cfo new requirement?

[Steve & Erma 36]

On 9/21/2023 at 9:37 AM, Erik and Glydyl said:

I thought the same thing. So its just copies of pages then?

 

Yes, just a copy of things you can't really send to them. I sent certificed copies of my BC and Divorce decrees and then our marriage cert here in the states as well. Everything else is just make a copy of it.

[AlexMiner2022 34]

Yesterday my fiancé was approved for her K1 by the US Embassy here in Manila. I had what can only be described as the most anxious day of my life, with every minute waiting outside the Embassy increasing said anxiety. When she walked out smiling I knew she was approved and all of that minute-by-minute anxiety that had climbed to my shoulders vanished in the blink of an eye. Needless to say the rest of yesterday was a delightful feeling of floating. My finance and I decided to talk about and gather the final details of the CFO "guidance program" the next day. 

 

Today is that next day. A few months ago we had a meeting with RapidVisa, the company I paid to help us with the paperwork, and during the meeting the CFO was discussed, but only lightly because the agent made us feel as though it is just a formal program that will not have any real impact on the process. Plus with the verbiage for the name of the program, it seemed logical that it was a nice process designed to educate and help exiting Filipinos. Much to my dismay however, the CFO is anything but all of that. While it may cover some of those logical points, it appears to be just one more way the Philippines puts up walls for their people. Walls designed to make life difficult and discourage people from trying to leave the country. Don't get me wrong, I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being. Any country like the Philippines is going to have people who are being taken advantage of, and having a program that creates an environment where they can voice their concerns is going to benefit the country as a whole. BUT, and this is a GIANT BIG BUT... The CFO program in the Philippines is NOT this at all. You can tell based on the list of requirements, the comments in threads like this above mine here and other places, that it is designed to be a WALL. A wall that discourages people, that puts one more potential denial in the face of any prior work. My fiancé, as have countless others, has demonstrated her desire to leave the Philippines with me, her petitioner, and after all of the work we both have done and the pages upon pages of documents, as well as numerous interviews with authorized agents, there should be ZERO question about the authenticity of our relationship, my legal status, my lack of criminal history and much more that this program seeks to vet out one last time. The US State Dept already conducted a thorough background check of myself and my fiancé , so the CFO "counselor" has NO business engaging in requesting more information regarding any of these things. 

 

I am sickened to learn how this program could very well be something that further delays my fiancé exiting her "FREE COUNTRY" (really?) to start her life in the USA. The Philippines authorities should be ashamed of what they have created. If they wanted to build a program to COUNSEL, it would do that and ONLY that. They would not require additional documents, or ANY documents for that matter. A valid ID is all that should be required and a verbal or written statement from the person wishing to exit stating as much. Then there would be a short orientation explaining the immigration process to the destination country followed up with optional counseling. 

 

I have no idea what can be done, if anything, to encourage the Philippines to either scrub the CFO program and build a new one, or rebuild what already exists, but having lived her since January of 2023 I have witnessed several instances where nationals are employed to be "secret police" so-to-speak, and IMHO it hints at the country not really be as FREE as one might expect for a free democracy. After she completes this process, no matter what hell, if any, they put her through, I am determined to create content that will bring more awareness to this and other issues that are holding the country back. 

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you and everyone else who has to go through this program is able to navigate the process and have the life you seek to achieve. 

[RO_AH 1,659]

5 hours ago, AlexMiner2022 said:

Yesterday my fiancé was approved for her K1 by the US Embassy here in Manila. I had what can only be described as the most anxious day of my life, with every minute waiting outside the Embassy increasing said anxiety. When she walked out smiling I knew she was approved and all of that minute-by-minute anxiety that had climbed to my shoulders vanished in the blink of an eye. Needless to say the rest of yesterday was a delightful feeling of floating. My finance and I decided to talk about and gather the final details of the CFO "guidance program" the next day. 

