NVC Expedite Request Dismissed out of Hand Twice

[flicks1998 1,044]

14 minutes ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

Or course there’s no guarantee that the CR-1 process doesn’t suddenly slow way down and the K-1 flips and starts getting processed. Imagine changing up and then seeing that happen 🙄🙄🙄

It wont.  Search the Philippines section though on posts of people switching to CR1.  They can provide you the most current up to date information as well as their feedback on the process.  There were a number of people who did this around the November-Feb 2021 time frame.  Unfortunately the K1 timelines around the world are ugly, but the most ugly of all of them is USEM.  They literally have not moved in 16 months except for about 50 cases a month which were expedites.  I believe it was top_secret who posted the graphs of normally doing 550 K1s a month and then dropping off to basically 50/month over the last year.  A guesstimate would be around 5000-7000 K1s in backlog, either at USEM or NVC.

Edited June 14, 2021 by flicks1998

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

Yes I saw that graph. Impressive and depressing at the same time. Makes no sense. An interview is an interview IMO. 

[Cody&Razely 134]

Last reply from the USEM MNL: "We have well over one thousand K-1's sitting at the Embassy and well over 10 Thousand Approved K-1's being held at the NVC"

Min. 11,000 / 50 per month = 18 years to process and adjudicate current K-1 backlog as of today.

[flicks1998 1,044]

10 minutes ago, Cody&Razely said:

Last reply from the USEM MNL: "We have well over one thousand K-1's sitting at the Embassy and well over 10 Thousand Approved K-1's being held at the NVC"

Min. 11,000 / 50 per month = 18 years to process and adjudicate current K-1 backlog as of today.

Wow, unbelievable.  Even at 550 a month thats over 1.5 years. 

[top_secret 2,421]

3 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

@top_secret  You went to Costa Rica and got married diba?   Switched to CR1.  Maybe you can let @lavidaesbuena1 know where you are in the process.  I dont see K1s moving anytime soon, at least at a normal pace.

We never got so far as filing a K1 but l initially intended to file a K1 and was preparing both ways for a while before the Costa Rica plan became solid and we committed to that.    I'm SO glad we went that way.  We married December 2020 in Costa Rica.  I filed 1-130's for wife and step daughter early March, they were approved in a mere 49 days,  I'm on to NVC and if the document review timeframe is as advertised and if NVC is happy with my docs I could possibly be Documentarily Qualified in just a few more days and waiting for an interview to open up.  In that respect I am probably ahead of K1's from 2019 since the CR1 interview line is at least moving at some semblance of a normal rate now.  I may wait 4 or 6 or 8 months for interviews but I just don't see K1 following anywhere that timetable.  Plus as an added bonus, by marrying in late December my 2020 tax return filing jointly is $10,000 greater than if I was single with a fiancée, and although I don't have time for the quarantine, if I wanted to get into the Philippines now I could fly my wife out and then travel back in with her with balikbayan travel privilege.

 

2 hours ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

Or course there’s no guarantee that the CR-1 process doesn’t suddenly slow way down and the K-1 flips and starts getting processed. Imagine changing up and then seeing that happen 🙄🙄🙄

 Trust me I have considered that scenario.  I'm thinking ultimately they are just going to have to start rubberstamp approvals in mass with just cursory interviews if they ever want to dig out of the hole they are in.

[RO_AH 1,659]

2 hours ago, top_secret said:

Plus as an added bonus, by marrying in late December my 2020 tax return filing jointly is $10,000 greater than if I was single with a fiancée

That probably paid for the trip to Costa Rica and then some 🙂

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

10 hours ago, top_secret said:

We never got so far as filing a K1 but l initially intended to file a K1 and was preparing both ways for a while before the Costa Rica plan became solid and we committed to that.    I'm SO glad we went that way.  We married December 2020 in Costa Rica.  I filed 1-130's for wife and step daughter early March, they were approved in a mere 49 days,  I'm on to NVC and if the document review timeframe is as advertised and if NVC is happy with my docs I could possibly be Documentarily Qualified in just a few more days and waiting for an interview to open up.  In that respect I am probably ahead of K1's from 2019 since the CR1 interview line is at least moving at some semblance of a normal rate now.  I may wait 4 or 6 or 8 months for interviews but I just don't see K1 following anywhere that timetable.  Plus as an added bonus, by marrying in late December my 2020 tax return filing jointly is $10,000 greater than if I was single with a fiancée, and although I don't have time for the quarantine, if I wanted to get into the Philippines now I could fly my wife out and then travel back in with her with balikbayan travel privilege.

 

 Trust me I have considered that scenario.  I'm thinking ultimately they are just going to have to start rubberstamp approvals in mass with just cursory interviews if they ever want to dig out of the hole they are in.

This is all good info. I’m curious as to why you chose Panama. Was it ease of travel/visa for your fiancé? We are looking at Panama as a potential retirement location eventually and there is a Panamanian embassy in Manila. Visa requirements are minimal and (in normal times) take 5-10 days. So we’ve considered going there. 

