Good news for a change!

[Dakine 26]

One of my pinay friends here mom was approved for a tourist visa yesterday.

Mom is 53 years old and only has a small sari sari store and not much dough AT ALL.

Doesn't speak good English and had to have an interpreter also.

Nice to see something positive with family tourist visas in Manila once in awhile.

Maybe the USEM dowls one out now and then so others will waste $100 trying.

USEM Manila is a money maker bigtime.

US Embassy makes P2b yearly on visa forms

The land of milk and honey making the Philippines a land of milking cows?

According to Senator Ralph Recto, the United States embassy in Manila collects about P2 billion a year from Filipinos applying for visas.

Recto, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, said the embassy charges a nonrefundable application fee of $100 or P5,500, for a B-1 or B-2 visa.

A B-1 is issued to an individual who wants to go to the US on business while a B-2 is given to one who intends to visit relatives or tourist destinations in the US.

All in all, Recto estimates, the embassy rakes in from P630 million to P2.06 billion annually, based on a minimum 450 visa applications a day.

Recto was quoting figures cited in a resolution filed by 72 congressmen in 2003.

The solons claimed that 80 percent of the visa fees, or P503 million, represented denied applications, and asked the US government to donate the amount to the school-building program of the Department of Education.

[Jasman0717 9]

Wow, that is great, don't hear of that too often, at least from the Manila Consulate.

[RonMay 1]

i think as what ive noticed and by some here say, they're kind to seniors... my cousin and my grandma were both being interviewed together same time same room and by a same person lol 2 months ago and my cousin who is 26 was denied but my grandma is approved... they say, they're more considerate to elderly. knowing my mom is 55 already, hmmm i might have a better chance for her... hehehe... well someday im working on it... a good news indeed!

[Chantel 0]

yes they seems being considerate with elderly, I have a neighbor, a retired teacher and had a tour in US to visit her daughter working as a nurse. I never heard an age like 20 to 35 who were approved yet, even the local artist here have a hard time in going there, recently was Ara Mina if others know her

[dj1206 0]

wow that is nice to hear. I wish my mom would get approved for a tourist visa so she can attend our wedding in US

[one...two...tree 2,762]

One of my pinay friends here mom was approved for a tourist visa yesterday.

Mom is 53 years old and only has a small sari sari store and not much dough AT ALL.

Doesn't speak good English and had to have an interpreter also.

Nice to see something positive with family tourist visas in Manila once in awhile.

Maybe the USEM dowls one out now and then so others will waste $100 trying.

USEM Manila is a money maker bigtime.

US Embassy makes P2b yearly on visa forms

The land of milk and honey making the Philippines a land of milking cows?

According to Senator Ralph Recto, the United States embassy in Manila collects about P2 billion a year from Filipinos applying for visas.

Recto, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, said the embassy charges a nonrefundable application fee of $100 or P5,500, for a B-1 or B-2 visa.

A B-1 is issued to an individual who wants to go to the US on business while a B-2 is given to one who intends to visit relatives or tourist destinations in the US.

All in all, Recto estimates, the embassy rakes in from P630 million to P2.06 billion annually, based on a minimum 450 visa applications a day.

Recto was quoting figures cited in a resolution filed by 72 congressmen in 2003.

The solons claimed that 80 percent of the visa fees, or P503 million, represented denied applications, and asked the US government to donate the amount to the school-building program of the Department of Education.

Congratulations to your friend's mom.

That is interesting about the nonrefundable fees. It would be great to see some investigative reporting as to where all the money goes - if it all goes into the processing of the applications. I'm wondering if the US Embassy contracts part of that processing to a private PI company? Hmmm.... Accountability and transparency are two essential elements we try to have at least when it comes to the U.S. Gov't.

[Paulily 0]

I have a filipina friend who got her tourist visa for 6 months. I was surprised how she was approved for that.

She came to USA for 3 months company training and after she got back to Manila file again tourist visa and after a month shes here. She's only 24 years old and after getting her tourist visa she resigned from her work. I heard shes planning to get married before her I-94 expires on Feb 2008. She met the american guy while shes on training here. We advise her to be very careful because its consider a fraud. If immigration will knew that her purpose is not as tourist but to get married she will be ban for 10 years and her USC hubby will goes to jail because he is the one who sponsor her on coming here. I hope she listen

[vsmtghdy 2]

Yes, they are mostly considerate with the elderly applicants because they know the elders are unlikely to go on TNT (tago ng tago) and would find jobs in the US, unlike for the young applicants who are deemed aggressive and more likely to go TNT and find a job and other ways/reasons not to go back to the Philippines.

Also if the elderly applicants have a relative in the US (sons/daughters) and are candidate for a petition, I think they (USEM CO) grants them a tourist visa more... not sure but just my thoughts. Maybe because it would be better for this applicants to have a multiple entry visa than to be petitioned and be a permanent resident of the US? Not sure... Just my thoughts...

[alexandra8886 0]

I have a filipina friend who got her tourist visa for 6 months. I was surprised how she was approved for that.

She came to USA for 3 months company training and after she got back to Manila file again tourist visa and after a month shes here. She's only 24 years old and after getting her tourist visa she resigned from her work. I heard shes planning to get married before her I-94 expires on Feb 2008. She met the american guy while shes on training here. We advise her to be very careful because its consider a fraud. If immigration will knew that her purpose is not as tourist but to get married she will be ban for 10 years and her USC hubby will goes to jail because he is the one who sponsor her on coming here. I hope she listen

i knew some filipinas who did this..for just this year, 2 former Flight Attendants Pinays did this..Went to US thru tourist visa, got married & now they're doing great..

but this 10 yrs ban..is really something to think about..

[dj1206 0]

I wonder if my family will get approved with tourist visas. They (parents and 2 sisters)will be applying soon. We are hoping they would be able to join us on our wedding day. My mother and older sister are business women, younger sis is a student at a renowned ballet company, dad is working in a big company too. They will try. Please pray for them =)

[Chantel 0]

I wonder if my family will get approved with tourist visas. They (parents and 2 sisters)will be applying soon. We are hoping they would be able to join us on our wedding day. My mother and older sister are business women, younger sis is a student at a renowned ballet company, dad is working in a big company too. They will try. Please pray for them =)

Good to try their luck,