...

Will 2 hours (3-5pm) be sufficient time to get the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate and sticker (if they give her the sticker.....because she is traveling on SOFA card, not a Visa).

She already has attended the seminar. She just needs to register and get the next certificate and also the sticker....

Please tell me we'll be ok??????

[jandk 7]

Greetings

Well.....what a mess (but hopefully not!)

My wife flies into Manila tomorrow (arrives at 2:10PM)

Will be at the CFO Office by 3pm (they close at 5pm)

Flight bound for Germany leaves at 8pm

The big question...

Will 2 hours (3-5pm) be sufficient time to get the CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate and sticker (if they give her the sticker.....because she is traveling on SOFA card, not a Visa).

She already has attended the seminar. She just needs to register and get the next certificate and also the sticker....

Please tell me we'll be ok??????

Well, its cutting it pretty short on getting there, and getting back to the plane in time for the flight. I am not saying its impossible but me and my wife would be there all day due to heavy lines of people waiting for the same thing or other business.. I do wish you luck on that :/

[A&M-Forever 0]

I know it's cutting it close....but here is to hoping that everything will be ok. Somehow. Read where it took another VJ'er just 1hr to get the sticker...so I hope that is the case for A as well.

Any other feedback ?

[Joan >3 Bob 20]

I wish you luck because after my wife completed the seminar we were sent to a different building for the sticker and that took more than 2 hours.

I am not trying to be negative but experience has it that most things like this take much time in the Phils and to cut it so close is very very risky.

[wizardfitz 13]

I agree, she shd have done this a day in advance, mine took all day due to queues

[tallcoolone 102]

She will have an uphill battle all the way, Ya'll seem to be cutting everything close.

I would suggest going to St. Marys it not as crowded and more lax and maybe she can order food for everyone working there so they will stay a little longer after working hours for her to get her paperwork completed

There has been a "few" posters in the past who said they were able to fly out of PI without a CFO sticker, but it involved some haggling at the airport

[A&M-Forever 0]

I know...that was the plan (to do it today) but it's a long story......thanks to FedEx screwing us over by a day (even though she had talked to FedEx the day of the delivery (Wednesday) and they said they would deliver it to her that day...but never did. It finally came Thursday...and the driver said he couldn't get to it on Wednesday...even though he told her he would. So, we jumped the gun...which is our fault in the end...but....She was supposed to head to Manila early Thursday morning....but that obviously didn't happen.

Thank you FedEx!

Still have my fingers crossed that tomorrow will work out. Seems like it could be anywhere from 10 minutes to all day to get the sticker....if she can't make the flight, no worries...she'll just come a day later...but I'm thinking (and praying) that she'll make it.

It's been a tough week for me...really need to see her first thing Saturday morning.

Was given a short notice 6 month deployment to Afghanistan...and I leave in less than 3 weeks...which means that she'll be here in Germany alone here soon. Now you know why we jumped the gun a little bit....

[tallcoolone 102]

It took my wife about 2 hours to do the Seminar alone, I waited down the street at a Pizza Joint.

Good Luck and remember in PI, Money Talks........

[A&M-Forever 0]

She has already done the seminar. Just needs the sticker/new certificate.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Hi Michael...

Sorry to hear about your deployment so soon after you and April are finally together. You guys won't have a lot of time to adjust and enjoy.

The CFO main office is much closer to the airport than St Marys. Maybe April can take a taxi to the CFO main office and have the taxi wait for her while she gets her sticker. Maybe she can take some extra cash with her and buy her way to the front of the line at the CFO main office. Someone toward the front of the line is likely not to be in a hurry and would be willing to trade spots with her for the right price. After she gets her sticker, she will have the taxi waiting to take her directly to NAIA. Traffic won't be good at that time of day, but it's worth a shot.

[tallcoolone 102]

She has already done the seminar. Just needs the sticker/new certificate.

I think it can get done, just have her be heavy on cash.....

Good Luck to her and you..........

[A&M-Forever 0]

She is at the CFO Office now...apparently...they were closed when she arrived (~3:30PM) for some reason (either they closed early or had been closed all day) ...HOWEVER...she seems to have talked her way into them giving her the certificate. Last I spoke with her she had paid the fee and was just waiting on the certificate. The taxi is waiting on her outside to expedite her to Terminal 1 for her Cathay Pacific 7:50pm flight. Fingers crossed. Will be calling her back shortly to get a new status update for sure.

So far...so good....

[A&M-Forever 0]

Certificate attained! No sticker (to my knowledge...but that is not necessary because she isn't traveling on a Visa...just her SOFA card). She is headed to the airport now (probably already there) to check-in for her flight. Looks liek she will make it just fine...and probably have a bit of a wait at the gate before boarding.

Somebody was watching over us for sure today!

She should be here in about 19 hours or so.............

[marriedtomrg 141]

Congratulations

Certificate attained! No sticker (to my knowledge...but that is not necessary because she isn't traveling on a Visa...just her SOFA card). She is headed to the airport now (probably already there) to check-in for her flight. Looks liek she will make it just fine...and probably have a bit of a wait at the gate before boarding.

Somebody was watching over us for sure today!

She should be here in about 19 hours or so.............

[A&M-Forever 0]

And after all the hassle of going by the CFO Office and my wife begging and pleading with them to help her out (which they surprisingly did...with no monetary incentive either!)...THEY (Manila Airport) NEVER EVEN ASKED TO SEE OR CHECKED FOR ANYTHING FROM THE CFO WHATSOFREAKINGEVER !

I'm sure had we not gotten it...they would have asked....so I guess this is just another story we have

Jiminy Xmas...I'm glad she'll be here in about 12-13 hours