CFO visit 8 FEB 13

[ProfessorUSA 0]

With all the bad experiences I read online about fiancée CFO seminars, I was armed with documents and ready for battle. Prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. I went to CFO at CITIGOLD near LRT Quirino station on Feb 8 Friday I'm there at 5am and I'm 25th in line already (the limit for fiancée/spouses/other partner is only 15/session). I don’t know exactly where I should go which line I should be in but at that time there was only one line, there’s no reliable person to ask, no guards yet, so I just waited. It's confusing because some people there have been there before and made to come back and they have this photocopy of old schedules that says US is MON, wed and THU, I was there on a Friday but I have a printed copy of the schedule on their website that says Mon-Fri 9am-12 and 2-5pm 15 slots/session. So some girls were saying they don’t have US sessions on a Friday so 1 girl decided to believe that and left but I stayed put and decided to just wait and ask the guards for sure because I'm already there and I'm not going to believe hearsay as it's an extreme hassle to go back. So when the guards started letting people in at 6am I was able to get in because people in front of me have different destinations like Canada, japan, Italy, others, but mostly US. The guards asked for ID and photocopy of it, visa (which I don’t have yet but its fine because I have appointment letter). They let me in and gave me pink ID.

Those with pink ID went to 9th floor and then they gave us a form to fill out. I already filled out forms online but they didn’t use it, I had to fill out the one they gave which has more personal stuff, like number of children, divorces, educational background of your petitioner. They ask for the petitioner’s highest educational attainment and what the course of study was so you have to know this as well as his mother’s maiden name they ask that and will give you a funny look if you don’t know. After filling out a form fast I went ahead to the middle aged woman in front of a computer who seemed to be interviewing people, typing on a computer and taking picture from webcam. It was the registration area. So she took my form asked me for his birthday (even though it's in the filled out form in her hand) and his mother’s maiden name. You have to know his birthday, everyone even those who were married for a long time forget the birthdays. Also the middle aged woman on the computer asked for divorce decree but didn’t look. She asked me If I have visa already I said not yet and then she asked “ then why are you here?” which was not polite at all so I responded “ I wanted to get this done early and it is allowed anyway”.

After registration for the counseling I was called in for a one on one with a counselor, a different woman (Thank God!). She was kind and not intrusive or judgmental at all (like in some others’ experiences) she asked me about how we met, when, where, how long have I known him now, how many times he visited me in Philippines, his work, his highest educational attainment, if divorced they would ask you the circumstances of it, you have to know these and she wrote them down on the form I filled out initially. I presented myself with confidence and full knowledge about the man I'm marrying and the place I'm going and she didn’t give me a hard time. I did prepare for all these questions with my fiancé by reading other people’s experiences so I won't encounter a question I'm not ready for. I actually overdid the preparation, I had NBI clearance, NSO CENOMAR, Birth certificate, 3 copies of pictures of us together, divorce papers, (because other people on VJ were asked for this) the counselor did not ask me for any of this, she did ask for a photocopy of his ID or passport and I have it. I think it is important to be ready. I believe I was lucky because the counselor was kind, you might get a different one. Then after the counselor finished the first 3 girls for the one on one she started with the orientation which was informative, I learned a lot from that, I appreciated it. The counselor Miss Mhin (forgot her surname) was genuinely concerned for the welfare of Filipinas who are going to US to get married. The orientation was pro women empowerment I believe. Because most of the girls in that session are going to US by themselves for the first time and there might be some setbacks and she just advised us to be ready, confident, strong and knowledgeable about our rights.

After the seminar we went to ground floor waited for our name to be called at the cashier to pay 400, then wait again for the certificate for guidance counseling, those who had visa already they got their stamps. We finished at 2pm. You have to eat breakfast before you go there or eat while you’re in line. Some who were married already but didn’t have their marriage certificate were made to go back and get them. So it's better to be prepared with all important documents because some are coming from the provinces only to attend that seminar and the website does not indicate every document they will ask. I did put that in the comments/suggestion sheet because that is not fair. They should be transparent with the documents they need and should not ask for those which they did not indicate in the website. Because some of us had to go through 10 hour bus rides just to attend.

You should always check the spelling of your name on the certificate (mine was misspelled so I had to wait again), make sure it says valid for travel to US (not other countries) and feel it for the dry seal (it says not valid without dry seal).

Overall I didn’t have a hard time at the CFO just that I was there at 5am and finished at 2pm. I do have to go back for the sticker once I have the visa but its fine that is open from 8am-5pm not like the seminar which only has certain slot number and certain time. And my fiancé said you can get the sticker at the airport if you have complete documents but you must make appointment first, they are open on weekends up to midnight so that is helpful, but call first and ask. The counseling certificate is valid forever so don’t lose it. Always keep the original only submit photocopy when needed.

