"CFO Guidance Counseling Program", Philippines Seminar. Needing advice and answers

[Darnell 8,478]

My Wife is Filipino, this coming Sept she will be attending the requirement Guidance Counseling Seminar, for to recieve her certificate. What we are unsure of is..

1. How far in advance can "we" schedule a appointment in cebu?

2. Is it possible for the Foreign Spouse to schedule the appointment online?

3. When does she receive her certificate?

The seminar she will be taking is the "CFO Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP)"[/size]

We have to our knowledge all the docs needed for her seminar. Thank you for reading this, we really need to know as I've said, we will be in Cebu Sept. So I am wondering if I (spouse) can schedule her appointment ahead for her.

Thanks,

Andrew & Vangie

Hi Andrew - just wanted to ask -

is your wife having problems with PC stuff, internet access, getting into the internet cafes next to the Sari Sari ? Yes? No ? If Yes, why Yes?

[Palawan15 1]

My fiancé received his K1 visa yesterday. I went ahead and registered him for the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program and he now has an appointment for the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program next week.

My question is, is the Guidance and Counseling Program/Seminar different from the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar/ Peer Counseling Program? It's confusing to me because when I search on VJ about PDOS and Guidance and Counseling it seems that they are the same but when I look at the CFO website it's different. Do people with a K1 visa only have to attend the Guidance and Counseling Program? or to do they have to ALSO attend the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar/Peer Counseling Program?

I'm hoping that someone will respond. I just want to make sure that my fiancé is going to the right seminar. I don't want for us to be at the airport and they will tell us that he cannot leave the country with me because he is missing a sticker for PDOS. Please help!!!

Thank you!

[Greenbaum 12,259]

My fiancé received his K1 visa yesterday. I went ahead and registered him for the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program and he now has an appointment for the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program next week.

My question is, is the Guidance and Counseling Program/Seminar different from the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar/ Peer Counseling Program? It's confusing to me because when I search on VJ about PDOS and Guidance and Counseling it seems that they are the same but when I look at the CFO website it's different. Do people with a K1 visa only have to attend the Guidance and Counseling Program? or to do they have to ALSO attend the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar/Peer Counseling Program?

I'm hoping that someone will respond. I just want to make sure that my fiancé is going to the right seminar. I don't want for us to be at the airport and they will tell us that he cannot leave the country with me because he is missing a sticker for PDOS. Please help!!!

Thank you!

Your k1 will need the CFO Guidance and Counseling Program.

[Teachers 12]

My fiance and I just got our MNL # and scheduled her interview for later in November. She wants to do the CFO when she goes to MNL for the medical exam. However, when one goes to https://cfo.ph/PDOS_Reservation/to register, it says you must already have your visa before you can do CFO. Is this accurate? If so, it would be a very new requirement.

Thanks for your advice.

Tom

[Hank_ 9,174]

My fiance and I just got our MNL # and scheduled her interview for later in November. She wants to do the CFO when she goes to MNL for the medical exam. However, when one goes to https://cfo.ph/PDOS_Reservation/to register, it says you must already have your visa before you can do CFO. Is this accurate? If so, it would be a very new requirement.

Thanks for your advice.

Tom

Your fiancee does not need her visa to attend the seminar, she will get a certificate that once she has her visa she will return to CFO with visa and certificate in hand to get the sticker

Right idea, wrong seminar. PDOS isn't the correct one. GCP is the correct seminar

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2334:frequently-asked-questions-on-cfo-guidance-and-counseling-program&catid=110:frequently-asked-questions&Itemid=858

[Greenbaum 12,259]

You need GCP. More info here.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/images/speeches/GCPflyer_GOAS05092014.pdf

[Teachers 12]

Thanks!

Tom

[Trinitran1453 3]

Hello, I'm so confused n had no idea about this cfo/PDOS. Do we still need to do this for CR1? If so can we just fly to another country then fly to US after??

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Trinitran1453, on 12 Jan 2016 - 12:34 AM, said:

Hello, I'm so confused n had no idea about this cfo/PDOS. Do we still need to do this for CR1? If so can we just fly to another country then fly to US after??

All Filipinos exiting the Philippines for the first time through immigration must attend and receive a CFO certificate attached to their passport before leaving the country. There are no exceptions. You will be denied boarding at Filipino Immigration upon departure.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/

[duckhunter1 18]

My fiancé was denied her CFO certificate / stamp yesterday because I'm divorced. The CFO officer even tried to change her mind about coming here to marry me. Jerk!

[Greenbaum 12,259]

To bad that happened. Not many get denied because of a divorce. I guess there is more to this story then you're telling us or that she is not sharing with you.

[duckhunter1 18]

I had a feeling I'd get a reply like this. From what I've read CFO is simply a power tripping Government group out of control. The seminar should be 1 hr and be given at the airport if even there needs to be a seminar at all. We have a Visa in hand and the North Korean.....I mean the Philippine Government is wasting it.

[pratmaster 0]

All Filipinos exiting the Philippines for the first time through immigration must attend and receive a CFO certificate attached to their passport before leaving the country. There are no exceptions. You will be denied boarding at Filipino Immigration upon departure.

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/

So....

Does this mean my fiancee does not have to do the CFO since she is/was an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) and worked in Singapore for about 15 years? Or was the OFW a different animal since it was through a employment agency?

She has left the country to stay in another country, so I assume she did go through immigration and has been to and from the Philippines I think 2 times already and then came back to finish the visa process there rather in Singapore since she had only Sunday off and could not take off any other day (yeah she quit a good job to share her life with me, silly girl )

Be nice if she did not have to attend the CFO, but we where planning on making the appointment a few days before her flight, which neither have been planned since we are still waiting on her to have the visa in hand.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

So....

Does this mean my fiancee does not have to do the CFO since she is/was an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) and worked in Singapore for about 15 years? Or was the OFW a different animal since it was through a employment agency?

She has left the country to stay in another country, so I assume she did go through immigration and has been to and from the Philippines I think 2 times already and then came back to finish the visa process there rather in Singapore since she had only Sunday off and could not take off any other day (yeah she quit a good job to share her life with me, silly girl )

Be nice if she did not have to attend the CFO, but we where planning on making the appointment a few days before her flight, which neither have been planned since we are still waiting on her to have the visa in hand.

If you follow the link from my earlier post and start the registration process it will ask you a series of questions and once your finish it will tell you if you need to take the seminar. If so it gives you the option to quit or schedule a day to attend. From what you have said I believe she will need to attend. If so schedule as soon as possible as dates fill up fast. If she is in Cebu it's a little easier to get an appointment closer to your departure date.

[duckhunter1 18]

I am so disgusted with the CFO office I'm about to get on an airplane, arrive at their office and give them a piece of my mind! Let me tell you this.... if it turns out you do have to go through the CFO office for the seminar make sure you lady has a driving license or driving certificate. They will not give out stamps to anyone who does not have this. Ok I'm going to go a little further.... The CFO official you need to avoid is a lady by the name of Ababa Jes. She requires all kinds of ####### that is not necessary. This woman wants to turn the Philippines into a Stalinist State! Avoid her at all costs. If I could meet her in person right now I'd be in jail no kidding!!