 

Today is that next day. A few months ago we had a meeting with RapidVisa, the company I paid to help us with the paperwork, and during the meeting the CFO was discussed, but only lightly because the agent made us feel as though it is just a formal program that will not have any real impact on the process. Plus with the verbiage for the name of the program, it seemed logical that it was a nice process designed to educate and help exiting Filipinos. Much to my dismay however, the CFO is anything but all of that. While it may cover some of those logical points, it appears to be just one more way the Philippines puts up walls for their people. Walls designed to make life difficult and discourage people from trying to leave the country. Don't get me wrong, I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being. Any country like the Philippines is going to have people who are being taken advantage of, and having a program that creates an environment where they can voice their concerns is going to benefit the country as a whole. BUT, and this is a GIANT BIG BUT... The CFO program in the Philippines is NOT this at all. You can tell based on the list of requirements, the comments in threads like this above mine here and other places, that it is designed to be a WALL. A wall that discourages people, that puts one more potential denial in the face of any prior work. My fiancé, as have countless others, has demonstrated her desire to leave the Philippines with me, her petitioner, and after all of the work we both have done and the pages upon pages of documents, as well as numerous interviews with authorized agents, there should be ZERO question about the authenticity of our relationship, my legal status, my lack of criminal history and much more that this program seeks to vet out one last time. The US State Dept already conducted a thorough background check of myself and my fiancé , so the CFO "counselor" has NO business engaging in requesting more information regarding any of these things. 

 

I am sickened to learn how this program could very well be something that further delays my fiancé exiting her "FREE COUNTRY" (really?) to start her life in the USA. The Philippines authorities should be ashamed of what they have created. If they wanted to build a program to COUNSEL, it would do that and ONLY that. They would not require additional documents, or ANY documents for that matter. A valid ID is all that should be required and a verbal or written statement from the person wishing to exit stating as much. Then there would be a short orientation explaining the immigration process to the destination country followed up with optional counseling. 

 

I have no idea what can be done, if anything, to encourage the Philippines to either scrub the CFO program and build a new one, or rebuild what already exists, but having lived her since January of 2023 I have witnessed several instances where nationals are employed to be "secret police" so-to-speak, and IMHO it hints at the country not really be as FREE as one might expect for a free democracy. After she completes this process, no matter what hell, if any, they put her through, I am determined to create content that will bring more awareness to this and other issues that are holding the country back. 

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you and everyone else who has to go through this program is able to navigate the process and have the life you seek to achieve. 

Out of every post you have seen here or anywhere in the internet, find me one where a person was denied exit. If your things are in order and your fiance has a strong confident attitude it will be a breeze. Make sure your fiance has all dates regarding your relationship committed to memory. I made a cheat sheet for my wife to study. When we first met, how we met, when we first met in person, each visit I made there, etc. Doing that helps her to have confidence. If you give her or allow her to have as much negativity about the process as you just posted above, it will hurt her not help her.

[RO_AH 1,659]

5 hours ago, AlexMiner2022 said:

IMHO it hints at the country not really be as FREE as one might expect for a free democracy.

Really? I built a house there, did not need to apply, file, pay for a building permit. I didn't even need blueprints from an architect. I hired people to build it, told them what I wanted, done. Try that in our free country. My wife had a store that her mom still operates there. If she wants to sell something, she buys it then sells it. Cigarettes, alcohol, beer, food, as long as it's not anything illegal. Try that in our free country. I could go on but you get the point.

[IWander 589]

15 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

Really? I built a house there, did not need to apply, file, pay for a building permit. I didn't even need blueprints from an architect. I hired people to build it, told them what I wanted, done. Try that in our free country. My wife had a store that her mom still operates there. If she wants to sell something, she buys it then sells it. Cigarettes, alcohol, beer, food, as long as it's not anything illegal. Try that in our free country. I could go on but you get the point.

Not only that but we often send the young teens to the sari sari store to buy beer

[MaxP22 186]

8 hours ago, AlexMiner2022 said:

Yesterday my fiancé was approved for her K1 by the US Embassy here in Manila. I had what can only be described as the most anxious day of my life, with every minute waiting outside the Embassy increasing said anxiety. When she walked out smiling I knew she was approved and all of that minute-by-minute anxiety that had climbed to my shoulders vanished in the blink of an eye. Needless to say the rest of yesterday was a delightful feeling of floating. My finance and I decided to talk about and gather the final details of the CFO "guidance program" the next day. 

