Name change after marriage and I-130 application

[jg121783 3,921]

We went to city hall yesterday and they told us the church we got married in still hasn't submitted the marriage certificate to them. However they said once they do we can pay 600p for expedited service and we should have the PSA copy within a month. The city hall we went to looked like they had their act together and it looked like everything was organized and modern there compared to the city hall of the town where my wife lives so hopefully that means things will move along quickly there. We will be going to the church on Sunday and will get the marriage certificate and deliver it to city hall ourselves. At that point I should at least have the local copy to submit with the I-130. Hopefully with the expedited service I will have the PSA copy to respond to an RFE. What happens if for some unforseen reason I can't respond to the RFE within 60 days? Do I have to resubmit the I-130 and pay all the fees again? If that is the case I might consider waiting to send in the I-130.

We also went to the passport location and talked to them. They told us my step son's birth certificate will be fine how it is to get a passport for him. They also told us (as I expected) that we need the PSA copy of the marriage license for my wife to change her name on her passport. By the way the passport location as well as the city hall we went to was still referring to it as the NSO copy and not PSA. The passport location even had signs up about obtaining NSO documents. I have no idea what the difference is.

Today my wife and I are taking a trip to visit her friend who just completed the CR-1 process and now has her visa. She is headed to the US next month. Maybe she can give us some useful information. After that were taking my step son to Ocean Park in Manila.

Edited February 12, 2016 by jg121783

[jg121783 3,921]

So my wife and I went to visit her friend the other day who just got her CR-1 visa. She helped us abbreviate all my wife's addresses so they can be typed on all the forms. She also told us that even though we were told it would take a month to expedite the PSA marriage certificate that we should expect it to take 2-3 months. She said after we recieve that we should wait until my wife attends the CFO and changes her passport before we file the I-130. She said when combining all those things it could be 4+ months before we can file the I-130. Does this sound right? It took her about 2 years to get her visa because of some complications involving moving in the middle of the application process. She says we can expect it to take about a year and a half from the date we got married if everything goes right. Guess I will have to start planning a trip back to the Philippines before the end of the year to visit my wife (if my work will allow it which is unlikely) because this whole process is going to take longer than we thought. What a headache dealing with two bloated buerocracies (Philippines and US governments). Guess I better enjoy the last few days I have with my wife before returning home because it could be a long time before I get to see her again. Now I have to think about giving up the decent paying job I have to take a lower paying job that might be more flexible so maybe I can visit my wife once or twice during this long drawn out process.

[bellashay 14]

You can file the petition even though your wife doesn't have her passport yet.

Check out the requirements for the petition: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

As long as you have the PSA/ NSO marriage certificate and all your evidence of a bonafide marriage, then go ahead and file. If you are located in the provice then yes it might take a while for you to get your copy. But it could be anywhere between 1- 3 months. Just follow it up regularly with your contact person from the local civil registrar.

Good luck!

[jg121783 3,921]

I typed up a few affidavits for some of my wife's relatives to sign in front of a notary and we are making copies of reciepts from when I sent money to my wife (quite a few reciepts). Along with that that I will send picures of our wedding along with other pictures of us together and a copy of my passport stamps along with the plane tickets. I will also make affidavits for my family and friends back home to sign. Will this be sufficiuent evidence of a bona fide marriage?

[bellashay 14]

Affidavits from your side of the family is good. Co-mingling of funds is a good piece of evidence too. Have you visited your wife's bank to check if they can add you to her account?

[jg121783 3,921]

My wife pointed out something to me today on the G325a I didn't notice. On her birth certificate her middle name is spelled "Cabiaan" while her mother's name is spelled "Cabia-An" on the same birth certificate. Her son's middle name is spelled "Cabia-An" also on his birth certificate. I am confused as to how I should spell her middle name on the G325a under the field for previous names or if it matters either way. I printed out G325a forms with both spellings and will have her sign both until I can sort this out. Does anyone have any advice on this?

[Hank_ 9,174]

My wife pointed out something to me today on the G325a I didn't notice. On her birth certificate her middle name is spelled "Cabiaan" while her mother's name is spelled "Cabia-An" on the same birth certificate. Her son's middle name is spelled "Cabia-An" also on his birth certificate. I am confused as to how I should spell her middle name on the G325a under the field for previous names or if it matters either way. I printed out G325a forms with both spellings and will have her sign both until I can sort this out. Does anyone have any advice on this?

The way it is on her name birth certificate. Birth Certificate rules.

(only U.S. alphabet letters are used)

[Brassballs 48]

No one ever said the journey would be a straight path, haha. Unfortunately a lot of the twists and turns along the way are based on the whims of low level government employees who in my estimation use less than common sense when handling cases. I'm sure that if the same exact ap package went to 3 different service centers or even to different case workers at the same center you would see 3 different outcomes from passing with flying colors to requiring several rfe's.

I believe that Lisa's friend was overly pessimistic in her time line and I may be overly optimistic at 12-15 months. I'm pretty sure there is historical data here that will give you an idea on how long average cases take. Problem is that yours may not be average so what has happened in the past actually has no bearing whatsoever on your specific case.

When you get back to the US, take a deep breath, let the anxiety settle down, digest the answers you've received to the questions you've asked, re-read all the guides and put together your game plan. Be prepared for stumbling blocks and detours none of which can't be overcome. Your frustration level along the way will peak more than once. In the end it will all work itself out and the time from wedding to visa will seen infitesimally small.

