Interview Date

[altonbebe 48]

Greetings All,

I need a little help here as I am somewhat confused.

My petition is now at NVC and I have my MNL number. Beneficiary is in the Philippines.

Here is a little history:

08/27/2013 7:15 a/m CST Email Received / USCIS / On August 27, 2013, we shipped this approved or re-affirmed case to the Department of State for visa processing.

09/05/13 : Case received at DOS and MNL Number issued.

( I called them and got the case number)

Does the following ( IN RED TEXT ) mean that the documents are currently in transit to Manila?

I track ( https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx ) my case at DOS and here is what it says.

U.S. Department of State
IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

In Transit

Immigrant Visa Case Number: MNL2013xxxx

Your case is in transit to the Consular Section. Your interview date was provided to you by the National Visa Center.

A few question :

1) If the documents ARE NOT in route to Manila, should I HOLD OFF on a) doing the medicals and b) scheduling the interview date. I ask this because interview dates are filling up fast for Manila U.S. Embassy. ( I do not want to get an appointment date, do the medicals, and then find out the case file is still here in the U.S. for the next 30 to 60 days. It would compromise the medicals. Reschedulaing an interview date in Manila U.S. Embassy is no easy task.)

2) If the documents ARE in rout to Manila, can I go ahead and a) schedule the interview date and b) get the medicals done.

I know the medicals cannot be done without the interview date and should be done within 1 week of the interview date.

3) I read post all over the place that the US Embassy will advise the interview date, but it seems if I go online that I can schedule the interview date. Can someone clear this up for me. Again, this is for the Philippines. Looking for parties with Manila U.S. Embassy experience only. Thanks for your understanding.

I'm seriously stressed out here. I received a very fast petition approval and lost all my post I-129F approval research time. For filing the I-129F, I did over 200 hours of research before I finished the final petition to be mailed out to USCIS. It was a work of art I tell you.

4) Finally, on the documents for presentation to U.S., are the DS forms that are required? Am I missing any?

DS-156 NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

DS-157 SUPPLEMENTAL NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

DS-156K NONIMMIGRANT FICANCE VISA APPLICATTION

DS-230 (Part 1 Only) APPLICATON FOR IMMIGRATN VISA AND ALIEN REGISTRATION

Here is where I am at a loss :

She has never left the Philippines and never been arrested, charged, or committed any type of crime, does she require the following:

NBI Clearance

Other Country Poice Certificates

Court and Prison Records

Military or Police Service Records

5) Medicals.....does she receive something from U.S. Embassy with the required forms i.e. DS-2053 (OF-157) Medical Examination for Immigrant or Refugee Applicat, etc etc. I am not sure if we print these document and bring them to the medical or if the embassy mails these to her?

6) Finally,

a) Will I receive something by text, email, or U.S. Mail from the NVC advising the file has been transfered from NVC to Manilia U.S. Embassy?

b) Will she receive something by text, email or Phil mail from Manilia U.S. Embassy?

c) Pack 3 : What is in this?

d) Pack 4 : What is in this?

Here is where I got alot of information as well : http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Philippines&cty=Manila

From this site, it seems we do not receive any type of correspondence from Manila U.S. Embassy. HELP HELP

I am a mess here and completely loss at this time?

Thank you in advance.

This site is great.

I have reasearched these two sites......still unclear on the above mentioned points

VERY EXCELLANT BLOG SITE : http://philippinefiancevisa.weebly.com/index.html

VERY DETAILED WEB SITE : http://visaconnection-philippines.com/

[Juliet and Steve 93]

2) If the documents ARE enroute to Manila, can I go ahead and a) schedule the interview date and b) get the medicals done?

You have the MNL#.

With the MNL# you can pay the fee.

Go to: http://ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-paymentinfo.asp

Print out deposit slip. Only one--each is uniquely numbered.

The K-1:

Deposit Slip - $240 MRV Fee

You will need two copies of the deposit slip, so get a copy of your deposit slip.

You will need one copy of the beneficiary passport data page.

Go to any BPI branch office. You must pay in peso. Note: The deposit slip will expire! You must pay before it expires.

Then go to: https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/

Once registered, schedule your interview at the same website.

There will be a list of available dates, choose one. You already understand that the medical needs to be done a week prior to the interview.

Then register at St Lukes: http://www.slec.ph/us/registration/

Then make sure you have what is necessary to bring to the medical and later to the consular appointment.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Juliet and Steve

[Juliet and Steve 93]

4) Finally, on the documents for presentation to U.S., are the DS forms that are required? Am I missing any?

DS-156 NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

DS-157 SUPPLEMENTAL NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION

DS-156K NONIMMIGRANT FICANCE VISA APPLICATTION

DS-230 (Part 1 Only) APPLICATON FOR IMMIGRATN VISA AND ALIEN REGISTRATION

The DS forms are correct. Be careful as you need duplicates for some. See your instruction page to tell you what is needed for duplicates. Link:

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/19452/public/Revised%20K1%20Instruction_rtf2_rtf2_001.pdf

She has never left the Philippines and never been arrested, charged, or committed any type of crime, does she require the following:

NBI Clearance

Other Country Poice Certificates

Court and Prison Records

Military or Police Service Records

She does require the NBI clearance, the green copy. Go to any NBI office.

She needs no other country police because she's never been to one.

