Traveling to Singapore with Filipina Fiancé - Offloaded Confusion

[NMinLasVegas 0]

So would the first step be applying for the K1 visa and the second step would be the CFO GCP?  I was told I cannot apply for the K1 at the United States consulate in Manila anymore, walk in appointments suspended because of covid. So I would have to return to the US first to file it or use some kind of third party company to be able to apply on my first trip to the Philippines. Does that sound right? Does the advice in this thread about passing the secondary inspection at immigration also apply to getting the CFO GCP certification?

[top_secret 2,421]

1 hour ago, W199 said:

After secondary was satisfied she has traveled locally with me for the last couple of years with dated photos, and she could provide my personal details, they came to me, took a copy of my passport and made me sign an affidavit.  

 

So you can see, there is no way they will let the OP just meet her for the first time, the 18 month online relationship means nothing for proof he is safe to travel with, and let her leave.  Money, job, etc.. all will not matter .. they want proof in terms of time and personal experience.

 

He is going to need to get engaged, and get a CFO GCP certificate if he wants to travel anytime soon with her

 

I went through all that the first time I went to Thailand with my wife long before we were ever married.  It went alright.  I know a few others who have been through the same drill and until now everyone I know who traveled together made it out.  I know one girl who did get offloaded trying to fly on her own to Thailand to meet her boyfriend but when he came and got her they traveled fine.   CFO would DEFINITELY be a big plus but there's a good chance that is going to be difficult.  The whole tourism CFO concept is a huge grey area.  My wife never had any CFO over many many trips before we were married and none of the other unmarried couples I know who went to Thailand, Cambodia etc did either.  Allot of it may just be luck and also how whatever agent sizes up the couple.  I can say from plenty of first hand experience CFO is not a hard requirement.

[W199 333]

2 minutes ago, top_secret said:

 

I went through all that the first time I went to Thailand with my wife long before we were ever married.  It went alright.  I know a few others who have been through the same drill and until now everyone I know who traveled together made it out.  I know one girl who did get offloaded trying to fly on her own to Thailand to meet her boyfriend but when he came and got her they traveled fine.   CFO would DEFINITELY be a big plus but there's a good chance that is going to be difficult.  The whole tourism CFO concept is a huge grey area.  My wife never had any CFO over many many trips before we were married and none of the other unmarried couples I know who went to Thailand, Cambodia etc did either.  Allot of it may just be luck and also how whatever agent sizes up the couple.  I can say from plenty of first hand experience CFO is not a hard requirement.

Agreed, the tourist CFO is a grey area, The CFO and the BI may not be in agreement with each other or even among themselves..The CFO did issue an advisory saying the CFO rules do apply to fiancee's that hold a tourist visa. But that memo is extremely hard to dig up. And multiple people at the  CFO did recently confirm to me that it is needed even for a a tourist visa to another Country.  But on the other hand, the BI told me that the 2nd time we travel, that we will not be sent to secondary.  So this seems to contradict the CFO requirements unless its the first time traveling as fiancee. 

 

 How about for the other engaged couples that you said  left without the CFO, was it their FIRST time traveling as a tourist and as fiancee? 

 

The BI told us they will not send us to secondary the next time we travel on a tourist visa. So we were not even going to do the CFO, but we did it just  in case there is an overzealous BI agent in a bad mood. Plus we will need it for sure when she gets the K-1 visa. So it was a huge bonus  to get it out of the way without dealing with the hassle of it after getting the K-1. We just need to update the registration to a K-1 visa on their website once the K-1 is issued.  

 

 

[W199 333]

50 minutes ago, NMinLasVegas said:

So would the first step be applying for the K1 visa and the second step would be the CFO GCP?  I was told I cannot apply for the K1 at the United States consulate in Manila anymore, walk in appointments suspended because of covid. So I would have to return to the US first to file it or use some kind of third party company to be able to apply on my first trip to the Philippines. Does that sound right? Does the advice in this thread about passing the secondary inspection at immigration also apply to getting the CFO GCP certification?

IMHO, the first step is to meet her and spend some time with her and family before deciding anything. .

 

If you are really gung-ho on doing the K-1 ASAP, then prepare the package before you go, and bring everything with you.  Then you can send the package in by fedex after you meet her. Many people do it like this when they plan to spend a long time in the Philippines before going back to the USA  But from what you said about trying to apply at the manila embassy,  there is a lot you need to learn about the K-1 package, and how to do it properly and optimatly  There is a agency that specializes in filipino K-1 and CR-1 that is only $600. You can PM me if you want me to dig their name out. It was the best $600 that I spent, saved me wasting many hours of research and making bad choices and mistakes based on a lot of stuff that you read on the internet or even incompetent immigration lawyers

Edited April 26, 2023 by W199

[top_secret 2,421]

12 minutes ago, W199 said:

IMHO, the first step is to meet her and spend some time with her and family before deciding anything. .