[Chancy 6,241]

15 minutes ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

I’m curious as to why you chose Panama. Was it ease of travel/visa for your fiancé?

 

Costa Rica is a separate country from Panama.  There's a Philippine consulate in Costa Rica.  Filipinos may enter Costa Rica visa-free.

 

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

Costa Rica is a separate country from Panama.  There's a Philippine consulate in Costa Rica.  Filipinos may enter Costa Rica visa-free.

 

yes, thanks. I wasn't aware that Costa Rica was visa-free for Filipinas. That's good to know.

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

12 hours ago, top_secret said:

We never got so far as filing a K1 but l initially intended to file a K1 and was preparing both ways for a while before the Costa Rica plan became solid and we committed to that.    I'm SO glad we went that way.  We married December 2020 in Costa Rica.  I filed 1-130's for wife and step daughter early March, they were approved in a mere 49 days,  I'm on to NVC and if the document review timeframe is as advertised and if NVC is happy with my docs I could possibly be Documentarily Qualified in just a few more days and waiting for an interview to open up.  In that respect I am probably ahead of K1's from 2019 since the CR1 interview line is at least moving at some semblance of a normal rate now.  I may wait 4 or 6 or 8 months for interviews but I just don't see K1 following anywhere that timetable.  Plus as an added bonus, by marrying in late December my 2020 tax return filing jointly is $10,000 greater than if I was single with a fiancée, and although I don't have time for the quarantine, if I wanted to get into the Philippines now I could fly my wife out and then travel back in with her with balikbayan travel privilege.

 

 Trust me I have considered that scenario.  I'm thinking ultimately they are just going to have to start rubberstamp approvals in mass with just cursory interviews if they ever want to dig out of the hole they are in.

I took a look at requirements for getting married in Costa Rica. On the site they mentioned that it takes approximately 10 weeks for the marriage to be recorded and the certificate to be issued (they send it to you directly). Is that time frame consistent with your experience?

[top_secret 2,421]

 

5 hours ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

This is all good info. I’m curious as to why you chose Panama. Was it ease of travel/visa for your fiancé? We are looking at Panama as a potential retirement location eventually and there is a Panamanian embassy in Manila. Visa requirements are minimal and (in normal times) take 5-10 days. So we’ve considered going there. 

We did stop in Panama for a while since my wife flew Turkish Airlines to Panama and we met there and flew on to Costa Rica together a few days later on Copa Air.  Panama does require visas for Filipinos but if they have a multiple entry visa from any G7 nation or from South Korea they can use that to get into Panama.  My wife has preexisting multiple entry tourist visas for Japan and Korea so she was good to go for Panama.  Although Panamanian immigration did ask her for her Seaman's Book and then became became confused that she wasn't there to join her ship.  I guess they see quite a few Filipinos joining ships in Panama, but Filipina tourists not so much.

 

3 hours ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

I took a look at requirements for getting married in Costa Rica. On the site they mentioned that it takes approximately 10 weeks for the marriage to be recorded and the certificate to be issued (they send it to you directly). Is that time frame consistent with your experience?

You can track your Costa Rica Marriage Certificate on the official government web site.
https://servicioselectorales.tse.go.cr/chc/consulta_nombres_mat_ext.aspx
When it is available there, it is available from the Civil Registrar’s office. Usually, whatever notary you hire will handle getting it from there but you could pick it up yourself too.  Ours took about 4 weeks to become available but that included Christmas and New Year’s so the government was shut down a whole week in that.  I think 3 weeks is more typical.  It took an additional 2 weeks to get it Apostilled.  That step is not necessary for USCIS, but is necessary if you want to use the marriage certificate for anything in the Philippines.  If it takes 10 weeks, that is the notaries doing and not the governments and they could get that done much more quickly if they were inclined to.  Sending you the Certificate directly is the notary too not the government.

 

6 hours ago, Chancy said:

There's a Philippine consulate in Costa Rica.

Worth noting though, it is only an "honorary consulate", so it is very limited in what it could do.  I have heard of them issuing a 9A visa from that consulate but anything like Report of Marriage must go through the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City. 

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

On 6/14/2021 at 8:22 PM, top_secret said:

We never got so far as filing a K1 but l initially intended to file a K1 and was preparing both ways for a while before the Costa Rica plan became solid and we committed to that.    I'm SO glad we went that way.  We married December 2020 in Costa Rica.  I filed 1-130's for wife and step daughter early March, they were approved in a mere 49 days,  I'm on to NVC and if the document review timeframe is as advertised and if NVC is happy with my docs I could possibly be Documentarily Qualified in just a few more days and waiting for an interview to open up.  In that respect I am probably ahead of K1's from 2019 since the CR1 interview line is at least moving at some semblance of a normal rate now.  I may wait 4 or 6 or 8 months for interviews but I just don't see K1 following anywhere that timetable.  Plus as an added bonus, by marrying in late December my 2020 tax return filing jointly is $10,000 greater than if I was single with a fiancée, and although I don't have time for the quarantine, if I wanted to get into the Philippines now I could fly my wife out and then travel back in with her with balikbayan travel privilege.