 

Today is that next day. A few months ago we had a meeting with RapidVisa, the company I paid to help us with the paperwork, and during the meeting the CFO was discussed, but only lightly because the agent made us feel as though it is just a formal program that will not have any real impact on the process. Plus with the verbiage for the name of the program, it seemed logical that it was a nice process designed to educate and help exiting Filipinos. Much to my dismay however, the CFO is anything but all of that. While it may cover some of those logical points, it appears to be just one more way the Philippines puts up walls for their people. Walls designed to make life difficult and discourage people from trying to leave the country. Don't get me wrong, I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being. Any country like the Philippines is going to have people who are being taken advantage of, and having a program that creates an environment where they can voice their concerns is going to benefit the country as a whole. BUT, and this is a GIANT BIG BUT... The CFO program in the Philippines is NOT this at all. You can tell based on the list of requirements, the comments in threads like this above mine here and other places, that it is designed to be a WALL. A wall that discourages people, that puts one more potential denial in the face of any prior work. My fiancé, as have countless others, has demonstrated her desire to leave the Philippines with me, her petitioner, and after all of the work we both have done and the pages upon pages of documents, as well as numerous interviews with authorized agents, there should be ZERO question about the authenticity of our relationship, my legal status, my lack of criminal history and much more that this program seeks to vet out one last time. The US State Dept already conducted a thorough background check of myself and my fiancé , so the CFO "counselor" has NO business engaging in requesting more information regarding any of these things. 

 

I am sickened to learn how this program could very well be something that further delays my fiancé exiting her "FREE COUNTRY" (really?) to start her life in the USA. The Philippines authorities should be ashamed of what they have created. If they wanted to build a program to COUNSEL, it would do that and ONLY that. They would not require additional documents, or ANY documents for that matter. A valid ID is all that should be required and a verbal or written statement from the person wishing to exit stating as much. Then there would be a short orientation explaining the immigration process to the destination country followed up with optional counseling. 

 

I have no idea what can be done, if anything, to encourage the Philippines to either scrub the CFO program and build a new one, or rebuild what already exists, but having lived her since January of 2023 I have witnessed several instances where nationals are employed to be "secret police" so-to-speak, and IMHO it hints at the country not really be as FREE as one might expect for a free democracy. After she completes this process, no matter what hell, if any, they put her through, I am determined to create content that will bring more awareness to this and other issues that are holding the country back. 

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you and everyone else who has to go through this program is able to navigate the process and have the life you seek to achieve. 

What a clueless post. Typical American entitled attitude, nothing new.

 

You claim to be in the PH since January but I very much doubt it. If you did you would know the situation for most people in PH, and how a lot of them would believe/do anything if it meant there was a chance to support their family, including going abroad.

 

The fact it inconveniences you personally is a very selfish attitude, CFO is there as an extra layer of security to ensure those going abroad will not end up in any harm. If just one person is saved then it's worth it for everyone to spend time and money to get it.

 

Not to mention CFO is very easy as well as fast to get. Is it perfect? No, but it's certainly not the overly dramatic worst thing in the world like you imply.

 

If you don't like the laws of the country you are in then maybe go back to your precious USA, I don't you will be missed with your attitude.

[top_secret 2,384]

CFO used to be a simple little annoyance where emigrants and OFW's had to go down and attend their seminar after they got their visa. In the grand scheme of dealings with Philippine Gobrnment bureaucracies, it was probably rated about a signal 2 at most.  During the period of time when the entire nation lost its mind over Chinese-rona-virus, CFO somehow morphed itself into some tyrannical gatekeeper of the nation.  It extended itself way beyond anything it was ever intended for.  Earlier this year as hysteria subsided and overseas travel resumed en mass, CFO kind of collapsed under their own weight and was thrashing around with no clarity at all what the hell they were even supposed to be doing.  People were noticing appointments were scarce, dates were getting pushed way out into the future, Filipino tourists were getting offloaded, the whole thing was melting down.  It seems with the most recent developments they are more or less going back to their original mission of being a simple little annoyance where emigrants and OFW's have to go down and attend their seminar after they get their visa.  So hopefully things are settling down and getting back to normal so it is going back to being no big deal again.

 

 

2 hours ago, IWander said:

Not only that but we often send the young teens to the sari sari store to buy beer

 

Young teens?  As far as I can tell, running down to the store to buy beer, some smokes and a bottle of Empi is generally a task delegated to 5 or 6 year olds.😉 

 

[W199 329]

The CFO was trivial for my fiancee. They interviewed her for about 10 seconds on the phone and said since you are doing the K1, and the embassy will check all your documents, we don't have to. Your CFO is approved, No need to supply any thing except my passport.

