paul_kay

im sorry for this unsolicited comment.. sparky is right, it is not safe to pass money to your fiance in public, if there is no way to do it privately, you must learn how to do it very discretely, especially here in the phils... and i second, you should trust your fiance more with handling money..
and with your rant about the clinic's policy and the beggars, and all complains that irritates you about the Philippines.. please remind yourself that you are in a foreign country, PH is different from america, i know there are so many flaws in the Philippine system.. if you cannot embrace the things about the country, at least understand well that you are not in your homeland where you have access to what u need or exercise or over-exercise your rights.. im sorry but i just hate it when i see people complaining without even trying to understand the situation.. i acknowledge your disappointment but you could have reacted in a nicer way or you could have even went back to your hotel room while your girl is in the clinic since phones are not prohibited inside...
on a lighter note, this is why Filipinos are very patient and very understanding...
I guess the Philippines is just teaching you how to be more patient and more understanding and even more tolerating...
i just wish more than changing the system, you realize what you can learn while you have to deal with the system...

Hmmmmmm....Questions please.
1) Did you offer a tip to the guard? Did you offer to buy a seat inside?
2) Why did you feel/think you were in danger?
(I chilled outside during the first day sputum. Bought some drinks and snacks from a few peddlers. Glad they were there. Visited with a lolo hawking smokes, pens, passport photo's and other supplies. He chased off a few beggars for me. )
3) I doubt most VJ's think the Kano will be allowed inside. Why no "plan B"?
(I read your email correspondence but I also know/knew that most Kano's are not allowed in. I rode the taxi to drop asawa ko off and went back to the hotel.)
(Have you ever heard the saying...don't piss off the waitress until your finished eating...? The lolo I mention told me there are 150-200 people showing up every day..just for the sputum. Your cash helps get your visa and happy life together. The cost is insignificant. I'm sure St. Lukes doesn't put much value on 1 Kano's wad of cash either. Do you think Sam Walton rolls in his grave over 1 irate customer?)
Stay focused and enjoy your time with your fiancee's family. Don't forget, if you pull this off, it will be a long time before they see their daughter again as she will be on the other side of the world with you.
Hang in there.

All papers were bound in flexible plastic folders. Please note "FLEXIBLE". Imagine a glass between you and the interviewer. The bottom of the glass touches the table, so it's a flat surface." In the middle of that table divider, there is a foot long slot where the papers would go through. It slopes 2-3 inches down, and 2 inches inside and out, except upwards.
Only papers and flexible plastics would go through. The hard side binders, spirals and covers will NEVER go through. So rule of thumb: stack your documents less than an inch, or even half an inch together. DO NOT use hardbound covers for your photo albums and document covers.
I've noticed that some interviewers got annoyed at applicants who took forever in submitting their documents and photos, as these applicants had to take out the photos from the albums one by one. It was time consuming. I followed the advices here and there. I taped my photos in bond paper, and put captions below them.
A.Appointment Letter and valid ID
(will be shown to the guards before you enter the embassy)
B. DS Forms
(staple 2 sets of DS 156 and DS 157. DS 156K alone)
C.Identification papers and police clearances
(only the first 3 were asked from me, and they were all together in one plastic separate)
- NSO Birth certificate
- NBI Clearance
- Police Certificate/s from the countries you stayed in for 6 months or more.
Other identification papers that were asked from other applicants
- Baptismal Certificate
- Divorce decrees
- Death certificates
- Annulment papers
D. Affidavit of support papers
Notarized Form I-134
- Ricky’s Employment Letter
- 2010 Tax Copies (Tax Transcripts and E-filing)
- 2010 W2 Copies
- Sample Recent Pay Stubs / Copies
(Those are all I submitted. The 2008-2009 forms were in a separate folder, as I have read that some Filipino interviewers only glance at those to make sure your fiance pays taxes, and has a stable job, then gives them back to the applicant. I did not want to clutter the folder with unnecessary papers, just in case she was just going to glance at them and return them to me.)
In clear plastic separates, I also had the following optional papers, JUST IN CASE they asked for it. In my case, they didn't ask for these. But some applicants were asked for the following:
- Bank letter/statements
- Insurance papers
- Stocks/Bonds, etc.
E. Proof of Engagement Documents and Photos
(in flexible plastic folders, stacked back to back)
- Renewed Letter of Intent to Marry
- Engagement Ring Receipt
- Engagement Photos (with Captions)
F. Other Documents for Proof of Continuous Relationship
(in plastic separates)
- Snail mails, cards and postal envelopes and waybills (they vary in sizes and bulky when stacked together)
- Electronic Correspondences (bound in folder, with button fasteners)
---> Skype VIDEO Chats (Print Screen)
---> E-mail Correspondences (5 of his, 5 of mine)
---> Screen Shots of Yahoo! Messenger Archive - Everyday Conversations
--->Yahoo CHAT Logs (from 2006-2011)
- Money Transfer Receipts (In plastic separates)
- Text messages
- Phone Bills - (In plastic separates)
G. Proof of Meeting Prior to Application
(In flexible plastic folder, stacked back to back)
- Immigration Stamped Passport Page
- Ricky’s Airline Receipt
- Ricky's Itinerary from the Travel Agency
- Ricky's Original Boarding Passes
- Hotel Receipts during Ricky's visit
TIPS in organizing your documents:
1. Make your documents look very presentable and clutter-free.
2. Use side tabs for easy reference.
3. Use color-coding, but avoid neons!
4. Use button fasteners, instead of long fasteners.
5. DO NOT stack your papers too thick. They will not pass through the slot. Maximum thickness should be half an inch. And make sure that the stack will be flexible enough, as they will be bent when passing though the slot.
6. DO NOT use hard-bound covers, hard side binders, and thick photo-albums. In fact, drop the idea. You might earn the ire of a grumpy Filipino interviewer if your documents and photos are in hard covers, and you would find yourself taking them out from the binder one at a time.
7. Use paper clips if you don't have plastic separates
8. Know where your documents are! Don't mix your proof of relationship documents with the financial documents.
9. Most importantly, your documents should be COMPLETE! Some applicants left the embassy in tears, and were put in AR because they lacked important documents. These are only tips and suggestions.

Email them at IVManilaReplies@state.gov to check the status of your visa if it's been issued/printed. Usually it takes 3-5 days for it to be printed. Once it's been issued, the courier (2go) will get it from the embassy.
Didn't you fill up a paper to submit for visa delivery? Coz if not, they will use your address for the delivery. Try tracking your visa here after it's been issued by entering your case number MNL######## http://www.2go.com.ph/CustomerSupport/etrace/index.asp Coz I chose to pick up mine too and I just sort of tracked it online and called all the nearest 2go offices around my area to check where it's been delivered

haha oops! It is almost the same exact view you get from the Seattle Space Needle restaurant... I was really tired last night... She got approved for her K-1 today! She will be here in November... Thanks for the support.

My mom in law and I drove it around the suburbs the other day and it's good. Now I can't wait to get a driver's license to be able to drive it.

Medical exam on day 1 and interview on day 3! Wow that's a pretty tight schedule you got there. I'm sure it will work out. I'm guessing SLEC will give you guys the sealed envelope with the medical results then you will have to bring to the embassy instead of a courier.

YOU JUST TOLD THEM.......... ....... THEY READ THESE BOARDS!!!!...........

My fiance would keep asking me about things I did or happened to me BEFORE I met him and it annoys me big time! Better leave it as it is. I'd say respect her decision if she chooses not to disclose it to you.