Be Aware of the PDOS Requirement

[eddieandgenalyn 0]

Hi we are so grateful to be at this stage of our visa process. Visa in hand and flight scheduled for Friday. Need to make others aware of the requirement of the PDOS, the Pre Departure Orientation Seminar. This is not listed in the Embassy's steps to acquiring a visa to come the United States, but it is required.

My fiance is from Mindinao and returned home to await her visa after her interview where she was approved. FYI, it took 11 business days for the visa to arrive from Manila to Davao City via 2Go.

We then had to schedule the PDOS and since she lives in Mindinao it was easier to fly her to Cebu (the only other place than Manila where it is offered). Although it only costs $10US there are slot limits and there are things to be careful about. It is an easy place for the locals removed from Manila to get bribes for attendance and exagerrating the number of slots available that day, except for the extra fee. This is all that my fiance has told me about so far, but I sent her $200US before her appointment and she was out of money after the appointment and had to come back the next day to get her sticker. Luckily we had built several days for this process in her schedule.

I think the PDOS is a good thing to prevent sex trafficking and slave trafficking, but it is susceptible to local corruption, especially if it is remote from the Embassy.

I suggest people who have to travel long distances from Manila for their visa to have the visa shipped to 2Go in Manila and then go directly to PDOS there.

The good news is that Genalyn will be here Friday, and I am very happy, and this was a minor bump on the road, but it is not on the road map that the Embassy presents.

eddieandgenalyn

[rbacon 1]

The CFO seminar completion is a Philippines government requirement for all Filipinos going abroad to work or to reunite with spouses or fiancees. It has nothing to do with the Embassy.

Historically, some of the CFO employees have used the seminar venue to provide misleading and false information about the U.S. immigration process. The most common example of this that I have heard scores of times is the warning that an immigrant to the U.S. will not be able to leave the U.S. for two years. For a while, if not still, a religious order had a contract to conduct the CFO seminar in Manila, and these types of warnings and misinformation, as well as initial refusal to release the seminar certificate, were quite commonly exercised by the nuns conducting seminars..

On the whole, the reasons for requiring attendance at the seminar were quite justified, especially for those leaving to be "dancers" and "hostesses" in Japan and Korea. Abuse of Filipinos working abroad (or reuniting with fiancees and spouses) are big news items in the Philippines, and the required CFO seminars were instituted to prepare immigrants for risks abroad.

--Ray B

Hi we are so grateful to be at this stage of our visa process. Visa in hand and flight scheduled for Friday. Need to make others aware of the requirement of the PDOS, the Pre Departure Orientation Seminar. This is not listed in the Embassy's steps to acquiring a visa to come the United States, but it is required.

My fiance is from Mindinao and returned home to await her visa after her interview where she was approved. FYI, it took 11 business days for the visa to arrive from Manila to Davao City via 2Go.

We then had to schedule the PDOS and since she lives in Mindinao it was easier to fly her to Cebu (the only other place than Manila where it is offered). Although it only costs $10US there are slot limits and there are things to be careful about. It is an easy place for the locals removed from Manila to get bribes for attendance and exagerrating the number of slots available that day, except for the extra fee. This is all that my fiance has told me about so far, but I sent her $200US before her appointment and she was out of money after the appointment and had to come back the next day to get her sticker. Luckily we had built several days for this process in her schedule.

I think the PDOS is a good thing to prevent sex trafficking and slave trafficking, but it is susceptible to local corruption, especially if it is remote from the Embassy.

I suggest people who have to travel long distances from Manila for their visa to have the visa shipped to 2Go in Manila and then go directly to PDOS there.

The good news is that Genalyn will be here Friday, and I am very happy, and this was a minor bump on the road, but it is not on the road map that the Embassy presents.

eddieandgenalyn

[sweet cakes 326]

Hi we are so grateful to be at this stage of our visa process. Visa in hand and flight scheduled for Friday. Need to make others aware of the requirement of the PDOS, the Pre Departure Orientation Seminar. This is not listed in the Embassy's steps to acquiring a visa to come the United States, but it is required.

My fiance is from Mindinao and returned home to await her visa after her interview where she was approved. FYI, it took 11 business days for the visa to arrive from Manila to Davao City via 2Go.

We then had to schedule the PDOS and since she lives in Mindinao it was easier to fly her to Cebu (the only other place than Manila where it is offered). Although it only costs $10US there are slot limits and there are things to be careful about. It is an easy place for the locals removed from Manila to get bribes for attendance and exagerrating the number of slots available that day, except for the extra fee. This is all that my fiance has told me about so far, but I sent her $200US before her appointment and she was out of money after the appointment and had to come back the next day to get her sticker. Luckily we had built several days for this process in her schedule.

I think the PDOS is a good thing to prevent sex trafficking and slave trafficking, but it is susceptible to local corruption, especially if it is remote from the Embassy.

I suggest people who have to travel long distances from Manila for their visa to have the visa shipped to 2Go in Manila and then go directly to PDOS there.

The good news is that Genalyn will be here Friday, and I am very happy, and this was a minor bump on the road, but it is not on the road map that the Embassy presents.

eddieandgenalyn

Did you mean your fiancee paid an EXTRA FEE aka bribe to a CFO official?

