This CENOMAR insanity

[chrism07023 4]

I can't say that I know of any married person that was asked to provide a CENOMAR at the interview. I do know of several people who was requested to summit a updated with current date CEMAR before the visa could be issued.

Anyone from this site? I'd like to see their timelines if they have one.

[GaryKO 49]

Anyone from this site? I'd like to see their timelines if they have one.

Some don't update their timeline, but if you read the forums you will find that some passed the interview, but were ordered to get a updated CENOMAR or CEMAR before the visa would be issued. This most times is about a 2 week delay in getting visa in hand. A friend of mine had to do this last year. Sometimes they will accept documents that are 6 months or even a year old at time of interview, but they like them to be 3 months old or less from time of the issue date at the interview, just depends on the the officer doing the interview.

Has she when to the CFO yet? That process is the biggest joke. If you go by what the CFO website says the required documents needed are then your really going to be upset!

[chrism07023 4]

Some don't update their timeline, but if you read the forums you will find that some passed the interview, but were ordered to get a updated CENOMAR or CEMAR before the visa would be issued. This most times is about a 2 week delay in getting visa in hand. A friend of mine had to do this last year. Sometimes they will accept documents that are 6 months or even a year old at time of interview, but they like them to be 3 months old or less from time of the issue date at the interview, just depends on the the officer doing the interview.

Has she when to the CFO yet? That process is the biggest joke. If you go by what the CFO website says the required documents needed are then your really going to be upset!

Tell me about it! That "3 months old or less" nugget of information would have been really helpful considering the official expiration date on much of the documents I read about was 1 year, e.g. i864.

According to the searches I've done for folks who forgot to bring their CENOMAR/CEMAR and were asked to go get it, it seems to vary between 2 - 4 weeks, assuming on other issues are found. The NSO delivered the CEMAR on March 30, given the recent holidays, it's been about 8 business days since they've had it. I guess that's a drop in the bucket given some of the sad stories I read on here about 221G's and other such nighmarish scenarios.

It just makes one want to throw their hands up in the air. What else can we do. Thanks for the info, greatly appreciated.

[djames95 3]

... and it was....

...and it was...

and then, if you did your research and due diligence, you would have noticed, ON THIS VERY FORUM, that about two months ago several ladies on one day were sent to NSO to get new CENOMAR/CEMAR because the US embassy had found a forgery!! Since that time, also reported here, they have been requiring RECENTLY ACQUIRED CENOMAR/CEMAR!

..and "my lady" did...

I've never been to Kansas. I live in the metro NYC area.

Any more wild assumptions?

hmmm..where your body is located and where your head is at, are two different things!! I NEVER make assumptions, only deal in facts. I also lived in the NYC area, for over 35 years. One thing I can tell you, is the typical NY attitude willget you one or two things in the Philippines; A blank stare and vacant smile, or spun around until you're dizzy, and laughed at, or both! I've personally found that Family methods get the best results there...smile to their face, and plan your steps!

oh, and for the sake of all the people you're gripping to, and about, and making assumptions to....why don't you do the rest of us a favor, and fill out a timeline??

thanks boyo!

[rlogan 2,036]

...and when will the process complete? 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, nobody can say for sure.

We feel your pain. We've been waiting 8 months for them to tell us when her fingerprint appointment is. They already have her fingerprints too. But she has to take them again for Removal of Conditions. We do service requests and the answer is: "we will let you know when an appointment is available".

It's all about obedience to authority. Learn this well: once you have proven you are absolutely servile to your government masters then you are fit to be an American Citizen.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Your facts are wrong. I stated previously that I have an NSO certified marriage contract and it was supplied to the Embassy well before the interview (and brought with us to the interview). It's baffling that someone here, presumably who is interested in the immigration process and presumably in helping people, would so clearly disregard what is a real issue concerning this CENOMAR requirement and the confusion due to the wording on the requirements page, which I posted. It's not nit picking at all, it's a legitimate issue. Look in the mirror? Sure, I see someone very tired due to being put through an excessively draining process fraught with bureaucracy and poor communications.

