DELTAFOXTROT

Has anyone owned a currency exchange place in the Philippines? I was curious how they actually made money? When I used to spend time in Cebu, there was a local expat bar where you could text a guy and he would come to the bar and exchange US Dollars to Pesos at a fairly good rate compared to other black market money exchangers. I see exchange places like at malls, at local Western Union places, and NAIA airport at the Terminal 1 in the secured area after landing they always have pretty darn good exchange rates and they can do large amounts anytime of the day I was just wondering how these exchange places actually make money.

Wow, Thank God it turned out well, but 2 years and possible life sentence is scary. That is the bad/sad thing about the Philippines that people don't talk about is the corruption there, Forgeiners never see it first hand.

Kids can easily apply for the tourist visa for parents My wife did the whole thing for her mother from the USA, her mom lives in Philippines.

Do Not Drive in the Philippines, you are a major target. People will seek you out for an accident for the money, once again do not drive your first time there. If you have been there for a while and understand the country then drive, but driving is no no for newbie. If there is an accident you will be at fault no matter what. Where are flying from in the USA? How layovers do you have?

I have found the currency rate at the airport in the secured area after arrving to be excellent and they are quick to exchange large amounts.

Metered Taxi will still rip you off. My last trip I took it from NAIA terminal 3 to US Embassy in Manila at night aroud 10pm and he somehow rigged the meter to say 1500 peso, I have made this trip probably 40 trips and it is around 380 peso on grab or even taxi leaving going to airport. I gave him 500 peso, but looking back I should of given him nothing, he caught me being tired from flight. They had a kiosk outside the termial that was a grab.

K1 Visa move much much faster, I wouldn't ever recommend a CR1 Visa, it has way too many negatives. And he will only be there for a week.

I haven't gotten pesos in decades, I only take US Dollars. Last time I brought peso home they devalued them and made them worthless and I was stuck with a was of old mexican pesos and you they wouldn't accept them.

I am reading it that is starts on the 28th, So if you scheduled before the 28th then you are good. I don't understand why they would put such a burden on an applicant, We scheduled my wife mother for a Tourist Visa Interview last week, for the September 25th, we beat the deadline if we would try to schedule after the 28th then she would of had to fly to Manila just for biometric and a picture, and then fly back to home and back to Manila for her interview. I dont' get it, this seems very stupid to me.

Never heard of anyone tipping Euros in Cancun, many coming from Europe get either US Dollars or Pesos to tips, same thing with people from Canada they are always asking if it better to get US Dollars or pesos for Cancun on many of the Resort Pages for Cancun on FB.

They take US Dollars all over Cancun, Cancun was designed to attract US Citizens and US Dollars. I have never heard of currency exchange that charges any fees in my travels. I always assumed they wanted US Dollars vs a Mexican Pesos.

Just saw this from the US Embassy in Manila that all interviews for immigrant and non immigrant interview will have open a new Visa Application Center near the Mall of Asia. Immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants seeking interview appointments starting September 28 will be required to schedule a separate appointment at the VAC for photo capture and fingerprint scanning prior to their interview at the U.S. Embassy on Roxas Boulevard. Scheduling will be done through the new and redesigned online appointment system. U.S. Embassy to Launch New Visa Application Center, Additional Consular Information Services - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (usembassy.gov)

I don't get back until next month. I am on a couple Cancun All Inclusive FB pages and I see people talking about if the workers perfer Pesos over US Dollars. My thought is US Dollar is king.

Good Luck with her interview, I was thinking we would have to wait longer for an appointment US Embassy in Manila is moving along very quickly with visa interviews

Agreed. But I wonder if the workers perfer Dollars over peso and if they hold them and wait till exchange rates are good to trade them in to maximize the currency value.

You made some comment about USCIS will find out if you have have filed a previous petition. Here is your exact comment "And if your intent is to have multiple petitions, USCIS will find them." USCIS don't care if you have mulitiple petitions, and US EMbassy in Manila Consular officers don't care if you had more than one or two K1 visa. They are only concerned about your current petition. My point was a K1 you have to file a waiver for multiple petitions, a CR1 you don't have to file a waiver for multiply petitions. You can file as many petitions as you can afford, there is no limt.

