Expedite based on financial hardship

[Dirk 30]

I submitted an expedite request (after the fact of submitting my I-129F). If you are going to send it, I recommend that you send it with the I-129F submittal. They will review it and get back to you before even putting your application into the file system they have over there. I sent in an expedite for the cost of birth and the pain I would have to go through being separated from my first born and it was denied. Maybe I wasn't exact enough. Now, I feel like they are jerking me around. I received an RFE on the exact day before my 7 month point, the day that I would have been eligible to request an expedite based on the amount of time things are taking. They mailed me the RFE, which they say could take 15 days. They really want to make me wait now that I thought I should be given priority over all the other I-129F filers. I must have rustled somebodies feathers and now they really want to get back at me. Everyone else who submitted at the same time as me received their RFEs AND acceptance letters (even after an RFE) before they even bothered sending mine. My case is not that complicating. I recommend that, if you try the expedite, that you try the expedite. After the expedite was denied, I continued to follow up with my senator... Probably each time pulling my file and pushing it further and further back in the stack of files.

In my opinion, they need a better filing system that keeps things more fair. On the other hand, if they really do want to mess with me now that I've persisted too much, then I guess they have that right and I can't do anything about it. Keep these things in mind as you pursue your application. I should have taken the advice of others "It's best to wait".

Very interesting. I would have done that, however I did not know she was pregnant at the timing of filing, otherwise I would have married her then and filed the marrie route, it interesting about your RFE, what was it for? My case is also cut and dry. I will make sure not to call the senators office again at this point. Best of luck with your journey

[Dirk 30]

I thought we lived in a time when people knew how to prevent pregnancy. If you cannot afford the cost of having a baby or the baby itself then don't have one. It is not anyone else's responsibility.

This is how it works:

Sex=baby. If you cannot stop the baby with protection (and you cannot handle having one) then don't have sex. Simple.

Another person making a comment that is off topic, how about this... We had sex, the condom that was bought at 7-11 in Manila broke. Next you will say that she should have been on birth control and I should have never trusted a condom in Manila. I am a human being we all make mistakes in life I can tell you this, The child is NOT a mistake, what is mistake is insensitive people like you making comments about someone you have no clue about so dont judge. I will provide a better home than most, the reason my home is full of love not judgment....

I wish all of you the best of luck on your journey, it s completely bull that people come here for genuine help and a few idiots always have to talk smack.

[Dirk 30]

I understand what you are saying here, Vanessa. I worked overseas for almost 4 years before coming here in the US last month. I saved as much as I can and my husband did his part too. We were denied when we filed our K1 (overseas consulate) in February 2011. Pre-VJ for me. Long story but it was devastating and we did not give up. We both went home to Manila to get married. Fortunately, I had a job overseas as a nurse so I had my own money at least. Despite the financial challenges (K1 denial, wedding, overseas trips to see each other, CR1) he visited me where I was based, BUT we planned for that, saving a certain amount of money each time we got our paychecks just for the trip to happen. The CR1 took longer than expected because we had to request transfer of the interview to Manila. My husband did not want it but I insisted because I was scared to be denied again. I went home to Manila for my interview and my husband was there too. This immigration journey is NOT cheap and honestly, if it were not for my job, I don't know where my husband and I will be financially right now. Maybe too much debts and I never wanted to be a burden to him (financially). Right now we are tightening our budget and I am in the process of getting a job already because I want to help us both get back on our finances. So I understand and sympathize with those couples who are maintaining 2 households during the entire visa process. We are in a difficult situation but we need a lot of patience to get through this.

OP, how far along is your fiancée in her pregnancy? Are there other factors involved that make her a candidate of C-section? If she is worried about NPA in her province, she can always stay in Manila and find a doctor with reasonable price. (Please find someone who will not take advantage of the fact that she is engaged to an American). Sad, but this is true. The cost of a baby's delivery varies in private hospitals. It is usually a 'package deal' in the Philippines, meaning to say the woman's Obstetrician will let her know early on what the expected expenses are if the baby is born (normal or CS). My sister-in-law gave birth (normal delivery) in a private hospital in Quezon City last year and my brother spent $1K for that (including baby's pre-screening etc) . My sister-in-law originally thought she would be giving birth via C-section too because of my niece's position but she was awesome because she did a lot of walking, prevented herself from eating excessively to avoid being too large and frequently visited the doctor and in the end, she went to give birth normally. You can always call private hospitals in Manila and inquire the costs of both normal & C-section delivery. I wish you luck!

She is at 7 months now, we are looking into moving her to makati in a few weeks and looking at hospitals. Thank you for American price factor, I have learned that lesson already.

Thank you for information it will come in handy. Welcome to America!!!!!

[Confused 2 94]

7 months? Is she even supposed to be flying anymore? Is it worth the risk? A little bit of patience Dirk. That is all it will take. 1000s have babies in the Phil. You can chose to look at the positive or the negative, the process will not change but your experience will. Most everyone here has waited and some have waited years and years and are still doing fine. Having a baby is really not a reason to expedite. Most couples do.

[ca_babe 129]

She is at 7 months now, we are looking into moving her to makati in a few weeks and looking at hospitals. Thank you for American price factor, I have learned that lesson already.

Thank you for information it will come in handy. Welcome to America!!!!!

Oooooooh so you only have 2 months left. Even if USCIS approves your expedited processing request, it has to go through NVC. Then NVC will forward it to US Embassy in Manila. Shipping time takes about a week from NVC to Manila. Then it takes about another week before the US Embassy in Manila will open your file from NVC. Then, you need to send another request to the US Embassy in Manila for expedited processing request because it's separate from NVC. That alone will take at least 1 week. Then, she needs to go to medical at St. Luke's Medical Center. If the US Embassy in Manila approved the expedited processing, she can go to the interview after she has been cleared by St. Luke's. Then she has to wait for her visa which can take upto 2 weeks. Then, you have to get married right away so you can add her as a dependent in your insurance. Most health insurance doesn't kick in until the first of the following month that you sign up. It seems almost impossible to do all of the above prior giving birth. Full term is at 37 weeks or 8.5 months so it's also possible that you don't really have 2 months but 1.5 month. It would be very risky to travel 12 hours especially if she requires a C-section.

[NikLR 13,232]

Your fiancee should not fly after 36 weeks. Especially not on a long flight! BTW, most infants travel for free because they sit in their mom's lap and do not take up a seat. My daughter flew for free until she was two, but she was also a pretty good little girl. Her cousins on the other hand, needed their parent's to buy them seats (and use the car seats in them) after age 1 because they couldn't and wouldn't sit still. Makes me glad my daughter walked later vs earlier.

[Waiting234 18]

Very interesting. I would have done that, however I did not know she was pregnant at the timing of filing, otherwise I would have married her then and filed the marrie route, it interesting about your RFE, what was it for? My case is also cut and dry. I will make sure not to call the senators office again at this point. Best of luck with your journey

My RFE was pretty frivolous, in my opinion. Of course, my lawyer could have messed up the original paperwork without telling me (all the more reason to do it yourself, also, your lawyer is the only person to receive the RFE, so I never saw it). They sent me a multiple choice question that asked if my fiance was ever arrested, yes or no. Being that this is something the Embassy handles during the interview, I saw little reason why they should be asking me this now.