love4life09

The address is on page 4 of the instructions that come with the form.

We have been using Xoom.com to send money to the Philippines for years with never an issue. It cost 4.99 per transaction . I think Vietnam is about $3.00. There is also a slightly lower exchange rate charge but not much. Xoom locations to send or receive money are Vietcombank,Sacombank and others.

Hello everyone, I plan on moving my family to the Philippines next year. I am a retired military US citizen , My wife and step daughter are naturalized US Citizens ,and our baby has duel Citizenship. Do we all need round trip tickets to enter the country? Or simply request a balakbayan stamp? Good for one year? Should I apply to regain my wife and stepdaughters duel citizenship before we go or does that matter for extended stay in the Phils ? All answers are greatly appreciated .

He can contact the records clerk at the arresting agency and county courthouse where it happened. They will mail the police report and court records to him for a fee. If he can't go in person

Can you get the police report and court record showing disposition of the case? If so check yes and send them. It's no big deal ,I had 2 of them that I thought were convictions but found out they were not when I got an RFE for not sending the reports (because I checked yes in the box). I responded with the police reports and no court records found document from the courthouse and was approved soon after that.I have since had both expunged.

ok thanks,, ill just wait for SSC# then it took us a couple months to get our packet together, we just did biometrics today, so I hope she get EAD soon and just get ssc # then

ok thanks,, ill just wait for SSC# then it took us a couple months to get our packet together, we just did biometrics today, so I hope she get EAD soon and just get ssc # then

You don't have to have a divorce lawyer .You can get the forms from the county court clerk and do it yourself . It's easier than immigration forms .

Don't worry ! If you followed the instructions that came with the form AOS is a breeze. Our interview took less than 15 minutes. Let us know how it went.

We reported our marriage abroad and later the birth of our child . After it processes through the consular you can request an official copy from the Philippine NSO. You can never have too much documentation for ROC down the road.

Congratulations to all on their new citizenships ! My wife has her interview in a couple of days.

I just reviewed the N-445 on what to bring and one of the items is..

-Any other documents USCIS issued to you -

I have only the expired 2 year GCs and the current 10 year GCs ..

Do they mean like appointment letters and notice of actions from the beginning? I am having trouble finding all of them.

Thanks for your guidance

Oath ceremony February 9 in OKC . Do we need to bring photos to apply for passport after the ceremony takes place?

Can she not travel with her Philippine passport and green card for re entry until then ? We are planning on going that route this coming summer. Or do they take the green cards at the oath ceremony? It seems like a sole custody order would be much quicker than adoption . Maybe not in the Philippines. Sounds like we will have to get the one year passport too if they take the green cards . Her PH passport is good for 2 more years but now will have to file dual citizenship.

hello, i just want to share the hassles i been through of getting my daughters US passport. she is using her biological dads last name (we are not married). when i applied for her US passport they only give her 1 year limited passport (cant be renewed) so she can travel with me back to the Philippines. Travel of state requesting me a signature from her bio dad or his personal appearance to get my daughters passport but there is no way i can provide that as we never had a contact for 9 years. we are here in the PH right now and still dealing with all the hassles to get her US passport without restriction (7months already). I got a notarized statement from my ex family saying that the location of my daughters bio dad is been unknown for a long time and that they dont have any idea where he's at .plus the affidavit of consent that my ex sign before me and my daughter left Ph to come to the US that he is giving all the right to me for whatever my daughter needs. I took that letter to the US embassy manila but they told me, its not enough. they want me to have a sole custody thats issued from the court not just a notarial paper. So what me and my husband did was filed the adoption instead of sole custody as its almost same processing and expense. and now we are worried because my daughters US passport will expired soon and the adoption will last 6 months to a year or more. so this is gonna be another problem that we have to dealt with as we are all US citizen and wont be able to get my daughters passport before it expire. i dont know what to do with the immigration here for my daughters passport status. we all get the Balikbayan stamp with 1 year limitation so i really dont know how we get to leave Ph when my daughters US passport will expire and we need to exit here in the PH. Goodluck to you

