To those who have ever had a 221(g) experience.

[Chancy 6,241]

11 minutes ago, Adventine said:

Felt way too intrusive to me. But after reading this thread, maybe the photos will come in handy one day 🤣

 

I thought the same!  We didn't take any pics at my dad's wake.  But after reading this thread, I'm like, "What???  Should we have taken pics in case my mom ever decides to get married again?!"

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Chancy

[Mylilelar 8]

1 hour ago, boris64 said:

 

Just my pitiful attempt at illustrating the absurdity of the situation...

From my wife's perspective, none of the 5 women she met of which 3 she walked back to the hotel with we're approved the 1st time. There was only 9 women in the interview room! She feels that since they're so few applicants that they spent more time with each one. If that is true, I have no idea and really she doesn't either. Albeit, they only spent 12 minutes with her and she waited up to 35 minutes for the others before they walked back. She feels they have much more to present than they have compared to her.

[Mylilelar 8]

56 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Yep, I've also been to a few wakes where people did this.  But most people I've seen taking pics just posed by the side of the casket, which would not be useful for identifying the body in the casket.

 

In any case, though I see that funeral pics are becoming more common now, I think it's still not the norm.  Some families, like ours, are just not open to the idea.  So if that's all the embassy wanted, I would think that unreasonable.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

 

After my wife had memorized almost every conceivable question they would ask her, including my father's full name and date of birth,they almost completely asked her all the questions about her ex husband and his demise. I don't think they picked on her as much as I believe that there is fraud going on with people claiming their exes are dead and not having to pay thousands of dollars in annulment charges. At one time, before he died, we were quoted between $5,000 and $11,000 to get an annulment. It's really something what these spouses have to go through.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Mylilelar

[Adventine 3,196]

8 minutes ago, Mylilelar said:

After my wife had memorized almost every conceivable question they would ask her, including my father's full name and date of birth,they almost completely asked her all the questions about her ex husband and his demise. I don't think they picked on her as much as I believe that there is fraud going on with people claiming their exes are dead and not having to pay thousands of dollars in annulment charges. At one time, before he died, we were quoted between $5,000 and $11,000 to get an annulment. It's really something what these spouses have to go through.

That seems reasonable. 

 

Please do keep updating us and hopefully your wife gets approved soon, and can finally go home to Isabela without much more trouble.

[Chancy 6,241]

18 minutes ago, Mylilelar said:

I don't think they picked on her as much as I believe that there is fraud going on with people claiming their exes are dead and not having to pay thousands of dollars in annulment charges. At one time, before he died, we were quoted between $5,000 and $11,000 to get an annulment.

 

More than the expense, I think the time it takes to complete an annulment is even more ridiculous.  I personally know two women who went through annulment in the PH.  From their experience, it seems it would take a miracle to get it done in 2 years from start to finish including annotation of PSA record.  So I'm not surprised at the quoted price you got, and also the embassy's line of questioning.

 

[Mylilelar 8]

17 minutes ago, Adventine said:

That seems reasonable. 

 

Please do keep updating us and hopefully your wife gets approved soon, and can finally go home to Isabela without much more trouble.

Someday I will write a timeline. I have hundreds of pages about 18 cm high. All I can really say at this time is our NOA2  was July 13, 2018. And it waited for months in Nebraska.It took 2 months before they accepted her birth certificate which was hardly legible from the PSA since it was from the 60s. And this was after several times bringing it to a professional print shop to have it lightened. But then you send it in and you wait to see if it was accepted. Then after 6 weeks they would say not accepted. And then months with no more evidence to send.And then months in New Hampshire with no RFE. Waiting....waiting.... just like everyone else I suppose.

[Mylilelar 8]

7 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

More than the expense, I think the time it takes to complete an annulment is even more ridiculous.  I personally know two women who went through annulment in the PH.  From their experience, it seems it would take a miracle to get it done in 2 years from start to finish including annotation of PSA record.  So I'm not surprised at the quoted price you got, and also the embassy's line of questioning.

 

We knew he had liver cancer from his lifestyle. So when we found out he was in stage 4, we just waited and forgot about the annulment.

I know, kind of cruel, but the world can be a cruel place sometimes.

