KennM

4 hours ago, RufusDawes said:

Don't have exact numbers but the fiance visa is much shorter than spousal... rn fiance visas is running 8-12 months to approval while the spousal is double that time.... K1 is faster to arrive in US, but spousal has the advantage of simultaneous green card approval.

I am in month 10 rn for my K1 and we are almost done, should be completed and on the plane flight in 3-4 weeks.

Thanks for your response. How do you track this? I had read at some point that things might speed up on the CR1. Maybe that was wrong information. 

Good Day, what are the current processing times for Fiancé vs spousal visas out of Manila? I know there is this resource but I find it confusing and not specific to PH. https://www.visajourney.com/times/  Including the part that is done in the U.S. What is the fastest route now? Any good advise on how to speed things up? Thanks!

On 4/2/2025 at 1:42 PM, top_secret said:

ECC is only for foreigners who have stayed in the Philippines over 6 months.  So long as the wife and kids hold Philippine passports it does not apply to them. The wife needs GCP (Guidance and Counseling Program) from CFO, not PDOS. If the kids are duel citizens they should need nothing from CFO. Just show both passports.  If it's their first trip I 'think' they still need to pay travel tax.  They would get travel tax exemption on future trips.

Why does a child who is a U.S. citizen with a U.S. passport need the PH passport to exit the Philippines? Is the same true if they travel back to PH for any reason? I can imagine renewing the PH passport while out of country may be difficult. 

My apologies if I am off topic for this thread. 

I’m just starting to try to understand the PH specific processes. For K-1 visa. Is there an overview of everything in terms of process on here somewhere? Not sure what terms to search to find such.

Given this thread, I am concerned about the number of trips required to Manila and if there are ways to group them together. 

Thanks very much. Ken

On 6/15/2024 at 12:22 AM, An D said:

Everything is in Manila. If you get married online do not forget to file report of marriage. I do not know how long that process takes at this point. Timeframe at the moment from a case's National Visa Center documentarily qualified date (which, not sure how much research you've done, but that's something that happens after the arguably longest wait of the process which is the USCIS petition approval), seems to be 9-10 months at the moment for CR (which would be your case as you would not have been married for over 2 years by that point unless you had some massive USCIS delay or something). You may consider the fiancé(e)/K-1 visa instead, as it seems to be much faster at this point. It does not seem to have the same ridiculous delays at the embassy as spousal visas do. Although it comes with its own set of drawbacks compared to a spousal visa which you can research on your own. Expediting is nearly impossible at the Manila embassy unless there is a serious medical issue for the petitioner or something. A rushed job offer certainly isn't that. As far as DCF I don't know how receptive this embassy is to DCF requests due to job offer requiring relocation back to the US (assuming that's what would be the case for you). Lastly I would strongly recommend not using an attorney or other third party assistance unless you have a very complicated case (perhaps if there are annulments/divorces/criminal convictions involved on either side) as the process is quite easy and you will have absolute control every step of the way. 

 

HI An, can you point to information on K1 going faster these days. That's the opposite of what I've read and seen on videos by immigration attorneys, but maybe it's a PH thing that K1 is going faster? There's a thread on the forum on DCF and leaving for a job being grounds that are granted. How can I find out if this is the case in Manila as well? Thanks, Ken

Greetings, I am having trouble finding digesting the information I need regarding the spousal visa process. If anyone can help I'll be thankful. I have the questions organized below. U.S. Citizen, not married to partner who is a Philippines citizen, we have an infant now. May have to return to U.S. for work and won't have much notice when I'm hired. 

1) Given time constraints and avoiding other red tape we may need to do the online marriage approach via Utah. I understand this is not a problem now in the Philippines.

2) For the spousal visa, are interviews in Cebu or only in Manila. Manila is difficult for several reasons.

3) what is the timeframe now for getting the appointment?

4) Is the Direct Consular Filing an option in Cebu or Manila? If the normal process is started now can it be changed to DCF if necessary or is expediting possible with a rushed job offer?

5) Can anyone recommend a reliable attorney or immigration office?

Thanks, Ken