Glad to know your here looking for fun though...

Is a certified marriage contract a CEMAR? If not you brought the WRONG docuement to the interview and did NOT follow the instructions in the embassy letter. the issue is still the person YOU see in the mirror. The embassy letter states a CENOMAR from NSO, in your case they would issue a CEMAR.

The humor in this is your continuous rant about the wording in the embassy letter and insistance that you brought what was needed... but apparently that was not true as the embassy gave you a 221g.

Just think how simple things would have been if you had went to NSO and requested a CENOMAR before the interview and they issued you the CEMAR (being you are married) and you had brought that to the interview.... you would have been approved and moving on instead of ranting about your OPPS.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[chrism07023 4]

The humor in this is your continuous rant about the wording in the embassy letter and insistance that you brought what was needed

LOL. I've never said anything about any wording in the embassy letter. Again, I've continued to discuss what is on the embassy web site. However, since you mention it, I directly quote from the embassy letter that I received below.

Is a certified marriage contract a CEMAR? If not you brought the WRONG docuement to the interview and did NOT follow the instructions in the embassy letter.

I did not bring the wrong document. I quote directly from the required documents section of the US Manila Immigrant Visa web page:

6. MARRIAGE RECORDS (if applicable): For Philippine marriages, the copy of the marriage certificate must be printed on National Statistics Office (NSO) security paper. If the marriage ended by divorce, annulment, disappearance or death of the spouse, legal and/or civil documentation must be presented attesting to the termination of the marriage (annulment decree, death certificate issued by NSO and printed on security paper, a foreign divorce decree, or foreign death certificate).

Do you read that? "For Philippines marriages, the copy of the marriage certificate must be printed on ...". We brought exactly that.

I'm now looking at my PDF copy of my embassy letter sent to me and my attorney. It says:

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please read and follow all Interview Preparation Instructions located on the Department of State's web site

at: www.ImmigrantVisas.state.gov, under the "Prepare for your visa interview abroad" link."

Which is exactly what I did , and what I keep referring to in my replies here. I quote directly from that site:

"Review the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General-specific Interview Guidelines."

That section then includes the specific embassy links to review said guidelines, which is where the above quote on "Marriage Records" comes from. Nowhere on my embassy letter is ANY MENTION OF A CEMAR. NOWHERE.

Just think how simple things would have been if you had went to NSO and requested a CENOMAR before the interview and they issued you the CEMAR (being you are married) and you had brought that to the interview.... you would have been approved and moving on instead of ranting about your OPPS.

At this point, I can only assume you are trolling me due to your continued distortion or misrepresentation of what you like to point out are my continued "rants". Please do me a favor, and stop "helping" me. Thanks "HANK_AMY".

Edited April 14, 2012 by chrism07023

[chrism07023 4]

We feel your pain. We've been waiting 8 months for them to tell us when her fingerprint appointment is. They already have her fingerprints too. But she has to take them again for Removal of Conditions. We do service requests and the answer is: "we will let you know when an appointment is available".

It's all about obedience to authority. Learn this well: once you have proven you are absolutely servile to your government masters then you are fit to be an American Citizen.

8 months, for an appointment date? That is a complete disgrace. I don't even know where to begin on that. I hope to God you have some answers soon, from somewhere.

[Hank_ 9,174]

LOL - I've never said anything about any wording in the embassy letter. Again, I've continued to discuss what is on the embassy web site. However, since you mention it, I directly quote from the embassy letter that I received below.

I did not bring the wrong document. I quote directly from the required documents section of the US Manila Immigrant Visa web page:

6. MARRIAGE RECORDS (if applicable): For Philippine marriages, the copy of the marriage certificate must be printed on National Statistics Office (NSO) security paper. If the marriage ended by divorce, annulment, disappearance or death of the spouse, legal and/or civil documentation must be presented attesting to the termination of the marriage (annulment decree, death certificate issued by NSO and printed on security paper, a foreign divorce decree, or foreign death certificate).

Do you read that? "For Philippines marriages, the copy of the marriage certificate must be printed on ...". We brought exactly that.

