CFO Orientation

[kristinebelle 3]

yes agree with @ Frank and Racquel i was at the PRISM yesterday and evrything went good...uhm some interviewer asks for documents but not mine.. :)dont be scared just bring any document that you think theyre gonna ask from you

[Hank_ 9,174]

Where did you get your informtion on the Cebu CFO being the one to avoid? My fiancee is 25 years od and the Cebu CFO is the closest for her unless she does the seminar in Manila while she is getting her medical exam done. Anyway if she goes to the one in Cebu, her mother will go with her. I don't think she needs any parents consent or advice since she is 25 years old.

At 25 she will need the parental advice letter.

[Tahoma 2,292]

^^^ I'm wondering the same thing.

I'm also wondering if there were any red flags on their case.

Chinook completed her CFO seminar at PRISM and had no problems with them.

Based upon the reports I've read here on VJ, it seems that PRISM is the best place to complete the CFO seminar. St. Mary's would be the second choice. The CFO seminar in Cebu seems to be the one to avoid.

Where did you get your informtion on the Cebu CFO being the one to avoid? My fiancee is 25 years od and the Cebu CFO is the closest for her unless she does the seminar in Manila while she is getting her medical exam done. Anyway if she goes to the one in Cebu, her mother will go with her. I don't think she needs any parents consent or advice since she is 25 years old.

Fewer VJers attend the CFO seminar in Cebu, yet there always seems to be complaints about it.

However, no matter which seminar you go to, take along all of your documents, just as if you were going to an Embassy interview. Also, it doesn't hurt if a parent is there too.

Good luck!

[RK_and_Inday 10]

Agree with previous poster--previous VJ posts seem to indicate the "hassle factor" goes up and down and/or alternates between PRISM and SMEF-COW (St. Mary's).

For what it's worth: Inday went to PRISM for CFO and had an extremely positive experience but observed others who did not at same session. Inday said she was glad to attend and did gain useful information. Fearing/preparing for the worst [due to previous VJ posts], Inday essentially went to CFO armed with all items/documents which were taken to the embassy interview plus common "gotcha" documents/evidences CFO tends to ask for under the "other documents as required" catch-all [determined by searching previous posts/threads]. Inday walked into CFO with three very large and full expandable folders; at beginning of counseling/guidance session, the counselor took one glance at the mountain of info Inday had brought and actually remarked "Well, it looks like this should be easy." Inday observed that counselors in some cases did act more hard-nosed to some of the attendees. However, Inday thought the counselors' attitudes were justified in these cases because the counselors seemed OK at first but got more stern when some of the attendees--particularly those who were younger--acted or actually were naive, immature or were verbally discounting their attendance as a waste of time [claimed they already knew the info]. Inday said, in those cases, those others did genuinely have a few things to learn and should have listened/paid attention. [And in those exact same cases, those attendees were not given CFO certificate but were asked to return later with additional information.]

So, maybe the hassle factor is a combination of counselor "personality"/attitude, attendee experience & attitude, degree of preparedness, including knowing the "gotchas," combined with a bit of luck. So, wishing all who've yet to attend CFO a bit of luck and wishes for a hassle free experience.

--RK

Edited May 15, 2012 by RK_and_Inday

[adiiann 163]

I went to St. Mary and they didn't ask any documents from me. They interviewed me after their video seminar which was very outdated. I could still remember some of the questions like, how we met, my age and my husband's age, and his profession, took less than 5 minutes and then I paid for the certificate and sticker on other building. But I saw some women there that their interview took so long.

Just my opinion, if during the interview, you don't feel confident and you raised a red flag, I guess that's all the BS coming because they will ask for more documents.

My two cents about the CFO, it was really outdated and for me it serves no purpose. They gave you list of phone numbers and places to go in case something happen to you. But they failed to educate Filipino on what exactly they need to do if bad things happen. Like the moment they got here, as side from 911 and they need to know who to call in their specific area in case bad things happen. They need to have some money in their pocket that they can use to mobilize while looking for help. They need to let them know what steps in immigration they need to do to protect themselves.

During the CFO, they didn't even ask me what preparations I did if BS happens when I get, I was expecting they will ask me as part of their protocol. I am confident that I am marrying a great guy and I love him but it doesn't mean that I know everything about him. I still have 10% worry when I flew here in US. I brought some extra money with me to buy me a ticket going back home, just in case our relationship will not work (though, I doubt it, but still). But after few hours after I got here in US, and have the taste of great burger and onion rings with root beer, I must say that my 10% worries gone.

Edited May 15, 2012 by adiiann

[rlogan 2,036]

Those females at SMEF-COW and PRISM really are drunk on power and high on bureaucratic-crack!

As always the government treats citizens like they are stupid little babies, and need mommy government to tell them how to pee.

So they take stupid little babies that don't know how to pee, and put them in power over us. The applicants know far more about the US than these bureaucrats who have out-dated information and are envious of the people leaving for a far better life than they will ever have. So it is their one chance to persecute people they envy.

Edited May 15, 2012 by rlogan

[Caryh 5,206]

I went to St. Mary and they didn't ask any documents from me. They interviewed me after their video seminar which was very outdated. I could still remember some of the questions like, how we met, my age and my husband's age, and his profession, took less than 5 minutes and then I paid for the certificate and sticker on other building. But I saw some women there that their interview took so long.

Just my opinion, if during the interview, you don't feel confident and you raised a red flag, I guess that's all the BS coming because they will ask for more documents.

My two cents about the CFO, it was really outdated and for me it serves no purpose. They gave you list of phone numbers and places to go in case something happen to you. But they failed to educate Filipino on what exactly they need to do if bad things happen. Like the moment they got here, as side from 911 and they need to know who to call in their specific area in case bad things happen. They need to have some money in their pocket that they can use to mobilize while looking for help. They need to let them know what steps in immigration they need to do to protect themselves.

During the CFO, they didn't even ask me what preparations I did if BS happens when I get, I was expecting they will ask me as part of their protocol. I am confident that I am marrying a great guy and I love him but it doesn't mean that I know everything about him. I still have 10% worry when I flew here in US. I brought some extra money with me to buy me a ticket going back home, just in case our relationship will not work (though, I doubt it, but still). But after few hours after I got here in US, and have the taste of great burger and onion rings with root beer, I must say that my 10% worries gone.

My wife went to St Mary's for the CFO also, and didn't run into any special issues. She was very well prepared though with even more things than she took to the embassy. She'd heard all the gotcha questions and requests ahead of time. What confuses the heck out of me, is why they tell women to go the their local consulate. Why not tell the women to contact a woman's shelter in their area if they find they're being abused. Women's shelters are everywhere in the USA. My wife's local consulate is an eight hour drive away, and thats if she could drive! Its as if they think everything in the USA is like everything is located in Manila. Just hop the jeepney and run over to the consulate, yah thats going to work good in the USA. Heck a woman's shelter would probably help her get to the consulate if thats what she needed to do. But for most places in the USA to get there on their own is darn near impossible.

[gretchen_darren 67]

So, maybe the hassle factor is a combination of counselor "personality"/attitude, attendee experience & attitude, degree of preparedness, including knowing the "gotchas," combined with a bit of luck. So, wishing all who've yet to attend CFO a bit of luck and wishes for a hassle free experience.

--RK

I think this might be the key...but hard to know for certain.

But after few hours after I got here in US, and have the taste of great burger and onion rings with root beer, I must say that my 10% worries gone.

glad you liked it