[lythz 1]

With all the bad experiences I read online about fiancée CFO seminars, I was armed with documents and ready for battle. Prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. I went to CFO at CITIGOLD near LRT Quirino station on Feb 8 Friday I'm there at 5am and I'm 25th in line already (the limit for fiancée/spouses/other partner is only 15/session). I don’t know exactly where I should go which line I should be in but at that time there was only one line, there’s no reliable person to ask, no guards yet, so I just waited. It's confusing because some people there have been there before and made to come back and they have this photocopy of old schedules that says US is MON, wed and THU, I was there on a Friday but I have a printed copy of the schedule on their website that says Mon-Fri 9am-12 and 2-5pm 15 slots/session. So some girls were saying they don’t have US sessions on a Friday so 1 girl decided to believe that and left but I stayed put and decided to just wait and ask the guards for sure because I'm already there and I'm not going to believe hearsay as it's an extreme hassle to go back. So when the guards started letting people in at 6am I was able to get in because people in front of me have different destinations like Canada, japan, Italy, others, but mostly US. The guards asked for ID and photocopy of it, visa (which I don’t have yet but its fine because I have appointment letter). They let me in and gave me pink ID.

Those with pink ID went to 9th floor and then they gave us a form to fill out. I already filled out forms online but they didn’t use it, I had to fill out the one they gave which has more personal stuff, like number of children, divorces, educational background of your petitioner. They ask for the petitioner’s highest educational attainment and what the course of study was so you have to know this as well as his mother’s maiden name they ask that and will give you a funny look if you don’t know. After filling out a form fast I went ahead to the middle aged woman in front of a computer who seemed to be interviewing people, typing on a computer and taking picture from webcam. It was the registration area. So she took my form asked me for his birthday (even though it's in the filled out form in her hand) and his mother’s maiden name. You have to know his birthday, everyone even those who were married for a long time forget the birthdays. Also the middle aged woman on the computer asked for divorce decree but didn’t look. She asked me If I have visa already I said not yet and then she asked “ then why are you here?” which was not polite at all so I responded “ I wanted to get this done early and it is allowed anyway”.

After registration for the counseling I was called in for a one on one with a counselor, a different woman (Thank God!). She was kind and not intrusive or judgmental at all (like in some others’ experiences) she asked me about how we met, when, where, how long have I known him now, how many times he visited me in Philippines, his work, his highest educational attainment, if divorced they would ask you the circumstances of it, you have to know these and she wrote them down on the form I filled out initially. I presented myself with confidence and full knowledge about the man I'm marrying and the place I'm going and she didn’t give me a hard time. I did prepare for all these questions with my fiancé by reading other people’s experiences so I won't encounter a question I'm not ready for. I actually overdid the preparation, I had NBI clearance, NSO CENOMAR, Birth certificate, 3 copies of pictures of us together, divorce papers, (because other people on VJ were asked for this) the counselor did not ask me for any of this, she did ask for a photocopy of his ID or passport and I have it. I think it is important to be ready. I believe I was lucky because the counselor was kind, you might get a different one. Then after the counselor finished the first 3 girls for the one on one she started with the orientation which was informative, I learned a lot from that, I appreciated it. The counselor Miss Mhin (forgot her surname) was genuinely concerned for the welfare of Filipinas who are going to US to get married. The orientation was pro women empowerment I believe. Because most of the girls in that session are going to US by themselves for the first time and there might be some setbacks and she just advised us to be ready, confident, strong and knowledgeable about our rights.

After the seminar we went to ground floor waited for our name to be called at the cashier to pay 400, then wait again for the certificate for guidance counseling, those who had visa already they got their stamps. We finished at 2pm. You have to eat breakfast before you go there or eat while you’re in line. Some who were married already but didn’t have their marriage certificate were made to go back and get them. So it's better to be prepared with all important documents because some are coming from the provinces only to attend that seminar and the website does not indicate every document they will ask. I did put that in the comments/suggestion sheet because that is not fair. They should be transparent with the documents they need and should not ask for those which they did not indicate in the website. Because some of us had to go through 10 hour bus rides just to attend.

You should always check the spelling of your name on the certificate (mine was misspelled so I had to wait again), make sure it says valid for travel to US (not other countries) and feel it for the dry seal (it says not valid without dry seal).

Overall I didn’t have a hard time at the CFO just that I was there at 5am and finished at 2pm. I do have to go back for the sticker once I have the visa but its fine that is open from 8am-5pm not like the seminar which only has certain slot number and certain time. And my fiancé said you can get the sticker at the airport if you have complete documents but you must make appointment first, they are open on weekends up to midnight so that is helpful, but call first and ask. The counseling certificate is valid forever so don’t lose it. Always keep the original only submit photocopy when needed.

very informative thanks for sharing this.

[LSnBigBear 61]

Great information. Sorry about the drama at first. I will copy and paste for my fiancee. Good luck on your interview.

