Marry online and go for spouse visa or stick with K1 visa process?

[Will&Christine 52]

We applied for K1 on December 2019 and got approved on June 2020. But it's still stuck at NVC ever since and no NVC number. It seems like the way Philippines is going the lockdown thing might continue longer we thought. Lockdown after lockdown. I noticed spouse visa are moving faster than K1. It makes me wonder is it better option to marry online and go for spouse visa? I heard about online marriage in Utah. We already met in person 3 times so we met that requirement. I'm not optimistic about Philippines and embassy opening for K1 anytime in 2022. I'm aware we have to start right back at beginning of the line if we go for spouse visa. But at that rate it might be faster to get spouse visa. Plus I heard having Filipino spouse increases the chance of entering the country. We are exploring all options here and trying to find a way to be together

[HRQX 4,145]

13 minutes ago, Will&Christine said:

We already met in person 3 times so we met that requirement.

Just note that the consummation must happen after the marriage ceremony in order to be able to file Form I-130. See INA 101(a)(35): "The term "spouse", "wife", or "husband" do not include a spouse, wife, or husband by reason of any marriage ceremony where the contracting parties thereto are not physically present in the presence of each other, unless the marriage shall have been consummated."

[Chancy 6,241]

35 minutes ago, Will&Christine said:

I heard about online marriage in Utah. We already met in person 3 times so we met that requirement.

 

You have not met the CR1 requirement for in-person meeting during or after the wedding.  As @HRQX said, you cannot file the I-130 petition until after you've met in person after the Utah Zoom wedding ceremony.  Can you and your spouse-to-be meet in any country anytime soon?  If not, marrying online will just invalidate your K1 case, yet not qualify you to start the CR1 process.

 

[Adventine 3,196]

Consider the following before making a decision:

 

1. Utah Zoom wedding: you still have to meet physically, whether in the PH or a third country, before you file for a spousal visa

 

2. In person wedding in third country: search this forum for info on getting married in Costa Rica. Take into consideration that your Filipina fiancée may have problems leaving the Philippines, especially if she doesn't have a stable job, a good travel history, or other proof of significant ties to the PH. You will both also have to be prepared for the worst case scenario that her flights leaving/returning to the PH get delayed, or that the government changes its quarantine and test rules again. Have backup plans, good travel insurance, and emergency funds ready for this scenario.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Adventine

[top_secret 2,421]

There does exist the as yet untested, but it seem it would work, possiblity that as of Aug 1 a Utah online marriage could get a 9a visa, which would allow the foreign spouse into the Philippines. Thus solving allot of problems.  No one can say they tried it yet prior Aug 1but it's about to be heavily tested here over the next few days.

[Will&Christine 52]

Thank you for all the replies. I wasn't aware I would still have to meet her again after online marriage. I remember reading about meeting in Costa Rica for marriage. It sounds like tricky and expensive option. Flight issues and restrictions will be major headache. But I'll keep that in mind. Maybe flight restrictions will ease up in due time.

22 minutes ago, top_secret said:

There does exist the as yet untested, but it seem it would work, possiblity that as of Aug 1 a Utah online marriage could get a 9a visa, which would allow the foreign spouse into the Philippines. Thus solving allot of problems.  No one can say they tried it yet prior Aug 1but it's about to be heavily tested here over the next few days.

I'll keep an eye on it and see how it unfolds in future.

[Joe Kano 327]

5 hours ago, top_secret said:

There does exist the as yet untested, but it seem it would work, possiblity that as of Aug 1 a Utah online marriage could get a 9a visa, which would allow the foreign spouse into the Philippines. Thus solving allot of problems.  No one can say they tried it yet prior Aug 1but it's about to be heavily tested here over the next few days.

Why is August 1st the test date? Is that when Philippines is going to open up entry for 9A?

[Joe Kano 327]

7 hours ago, Will&Christine said:

We applied for K1 on December 2019 and got approved on June 2020. But it's still stuck at NVC ever since and no NVC number. It seems like the way Philippines is going the lockdown thing might continue longer we thought. Lockdown after lockdown. I noticed spouse visa are moving faster than K1. It makes me wonder is it better option to marry online and go for spouse visa? I heard about online marriage in Utah. We already met in person 3 times so we met that requirement. I'm not optimistic about Philippines and embassy opening for K1 anytime in 2022. I'm aware we have to start right back at beginning of the line if we go for spouse visa. But at that rate it might be faster to get spouse visa. Plus I heard having Filipino spouse increases the chance of entering the country. We are exploring all options here and trying to find a way to be together

I read Thailand opened for tourism on on August 1st.  Philippines citizens don't need a visa to enter.