I like to educate people, for some reason the name change and ROM is pushed from the Philippines government, It is more of a money grab, just like paying extra for CFO and making Philippines citizens pay to exit the country. I have seen the way the ROM information is worded and it's clear it real purpose.

Incorrect for the most part they leave up all posts, Just don't include a link to like a news article and they take those down. It was like Halloween time when the Embassy was shut down for the Philippines holiday I think they call it All Souls Day, when everyone goes to the graveyards and spends the night. I was finally able to get someone to come to the front entrance of the US Embassy and finally give me a phone out thru the like the glass door area and the American person told me they had a skeleton staff, but he did take care of my request. I did have a handful of Philippines Security Gaurd tell me the Embassy was closed for Holiday but as I told them the US embassy never closes. I did ask the American dude on the phone what happens if something happens to a US Citizen while they had an "Skeleton Crew" and he said they handle that on case by case basis. I was pretty sure they were gonna accomodate my request at the US Embassy, they take care of US Citizens in the Philippines.

It not required by the Philippines Government, I think they just want the money to me, seems like just a money grab like making their citizens pay a exit fee to leave the country. I don't plan or retiring or having a business, and I got a Driver License already for Philippines. My wife just carries both passport when she enters Philippines, I am not sure which one they use, I was already in Philippines when she came to Philippines last trip. I usually travel solo to Philippines. We do make a trip together in June and I will use the balikbayan entry so I won't have to mess with getting visa extensions

My wife just had same issue last week trying to schedule her mother from Philippines, it wouldn't take the number on the reciept. After she sent a message to the Feedback she was able to schedule like within a few minutes, right now they have opening for tourist interviews at US Embassy in Manila in about 30 days.

What did it say if your number isn't found in the instructions? Something about send message via forum Feedback, did you do that yet?

I tried to live in Philippines after a few months I can't wait to leave the Philippines, I get too bored there after a while, so been there done that. You must not understand the K1 visa application, once you have multiply filings you have to get a waiver when you file a K1 ,this isnt' done on a CR1 to my knowledge, and of course USCIS knows how many times you have filed but they really care nor does the Consular Officers at the Embassy in Manila when you do your visa interview. Per guidelines on thus website there is no I-485 filing for CR1, it says I-130 and I-130A, I guess you are unaware on K1 petition they ask about your criminal past. There are many benefits for the US citizen to not file ROM, If you look on your other post you will learn. The K1 is a very simple process, and I would assume the CR1 is as well, only reason I am going to Mexico is to be in Cancun.

It is not neccessary to do change name on passport, not required Seems like no reason to jump thru hoops for that, too easy to just get passport in maiden name once you decide to get dual citizenship from Philippines, you will find about that later in your journey.

For sure it is cleared by an American, this is the Philippines. Thankfully last few weeks they are talking about WW2 rememberance and getting student visa to USA. They will go into a stuff like pride month or silly stuff like the Ber months. You can tell by the wording and some topics whomever runs the FB page for the US Embassy is non American, If I post something about the current president of the Philippines having an arrest warrant out for him in the USA and put a link it is taken down pretty fast, which is kinda funny. From what I have seen is getting to an American inside the US embassy is rather difficult, you have to go thru non americans first, even doing a visa interview inside the US Embassy. A few years ago I tried to go to the US Embassy and get a ballot to vote for the Federal Elections in 2018, the Philippines security gaurd didn't want me to go front entrance and kept telling me the Embassy was closed for holiday, I kept telling them the US embassy never closes. Finally after ignoring them I got to the front entrance and was told the US Embassy was closed, I called their bluff and the finally handed me a phone thru a window and finally I was able to talk to an American and they found me a ballot.

I suggest to not mess with a ROM, There isn't much benefit to apply for it, and could be a determent in the future in case you want to get married again in the Philippines.