If you are going to do this yourself, you need to become a student of the process. You need to read the instructions carefully. One item in the instructions stipulates that any evidence submitted that is not in English needs to be accompanied by a translation.
So English is the default language but if you have evidence not in English you have a way to work around it.
Typical. Closing out the file takes time. They need to nake sure they dot the i's and cross the t's, create and assemble the distribution package, etc...
Also, some consulates only print visas but one day each week.
The I129f is a petition, it is NOT a visa. An RFE will be issued once an adjudicator looks at the submission. Based on current processing times, your petition will sit on a shelf for more than a year before someone looks at it. If you receive an RFE you have 89 days to respond.
The $535 is a processing fee that results in a decision based on the submitted petition.
What it is not is a fee paid for an approval.
Upon review of the original petition, if the evidence initially submitted is lacking, a request for additional evidence (RFE) is sent to the petitioner requesting additional information.
Take a look at the amount of space that is allotted on the form for the response. This is an indication of the length of the response that they are looking for. Two to three sentences maximum
This is not so comparable to a domestic relationship it is so much more than just getting to know her, don't forget you also have a new culture to get your head around.
The saying is you don't just marry a Filipina, you marry the entire family and do not underestimate that dynamic cuz if you don't it will likely have a negative impact on your relationship.