 

Look into going there and consummating your online marriage

 

I would also look into other Asian countries that are open or soon to open for tourism that Philippines Citizens can enter without a visa, Singapore and Malaysia, etc........ 

[top_secret 2,421]

6 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

Why is August 1st the test date? Is that when Philippines is going to open up entry for 9A?

The Philippines has announced that as of Aug 1 they will no longer require the travel exemption document for spouses of Filipino citizens who are traveling on a 9a visa.  A 9a visa was previously somewhat strait forward and took like 2 weeks for a spouse to get.  Nothing in the announcement excludes online marriages so it 'looks' like a Utah marriage certificate would be a ticket into the Philippines.  But since Aug 1 has just arrived, the real world dynamics of how this will work out remain untested.

 

I predict that as of Monday, Philippine Embassies and Consulates are going to be flooded with a bunch of 9a visa applications.  Many from recent online marriages.  More than a few where the spouses have never even met before.  Thus the new 9a proclamation will very thoroughly have it's limits tested rather soon.

 

6 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

I read Thailand opened for tourism on on August 1st.  Philippines citizens don't need a visa to enter.

Unfortunately since July 25, the Philippines now has a total travel ban against Thailand.  Even Filipinos already in Thailand are totally banned from returning to the Philippines.  Any Filipina attempting to depart from the Philippines for Thailand would unconditionally be offloaded.  There are no exceptions for any reason.  The only way Filipinos who are stranded in Thailand may return to the Philippines is by Philippine government organized repatriation flights or by first spending 14 days in a neutral "non-Delta-ban" country.  These rules apply to Malaysia and Indonesia too.  Scratch SE Asia from the where to meet ur sweetie list for a while.

[Joe Kano 327]

17 hours ago, top_secret said:

Unfortunately since July 25, the Philippines now has a total travel ban against Thailand.  Even Filipinos already in Thailand are totally banned from returning to the Philippines.  Any Filipina attempting to depart from the Philippines for Thailand would unconditionally be offloaded.  There are no exceptions for any reason.  The only way Filipinos who are stranded in Thailand may return to the Philippines is by Philippine government organized repatriation flights or by first spending 14 days in a neutral "non-Delta-ban" country.  These rules apply to Malaysia and Indonesia too.  Scratch SE Asia from the where to meet ur sweetie list for a while.

Wow. Good to know, I wasn't aware of that.  The Philippines has basically imprisoned their own people inside the Philippines and now it's almost impossible to escape from the Philippines.

 

 

[Joe Kano 327]

17 hours ago, top_secret said:

Unfortunately since July 25, the Philippines now has a total travel ban against Thailand.  Even Filipinos already in Thailand are totally banned from returning to the Philippines.  Any Filipina attempting to depart from the Philippines for Thailand would unconditionally be offloaded.  There are no exceptions for any reason.  The only way Filipinos who are stranded in Thailand may return to the Philippines is by Philippine government organized repatriation flights or by first spending 14 days in a neutral "non-Delta-ban" country.  These rules apply to Malaysia and Indonesia too.  Scratch SE Asia from the where to meet ur sweetie list for a while.

Singapore is it included on the ban list?

[Joe Kano 327]

Here are more complications I am finding as I wake up this Monday morning in USA.  Not only do you have some silly 10 day quarantine upon arrival in Manila, You now have new or more curfews entering Manila and and other cities if you leave Manila.

 

 

[Murph4865 597]

6 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

Here are more complications I am finding as I wake up this Monday morning in USA.  Not only do you have some silly 10 day quarantine upon arrival in Manila, You now have new or more curfews entering Manila and and other cities if you leave Manila.

 

 

My wife told me they have already got ECQ in effect even though it is not suppose to take effect until August 6th, so they can not even follow the rules they come up with themselves.

[Joe Kano 327]

18 minutes ago, Murph4865 said:

My wife told me they have already got ECQ in effect even though it is not suppose to take effect until August 6th, so they can not even follow the rules they come up with themselves.

No surprise there 

[Joe Kano 327]

On 7/31/2021 at 11:31 PM, top_secret said:

There does exist the as yet untested, but it seem it would work, possiblity that as of Aug 1 a Utah online marriage could get a 9a visa, which would allow the foreign spouse into the Philippines. Thus solving allot of problems.  No one can say they tried it yet prior Aug 1but it's about to be heavily tested here over the next few days.

I think very few apply for it due to the 10/14 day quarantine upon arrival in Philippines, that is a deal killer.

 

I can enter the Philippines under the current conditions, but with quarantine and curfews and so many things closed down it just doesn't interest me.

 

If they didn't have a quarantine I think they would have alot more applicants.  

 

I am hoping we get a couple guys on this forum who apply and get approved and see if the can or will endure the quarantine.