CFO Counseling Requirement has no legal basis

[sunandmoon 450]

Anyways quick question, fiance's been in and out of the Philippines to work in Taiwan and South Korea prior to our K1 application, does he still need to do this CFO counseling session? Thanks in advance

yes.

[madison925 2]

I was planning to do this. Fly to HK or SG as tourist then leave from there so that we dont need to get the cfo sticker. Does it matter? Do you need to really be from your country when you enter the US?

[nunya business 20]

The CFO is still very necessary, and for the most part does a good job. Some that do not understand the ugly truth about the Philippines think this process is just a way for the government to make a few more pesos. The truth is every year thousands of Filipino women leave the PI seeking a better life by marrying someone from another country. A lot of the marriages are arraigned, or brokered by illegal matchmaking agencies. While mail order brides is illegal in the PI, it still goes on there, because in other countries it is legal. The reason the CFO asks all those questions, and wants all those other documents is because they are trying to find out if a third party introduced the Filipina to their husband, or future husband.

The arranged marriages is clearly a form of human trafficking. Lots of these women go to Korea and Japan, and some wind up being nothing but cooks, maids, babysitters, or even worse forced into the sex trade and prostitution. The CFO tries to find out if someone is coercing them to contract marriage with a foreigner, and if getting married is really what they want to do. A lot of women are 18 to 25 years old and they think they will be helping their family by marrying a foreigner. Even the women family in some cases is the very ones who is encouraging her to get married.

The CFO cannot look at someone and tell if they are a victim of human trafficking, so they try to find that out during the interview. If there are any red flags, the interview and the request for more documents can seem like a interrogation more than a interview. If the woman is 18-25 years old, there is a large age difference, or her husband or fiancee has divorced more than one time, and she can't answer simple questions about him can set off alarms.

Under Philippine law, Filipino women who are going overseas as fiancees and spouses of foreign nationals are required to attend the CFO's guidance and counseling program to help them make informed decisions regarding their marriage to foreign nationals and to prepare them for their adjustments in cross-cultural marriages. Attending the program is a per-requisite for the issuance of a passport.

I think the counseling program is about the only tool the Philippines has in identifying Filipino women who are mail-order brides, or women who are getting married for the wrong reasons. That why it is still necessary.

Ok if this is such a needed requirement then why not one seminar for all countries not a separate one for each country I head about alot of American bashing in these seminars and some inapropiate questions towards female attendees. what the hell does the size of my underwear have to do with my fiance'e getting this sticker? Most people want to forget their ex-wife i know i sure do what does that have to do with anything or what made my last marriage failed (she cheated on me) who cares i learned from my mistakes and to make this a requirement before she can leave the country is just wrong if she has her visa let her go! she has aready been through enough with the endless waiting for some and the interviews to get the visa if she passed those then let her go she knows what she is getting into!

As for the swinger thing that HAS nothing to do with anything she can not be forced to do anything she does not want to and if she is forced then she can leave call the cops and file for divorce or take legal action that is part of the laws here.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Rant away, then when done prepare everything needed to get CFO completed.

Have you received your MNL # yet?

There is a link to the K-1 process in my sig below

[Tahoma 2,292]

Rant away, then when done prepare everything needed to get CFO completed.

[Bayareaguy 156]

There is the possible loophole of going on a "vacation" after you have your visa (like to Hong Kong), then "Oh, I'll just buy a ticket to the US from here", since you do have a visa to travel to the US. I'm not recommending this mind you, just putting it out there.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Others have "talked" about this also, but with the visa in the passport already you have to ask yourself - will the customs agents at NAIA be dumb enough to let you pass without the CFO sticker?

[Bayareaguy 156]

For sure, I wouldn't want to risk it...but the chances might not be that bad if the traveler also has previous international travel in the passport.

[Caryh 5,206]

Others have "talked" about this also, but with the visa in the passport already you have to ask yourself - will the customs agents at NAIA be dumb enough to let you pass without the CFO sticker?

A friend of my wife's has been turned away at NAIA going on vacation to a few countries now. In every case she was actually trying to go work without a work visa in those countries. How much harder will it be when they see that K-1 or CR-1 visa to the USA?

Quick edit: I should add she's not that bright, and easily gets caught in lies, which she's a bit known for doing.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Caryh

[rlogan 2,036]

Your titling at Windmills Don...

My name is not Don, you can't spell "tilting" correctly, and providing information is hardly "tilting at windmills". The information is not for you. It is for people with minds. There are people on this forum that have them.

You think yourself superior for criticizing people who share information with others on the laws that affect them? I'm not going to stop doing so just because some lazy, ignorant, blindly obedient sheep criticizes me for it. You have no power over me.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

1362516992[/url]' post='6023852']

My name is not Don, you can't spell "tilting" correctly, and providing information is hardly "tilting at windmills". The information is not for you. It is for people with minds. There are people on this forum that have them.

You think yourself superior for criticizing people who share information with others on the laws that affect them? I'm not going to stop doing so just because some lazy, ignorant, blindly obedient sheep criticizes me for it. You have no power over me.

Ok then have at it champ. You do realize the CFO sticker has nothing to do with Us law or requirement right ? It is strictly a Philippine requirement

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

1362509585[/url]' post='6023577']

As for the swinger thing that HAS nothing to do with anything she can not be forced to do anything she does not want to and if she is forced then she can leave call the cops and file for divorce or take legal action that is part of the laws here.

That is why they need CFO Please tell me you are joking

[rlogan 2,036]

Ok then have at it champ. You do realize the CFO sticker has nothing to do with Us law or requirement right ? It is strictly a Philippine requirement

Thanks, Captain Obvious - and I don't need your permission to post.

Who was quoting the Philippine laws you know nothing about? Me, not you. So isn't that hilarious, with you pretending to inform me.

Since we are immigrating Filipinos those laws affect us. Duh. Are you really this infantile with reasoning?

Better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. But hey, by all means keep embarassing yourself.

[dave01 16]

Wow, what a bunch of cry babies. Getting a CFO certificate is a requirement for many things, get over it. I have read so much misinformation about this topic that it's amazing. If you want to try and change the system then hire a lawyer and see where it gets you. If you want to try and beat the system, well good luck with that. Maybe instead of crying about the laws in the Philippines you should focus a little more on your own countries laws

[rlogan 2,036]

Wow, what a bunch of cry babies.

So here is a cry baby telling others not to cry.

Except what this cry baby is crying about is other people discussing the merits of government requirements. Or researching their legal basis. This is the antithesis of democracy and freedom of speech of course so it is a bizarre stance for anyone in the free world to be taking.

It really is bizarre to have people so upset by others using their brains and thinking. That's really what this comes down to - an objection to thinking and communicating. We should all just shut up, do as we're told, and not think.

Heh. Not me. You can be as pissed off as you like, but it isn't going to stop me from using my brain.

Edited March 5, 2013 by rlogan