[Adventine 3,196]

16 minutes ago, Mylilelar said:

Someday I will write a timeline. I have hundreds of pages about 18 cm high. All I can really say at this time is our NOA2  was July 13, 2018. And it waited for months in Nebraska.It took 2 months before they accepted her birth certificate which was hardly legible from the PSA since it was from the 60s. And this was after several times bringing it to a professional print shop to have it lightened. But then you send it in and you wait to see if it was accepted. Then after 6 weeks they would say not accepted. And then months with no more evidence to send.And then months in New Hampshire with no RFE. Waiting....waiting.... just like everyone else I suppose.

What a mess. I'm sorry that it's been so hard for the two of you.

 

15 minutes ago, Mylilelar said:

We knew he had liver cancer from his lifestyle. So when we found out he was in stage 4, we just waited and forgot about the annulment.

I know, kind of cruel, but the world can be a cruel place sometimes.

I don't blame you. That may have been the most efficient way to end the previous marriage.

Edited October 20, 2020 by Adventine

[Chancy 6,241]

23 minutes ago, Mylilelar said:

We knew he had liver cancer from his lifestyle. So when we found out he was in stage 4, we just waited and forgot about the annulment.

I know, kind of cruel, but the world can be a cruel place sometimes.

 

If that's how he wanted to live his life, then it's nothing for you to be guilty about if you were spared from an inconvenience as a result of his choices in life.

 

[Mylilelar1 8]

On 10/18/2020 at 11:54 AM, Mylilelar1 said:

My wife should be submitting the 3 required documents on Wednesday the 21st. She heard from two applicants it could be 15 days. The embassy gave no timeline. I Googled awhile here and there is posters who state it could be days,weeks or MONTHS. My question is....when they approve her visa,does she have to pick it up on a certain date or will it just be ready and waiting? Here's the deal....she has been in a hotel for almost a month and being there months is not an option. But when she goes back to Isabela Province she must quarantine for 14 days. Murphy's Law !  What if after waiting let's say 8 days,she goes back to Isabela and the embassy says her visa is ready but she is in quarantine? STUCK IN (removed) HERE.

Well,she sent the funeral records AGAIN and death certificate AGAIN on Oct. 21 and now she gets AN EMAIL FROM THE EMBASSY THAT THEY NEED....

 

1. Medical records from the  District hospital

2. Tombstone photos

3. Burial and internment photos

4. Funeral records AGAIN

5. Church records.

This is what gets us>>>>>they could have asked FOR ALL OF THESE ON Oct 18th.  They could have asked for all of these 14 months ago. It just never ends.

We are concerned they will just keep asking for more instead of asking  for what they need all at one time.   She is going back to Isabela after 33 days in a hotel to scrounge up what she can.

She does not believe they(family) has photos of laying him in the ground at the cemetery.  I just   can't really believe this is happening.

[Mylilelar1 8]

On 10/20/2020 at 6:59 AM, Adventine said:

So somebody from the Embassy called your wife asking for all that documentation about her ex-husband's death. Was there any follow up email to document this? 

 

It almost sounds like a bad joke.

 

Edited to add that yes: visitors to Filipino wakes do actually take pictures in front of the deceased's casket/urn. Almost like a big family reunion.

 

I personally always found the practice distasteful, but maybe that's what's being asked for?

 

I dunno, still hard to believe they are asking for photos.

 

Well......they are ! Obviously I believe some have taken the fraud route to avoid thousands in annulment costs. So it is what it is.

[Adventine 3,196]

1 hour ago, Mylilelar1 said:

Well......they are ! Obviously I believe some have taken the fraud route to avoid thousands in annulment costs. So it is what it is.

Now they want tombstone photos too... dios mio, sorry it's been so hard on you and your spouse.

[Mylilelar 8]

1 hour ago, Adventine said:

Now they want tombstone photos too... dios mio, sorry it's been so hard on you and your spouse.

The tombstone photos seem to be no problem. It's the laying him in the ground part. This whole thing is just so morbid.

[user555 196]

On 10/26/2020 at 10:14 AM, Mylilelar1 said:

2. Tombstone photos

I'd slip this in the email. 

[Mylilelar1 8]

Starting to believe her visa will never be approved until maybe after a change in the presidency of the United States.