 

 Trust me I have considered that scenario.  I'm thinking ultimately they are just going to have to start rubberstamp approvals in mass with just cursory interviews if they ever want to dig out of the hole they are in.

95% of the interviews were never difficult to begin with. We were at the window 5 minutes max. The problem is there are legal procedures that have to be followed pre and post interview and that takes time. I fear that the backlog will take time to clear. The good news is K1 visa applications should taper off because no one has been travelling to meet and get engaged. The next 12-24 months could be rough.

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

On 6/15/2021 at 3:01 PM, top_secret said:

 

We did stop in Panama for a while since my wife flew Turkish Airlines to Panama and we met there and flew on to Costa Rica together a few days later on Copa Air.  Panama does require visas for Filipinos but if they have a multiple entry visa from any G7 nation or from South Korea they can use that to get into Panama.  My wife has preexisting multiple entry tourist visas for Japan and Korea so she was good to go for Panama.  Although Panamanian immigration did ask her for her Seaman's Book and then became became confused that she wasn't there to join her ship.  I guess they see quite a few Filipinos joining ships in Panama, but Filipina tourists not so much.

 

You can track your Costa Rica Marriage Certificate on the official government web site.
https://servicioselectorales.tse.go.cr/chc/consulta_nombres_mat_ext.aspx
When it is available there, it is available from the Civil Registrar’s office. Usually, whatever notary you hire will handle getting it from there but you could pick it up yourself too.  Ours took about 4 weeks to become available but that included Christmas and New Year’s so the government was shut down a whole week in that.  I think 3 weeks is more typical.  It took an additional 2 weeks to get it Apostilled.  That step is not necessary for USCIS, but is necessary if you want to use the marriage certificate for anything in the Philippines.  If it takes 10 weeks, that is the notaries doing and not the governments and they could get that done much more quickly if they were inclined to.  Sending you the Certificate directly is the notary too not the government.

 

Worth noting though, it is only an "honorary consulate", so it is very limited in what it could do.  I have heard of them issuing a 9A visa from that consulate but anything like Report of Marriage must go through the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City. 

Thanks...all good info. By the way, did you use an attorney to assist? If so, can you recommend the one you used? I think given the current status and uncertainty, we are going to proceed with the Cosa Rican option. At least we can meet at regular intervals while the CR1 is being processed.  I live an hour outside of DC where the Philippine embassy is located so getting it registered there won't be an issue.

[top_secret 2,421]

7 minutes ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

Thanks...all good info. By the way, did you use an attorney to assist? If so, can you recommend the one you used? I think given the current status and uncertainty, we are going to proceed with the Cosa Rican option. At least we can meet at regular intervals while the CR1 is being processed. 

 

To marry in Costa Rica you need to hire a notary/attorney.  We used this guy.  https://costaricamarriageofficiants.com 

 

10 minutes ago, lavidaesbuena1 said:

I live an hour outside of DC where the Philippine embassy is located so getting it registered there won't be an issue.

Alas, a Costa Rican marriage can only be registered in the Philippines by the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City since that is the post that has consular jurisdiction over Costa Rica for the Philippines.  No Philippine Embassy in the US can accept a report for a marriage that took place in Costa Rica.   I sent the Report of Marriage from the US by UPS Courier .   Have your fiancée get a CENOMAR in the Philippines and get it Apostilled by DFA.  Philippine Embassy in Mexico City will ask for that.  That is pretty easy to do in the Philippines if there is a DFA office anywhere near.   Also download the Report of Marriage form and fill out 4 copies and then get the notary in Costa Rica to notarize them while you and the missus are in the same place at the same time.

[lavidaesbuena1 1]

1 minute ago, top_secret said:

 

To marry in Costa Rica you need to hire a notary/attorney.  We used this guy.  https://costaricamarriageofficiants.com 

 

Alas, a Costa Rican marriage can only be registered in the Philippines by the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City since that is the post that has consular jurisdiction over Costa Rica for the Philippines.  No Philippine Embassy in the US can accept a report for a marriage that took place in Costa Rica.   I sent the Report of Marriage from the US by UPS Courier .   Have your fiancée get a CENOMAR in the Philippines and get it Apostilled by DFA.  Philippine Embassy in Mexico City will ask for that.  That is pretty easy to do in the Philippines if there is a DFA office anywhere near.   Also download the Report of Marriage form and fill out 4 copies and then get the notary in Costa Rica to notarize them while you and the missus are in the same place at the same time.

Great, thanks a million for the info. This is very helpful.