Your goal now is to try to minimize the number of detours and depth of potholes! I think right now you're over exaggerating the amount of documentary evidence needed to establish legitimacy. Joint bank accounts... not needed. Family affidavits... not needed. 3 or 4 wu receipts... adequate. Couple of pages of wedding photos, family at reception, drinking with in-laws... adequate.. Travel receipts... sure, how else would you get there? More of course is OK but it will be very obvious almost immediately whether your relationship is a scam or not.

Concentrate on getting the forms to match up with the supporting docs. Wait for Lisa to send pdfs of the psa marriage cert and data pages of the passports. Look at the various guides and assemble the packets with appropriate fees attached. Make a complete page by page copy for yourself of each packet. Waiting a few weeks at the beginning of the journey will shorten it in the long run. Trust me in this. Re-read each doc line by line after 3 or 4 days when you're fresh and not tired. Note that each stumble can take 6-8 weeks to get back on track.

Good luck

[jg121783 3,921]

The way it is on her name birth certificate. Birth Certificate rules.

(only U.S. alphabet letters are used)

Concentrate on getting the forms to match up with the supporting docs.

So in other words on the G325a I should put her middle name as "Cabiaan" (exactly as it is spelled on her birth certificate) and her mother's name as "Cabia-An" (exactly as it is spelled on the birth certificate) and her son's middle name as "Cabia-An" (exactly how it is spelled on his birth certificate)? There wont be any issues with her middle name being spelled differently from her mother's and her son's?

[Brassballs 48]

That's what you will find out is so much fun about the journey you are beginning. Hank is correct, UNLESS you get the case worker who on that morning decides you are the victim of the day and questions the difference in spellings and thinks 'fraud'. Sends it back for clarification and starts the 6-8 week countdown clock again.

More likely than not you'll be fine as long as the docs and forms match regardless of the actual correctness. BUT you'll never know until you submit. Is it worth the time effort aggravation for Lisa to correct these seemingly innocent errors before going forward? I think not. I wouldn't loose too much sleep over those issues until you get the RFE, haha.

What you may want to consider to possibly prevent the RFE is to write a letter of explanation detailing the 'errors', explain what they should be versus what the official Phil docs show. That way you'll possibly be one step ahead of the USCIS.

[Thozelle 16]

You won't be able to apply for the passport until you have your PSA marriage certificate. Does she have a government issued photo ID? If not, I suggest that you take care of that asap. She also needs to attend the CFO seminar so she can use your last name on her passport, and the CFO requires the PSA marriage certificate too.

Concur, requires CFO certificate to change passport to married name when married to foreign spouse.

[Hank_ 9,174]

So in other words on the G325a I should put her middle name as "Cabiaan" (exactly as it is spelled on her birth certificate) and her mother's name as "Cabia-An" (exactly as it is spelled on the birth certificate) and her son's middle name as "Cabia-An" (exactly how it is spelled on his birth certificate)? There wont be any issues with her middle name being spelled differently from her mother's and her son's?

OK. 1ST!! I just noticed your visa type, you are filing an IR/CR-1 visa, why aren't you using your wife's MARRIED NAME? To save a lot of aggravation later you would be (VERY) wise to use your wife's married name with the petition and everything else.

2nd. If it is bothering you that the spellings are different you can go through the process of doing a name correction for your wife's BC, then once that is updated you can start the visa petition. Otherwise, follow her LEGAL name which is what is shown on her birth certificate.

[jg121783 3,921]

OK. 1ST!! I just noticed your visa type, you are filing an IR/CR-1 visa, why aren't you using your wife's MARRIED NAME? To save a lot of aggravation later you would be (VERY) wise to use your wife's married name with the petition and everything else.

2nd. If it is bothering you that the spellings are different you can go through the process of doing a name correction for your wife's BC, then once that is updated you can start the visa petition. Otherwise, follow her LEGAL name which is what is shown on her birth certificate.

First of all I am using her married name. I am talking about the field on the G325a where it asks for her previous name (maiden name). Secondly It doesn't bother me at all that her name is spelled incorrectly but I want to make sure it wont bother some low level moron in the US government who is reviewing our application. So I will just spell it how it is on her birth certificate then and hope for the best. It is my underdstanding that it can take a very long time to have a birth certificate changed in the Philippines and we don't need that headache right now.

[Hank_ 9,174]

First of all I am using her married name. I am talking about the field on the G325a where it asks for her previous name (maiden name). Secondly It doesn't bother me at all that her name is spelled incorrectly but I want to make sure it wont bother some low level moron in the US government who is reviewing our application. So I will just spell it how it is on her birth certificate then and hope for the best. It is my underdstanding that it can take a very long time to have a birth certificate changed in the Philippines and we don't need that headache right now.

Excellent!

I wouldn't mess with the BC either, mis-spelling like that are extremely common in the Phils.

Smooth sailing for you both!

[jg121783 3,921]

Well i just got home from the airport a few hours ago and I called my wife. She was looking over a copy of the g325a I sent left again and she noticed a mistake. Under the address of one of her employers the employers first name is supposed to start with a "m" at the beginning and we have it with an "n". How far do they actually look into past employers and will it be an issue if we leave it as it is? If we have to change it that will require her Fedexing me a new signed copy and I would imagine that would be expensive. I will do it if I have to but I would rather not spend the extra money if it's not a big issue. What do you guys think? Anyways I am really jet lagged from my flight home so I'm going to bed now.