I'm now looking at my PDF copy of my embassy letter sent to me and my attorney. It says:

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please read and follow all Interview Preparation Instructions located on the Department of State's web site

at: www.ImmigrantVisas.state.gov, under the "Prepare for your visa interview abroad" link."

Which is exactly what I did , and what I keep referring to in my replies here. That link includes the required documents link which is where the above quote comes from. Nowhere on my embassy letter is ANY MENTION OF A CEMAR. NOWHERE.

At this point, I can only assume you are trolling me due to your continued distortion or misrepresentation of what you like to point out are my continued "rants". Please do me a favor, and stop "helping" me. Thanks "HANK_AMY".

Trolling.... yup... that's me.... busted.

Embassy letter/Embassy website.... point still is the required documents are listed, again word play on your part.

Simple question: On the embassy website (or their letter) do they list bringing a CENOMAR? YES? NO?

Or did you get to the interview and had never seen or heard of a CENOMAR and they surprised you with the request?

Helping you? Nothing in you posts needs "help" your post wasn't asking for help.... you are just annoyed because you did not bring a CEMAR to the inteview and got a 221g.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Hank_Amy

[chrism07023 4]

Trolling.... yup... that's me.... busted.

Embassy letter/Embassy website.... point still is the required documents are listed, again word play on your part.

Simple question: On the embassy website (or their letter) do they list bringing a CENOMAR? YES? NO?

Or did you get to the interview and had never seen or heard of a CENOMAR and they surprised you with the request?

Well then, stop distorting and misrepresenting what I say. I had been continually discussing the documentation requirements section of the US Embassy website. However, you accuse me of ranting about the embassy letter wording! ...Weird, very very weird.

Either your reading comprehension is abysmal, or you are consciously or unconsciously distorting what I'm saying.

Simple question: On the embassy website (or their letter) do they list bringing a CENOMAR? YES? NO?

No, it did not. I have the PDF in front of me, I can post the entire thing here if you like. Again, please read what I'm saying if you want to seriously discuss this with me.

Or did you get to the interview and had never seen or heard of a CENOMAR and they surprised you with the request?

Ok, once again, for your benefit, I keep referring to the section of the website that mentions CENOMAR and how I referenced that prior to the interview (so yes, clearly I've heard of it). Second, I've mentioned I brought the NSO copy of the marriage certificate/contract, which is also mentioned as a requirement on the same site. Third, I've mentioned how other married couples were not asked for a CENOMAR or CEMAR who similarly brought their copy of the NSO marriage certificate/contract. Fourth, I've also mentioned how still other couples were not as lucky (like us), and were asked for a CENOMAR/CEMAR despite bringing their NSO marriage contract. Fifth, I've pointed out the wording on the website as-is is factually wrong, and communicated that to the embassy. They have stated it will be passed on to the people responsible for maintaining and updating the page - which in its current state, looks like its in a transitional state (formatting is different between require documents 1-10 and 11-12). Finally, I've pointed out there is no mention of a CENOMAR or CEMAR of the Embassy letter I am staring at right now, the PDF copy I have and can post here if you like.

I seriously hope that helps clarify my position and what I'm trying to do here, which is discuss the issues with the clarity of wording regarding what married couples need to bring. If I can bring this issue to the forefront and possibly help someone else before they make the same mistake, then great.

Update: i see you amended your last reply to say I've not asked for "help". Clearly, I thought the "help" need (either just from an understanding of the process or otherwise) was implicit in the dialogue. So then, here you go:

I'm looking for "Help" or "Guidance" or "feedback" on the issues aforementioned. Thanks!

P.S. Others did figure that out without an explicit SOS in the virtual sand. For someone, like yourself, that seems to flaunt their powers of reading between the lines, you seem to fall flat on your face in my case.

