Time duration from medical to interview to leaving

[sld 5]

I am considering flying over to go with my wife to the medical and interview, then return home with her. Think 2 weeks is enough time?

[carton025 38]

Unless you have plenty of time and spending money you might want to wait until she has passed her medical and has the visa in her passport. She might have to have additional tests if she has a "spot" on her x-ray, her/your case may be put into "administrative review." There are several things that can delay the delivery of the visa.

Best wishes!

[toastedpancake 15]

Unless you have plenty of time and spending money you might want to wait until she has passed her medical and has the visa in her passport. She might have to have additional tests if she has a "spot" on her x-ray, her/your case may be put into "administrative review." There are several things that can delay the delivery of the visa.

Best wishes!

[RyRo 47]

Unless you have plenty of time and spending money you might want to wait until she has passed her medical and has the visa in her passport. She might have to have additional tests if she has a "spot" on her x-ray, her/your case may be put into "administrative review." There are several things that can delay the delivery of the visa.

Best wishes!

[sld 5]

I am wanting to be present for the medical and the interview.

Is that ok?

[sjr09 155]

I am wanting to be present for the medical and the interview.

Is that ok?

You’ll need to wait outside ’hours’ each day for the Med. but you certainly can attend the interview. Timeline is difficult to judge as when completion of the medical, CFO and most importantly delivery of the visa after the interview approval. If you have time, I’m sure your SO would appreciate the support.

Don’t book any flights until she has the visa in hand!

[apple21 953]

I am wanting to be present for the medical and the interview.

Is that ok?

FYI, no sexual contact before medical exam until she gets her vaccines. Some people encounter issues in the medical when their fiancees/spouses come home to be with them during this stage as some vaccines are not given if there's "doubt" on whether the woman is pregnant or not. Just precautionary advice.

As far as the medical at SLEC is concerned, most likely you will not be allowed to accompany her due to the limited space. SLEC only allows companions for small children and elderly applicants.

I would recommend you come over just before the interview date (after she passed her medical exam). Start the 2 weeks of waiting there, the visa will be delivered more or less within 7-10 working days and afterwards she still has to attend PDOS.

PDOS: http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348:fiancee-spouses-and-other-partners-of-foreign-nationals&catid=140

Edited February 27, 2013 by apple21

[YourHumboldtBud 2]

You're typically not allowed to go into the medical center at SLEC, unless you are a parent bringing a child or are assissting someone like an elderly person. The guards will usually tell you at the door that will be as far as you can go, then you'll have to wait outside. SLEC can get quite full so they typically reserve space for people who actually have appointments and not the Fiance/Spouse. Since the medical exam step is first come first serve, you have no idea how many people will attend on any given day, maybe a few maybe a lot...The process itself is typically a 2 day process, 1 day if you get lucky. Then assuming everything goes well, the staff at SLEC actually have to deliver the records to USEM in preparation for your interview. I guess that's why most people recommend doing the medical at least 2 weeks prior to interview in order to deal with the 2 day process, any potential problems that can be fixed in a timely manner and the time needed to deliver your medical results to the USEM.

If you are planning to fly back with her to the US then I definitely wouldn't suggest flying over until after you have the visa in hand, as in delivered and CFO seminar Attended/Stampped. Especially if 2 weeks is all you can get for time off. It can take up to 2 weeks typically for the visa to get delivered AFTER it has been approved from the interview date. There are too many variables that can go wrong and possibly extend the process for longer than 2 weeks.

You'll need to prioritize what is most important for you. Either being there for the interview itself(which as a USC you CAN attend) or flying back together if the Visa is approved. Otherwise you're taking a fairly big gamble. From personal experience it took about a 3 weeks from being with my wife for her medical appointment(I was allowed inside SLEC due to special circumstances) to the visa interview 2 weeks later, to the the visa being ready for pick up 4 days after approval.

So I guess to answer your question, NO 2 weeks typically is NOT enough time, when you go to PI plan to stay for at least a month American Time x2=Philippine Time

[Hank_ 9,174]

I am considering flying over to go with my wife to the medical and interview, then return home with her. Think 2 weeks is enough time?

Nope, not enough time.

[Hank_ 9,174]

I am wanting to be present for the medical and the interview.

Is that ok?

You can be present at the interview but you can not go into SLEC during the medical.

There was a week between the medical and the interview with my wife, then it took two weeks before the visa arrived, then she did CFO.

From medical to flying I would say a month is a much safer bet, but as others have said - you never know what delays could happen. I would not plan for any airline tickets until the visa is in hand.

[mapleleafmanny 11]

The time frame between the medical and interview is kind of up to your choosing. I know when I called the Montreal Medisys, they had a TON of openings on any days of the week, as early as the following day.

As far as after the interview, I cannot speak from experience yet. However, I've read reviews of people getting it anywhere between 1-2 weeks.

[Hank_ 9,174]

The time frame between the medical and interview is kind of up to your choosing. I know when I called the Montreal Medisys, they had a TON of openings on any days of the week, as early as the following day.

As far as after the interview, I cannot speak from experience yet. However, I've read reviews of people getting it anywhere between 1-2 weeks.

Canada is not the Philippines, quite different.

[mapleleafmanny 11]

Oops lol, I had not realized this was for the Philippines only. Sometimes visajourney doesn't properly filter out the countries lol. My bad!

[Hank_ 9,174]

Ya if you had to do the process in the Phils you would be near bald before done, but there everyone does things in stride.

Get up at 3AM go stand in line at St. Lukes for hours, then once they open the doors spend the day doing the medical... sound fun? Then come back the next day to complete things. Ya gotta learn to love standing in lines if you want to do things...