Manila Embassy Interview/Visa Status

[joemaria 0]

I just wanted to say GOODLUCK to Chadmides (May 17) and Gracy_byron (May 18) on their interview...go gurls u can make it!

Ops we are getting closer (lizzie009,jeng...et al), week to go now...

[~Chad~ 0]

Good luck to all upcoming interviews!!!

[gracy_byron 0]

I just wanted to say GOODLUCK to Chadmides (May 17) and Gracy_byron (May 18) on their interview...go gurls u can make it!

Ops we are getting closer (lizzie009,jeng...et al), week to go now...

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Thanks for wishing us luck Joemaria. I been taking Tylenol with sleeping aid lately lol cuz its sure does hard to sleep

[~Chad~ 0]

Thanks for wishing us luck Joemaria. I been taking Tylenol with sleeping aid lately lol cuz its sure does hard to sleep

Understood, and i didnt attend the interview, yet I lost aloooot of sleep! But I can assure you, you will sleep good after the approval. I crashed and slept for like 10 hours!

[jeng 0]

Hi guys,

I finished my medical last may 10 & 11...hmm...i think i passed it..i got no additional procedures or check...xray film was given to me and had MMR & varicella vaccines...the releasing nurse just told me to take 2nd shot of varicella and bring the xray film to the US POE...m relieved, i passed, right?

a lot of thank yous to Helen and PW...your advices helped me a lot and gave me encouragement...

Helen, i think we had the same doctor, she was not thorough on me and asked questions so fast...

please continue praying for me for my interview on the 22nd...i still have lots of worries in my heart but i wanna be positive, i have my high faith in God...fyi, the last time my fiance and i saw each other was on oct 2, 2004 but we filed the applxn in nov 2006...will this be a big problem? i hope the consul will understand our reason..we have reasons of course...pls pls pray for us...

thanks again guys...

[joemaria 0]

Thanks for wishing us luck Joemaria. I been taking Tylenol with sleeping aid lately lol cuz its sure does hard to sleep

Understood, and i didnt attend the interview, yet I lost aloooot of sleep! But I can assure you, you will sleep good after the approval. I crashed and slept for like 10 hours!

Hi Gracy, your welcome!...oh im having sleepless nights too, can i have your tylenol?!

I hope this interview will be over soon so i can breath normal again, hehehe.

Hey Chad, thanks for wishing us luck, did Lira has her visa?! any updates?!! Im sure you having sleepless nights too in anticipation of her arrival, lol! Congrats and wish u all the best...

[joemaria 0]

Hi guys,

I finished my medical last may 10 & 11...hmm...i think i passed it..i got no additional procedures or check...xray film was given to me and had MMR & varicella vaccines...the releasing nurse just told me to take 2nd shot of varicella and bring the xray film to the US POE...m relieved, i passed, right?

a lot of thank yous to Helen and PW...your advices helped me a lot and gave me encouragement...

Helen, i think we had the same doctor, she was not thorough on me and asked questions so fast...

please continue praying for me for my interview on the 22nd...i still have lots of worries in my heart but i wanna be positive, i have my high faith in God...fyi, the last time my fiance and i saw each other was on oct 2, 2004 but we filed the applxn in nov 2006...will this be a big problem? i hope the consul will understand our reason..we have reasons of course...pls pls pray for us...

thanks again guys...

You've got our prayers Jeng, we'll do good in our interview this 22nd, meet u there!

yap u did pass the medical exams, congrats! when they turn over our xray and immunization worksheet that means we passed. Just prove that the relationship is bonafide i think there will be no prob...GOODLUCK sistah!

[orion44 0]

I hope no one minds if I post what I'm mailing Mharis for our interview. If you have any suggestions, I would be grateful. I'm going to try to send it by the latest this Friday through DHL to Manila.

Letter from Employer with dates of employment, classification (permanent), and annual salary

Notarized Affidavit of Support (no property or bonds but decent salary

Six months of paystubs

Tax transcripts and W2's for tax years 2005 and 2006

Copy of return and W2 for tax year 2004 (transcript won't arrive by my deadline)

Statement from bank of when account opened, amount deposited in last year, and present balance

Should I include my retirement statement of expected payment in 13 years?

Phone records (record of daily, sometimes twice daily calls) to Mharis. Cell phone records, mobilecaller, landline account, phone cards, and texting bills.