[JHventesinko 5]

With all the bad experiences I read online about fiancée CFO seminars, I was armed with documents and ready for battle. Prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. I went to CFO at CITIGOLD near LRT Quirino station on Feb 8 Friday I'm there at 5am and I'm 25th in line already (the limit for fiancée/spouses/other partner is only 15/session). I don’t know exactly where I should go which line I should be in but at that time there was only one line, there’s no reliable person to ask, no guards yet, so I just waited. It's confusing because some people there have been there before and made to come back and they have this photocopy of old schedules that says US is MON, wed and THU, I was there on a Friday but I have a printed copy of the schedule on their website that says Mon-Fri 9am-12 and 2-5pm 15 slots/session. So some girls were saying they don’t have US sessions on a Friday so 1 girl decided to believe that and left but I stayed put and decided to just wait and ask the guards for sure because I'm already there and I'm not going to believe hearsay as it's an extreme hassle to go back. So when the guards started letting people in at 6am I was able to get in because people in front of me have different destinations like Canada, japan, Italy, others, but mostly US. The guards asked for ID and photocopy of it, visa (which I don’t have yet but its fine because I have appointment letter). They let me in and gave me pink ID.

Those with pink ID went to 9th floor and then they gave us a form to fill out. I already filled out forms online but they didn’t use it, I had to fill out the one they gave which has more personal stuff, like number of children, divorces, educational background of your petitioner. They ask for the petitioner’s highest educational attainment and what the course of study was so you have to know this as well as his mother’s maiden name they ask that and will give you a funny look if you don’t know. After filling out a form fast I went ahead to the middle aged woman in front of a computer who seemed to be interviewing people, typing on a computer and taking picture from webcam. It was the registration area. So she took my form asked me for his birthday (even though it's in the filled out form in her hand) and his mother’s maiden name. You have to know his birthday, everyone even those who were married for a long time forget the birthdays. Also the middle aged woman on the computer asked for divorce decree but didn’t look. She asked me If I have visa already I said not yet and then she asked “ then why are you here?” which was not polite at all so I responded “ I wanted to get this done early and it is allowed anyway”.

After registration for the counseling I was called in for a one on one with a counselor, a different woman (Thank God!). She was kind and not intrusive or judgmental at all (like in some others’ experiences) she asked me about how we met, when, where, how long have I known him now, how many times he visited me in Philippines, his work, his highest educational attainment, if divorced they would ask you the circumstances of it, you have to know these and she wrote them down on the form I filled out initially. I presented myself with confidence and full knowledge about the man I'm marrying and the place I'm going and she didn’t give me a hard time. I did prepare for all these questions with my fiancé by reading other people’s experiences so I won't encounter a question I'm not ready for. I actually overdid the preparation, I had NBI clearance, NSO CENOMAR, Birth certificate, 3 copies of pictures of us together, divorce papers, (because other people on VJ were asked for this) the counselor did not ask me for any of this, she did ask for a photocopy of his ID or passport and I have it. I think it is important to be ready. I believe I was lucky because the counselor was kind, you might get a different one. Then after the counselor finished the first 3 girls for the one on one she started with the orientation which was informative, I learned a lot from that, I appreciated it. The counselor Miss Mhin (forgot her surname) was genuinely concerned for the welfare of Filipinas who are going to US to get married. The orientation was pro women empowerment I believe. Because most of the girls in that session are going to US by themselves for the first time and there might be some setbacks and she just advised us to be ready, confident, strong and knowledgeable about our rights.

After the seminar we went to ground floor waited for our name to be called at the cashier to pay 400, then wait again for the certificate for guidance counseling, those who had visa already they got their stamps. We finished at 2pm. You have to eat breakfast before you go there or eat while you’re in line. Some who were married already but didn’t have their marriage certificate were made to go back and get them. So it's better to be prepared with all important documents because some are coming from the provinces only to attend that seminar and the website does not indicate every document they will ask. I did put that in the comments/suggestion sheet because that is not fair. They should be transparent with the documents they need and should not ask for those which they did not indicate in the website. Because some of us had to go through 10 hour bus rides just to attend.

You should always check the spelling of your name on the certificate (mine was misspelled so I had to wait again), make sure it says valid for travel to US (not other countries) and feel it for the dry seal (it says not valid without dry seal).

Overall I didn’t have a hard time at the CFO just that I was there at 5am and finished at 2pm. I do have to go back for the sticker once I have the visa but its fine that is open from 8am-5pm not like the seminar which only has certain slot number and certain time. And my fiancé said you can get the sticker at the airport if you have complete documents but you must make appointment first, they are open on weekends up to midnight so that is helpful, but call first and ask. The counseling certificate is valid forever so don’t lose it. Always keep the original only submit photocopy when needed.

Thank you so much for this. Do u happen to know if they asked for the original marriage certificate? I wont be having mine when i go to the CFO seminar because it's in my visa packet which of course i cannot open. I hope photocopies will do.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Thank you so much for this. Do u happen to know if they asked for the original marriage certificate? I wont be having mine when i go to the CFO seminar because it's in my visa packet which of course i cannot open. I hope photocopies will do.

A photocopy is just fine.

As for getting the sticker at the airport, even though you can do it, I would not want to be waiting at the airport for the CFO sticker, I would rather have it all done before getting inside NAIA

[Memphis 26]

Very informative indeed! Thanks for sharing.