CFO schedule times

[Puppythecat 89]

I didn't realize that for K1 visas you can do the CFO counseling before you have the visa. As soon as my fiance got the visa last month she started trying to get a CFO session and I bought tickets for the 18th of December.  She got an email back from a councilor last week but still hasn't gotten a date for the session.  

 

What are the chances she will be able to get into a CFO session on time?  She's going to attempt to contact the CFO councilor again Monday.  Also I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.  If she doesn't have it in time should she attempt to fly anyway and hope nobody checks or is there some kind of problem that could occur from attempting this?

[JonInCA 12]

My wife's experience is from last year, but then the airline would not let her check in without her daughter's CFO even though the daughter was too young to need one. At the last minute the email from the CFO finally came through and the airline (JAL) employee printed it out for her and they could proceed.

[Hank_ 9,174]

50 minutes ago, Puppythecat said:

I didn't realize that for K1 visas you can do the CFO counseling before you have the visa. As soon as my fiance got the visa last month she started trying to get a CFO session and I bought tickets for the 18th of December.  She got an email back from a councilor last week but still hasn't gotten a date for the session.  

 

What are the chances she will be able to get into a CFO session on time?  She's going to attempt to contact the CFO councilor again Monday.  Also I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.  If she doesn't have it in time should she attempt to fly anyway and hope nobody checks or is there some kind of problem that could occur from attempting this?

CFO isn't doing their regular seminars, everything is a online/phone interview during the beer virus stuff.

 

https://cfo.gov.ph/

 

https://cfo.gov.ph/overseas-filipinos-cfo-online-registration-system-or-of-cors-2/

Edited December 4, 2021 by Hank_

[top_secret 2,338]

5 hours ago, Puppythecat said:

She got an email back from a councilor last week but still hasn't gotten a date for the session.  

Did she get the "Submission of Required Documents prior to Tele-counseling" e-mail and reply with the copy of the visa and both your passports and then any follow-up documents the counselor may request?  My wife got her appointment within 24 hours after we sent all the documents.  What I have heard from others recently is that 'generally' (but not always) they respond to actual visa holders in a more or less reasonably timely manner.  Though of course they have exceptions.  It's those who don't actually have visas yet or who are trying to get a CFO just to visit a foreign partner that are often getting strung along for extended periods of time.   It may be prudent just to confirm that she hasn't got misidentified into the wrong group of CFO applicants and that she has sent the requested documents.  Maybe give it another week, but if you start getting down to the wire you might want to resend the copies of passports and visa plus include a copy of the plane ticket and a catchy subject line like **URGENT**, K1 Visa holder with airline ticket departing for USA December 18, or something like that.  I've heard plenty of stories of CFO counselors dragging it out to the last moment but it seems like they mostly come through if they have a hard deadline.

 

5 hours ago, Puppythecat said:

Also I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.

In the end my wife and stepdaughter weren't asked for it at all departing Clark a month ago.  But that could hardly be counted on as a plan.

[Chancy 6,239]

On 12/4/2021 at 2:07 PM, Puppythecat said:

I didn't realize that for K1 visas you can do the CFO counseling before you have the visa.

 

K1 and CR1/IR1 visa applicants may request for CFO tele-counseling before getting their visa, but they will not be issued a CFO certificate until they submit a scan of their visa.  I did mine that way but my CFO counselor was not happy when she found out that I did not have my visa yet when we had our tele-counseling session.  She said that normally she would have cancelled the session and re-scheduled only after I submitted my visa scan.  I guess she was very forgiving as mine was an IR1 case and I had submitted proof that my husband and I were physically together in the US multiple times across 3 years.

 

On 12/4/2021 at 2:07 PM, Puppythecat said:

She got an email back from a councilor last week but still hasn't gotten a date for the session.

 

The first email I got directly from the CFO counselor (not the auto-reply email after CFO registration) already listed the schedule of our tele-counseling session.  Not sure if CR1/IR1 counselees just get a schedule immediately after submission of initial required documents, or if that's the normal process whether the counselee is K1 or CR1/IR1.

 

On 12/4/2021 at 2:07 PM, Puppythecat said:

I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.

 

In my case, both the airline staff and the BI officer at NAIA asked for my CFO certificate.  I have seen reports here on VJ and on FB of US-bound Filipinas being offloaded at PH airports for not having a CFO sticker or certificate.  Don't risk it.

 

[RO_AH 1,656]

On 12/4/2021 at 10:07 AM, Puppythecat said:

Also I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.

They asked my wife for hers 2x. PAL and BI.

[Puppythecat 89]

She finally got a telecounseling session for December 10th.  Hopefully she gets the certificate after that and the councilor doesn't sit on it for more than a week.

[Nickbell2020 3]

I hope everything is okay with your Fian'ce CFO now. If she registered already, she must follow up her counselor email or text. In my experienced about that CFO I registered early in the morning then I got my counseling in the next day. Then I send the requirements that she asked after I pay for it then I received the email already for my certificate. It's everything depends to the counselor the requirements. Registration online only From Monday to Thursday, I suggest  to register  early in the morning at 7am-8am. 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Nickbell2020

[Puppythecat 89]

10 hours ago, Nickbell2020 said:

I hope everything is okay with your Fian'ce CFO now. If she registered already, she must follow up her counselor email or text. In my experienced about that CFO I registered early in the morning then I got my counseling in the next day. Then I send the requirements that she asked after I pay for it then I received the email already for my certificate. It's everything depends to the counselor the requirements. Registration online only From Monday to Thursday, I suggest  to register  early in the morning at 7am-8am. 

