Last minute CFO

[MowTin 7]

So my wife was not allowed to board her flight to Guam because she didn't have the CFO Guidance certificate. We rescheduled the flight for Monday night. 

 

I see there are CFO seminars on Monday but I can't register for them since the system is for some crazy reason down on the weekends. 

I see some information about a way to take the modules online and do a questionnaire but the one page I found the register link leads to a login page with no option to actually register. 

 

Can this be done online? If not will she be able to register Monday morning and take the seminar that afternoon? 

 

I don't understand why this CFO things is not simply part of the visa process.

[W199 328]

23 minutes ago, MowTin said:

So my wife was not allowed to board her flight to Guam because she didn't have the CFO Guidance certificate. We rescheduled the flight for Monday night. 

 

I see there are CFO seminars on Monday but I can't register for them since the system is for some crazy reason down on the weekends. 

I see some information about a way to take the modules online and do a questionnaire but the one page I found the register link leads to a login page with no option to actually register. 

 

Can this be done online? If not will she be able to register Monday morning and take the seminar that afternoon? 

 

I don't understand why this CFO things is not simply part of the visa process.

They stopped doing online CFO's.  Usually it takes some time to get an appointment.

[Crazy Cat 41,594]

1 hour ago, MowTin said:

I don't understand why this CFO things is not simply part of the visa process.

It is just part of the Philippine process.

[MowTin 7]

1 hour ago, W199 said:

They stopped doing online CFO's.  Usually it takes some time to get an appointment.

 

Oh no. Her Visa will expire Feb 7th because her medical will expire. She needs to get on a plane Monday night Feb 5h. I was hoping she could take the seminar on Monday. 

 

Once we had the visa, I thought that was the end of it. 

[top_secret 2,374]

She should go down there early Monday.  They will give her a hard time about no appointment but will 'probably' let her walk in same day.  Try getting an appointment first thing Monday too as a backup.  CFO doesn't work weekends.  

[Boiler 45,294]

Are not PI applicants told the process?

 

She had her medical 6 months ago?

[SalishSea 17,736]

2 hours ago, MowTin said:

So my wife was not allowed to board her flight to Guam because she didn't have the CFO Guidance certificate. We rescheduled the flight for Monday night. 

 

I see there are CFO seminars on Monday but I can't register for them since the system is for some crazy reason down on the weekends. 

I see some information about a way to take the modules online and do a questionnaire but the one page I found the register link leads to a login page with no option to actually register. 

 

Can this be done online? If not will she be able to register Monday morning and take the seminar that afternoon? 

 

I don't understand why this CFO things is not simply part of the visa process.

It’s not in any way related to the U.S. visa process.   It’s 100% Philippines.

[MowTin 7]

38 minutes ago, top_secret said:

She should go down there early Monday.  They will give her a hard time about no appointment but will 'probably' let her walk in same day.  Try getting an appointment first thing Monday too as a backup.  CFO doesn't work weekends.  

 

I really pray you're right and they let her in. I really thought we jumped through all the hoops. 

 

She lives in Davao so she had to fly to Manila for the medical. At the medical they tell her she needs to do a sputum so she had to come back to do the sputum and then wait 2 months after that to be cleared and schedule the interview. The result is we got the visa on Jan 24th and it expires on Feb 7th. 

 

If the visa expires does it mean she has to do the entire medical including sputum again and the visa interview again? This is so frustrating. I really should have gone online looking for gotchas like this. 

[MowTin 7]

43 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Are not PI applicants told the process?

 

She had her medical 6 months ago?

 

They certainly didn't tell her at any point. If everyone who gets a spouse immigrant visa needs this document it only makes sense that the interview would be a good time to tell them this. It feels like you have to rely on googling stuff to know all the requirements. (just frustrated because this was the final step in a long process).

 

Her medical was 6 months ago because she lives in Davao and went for the medical in August. She was told she had to return for the sputum. She returned in September then had to wait 2 months for results. The sputum second trip plus 2 month delay messed everything up. Plus we had no idea that the visa expired when the medical expired. 

 

They must know people come from all parts of the Philippines to the medical. It really would make sense to take the sputum if needed at the time of the original medical appointment. 

