CFO Seminar Horror Story

[Ellsmar 1]

Where do I start... I'll try to keep it brief for ease of reading. On May 16, my fiancee went to CFO for the seminar. She brought the following:

Original and Photocopy of Passport
1 pc of 2x2 or passport size photograph
1 valid identification card with photo
Duly completed form (downloadable at www.cfo.gov.ph)
Payment of 400 Pesos
Photocopy of 2 valid ID's
CENOMAR
Photocopy of my passport bio page and all entry stamps showing my visits to her over the past 4 years.

Photocopy of my birth certificate
NBI Clearance
NSO Birth Certificate

Manila Embassy Appointment Confirmation

NOA2

12 pictures of us together in Hong Kong, Macau and various place we visited in the PI as well as in our apartment and with family.

During the one-on-one counseling, they told her that she did not pass and needs to redo counseling on Tuesday.

She went back on Tuesday the 21st and redid the counseling and then they told her that they want proof of singleness for me. They also told her that she needs to know all the forms that I the petitioner filed. She cried there because she said it's so frustrating. Why couldn't they tell me they needed this last week before I went back? They just told her that "it's required" and to come back tomorrow.

Mind you that she lives in Zambales and it's not a quick ride, it's from 4 am until 8pm everytime she has to go to Manila and go to CFO.

She went back yesterday and took the entire I-129F packet, the entire Interview packet, my W2 and my 2012 1040. She was there pretty much all day and they asked her where do you get a marriage contract, what do you after you are married, what are the forms you need for adjustment of status, how long is the first green card for, after the first green card expires what forms do you need to submit for a permanent green card, where do you file that to? Obviously, she didn't know all of that so they denied her again.

She is so discouraged and frustrated. I don't know what to do to help her?

I have gotten the:

Marriage License Registration form for the State of Hawaii and had her fill one out,

Report of Marriage Form to submit to the Philippine Consulate in Hawaii

Everything that we currently have for the I485 AOS packet and the

I-791 for removing conditions.

I have explained the process the best I know from what I have read on VJ.

Does ANYONE have any suggestions on what we should do? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. We don't want a denial for the fourth time.

[Vic20r 14]

Wow!!! That is just pain in the a@$!!!

It seems like she is applying a citizenship or so..I got mine 2 yrs ago with no hassles and even gained a praise from the nun after the oneonone interview..Of course my case was different because i am a spouse of a US Citizen and had my CFO as a requirement for my passport renewal..

Better let your fiancee study all the previous questions and i don't know, memorize it perhaps..I hope they wont give her hard time anymore..

Good luck!

[shayma 22]

It seems like they are giving her the run around I would contact the embassy directly and ask them exactly what they want... Im sorry that you guys are going through this i know that its sooo hard

[Robb&Ann 101]

smh CFO is bad! that is why as early as now, I am already reviewing with the next steps even up to getting a marriage license, applying for SSN, AOS.etc... see.. CFO s****!!!!!! smh.

I have a feeling that they will also do the same to me because I look like a kid.. lol.. they might think i don't know what i'm doing...

I feel sorry about what they did to ur fiancee. And i hope she will get through with these ***** people..

[Vic20r 14]

It seems like they are giving her the run around I would contact the embassy directly and ask them exactly what they want... Im sorry that you guys are going through this i know that its sooo hard

The Embassy has nothing to do with CFO..

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1348%3Afiancee-spouses-and-other-partners-of-foreign-nationals&catid=140&Itemid=789

[Robb&Ann 101]

this... just raised my blood pressure. smh

[shayma 22]

Ok thnx i just assumed it was at the embassy thnx alot i learned something new

[Robb&Ann 101]

My suggestion is to inform your fiancee the following:

- steps in getting a marriage license in Hawaii (the requirements, etc)

- steps in applying for SSN in Hawaii

- inform your fiance how long once she is in the states before she can file for SSN

(it is advisable to apply for SSN atleast 2 weeks after arriving in the US or after getting married or 2 weeks before the i-94 expires,etc etc... and should adjust the status before the i-94 expires)

- steps in adjusting the status , applying for EAD, etc..

- and other info about the AOS

- reporting marriage abroad (which i know were tackled in CFO) what is the nearest Philippine Consulate that has the jurisdiction of ur state

- how to amend her name on her passport using ur last name after getting married

- steps for removal of condition, the requirements..

- how long it takes before she can apply for citizenship, the requirements, etc etc..

- If CFO would go crazy, might as well inform ur fiancee as well on how to apply for a dual citizenship..

have ur fiance take down notes of the guides u gave to her..etc...

have ur fiance read through the guides here on VJ as well... ughhh CFO... such a pain in the butt..

Edited May 23, 2013 by Robb&Ann

[pigmonk 16]

hi, during my CFO seminar, i was asked about the stuff that they asked from your fiancee too. But before that, counselling happens. So she has to really pay attention. After the counselling, she must be able to answer those stuff. If not, it only shows she is not ready yet, or she didn't listen to the lectures.

Also,if they are giving her a hard time, it must be because the CFO people is not sure whether she will be fine when she get to USA or not. Sometimes also, age gap matters during the counselling. They will ask her many things about the petitioner. If the petitioner has been married before like 2 or more times, she will also be asked if she knew the reason of the divorce. If one of the reason of the divorce is domestic violence, she will also have to answer stuff and prove that the petitioner is in a good state of mind and won't hurt her.