That's what she had to do.  The registration website is set up so that after a certain number of registrations a day it shuts down registration and just gives you a message that registrations are full for the day.  So unless you are trying to register from 6am-8am you'll just get a "registrations are full" message without a lot of explanation.

[geezerpl 1]

On 12/4/2021 at 9:07 PM, Puppythecat said:

What are the chances she will be able to get into a CFO session on time?  She's going to attempt to contact the CFO councilor again Monday.  Also I've seen a lot of people say nobody ever checked for the CFO certificate at the airport.  If she doesn't have it in time should she attempt to fly anyway and hope nobody checks or is there some kind of problem that could occur from attempting this?

 

They are very busy now (Christmas effect and demanding GCP/GCC from almost all adult women regardless visa type and purpose of journey), but that does not stop they from being slow and inefficient.

I wouldn't try departing without CFO GCC. Maybe only in case of being accompanied by an immigration lawyer.

There are some who offer "airport escort service" for a fee. No idea of success rate.

 

[geezerpl 1]

On 12/5/2021 at 3:01 AM, top_secret said:

........ include a copy of the plane ticket and a catchy subject line like **URGENT**, K1 Visa holder with airline ticket departing for USA December 18, or something like that.  I've heard plenty of stories of CFO counselors dragging it out to the last moment but it seems like they mostly come through if they have a hard deadline.

 

 

This is no longer working.

CFO actually don't like to be pushed with tickets.

No GCC = no fly. They don't care.

Many couples will miss Christmas together this year despite holding Western visas.

 

Counselor swap doesn't work anymore too (even though their website says it is possible to register again after 15 days)

 

Their Citizen's Charter Handbook 2021 is bullsh*t too. They are talking about 33 minutes to process registration  

 

Complaining is possible (CFO Admin Department, ARTA, CHR, PCW), but will most likely take months so visa will expire before the positive outcome of the complaint (if any at all).

 

 

 

[Puppythecat 89]

She had her CFO counseling today.  Her "GCP Facilitator" requested additional requirements:

"Proof of Relationship

Proof of his visits

Proof of relationship letter from your parents / family"

 

So I had to send scans of my entry/exit stamps from my passport to prove when I was in country (seems odd given that's already a requirement for even requesting the K1 visa in the first place).  When she can contact her mom she will get her mom to write a handwritten letter and take a picture of it confirming we've had a relationship for years now.  As far as further proof of relationship I'm not sure what else they want.  She did her best trying to get a baby from me when we were together before but I guess our timing was off.

[RO_AH 1,656]

8 hours ago, Puppythecat said:

So I had to send scans of my entry/exit stamps from my passport to prove when I was in country (seems odd given that's already a requirement for even requesting the K1 visa in the first place). 

I would think you should add pictures of you together as well, just like what you gave for your K-1 visa. I agree they shouldn't even be asking because you have already satisfied the US Government of your relationship, but they really are hard on the K-1 visa holders more so that the spouse visa's especially if the fiance is young. Complaints will fall on deaf ears so just kiss up to them and give them what they ask for and get that certificate.

[Puppythecat 89]

1 hour ago, RO_AH said:

I would think you should add pictures of you together as well, just like what you gave for your K-1 visa. I agree they shouldn't even be asking because you have already satisfied the US Government of your relationship, but they really are hard on the K-1 visa holders more so that the spouse visa's especially if the fiance is young. Complaints will fall on deaf ears so just kiss up to them and give them what they ask for and get that certificate.

I sent what she asked for, just making me kind of irritated because of how close we're getting to the flight date and I've heard of people getting their CFO and receipt on the same day.  She's 32, it's not as though she's too young to get married.

[flicks1998 1,044]

9 hours ago, Puppythecat said:

She had her CFO counseling today.  Her "GCP Facilitator" requested additional requirements:

"Proof of Relationship

Proof of his visits

Proof of relationship letter from your parents / family"

 

So I had to send scans of my entry/exit stamps from my passport to prove when I was in country (seems odd given that's already a requirement for even requesting the K1 visa in the first place).  When she can contact her mom she will get her mom to write a handwritten letter and take a picture of it confirming we've had a relationship for years now.  As far as further proof of relationship I'm not sure what else they want.  She did her best trying to get a baby from me when we were together before but I guess our timing was off.

 

1 minute ago, Puppythecat said:

I sent what she asked for, just making me kind of irritated because of how close we're getting to the flight date and I've heard of people getting their CFO and receipt on the same day.  She's 32, it's not as though she's too young to get married.

The facilitators dont understand the different types of visas.  The whole process is ridiculous when you really look at the details of the program and what questions they focus on.  I cant think of another country that requires a 32 year old woman to get "approval" to leave her own country to get married to her fiance or to just travel.  Part of the problem though is nobody really pushes back.  The process is just accepted.  If foreigners complain they dont care.  In all honesty, you see this through all areas of society.  The majority want a big daddy/big mommy looking out for their best interests.  Its one reason why I think you will also see a Marcos/Duterte administration in May because the majority of people want this type of control.

 

When we did our CFO we had a set date to leave the country as her visa was expiring and we were on the last flight to JFK before that happened.  I still think your CFO will come through in time though.  All you need is the email.  I would follow up with them again early next week and essentially kiss their butt.