Edited April 14, 2012 by chrism07023

[chrism07023 4]

hmmm..where your body is located and where your head is at, are two different things!! I NEVER make assumptions, only deal in facts. I also lived in the NYC area, for over 35 years. One thing I can tell you, is the typical NY attitude willget you one or two things in the Philippines; A blank stare and vacant smile, or spun around until you're dizzy, and laughed at, or both! I've personally found that Family methods get the best results there...smile to their face, and plan your steps!

oh, and for the sake of all the people you're gripping to, and about, and making assumptions to....why don't you do the rest of us a favor, and fill out a timeline??

thanks boyo!

I was referring mostly to your mentioning the importance of NSO certified copies of marriage contracts versus local town/church copies. As I mentioned previously several times, we had an NSO copy and brought it with us. We also provided same to the NVC months and months before the interview.

I know what you mean by NY attitude. However, I've lived in Phils off and on for years, I own property and houses there, rentals, have a driver's license and and an SS ID. I know the country and the people first hand and have been married to a Filipina for almost 3 years and have had multiple visas, 3 and 6 month. I'm well aware a NY attitude won't go far here. I speak some Tagalog and know how to get around...

You're right about the timeline, will get on that.

thanks

chris

[djames95 3]

I was referring mostly to your mentioning the importance of NSO certified copies of marriage contracts versus local town/church copies. As I mentioned previously several times, we had an NSO copy and brought it with us. We also provided same to the NVC months and months before the interview.

I know what you mean by NY attitude. However, I've lived in Phils off and on for years, I own property and houses there, rentals, have a driver's license and and an SS ID. I know the country and the people first hand and have been married to a Filipina for almost 3 years and have had multiple visas, 3 and 6 month. I'm well aware a NY attitude won't go far here. I speak some Tagalog and know how to get around...

You're right about the timeline, will get on that.

thanks

chris

One thing I've seen mentioned, you may not have seen yet, is that if your wife hasn't taken the (very silly) CFO seminar yet, they may ask her for her Baptismal Certificate!! In addition, they may ask for YOUR birth certificate (certified) as well. CFO is notorious for asking for documents not published, as one of the requirements is: any documents the councilor deems necessary!!! O_o

Good luck!!

[chrism07023 4]

One thing I've seen mentioned, you may not have seen yet, is that if your wife hasn't taken the (very silly) CFO seminar yet, they may ask her for her Baptismal Certificate!! In addition, they may ask for YOUR birth certificate (certified) as well. CFO is notorious for asking for documents not published, as one of the requirements is: any documents the councilor deems necessary!!! O_o

Good luck!!

Great points and I can testify absolutely true. She already did the very stupid and almost dictatorial ("you can't leave until you take this") CFO seminar, which is the biggest bunch of jack doo doo and just another way to squeeze money out of us. Actually she did that last year, and they did ask for her Baptismal Cert, which to me is presumptuous and offensive but entirely believable in this corrupt patriarchal quasi theocracy in Phils. I had to supply birth cert to the NVC but I don't believe to them (although I think we had to show the marriage license/contract, but I don't remember).

I'm fairly new to visajourney, joined 1 year ago, was a bit active then, but took a hiatus and returned now as we get closer to the finish line. I must say, some of the stories here are so heartbreaking and frustrating and it's like, people some of them out there, really really have a bad sitch on their hands, and its frustrates me that they're just left hanging in the wind while their personal lives fall apart and the folks at the embassy get back to them. It's understandable the embassy is busy and has to do due diligence but when you consider the complete overflow of illegal immigration flooding over our Mexican border and the governments ability to talk about amnesty, healh care, drivers licenses...and here some of us are, with legitimate relationships for years and it's like pulling teeth trying to bring this stuff to a happy conclusion, it's like a sad monty phython skit.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Man oh man I am going to have a fun time lending my voice to whatever channels here in the states will hear my complaint, starting with my local elected leadership and I'll go from there. Maybe it won't matter, but I'll be darned if I'm going to sit back and do nothign while we wait for another parroting of 2go shipping times.

They have a special place for complaints such as yours:

[chrism07023 4]

They have a special place for complaints such as yours:

<snip>

Yes and no. I know of someone here in NJ who was able to get help with their immigration problems after complaining to Senior Senator Frank Lautenberg. I'm not saying it always happens but if you don't try, you'll definitely never get anywhere.