 

That being said, I heard recently that the CFO is starting to go crazy again and ask for unnecessary documents that are not needed, and you need to push back.

[AlexMiner2022 34]

5 hours ago, MaxP22 said:

What a clueless post. Typical American entitled attitude, nothing new.

 

You claim to be in the PH since January but I very much doubt it. If you did you would know the situation for most people in PH, and how a lot of them would believe/do anything if it meant there was a chance to support their family, including going abroad.

 

The fact it inconveniences you personally is a very selfish attitude, CFO is there as an extra layer of security to ensure those going abroad will not end up in any harm. If just one person is saved then it's worth it for everyone to spend time and money to get it.

 

Not to mention CFO is very easy as well as fast to get. Is it perfect? No, but it's certainly not the overly dramatic worst thing in the world like you imply.

 

If you don't like the laws of the country you are in then maybe go back to your precious USA, I don't you will be missed with your attitude.

 

I won't engage in any debate about my location - believe whatever you want sir, but I do see from the replies, I did allow my emotions to get in the way of my fingers. For that I should say that I didn't mean to offend anyone. If you read my post carefully I clearly stated " I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being..." and I think you may have missed that part. In any case, I will take the best advice here about resolving my attitude on all of this subject and devote the little energy I have left to continuing to offer a positive mindset and supportive spirit for my fiancé. It's just very frustrating to learn about this here at the end (entirely our fault btw). 

[Jason and May 79]

7 minutes ago, AlexMiner2022 said:

 

I won't engage in any debate about my location - believe whatever you want sir, but I do see from the replies, I did allow my emotions to get in the way of my fingers. For that I should say that I didn't mean to offend anyone. If you read my post carefully I clearly stated " I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being..." and I think you may have missed that part. In any case, I will take the best advice here about resolving my attitude on all of this subject and devote the little energy I have left to continuing to offer a positive mindset and supportive spirit for my fiancé. It's just very frustrating to learn about this here at the end (entirely our fault btw). 

Your response to the inflammatory reply to you, Alex, is pretty mature and admirable, notwithstanding the insight.

 

Getting frustrated, particularly when you don't understand certain pieces of a particular culture, is allowed, even if it's at times misguided, because that's a completely human repsonse. Especially under stress. And this should be a place where you can vent and also receive civil feedback, which the moderators are usually pretty good about ensuring. 

Good luck to you and your fiance. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your stay and the adventure home with your love. 

Best, 

Jason

[RO_AH 1,659]

1 hour ago, AlexMiner2022 said:

 

I won't engage in any debate about my location - believe whatever you want sir, but I do see from the replies, I did allow my emotions to get in the way of my fingers. For that I should say that I didn't mean to offend anyone. If you read my post carefully I clearly stated " I value and respect the spirit of the description that the CFO program portrays itself as being..." and I think you may have missed that part. In any case, I will take the best advice here about resolving my attitude on all of this subject and devote the little energy I have left to continuing to offer a positive mindset and supportive spirit for my fiancé. It's just very frustrating to learn about this here at the end (entirely our fault btw). 

The whole immigration process is long and very frustrating. If you don't know this going in, you did not do enough research. If you did your research, you know/knew what you were facing. Just stay positive, like I said I don't know of anyone who has been rejected. It took 3 years to get my wife and 2 sons here due to covid. Was it frustrating? Of course, but I learned long ago to not get bent out of shape over things I could not control. Just focus on having everything you may need, and MOST of all keep a positive attitude for your own sanity and most importantly to be that rock that your fiance needs right now. Never let them see you sweat!

[AlexMiner2022 34]

7 hours ago, top_secret said:

CFO used to be a simple little annoyance where emigrants and OFW's had to go down and attend their seminar after they got their visa. In the grand scheme of dealings with Philippine Gobrnment bureaucracies, it was probably rated about a signal 2 at most.  During the period of time when the entire nation lost its mind over Chinese-rona-virus, CFO somehow morphed itself into some tyrannical gatekeeper of the nation.  It extended itself way beyond anything it was ever intended for.  Earlier this year as hysteria subsided and overseas travel resumed en mass, CFO kind of collapsed under their own weight and was thrashing around with no clarity at all what the hell they were even supposed to be doing.  People were noticing appointments were scarce, dates were getting pushed way out into the future, Filipino tourists were getting offloaded, the whole thing was melting down.  It seems with the most recent developments they are more or less going back to their original mission of being a simple little annoyance where emigrants and OFW's have to go down and attend their seminar after they get their visa.  So hopefully things are settling down and getting back to normal so it is going back to being no big deal again.