She only needs Court or Prison Records if she's been convicted. So that's not applicable.

She's never been in the military or police so this is not applicable.

[Juliet and Steve 93]

5) Medicals.....does she receive something from U.S. Embassy with the required forms i.e. DS-2053 (OF-157) Medical Examination for Immigrant or Refugee Applicat, etc etc. I am not sure if we print these document and bring them to the medical or if the embassy mails these to her?

As soon as you fill out the online registration at St Lukes they will send you an online registration confirmation along with the instructions and the documents needed for the medical.

After her period (menstruation) do not have sex! If you do they will NOT give her the necessary immunizations because she could possibly be pregnant. (Steve here: Not even with condom--I will refuse as an RN to give immunization in such a case because condoms have a nasty failure rate).

The medical visit should be scheduled away from her expected period (usually 28-31 days from the prior period) because menstruation will create problems with urine tests.

Have her read up on St Luke visits on the Philippine forum so as to know what to expect and what to do or not do (don't bring a cell phone, etc).

See: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/19452/public/Revised%20K1%20Instruction_rtf2_rtf2_001.pdf

[Juliet and Steve 93]

a) Will I receive something by text, email, or U.S. Mail from the NVC advising the file has been transfered from NVC to Manilia U.S. Embassy?

b) Will she receive something by text, email or Phil mail from Manilia U.S. Embassy?

c) Pack 3 : What is in this?

d) Pack 4 : What is in this?

a) No, or rather you really won't be able to believe it. In our case we received the mailed hard-copy days AFTER Juliet had her physical at St Lukes. So Manila had our file in hand before we received either an email or USPS mailed copy. You know it has been transferred when you go to:

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?

When it has been received, it flips to "READY"

Warning!! You must have either an email or the hard copy of the NVC notice with the MNL# to bring with you to St Lukes. It MUST have the MNL#. Warning #2--your appointment letter might not have the MNL# so you must have either the hard-copy mailed USPS, or the email. If the appointment letter has the MNL# you are good to go--if not, you are NOT.

Note: We called and the CS at NVC told us she'd send us the email in 3 working days--this would have put receipt AFTER the medical. I asked to speak to a supervisor who did send the email within hours but I suspect I had created a bit of a ruckus at TSC and maybe at NVC because I had gotten my Congesswoman involved. So be careful--it took ten days to receive the hard copy via USPS. You may or may not be able to get them to email you the MNL#, so don't schedule too early.

b) No

c) Pack 3/4: We never received either Pack 3 or Pack 4. We really can't answer this--maybe someone else can.

[Tahoma 2,292]

Your petition is on it's way to Manila. You have your MNL case number, so now is the time to have your fiancée pay the visa application fee at BPI. Then, the next day, schedule an Embassy interview appointment. You don't need to wait around for the NVC or the U.S. Embassy Manila to send anything to either of you.

Once she has her interview appointment scheduled, she can complete the medical. There's no need to wait until a week or two before the interview to complete her medical. Just keep in mind that her visa will be valid for six months from the date of her medical, not from the date of her Embassy interview.

Your fiancée doesn't need an email nor a snail mail with her MNL case number on it in order to be admitted into St. Lukes for her medical. I have never heard of a K-1er being turned away by St. Lukes because they didn't have an email or a snail mail from the NVC. She can be admitted into St. Lukes using her interview appointment confirmation printout and a verbal MNL case number.

Your fiancée can even complete the CFO seminar before her interview. Then, when she gets her visa, all she needs to do is go back to the CFO and get a CFO sticker affixed to her passport, and then she's ready to roll.

By the way, once the Embassy receives your petition, they are supposed to send your fiancée a letter (packet 3) which tells her that she's eligible to schedule an interview and it gives instructions on how to prepare for the interview. Don't wait around for the letter because you would be wasting a lot of valuable time. It could cost you a month or more. Some people never receive it. Instead, go ahead and pay the visa application fee and schedule an interview.

[NicholasNissel 2]

wow answered all the questions.this helps a lot ..

Do you know how long does the CFO seminar lasts?'

[Tahoma 2,292]

wow answered all the questions.this helps a lot ..

Do you know how long does the CFO seminar lasts?'

Falling in line for the seminar lasts a few hours. The seminar lasts a few more hours.

Get there early. There are a limited number of slots each day.

Also, check out the Philippines forum here on VJ. There are a lot of great threads about people's CFO experience.

[NicholasNissel 2]

i see.Thanks for that info yeah I will check it out later.I am just waiting for the embassy to contact us for the instructions then we will book an interview appointment and the medical exam.

Anyway do you know if ever we get the embassy mails next month, is it okay if we set an appointment on' the 15th of december or 26th?

[Tahoma 2,292]

i see.Thanks for that info yeah I will check it out later.I am just waiting for the embassy to contact us for the instructions then we will book an interview appointment and the medical exam.

Anyway do you know if ever we get the embassy mails next month, is it okay if we set an appointment on' the 15th of december or 26th?

Why wait for the Embassy to contact you? Because you already have your MNL case number, you can get started right now. You don't need to wait for the Embassy's instructions letter. The sooner you get rolling, the more likely you are to get the interview date that you want.

[Greg&Set 3]

You may want to download the interview preparation instruction from the official website of US Embassy in Manila:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3224.html

Please make sure you have the adobe reader or a pdf reader since this is a pdf file.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Greg&Set