 

Because of the visa expiry, the plan was for her to go to Guam to get her passport stamped. She was refused boarding because of this. Now if she can't get the CFO stamp Monday I doubt I can get a refund for the Guam ticket ($800). Then we have to pay more back and forth between Davao and Manila for another round of medial and interview. 

 

 

[Boiler 45,294]

Certainly the medical hopefully the Consulate will extend the visa

[Crazy Cat 41,594]

1 hour ago, MowTin said:

If the visa expires does it mean she has to do the entire medical including sputum again and the visa interview again?

If the visa expires, the consulate can, at their discretion, re-issue it.  However, it will mean another medical exam...and possibly another interview.  Good luck in getting her CFO done on Monday.  She must enter the US prior to visa expiration.

[W199 328]

2 hours ago, MowTin said:

 

Oh no. Her Visa will expire Feb 7th because her medical will expire. She needs to get on a plane Monday night Feb 5h. I was hoping she could take the seminar on Monday. 

 

Once we had the visa, I thought that was the end of it. 

At the CFO, there is potentially a long list of documents they may require at their discretion too.  Make sure she brings all of them.

 

Then on Monday first thing, if there is no appointment online to go to the CFO, be both of you be properly dressed (check their FB page for their  their dress code they just published), and be extremely polite and professional at all times, not rude or raise your voice, but yet beg, plead, cry, and stand firm  for an appointment that same day explaining the VISA will expire, non-refundable plane tickets, ... maybe bring a friend from the Manila times or have higher up contacts as a backup plan  to further encourage them ...  You want to do everything you can not to let that VISA expire ... 

 

Good luck, let us know what happens ... 

[RO_AH 1,659]

It looks like you waited too long to come to this forum. CFO is a Philippines requirement and has nothing to do with the visa or the visa process. I agree with the above, show up on Monday and beg if you must. Make sure you can show verification of the plane ticket and explain that you had no idea that it was needed. She must bring her passport and 2 ID, and a copy of your passport and marriage certificate.

 

I can pretty much guarantee that you will not be able to get an extension because it is your responsibility to know about the CFO. The expiration of visa is 6 months from the first appointment of the medical not when it is completed (after sputum). My wife had the same issue because after the sputum, we could not get an interview after the completion due to covid lockdown. Finally got the interview about 1 week before her medical expired so she had to re-take the medical.

 

Best of luck to you.

[SalishSea 17,736]

3 hours ago, MowTin said:

 

They certainly didn't tell her at any point. If everyone who gets a spouse immigrant visa needs this document it only makes sense that the interview would be a good time to tell them this. It feels like you have to rely on googling stuff to know all the requirements. (just frustrated because this was the final step in a long process).

 

Her medical was 6 months ago because she lives in Davao and went for the medical in August. She was told she had to return for the sputum. She returned in September then had to wait 2 months for results. The sputum second trip plus 2 month delay messed everything up. Plus we had no idea that the visa expired when the medical expired. 

 

They must know people come from all parts of the Philippines to the medical. It really would make sense to take the sputum if needed at the time of the original medical appointment. 

 

Because of the visa expiry, the plan was for her to go to Guam to get her passport stamped. She was refused boarding because of this. Now if she can't get the CFO stamp Monday I doubt I can get a refund for the Guam ticket ($800). Then we have to pay more back and forth between Davao and Manila for another round of medial and interview. 

 

 

 

Of course “they certainly did not tell her at any point.”  Why would they?  It has nothing to do with the U.S. embassy or any visa.

 

It is a requirement of the government of the Philippines, for citizens who move overseas.   It 100% has nothing to do with the United States.   Filipinos need to be aware of their own country’s laws and requirements, just like any citizen of any other country.

Edited February 3 by SalishSea

[top_secret 2,374]

I would say that CFO has a long history of stringing people along to the last moment but finally coming through when it actually comes down to missing a flight or not.  I would wager that it can probably be successfully handled somewhat inelegantly come Monday.  Be in contact with her in real time in case CFO comes up with any oddball requests.  I would put an all out effort into using that visa on time.  I believe it is realistically doable.