 

 

Young teens?  As far as I can tell, running down to the store to buy beer, some smokes and a bottle of Empi is generally a task delegated to 5 or 6 year olds.😉 

 

Thanks for the understanding response. Refreshing to hear a voice or reason and might a say a bit in agreement. The worst experience with this sort of “power hungry” mindset I’ve seen here is with my finances kids school getting their transcript. Needless to say, the teachers are focused on their authority over helping the kids - in our experience obviously. And I’m sure there are great public schools here, we must have just ended up with a bad one. Same can be said about schools in the USA. 
 

I know you were joking replying to the other persons comment. It sure is odd reading someone bragging about sending teens to get adult items. For people concerned about the state of affairs here, you’d think a little more concern would be mentioned about the homeless children/teens sleeping on the streets vs how easily taken advantage of they are. But  I digress and am not here to pass judgement. 

[AlexMiner2022 34]

2 hours ago, W199 said:

The CFO was trivial for my fiancee. They interviewed her for about 10 seconds on the phone and said since you are doing the K1, and the embassy will check all your documents, we don't have to. Your CFO is approved, No need to supply any thing except my passport.

 

That being said, I heard recently that the CFO is starting to go crazy again and ask for unnecessary documents that are not needed, and you need to push back.

Was this back when they were still doing the remote process? Asking because to our understanding the CFO is only face to face again now. 

[AlexMiner2022 34]

2 hours ago, Jason and May said:

Your response to the inflammatory reply to you, Alex, is pretty mature and admirable, notwithstanding the insight.

 

Getting frustrated, particularly when you don't understand certain pieces of a particular culture, is allowed, even if it's at times misguided, because that's a completely human repsonse. Especially under stress. And this should be a place where you can vent and also receive civil feedback, which the moderators are usually pretty good about ensuring. 

Good luck to you and your fiance. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your stay and the adventure home with your love. 

Best, 

Jason

Thank you so much Jason. My reaction and initial post here is definitely not a highlight of how to handle stress and by no means a reflection of how far we’ve come as a couple navigating these years of the K1 process. There have been times I wanted to vent about my experiences here, around Manila, living in BGC, traveling to various islands and many of the not-so-uplifting experiences we’ve had, but doing so would have undercut the great times and wonderful experiences we have had. Sadly, I failed this time around. Human as it may be, I won’t soon forget it. 
 

The Philippines is an interesting country with many kind and caring people. The constant smiles and salamat po’s will go home as an example of being courteous at all times. The Grab drivers are wicked navigators and fun to strike up conversations with, especially about traffic issues as a jump off point to talk politics, which I have yet to find one who isn’t even slightly intrigued by the subject. There is no shortage of great foods either, although I have stuck to places in areas where it appears basic health practices are being upheld, as I’m not very adventurous in the food dept. lol

 

A few gripes: cashiers could learn to scan items faster and it would be sweet if more of the guys standing around talking helped with bagging. Walmart in some areas of the USA has the same issue. Drivers really should follow the lines on the road (LMAO) - most seem like they’d struggle or at least need some serious adjustments driving in the USA. Globe should let their technicians upgrade customers on-site as a lengthy follow up appt process isn’t ideal, but it may be due to some internal dept misalignment - not sure. 
 

I hope by reading this far down folks can see that this guy (me) really did just need to blow off steam, of which I’m not proud about how I did it, and post a little bit about my thoughts about how the country handles its citizens rights to come and go as they please. 
 

For all CFO participants, please listen to other posters and relax knowing being prepared and confident are key. We are going to practice this, well my finance will. She did great during her Embassy interviews and has total confidence going to the CFO - just waiting for the visas at LBC now. 
 

Salamt 👍

[RO_AH 1,659]

Just to be clear they only have in person now. My wife was lucky enough to be able to do hers remote, if you call being stuck in covid hell and adding an extra year to our journey lucky lol. We were CR1 and married 4 years by then and had 2 children together. Her CFO which I was able to listen in on Skype was only a formality and small talk. I think we had the certificate within 4 hours of the phone call.