Photographs of us together, meeting mom, visiting dad, horsing around, etc. About 24 pictures

Engagement ring receipt

Emails (not as many as I would like, but we are on the phone so much)

Cards we sent to each other. Lots of these.

Letters I sent to her. Lots of those.

Copies of chats. (Not a lot, maybe 5)

Maybe 6 or seven print outs of the daily e-cards I send her

Should I include a remittance even if it is only a small amount, like $200.00 sent once?

Receipts for flowers

Ticket stubs for second visit to the Philippines. I can't locate first visit stubs.

Credit card records for second visit in December, 2006

Various receipts for December, 2006 visit.

Freshly dated fiance letter of intent.

And she will add the forms from the packet 4.

Well, am I missing anything? I wish I had more chats, but I'm not a big fan of chat.

Our interview is June 5. I'm starting to freak out.

Thanks,

Rick

[jeng 0]

Hi guys,

I finished my medical last may 10 & 11...hmm...i think i passed it..i got no additional procedures or check...xray film was given to me and had MMR & varicella vaccines...the releasing nurse just told me to take 2nd shot of varicella and bring the xray film to the US POE...m relieved, i passed, right?

a lot of thank yous to Helen and PW...your advices helped me a lot and gave me encouragement...

Helen, i think we had the same doctor, she was not thorough on me and asked questions so fast...

please continue praying for me for my interview on the 22nd...i still have lots of worries in my heart but i wanna be positive, i have my high faith in God...fyi, the last time my fiance and i saw each other was on oct 2, 2004 but we filed the applxn in nov 2006...will this be a big problem? i hope the consul will understand our reason..we have reasons of course...pls pls pray for us...

thanks again guys...

You've got our prayers Jeng, we'll do good in our interview this 22nd, meet u there!

yap u did pass the medical exams, congrats! when they turn over our xray and immunization worksheet that means we passed. Just prove that the relationship is bonafide i think there will be no prob...GOODLUCK sistah!

hi maria,

thank you...yes...we'll do well in our interview...i pray that both of us are smiling when we go out of the embassy...i cant wait for that day...i wanna feel normal again..hehehe...

goodluck and Godbless.

[rea 1]

pardon my ignorance everyone but what is the difference between tax transcripts and income tax return filed copy? or are they the same?

rea

[orion44 0]

pardon my ignorance everyone but what is the difference between tax transcripts and income tax return filed copy? or are they the same?

rea

they are different. The tax transcript is a record of your return that you can order by phone from the irs at 1 800 829 1040. I heard the embassy prefers the transcript to the actual return. It's a free service and I got my 2005 and 2006 transcripts in less than a week.

[Skeeter211 2]

Hello all my fellow VJ'ers!

I have a question for those that already took their flight to the USA and used PAL. If you flew out of an airport outside Manila first (example.....flying from Cagayan de Oro to Manila and then Manila to the USA) when did you have to show your visa and CFO sticker/stamp. Do you have to show it at the first boarding (CDO in my example), or only when you go to the international terminal to pass immigration and board for the international flight. Secondly, were your bags checked into the flight all the way from the originating airport to the USA or did you have to get your bags in the baggage claim in Manila and re-check them in the international terminal?

The reason I am asking is Mir is going to fly PAL so there is no connecting flight outside of the Phils. She has had the CFO class already, but did not have her visa yet when she took the class so she must go back to CFO. It is our plan to fly her to Manila in the morning from Davao. She will exit the airport and go to CFO to get her sticker and then return to the Manila airport to fly out to the USA that night.

I started thinking and wondered if they might ask for that CFO sticker in Davao, but assumed it would only be asked from immigration in Manila. I also wondered if her baggage will be checked all the way to the USA when she checks into the airport in Davao. If not, we will have to see if she can check in early at the international terminal in Manila so she doesn't have to worry about carrying it to the CFO office. Her flight to the USA doesn't leave till 10:30 pm so I'm hoping that will not be a problem. Does anyone know if there will be a problem leaving the airport in Manila to go get her sticker?

Any help is very much appreciated.

Scott (and Mirasol)

[Skeeter211 2]

I hope no one minds if I post what I'm mailing Mharis for our interview. If you have any suggestions, I would be grateful. I'm going to try to send it by the latest this Friday through DHL to Manila.