Those questions are normal questions that are being asked in the seminar. If your fiancee paid attention during the lectures, she will be able to answer those questions coz those were all the lectures are all about.

Edited May 23, 2013 by pigmonk

[Ellsmar 1]

hi, during my CFO seminar, i was asked about the stuff that they asked from your fiancee too. But before that, counselling happens. So she has to really pay attention. After the counselling, she must be able to answer those stuff. If not, it only shows she is not ready yet, or she didn't listen to the lectures.

Also,if they are giving her a hard time, it must be because the CFO people is not sure whether she will be fine when she get to USA or not. Sometimes also, age gap matters during the counselling. They will ask her many things about the petitioner. If the petitioner has been married before like 2 or more times, she will also be asked if she knew the reason of the divorce. If one of the reason of the divorce is domestic violence, she will also have to answer stuff and prove that the petitioner is in a good state of mind and won't hurt her.

Those questions are normal questions that are being asked in the seminar. If your fiancee paid attention during the lectures, she will be able to answer those questions coz those were all the lectures are all about.

She answers the questions regarding the lecture correctly. It's the one on one portion that is giving her a hard time. We only have a 2 year age difference. I am 32 and she is 30. We both have never been married and we both don't have kids. We have been friends since 2009 and started dating in the beginning of 2011 and got engaged at the end of 2011. I can understand them questioning more with a say 20+ year age difference but we are only two years apart.

[Ellsmar 1]

My suggestion is to inform your fiancee the following:

- steps in getting a marriage license in Hawaii (the requirements, etc)

- steps in applying for SSN in Hawaii

- inform your fiance how long once she is in the states before she can file for SSN

(it is advisable to apply for SSN atleast 2 weeks after arriving in the US or after getting married or 2 weeks before the i-94 expires,etc etc... and should adjust the status before the i-94 expires)

- steps in adjusting the status , applying for EAD, etc..

- and other info about the AOS

- reporting marriage abroad (which i know were tackled in CFO) what is the nearest Philippine Consulate that has the jurisdiction of ur state

- how to amend her name on her passport using ur last name after getting married

- steps for removal of condition, the requirements..

- how long it takes before she can apply for citizenship, the requirements, etc etc..

- If CFO would go crazy, might as well inform ur fiancee as well on how to apply for a dual citizenship..

have ur fiance take down notes of the guides u gave to her..etc...

have ur fiance read through the guides here on VJ as well... ughhh CFO... such a pain in the butt..

Thanks for the advice, especially on the location of the Philippine Consulate that has jurisdiction here. I never even thought of that one and I can really imagine that coming up. We covered most of the rest of it tonight and we are going to review everyday this week and she will go back on Monday to try again.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and words of support. We really appreciate it!

[Vic20r 14]

She answers the questions regarding the lecture correctly. It's the one on one portion that is giving her a hard time. We only have a 2 year age difference. I am 32 and she is 30. We both have never been married and we both don't have kids. We have been friends since 2009 and started dating in the beginning of 2011 and got engaged at the end of 2011. I can understand them questioning more with a say 20+ year age difference but we are only two years apart.

My guess is that she did not convinced the interviewer. Perhaps she was not so sure or not consistent with her answers. The sisters (CFOCebu) really asked anything under the sun and they have a sheet of paper which they take down all answers and keypoints..It's like we are being graded in every answer we say and they even pay attention to our gestures in answering..They read people's mind out of it.. I remember 2 women on my batch cried during and after interview. My advise is to let her some useful information here in the forum, let her google, or educate her about the whole process goes until she will have her citizenship. Dont let her go in the battle unprepared coz u cant afford another denial

[pigmonk 16]

She went back yesterday and took the entire I-129F packet, the entire Interview packet, my W2 and my 2012 1040. She was there pretty much all day and they asked her where do you get a marriage contract, what do you after you are married, what are the forms you need for adjustment of status, how long is the first green card for, after the first green card expires what forms do you need to submit for a permanent green card, where do you file that to? Obviously, she didn't know all of that so they denied her again.

You just said she was not able to answer stuff about the greencard, expiration, when to file again, forms needed to submit... It means she didn't pay attention to the lectures. The answers for those are in the lectures.

If your fiancee was able to answer those questions from the first time she was asked, after the lecture, one one one counselling won't be needed anymore.

The CFO people wanted your fiancee to know those things so that she'll have knowledge about the legal way of staying in the USA, and not to be out of status...

for the next counselling session, tell your fiancee to relax, and smile, and act confident.

Edited May 23, 2013 by pigmonk

[Robb&Ann 101]

here's the link for the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu : http://www.philippineshonolulu.org/philippines-honolulu/consular-services-honolulu/

here, you will see the guides in reporting of marriage, birth, amendment of passport, etc..

i hope your fiancee will be able to surpass this CFO thing..

[Robb&Ann 101]

btw, when u do a review, it is better if you review by sequence.. what i mean is, start with traveling from the PH, then applying for marriage license, then SSN, then AOS, ROC and so forth so that it is easy to remember.. while having a review, have your wife look at the same page where you are looking at.. say for example, give her a link for the AOS guide.. then review it together.. in that way both of you learn at the same time as well.