CFO is handled by the Office of the Philippine President and they don't allow any form of bribery, even if it's in CFO Cebu. The guy in CFO Manila who was reported for bribery was already long fired last year. This is the first time since then that bribery is mentioned again about CFO.

You can send your complaint to this email address with the name or description of the person who accepted the bribe: trabe@cfo.gov.ph

- Edit: Include the date as well when your fiancee had her PDOS seminar.

Edited June 11, 2014 by sweet cakes

[C-ma'am 684]

**Post moved from K1 to Philippines.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hi we are so grateful to be at this stage of our visa process. Visa in hand and flight scheduled for Friday. Need to make others aware of the requirement of the PDOS, the Pre Departure Orientation Seminar. This is not listed in the Embassy's steps to acquiring a visa to come the United States, but it is required.

My fiance is from Mindinao and returned home to await her visa after her interview where she was approved. FYI, it took 11 business days for the visa to arrive from Manila to Davao City via 2Go.

We then had to schedule the PDOS and since she lives in Mindinao it was easier to fly her to Cebu (the only other place than Manila where it is offered). Although it only costs $10US there are slot limits and there are things to be careful about. It is an easy place for the locals removed from Manila to get bribes for attendance and exagerrating the number of slots available that day, except for the extra fee. This is all that my fiance has told me about so far, but I sent her $200US before her appointment and she was out of money after the appointment and had to come back the next day to get her sticker. Luckily we had built several days for this process in her schedule.

I think the PDOS is a good thing to prevent sex trafficking and slave trafficking, but it is susceptible to local corruption, especially if it is remote from the Embassy.

I suggest people who have to travel long distances from Manila for their visa to have the visa shipped to 2Go in Manila and then go directly to PDOS there.

The good news is that Genalyn will be here Friday, and I am very happy, and this was a minor bump on the road, but it is not on the road map that the Embassy presents.

eddieandgenalyn

Hmmm ... burned through $200 .... there is an email address under the CFO tab in my link below for reporting anyone at CFO taking bribes.

[llindsay 21]

There should be no reason why she burned thru 200.00 at all unless she was on her way to fly to you. Unless your talking about staying at hotel and food and transportation and even then that's a lot to burn thru. I think she got scammed. Follow Hank's link to report.

[VOL 425]

I would just fly to Singapore and fetch to USA from there.

Skip the who CFO thing

[Hank_ 9,174]

I would just fly to Singapore and fetch to USA from there.

Skip the who CFO thing

Are you talking after obtaining the visa at USEM? Good luck with that idea...

[Caryh 5,206]

Are you talking after obtaining the visa at USEM? Good luck with that idea...

My wife has a friend who tried many times to leave the country to work abroad and was even prevented from leaving. And once that USA visa is stamped in the passport, you're right, good luck going anywhere without the CFO sticker. I suppose one could charter a boat then fly from another country, but odds of leaving through the airport are slim and none.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I would just fly to Singapore and fetch to USA from there.

Skip the who CFO thing

Great idea.

The Philippines Government is so stupid. Probably didn't think that people like you would try to circumvent their laws and the CFO thing. Dummies.

Duh? The purpose of the CFO thing is to protect Filipinos from exploitation and human trafficking. You don't think the PI Government has already figured out people who are into human trafficking will try to circumvent the CFO thing?

Great idea.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hmm.... charter a boat and take days to get to another country, then explain the lack of entry stamp in the passport.... orrrrrrrrr.... spend 4 hours at CFO and get the sticker.

.... that turnip about flying to Singapore or HK to avoid CFO turns up like a new crop of weeds

[Caryh 5,206]

Hmm.... charter a boat and take days to get to another country, then explain the lack of entry stamp in the passport.... orrrrrrrrr.... spend 4 hours at CFO and get the sticker.

.... that turnip about flying to Singapore or HK to avoid CFO turns up like a new crop of weeds

The tongue was in my cheek as I typed that method. As in spending a whole lot more money and time in an attempt to avoid the CFO.

[Hank_ 9,174]

The tongue was in my cheek as I typed that method. As in spending a whole lot more money and time in an attempt to avoid the CFO.

I know - so was mine

[eddieandgenalyn 0]

I am finding out more about the PDOS situation in Cebu. We carefully read the requirements of what was needed and my fiancee brought everything that is listed on the website. Once there they started asking for information needed in the original visa application such as proof of our relationship. photos, my divorce records. All of these were attempts to get more money unless they could be provided. Luckily my fiancee is very organized and had all this material at her cousin's house where she was staying, but had to return the next day to get the sticker. After paying "extra fees" for getting one of the slots for each day (that are not reserved) even though she was one of the first in line.

[Caryh 5,206]

I am finding out more about the PDOS situation in Cebu. We carefully read the requirements of what was needed and my fiancee brought everything that is listed on the website. Once there they started asking for information needed in the original visa application such as proof of our relationship. photos, my divorce records. All of these were attempts to get more money unless they could be provided. Luckily my fiancee is very organized and had all this material at her cousin's house where she was staying, but had to return the next day to get the sticker. After paying "extra fees" for getting one of the slots for each day (that are not reserved) even though she was one of the first in line.

There are no reservations for the CFO in Cebu. First in line is first in.

The part about the other documents and evidence comes under the "and all other evidence the counselor may need to determine the case" or some similar BS wording.