hello, i just want to share the hassles i been through of getting my daughters US passport. she is using her biological dads last name (we are not married). when i applied for her US passport they only give her 1 year limited passport (cant be renewed) so she can travel with me back to the Philippines. Travel of state requesting me a signature from her bio dad or his personal appearance to get my daughters passport but there is no way i can provide that as we never had a contact for 9 years. we are here in the PH right now and still dealing with all the hassles to get her US passport without restriction (7months already). I got a notarized statement from my ex family saying that the location of my daughters bio dad is been unknown for a long time and that they dont have any idea where he's at .plus the affidavit of consent that my ex sign before me and my daughter left Ph to come to the US that he is giving all the right to me for whatever my daughter needs. I took that letter to the US embassy manila but they told me, its not enough. they want me to have a sole custody thats issued from the court not just a notarial paper. So what me and my husband did was filed the adoption instead of sole custody as its almost same processing and expense. and now we are worried because my daughters US passport will expired soon and the adoption will last 6 months to a year or more. so this is gonna be another problem that we have to dealt with as we are all US citizen and wont be able to get my daughters passport before it expire. i dont know what to do with the immigration here for my daughters passport status. we all get the Balikbayan stamp with 1 year limitation so i really dont know how we get to leave Ph when my daughters US passport will expire and we need to exit here in the PH. Goodluck to you

Perfect , the first step in adoption IS to get sole custody and terminate the rights of the wayward parent .. I WANT to adopt her because I love her dearly and she needs to feel whole as part of our family including sharing our last name. Problems solved... Thanks

It is never necessary to get a Certificate of Citizenship. That is only for people who are already US citizens, but any US citizen can already get US passport directly.

Again, your child seems to have already gotten US citizenship. You should have no problem proving that based on what you described.

As for getting consent for a US passport, which is a separate issue, if you cannot contact the other parent, considering getting sole custody from a family court. It should not be necessary for your spouse to adopt the child.

There are two separate issues here. The first is citizenship. The child derives citizenship as long as they were a permanent resident living under the legal and physical custody of the USC parent while under 18. Joint custody (which is the default) is sufficient. What is needed is proof there was any kind of custody.

The other is a passport. For a child under 16 both parents' consent are needed to get a US passport, unless a parent has sole custody. For 16-18, parental consent is not required, but one parent's consent is recommended. For 18 and above, parental consent is not needed.

Thank you for your responses . It appears I will need to step up my plans to adopt my stepdaughter . I think it shouldn't be too much of a problem

after speaking to an adoption attorney today. Her father in the Philippines hasn't made contact with her or supported her since birth . Please correct me if I'm wrong

but am I correct in thinking an adoption with birth certificate change with me as the father make the N 600 unnecessary ? .

A new journey with a happy ending begins.

Thanks again and best wishes to all

Hello Everyone ,

At last we are near the end of our journey. My wife had her Naturalization interview today and was approved . My 10 year old stepdaughter immigrated here with my wife from the Philippines

on K1/K2 visas . After the oath ceremony in a few weeks I plan on getting my stepdaughter (and wife) a US passport and filing form N 600 to get her a certificate as well. The problem is we do not have proof of legal custody such as a divorce decree or custody documents. We have only her Birth certificate as proof. Has anyone here been in this situation ? Is the birth certificate enough to get a US passport for our daughter?

Best wishes,

Save yourself the expense of an attorney . You need only to print the instructions that come with the forms ,from the USCIS website, and follow them to the letter. Make dual packets and never send originals. Save those for interviews . Lawyers are a waste of money.

On the USCIS website click on TOOLS ,then ,see case processing times , then enter Oklahoma City as field office. It looks like they are behind normal processing times I hate to say. Processing December 2014? That's crazy. In 2012 ours took 4.5 months! Best of luck !

Hello all ,

I am not sure where to post this but I have some questions for anyone who has been through the adoption process.

I would like to adopt my 10 year old stepdaughter. She and her mother came to me on K1/K2 visas in 2011 with no questions asked about her father from the Philippines. She shares her fathers last name but as he and my wife of 4 years were never married does that make her illegitimate?

Does he still have rights? He is a deadbeat and has not seen her since infancy. Will we have to contact him to relinquish his rights? Do I need an adoption attorney or can I do it myself ?

All answers are GREATLY appreciated !

Hello VJers ,

I am beginning a new journey in the adoption of my stepdaughter . She and my wife came here from the Philippines on K1/K2 visas in 2011.

She is a wonderful 9 year old girl and such a blessing to our lives. Currently my wife and daughters are in the Phils visiting family . I wonder

if there are any documents (other than the birth certificate), that my wife should obtain while she is there? Is it true that contacting the estranged biological father is not necessary?

Thanks for all replies,

Lawyers sometimes do more harm than good . The process is straightforward and easy to do yourself if you don't mind paper work . It can even be exciting and satisfying to accomplish this life changing event yourself .To know exactly what you will need to file the fiancé visa log on to the USCIS website click on Forms , and print the instructions for I 129f. . Read and follow to the letter and you will have no problems . Also follow the checklist on this site to double check before mailing. ALWAYS include her son on forms throughout this process . Keep all boarding passes and receipts on your visit there, take lots of pictures ( I even had my wife and daughters first passport photos made during my first visit ) Best of luck