Letter from Employer with dates of employment, classification (permanent), and annual salary

Notarized Affidavit of Support (no property or bonds but decent salary

Six months of paystubs

Tax transcripts and W2's for tax years 2005 and 2006

Copy of return and W2 for tax year 2004 (transcript won't arrive by my deadline)

Statement from bank of when account opened, amount deposited in last year, and present balance

Should I include my retirement statement of expected payment in 13 years?

Phone records (record of daily, sometimes twice daily calls) to Mharis. Cell phone records, mobilecaller, landline account, phone cards, and texting bills.

Photographs of us together, meeting mom, visiting dad, horsing around, etc. About 24 pictures

Engagement ring receipt

Emails (not as many as I would like, but we are on the phone so much)

Cards we sent to each other. Lots of these.

Letters I sent to her. Lots of those.

Copies of chats. (Not a lot, maybe 5)

Maybe 6 or seven print outs of the daily e-cards I send her

Should I include a remittance even if it is only a small amount, like $200.00 sent once?

Receipts for flowers

Ticket stubs for second visit to the Philippines. I can't locate first visit stubs.

Credit card records for second visit in December, 2006

Various receipts for December, 2006 visit.

Freshly dated fiance letter of intent.

And she will add the forms from the packet 4.

Well, am I missing anything? I wish I had more chats, but I'm not a big fan of chat.

Our interview is June 5. I'm starting to freak out.

Thanks,

Rick

Rick, sounds like you are good to go. I would not worry too much about the few emails. I was like you. We chatted every day, at least once, on yahoo and so I never had emails or letters really. I used a phone card to keep cost down, so there was no bill from that to present. We brought the few emails we had, about 6 chat logs, lots of photos, lots of greeting cards for holidays/birthdays, and a few package receipts. All they looked at was the greeting cards and photos and said we had enough. Granted, we had photos for almost 4 years of relationship, but I think (only my opinion) you will be okay with what you have. They also made a comment about having some things already in the petition packet from the NVC, so that eliminated some of the personal meeting issues with travel receipts. It just comes down to whether they believe its for real. No one can predict that because I think its really a subjective opinion of the consular official. I would not worry....your photos and phone records I think (in my opinion) will do the trick, but still send it all.

I also brought tax transcripts and printed returns with W-2 forms for three years, but only needed the latest year. Still, I would not change what you have. It never hurts to be prepared. I also brought an employment letter, but skipped the bank statement and asset documentation as I had enough income to make it.

Good luck to Mharis in her interview!!!

Scott (and Mirasol)

PS....For anyone reading this post....don't assume that our situation is yours. Prepare for YOUR interview. Don't assume because I said I didn't need something that you will not need it too. Each interview is different and prepare to bring everything you have to demonstrate you meet the requirements. Good luck!

[Skeeter211 2]

Had to change Mir's flight to the USA one day earlier so its not gonna be my birthday when she will arrive....its the day before. We found an agent in her city that could save us $150 US off the PAL internet price, but they showed the flight "fully booked" for June 2nd. (That's funny cuz I can still get a ticket for June 2 online at PAL website, but I guess its a capacity controlled fare.) So the bad thing is I wanted her to land in the USA on my actual birthday and that will not happen. Good news is that we get to start our life here in the USA together one day earlier! I guess I can't complain too much. Hehehe

Scott (and Mirasol)

PS...FYI....I had Mir ask about the rumored "First time immigrant fare" from PAL that I have heard about. The key word is "immigrant" and she was told it only applied to those with immigrant visas, not a K1 "non-immigrant" visa. I think PAL should change that policy to include the K visas too! Then again, I never liked PAL because of some nasty customer service incidents I have had with them, so it likely would do nothing for our relationship with them. I only agreed to even purchase a PAL ticket for Mir as it's the only airline with a non-stop PI to USA flight and she insisted on having no connecting flights. Good thing I love her so much!

[rea 1]

pardon my ignorance everyone but what is the difference between tax transcripts and income tax return filed copy? or are they the same?

rea

they are different. The tax transcript is a record of your return that you can order by phone from the irs at 1 800 829 1040. I heard the embassy prefers the transcript to the actual return. It's a free service and I got my 2005 and 2006 transcripts in less than a week.

thank you orion44, i will be telling my fiance about this