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Nathan Alden, Sr.

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Everything posted by Nathan Alden, Sr.

  1. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Hah, I just experienced that for myself this morning. Now it's 18 months! I would love to see the database query they're using to calculate this number.
  2. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Very interesting. See, this is why I love asking VisaJourney these questions! There's an answer somewhere if I dig deeply enough. 😊
  3. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    From what I can tell, the Balikbayan privilege only applies if we both return at the same time from overseas. She doesn't even have a passport yet, and getting a B-2 visa so that she can come here and then return with me will take a long time, I suspect. However, I was not able to find an official .ph website that describes the exact restrictions.
  4. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Yeah, I understand that, believe me. I'm not claiming to have been singled out at all.
  5. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I'm not sure what you mean by this. My wife already lives in the Philippines (she doesn't have a passport yet) and I'm a US citizen living in the US. Can you elaborate?
  6. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Thanks @Theersink. That was my impression, too, after I had read that same information the other day. I just wanted to check my assumptions.
  7. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I'm a US citizen who filed an I-130 petition electronically for a CR1/IR1 visa for my Filipina spouse a couple of days ago. This morning I noticed a new tab titled myProgress appear on the USCIS My Account page: Not much to say about that estimate other than 😢. USCIS is completely broken.
  8. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I recently visited my now-wife for about 28 days, which doesn't require a tourist visa. How many days total per year may I visit the Philippines as a US citizen, with or without a tourist visa? I know some countries have limitations on the total number of days per year one may visit.
  9. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I'm following this thread, too. It seems like approval timelines have built-in assumptions about the availability of medical exams and interview slots. It also seems like the processes probably don't account for when those things get so drawn out as to cause problems with approval timelines.
  10. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I'm curious about the medical exam issue. I've seen this mentioned on a couple of threads already. Does the Philippines simply not have enough medical facilities that can perform the exams, or is this a more localized issue with where the OP/beneficiary lives?
  11. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Right; I am following the rules. The question I had for the Consulate was which rules, which they have now answered.
  12. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    @Theersink Thanks for the details; this really helps! Do you recommend her signing the original there in the Philippines, then sending it to me along with the other evidence she has to send me? Then I just add my signature and send everything in?
  13. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Thank you VisaJourney!!!
  14. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I'll be filing the I-130 shortly! My bride is out getting her passport photo as I type this. All she has to do after that is scan one of the signed affidavits.
  15. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    @Theersink I used the fillable form already. The instructions that the San Francisco consulate told me today over the phone are authoritative clearly say the form must be notarized. My question was the exact logistics of notarization due to two signatures and two geographic locations.
  16. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I hope when my bride goes to get her signature on the Report of Marriage form notarized, the notary won't complain about me not being there to sign my name. If we have to both be physically present for notarization of any of these documents, that will really suck.
  17. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Here is the final version of my cover letter. Thank you to @hunny&me for the inspiration! This was the result of hours of work.
  18. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I shouldn't have used the term "apostilled version" as that is not accurate, but, in essence, yes. According to the most recent checklist: The new checklist has significantly relaxed requirements compared to the incorrect version on the main page. Both versions differ significantly from what the DFA claims they want if one were in Manila filing directly. It's super confusing. Whenever I see the term "original" in relation to a vital record like a birth certificate, I always substitute it in my mind with "certified copy." They seem to be used interchangeably depending on who wrote the language in these things.
  19. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    For anyone interested: The San Francisco consulate actually called me back just a few hours after I submitted my question! I had trouble understanding the woman, but it turns out that the checklist PDF is authoritative. The information on the main page should only be used to supplement the PDF. I made them aware there were several discrepancies; whether they correct them is up to them.
  20. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    There are so many discrepancies between the two lists that I decided to email a question to the Consulate General. We'll see how they respond. It's likely others will notice these discrepancies so I'll report back here once I learn something.
  21. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    The checklist does not match the details. For example, the checklist says "One (1) Application Form originally signed and notarized and three (3) photocopies of the notarized Application Form" but the details say "Four (4) original duly-accomplished Report of Marriage (ROM) forms." I guess I'll go with the stricter requirements. Ain't government grand? 🤣
  22. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    Interesting that the checklist on the San Francisco consulate's website doesn't mention CENOMAR at all. I may include it anyway.
  23. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    @hunny&me You are the absolute best. Thank you so much!
  24. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    I feel you. I'm younger than you but I am absolutely feeling the two years. Time wins all battles. Hang in there. 🙂
  25. Nathan Alden, Sr.
    It is absolutely insane, yes. For us, the chance of an officer just having a bad day and determining our non-married relationship was not bona fide was simply not worth it.
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