 Definitely.  CFO and BI would both make a big deal of the family knowing and approving of a foreign boyfriend.  Myself and everyone else I know making first trips together were boyfriend-girlfriend though.  Fiancé is yet another grey area.

 

1 hour ago, NMinLasVegas said:

So would the first step be applying for the K1 visa and the second step would be the CFO GCP?  I was told I cannot apply for the K1 at the United States consulate in Manila anymore, walk in appointments suspended because of covid. So I would have to return to the US first to file it or use some kind of third party company to be able to apply on my first trip to the Philippines. Does that sound right? Does the advice in this thread about passing the secondary inspection at immigration also apply to getting the CFO GCP certification?

The advice you will get here is that from an immigration perspective you would be far better first spending enough actual in-person time together to decide if you really want to be married, and If you really do, then DO marry and apply for a CR-1 spousal visa rather than a K-1 fiancé visa.  CR-1 is 100% better in every way than K-1.  Either way you could file from the Philippines.  If married you can file for a CR-1 spousal visa online.  If you still wanted to file for a K-1 fiancé visa you could always send the packet by courier from the Philippines just as easily as you could mail it from the US.

 

[NMinLasVegas 0]

5 hours ago, top_secret said:

CR-1 is 100% better in every way than K-1

Could you expand on this a little please? My research led me to believe a K-1 visa has the advantage of being the faster process overall. What makes the CR-1 better?

[RO_AH 1,659]

11 hours ago, NMinLasVegas said:

Could you expand on this a little please? My research led me to believe a K-1 visa has the advantage of being the faster process overall. What makes the CR-1 better?

Maybe @Crazy Cat can do his copy and past here 🙂

 

It used to be faster, after covid, not so much. Main benefit is you get everything done in one step instead of 2. Beneficiary enters USA with a green card. SSN in a few weeks after that. Less expensive to name a few. I agree with @top_secret. Even if it is a little longer (IF) it is still much better IMO.

[Crazy Cat 41,856]

12 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

Maybe @Crazy Cat can do his copy and past here 🙂

 

It used to be faster, after covid, not so much. Main benefit is you get everything done in one step instead of 2. Beneficiary enters USA with a green card. SSN in a few weeks after that. Less expensive to name a few. I agree with @top_secret. Even if it is a little longer (IF) it is still much better IMO.

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1        
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.
    A K-1 might be a better choice when 18-21 year old children are immigrating also
    In some situations, marriage can affect certain Home country benefits, making a K-1 a better choice   
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
    

CR-1
    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.
    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
   

 

[W199 333]

14 hours ago, NMinLasVegas said:

Could you expand on this a little please? My research led me to believe a K-1 visa has the advantage of being the faster process overall. What makes the CR-1 better?

If you are in such a big rush and so sure you will marry her,  then marry her from the USA next week with  a Utah zoom wedding. 

 

Note, the CR-1 requires you to meet her after the zoom wedding before filing. Therefore, the very next day, after you meet her,  with your wedding certificate in hand from the Utah wedding, you can file the CR-1.  Done. Easy. Now you can file taxes as married jointly and save a lot of money if you are a high earner, and it will pay for your trip, wedding, engagement ring, even a Tesla  if you are a very high earner.

 

But If you marry her in the Philippines, it could take many months longer,  not sure, 5 or 6 months or even much longer depending on your wedding planning in order to get the PSA marriage certificate and file the CR-1.  

 

Post a screenshot next week of the wedding!

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by W199

[RO_AH 1,659]

5 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    

The only this I would add to this is that the passport stamp you receive upon entry serves as a green card, until the actual green card arrives in the mail.

[RO_AH 1,659]

3 hours ago, W199 said:

Note, the CR-1 requires you to meet her after the zoom wedding before filing. Therefore, the very next day, after you meet her,  with your wedding certificate in hand from the Utah wedding, you can file the CR-1

I think it is much better to return to the US and then mail in the CR-1. Mail from the Philippines to the USA is very slow if it gets there at all. I also think if you do online wedding through Utah it would be better to do it together while in the Philippines. It avoids the hassles of getting married in the Philippines, mainly the 2 week mandatory wait between applying for a marriage license and actually getting the license to marry, not to mention other hoops. You can still have a reception with family and friends which will most likely be important to her.