Consulate Review: Manila, Philippines
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
July 26, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
Visa Journey Experience
Brief Background:
We’ve been together for 9 years. We’ve started out as a couple way way back in 2002. We went to the same university here in Manila. We’ve tried to settle here and do some business but apparently return of investment is quite slow so we’ve decided to move to America and try it there. He’s been a USC since 2001. He went back to NYC and just got a job last March. So that leaves us with no ITR, yet until next year.. and we understand that ITR is a major required document. This gave us the chills but we decided to take the risk as we never are fans of LDR. To cover up, what we did was to build up some savings and we got his mother as a co-sponsor. So here I am, a living proof that co-sponsorship is allowed in USEM (Well, it’s on case to case basis and consul dependent).
Our Timeline:
12.25.2002 - The Prologue of Us.
12.25.2010 - Engagement After 8 Years
01.31.2011 - Mailed I-129F to USCIS TX
02.02.2011 - NOA1 Notification. Mail Received by USCIS TX, signed by D. Sawyers.
02.08.2011 - Check Payment Cashed by USCIS. NOA1 Notice Date, Case Routed to VSC
02.09.2011 - Touched.
02.14.2011 - NOA1 Hard Copy Received.
06.14.2011 - NOA2 Approval. Received Email Notification from USCIS.
06.15.2011 - Touched.
06.17.2011 - NOA2 Hardcopy Received.
06.28.2011 - NVC Received Approved Petition. MNL Case Number Assigned.
06.29.2011 - Case left NVC. Bound USEM.
07.06.2011 - NVC Letter Hard Copy Received.
07.07.2011 - 1st Day of Medical at SLEC.
07.08.2011 - 2nd Day of Medical at SLEC. Passed! 5-Vaccine Immmunization.
07.08.2011 - USEM Received Case from NVC.
07.11.2011 - USEM Sent Eligibility Letter Notice.
07.15.2011 - Received Eligibility Letter Notice from USEM.
07.25.2011 - Consular Interview at USEM. Approved!
Consulate Review:
4:55 am: Arrived at USEM. There may be hundreds of people already, from tourists, to seafarers to the immigrants.
5:40 am: The guard made us fall in line according to the visa categories. He made some reminders as well.
6:20 am: Security checks. Entrance to the embassy premises. Got number 7004. Dropped DS forms at Window 39.
6:45 am: Biometrics. Window 40.
7:10 am: Pre-screening. Window 47. The Filipino pre-screener was very casual. He sipped some coffee and then he started.
Who petitioned you?
Where did you meet? (We were schoolmates in De La Salle University)
What courses did you take up? (He took up Adverstising and I’m a Psychology major)
How long have you been together? (We’ve been together for 9 years)
Oh, so you are college sweethearts? (Yes, Sir)
What took you so long to decide to get married ? (Well, we think we are still young..)
How old are you? (I’m 26.. He’s 27)
He said,”Oh.. it looks like the right age to get married and have a baby..”
Who petitioned him?
When?
When is his birthday?
What does he do for a living?
What kind of work do you do?
He got my documents - Birth certificate, Cenomar, NBI clearance, and the financial support documents. He then asked about our co-sponsor. I told him that it’s my fiance’s mother and we prepared her documents as well for back-up since we don’t have an ITR yet. Thank God, he accepted the co-sponsor documents and placed it on top of our file together with the letter that my fiance made explaining why he doesn’t have tax returns yet. After that, he browsed through our photos arranged by year, from 2002-2010. He seemed happy about it and told me to keep it for the consul’s reference. I was then instructed to go back to my seat and wait for my number to be flashed again.
9:45 am: Number flashed. Window 59. I was warmly greeted by a jolly white American consul. His friendly demeanor somehow made me comfortable. He made me swear to tell nothing but the truth. And so God helped me =D First, he looked at my fiance’s certificate of citizenship and typed something on the computer. He was like orienting himself to the case and verifying the identity. He did that for like 3 mins. It felt awkward just waiting for his first pop of question while trying to figure out what could it be. I think I was his first applicant when he opened his window which may be a good thing because he looks as if he had a hearty breakfast and he woke up on the right side of the bed. The first round of questions were about me and my fiance. We weren’t asked the usual -Who is your petitioner? When and how did you meet? When is his birthday? Nothing like that.
C: Have you been married before?
M: No, Sir.
C: Has he been married before?
M: No, Sir. I even got a cenomar for him too. (And then he laughed so hard..)
C: Well, I don’t hear that very often, you’re quite rare.
M: i just wanted to make sure sir, but well we’ve been together for 9 years so that’s time tested. (He laughed again)
C: So how did he come to the United States?
M: He was petitioned by his mother back in 1996. And he got his citizenship through the Child Act of 2000.
C: Wow, i guess you know the facts from the other side of the window.
M: I just like to do research Sir.
C: It looks like you can replace me here as a consul.
M: (I was laughing) Really?
C: Yeah, we have naturalized citizens here in our staff.
M: Hmmm, I’d like to try that.
C: What countries have you been to?
M: I’ve been to Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Macau, Hongkong and Vietnam.
C: What did you do in Australia?
M: I’ve been there for a month, just for a tour.
C: (While browsing through my DS forms) I see here that you are a member of the American Psychological Association..
M: Yes Sir, as an international affiliate.
C: My dad is a board member there and they have an upcoming convention.
M: Yes Sir, it’s on Aug 4-7 at Washington, DC. And wow, you’re dad is a board member there!
C: He is not coming so you can take his place.
M: Well, I’d love to but I can’t make it on that date. Maybe next time.. =D
C: (He was now looking at my birth cert, cenomar, and NBI and were checking if these are originals. ) So you got your NBI clearance on the first day that they started the new system.
M: Oh my, I’ve waited for it for like 7 hours.
C: Yeah, that sounds really horrible when you should have been celebrating July 4th.
M: Yeah too bad..
C: (He was now browsing through the original pettion we sent to USCIS).. So your anniversary is on December 25th?
M: Yeah that happens to be my birthday as well and of course Christmas, not really good if we’re talking about gifts.. it’s like a 3 in 1 occasion so I only get 1 gift.
C: Oh that’s ok, I have twins and I only buy them one gift and let them fight over it.
M: (I was laughing) You’re quite mean sir..
C: (Now, browsing through my forms) What course did you have in college?
M: I majored in psychology and took up graduate studies in Clinical Psychology.
C: Are you working towards getting your license?
M: Well, we don’t have licensing here in the Philippines but I’d work on that when I get to New York.
C: Yeah you better work on that because of the state specific requirements. What do you plan to do there?
M: I’d like to work for YAI or YMCA, something like that. Something to do with social work and community work.
C: (He is now looking at the financial documents part, he was reading my fiance’s explanation letter why he doesn’t have ITR yet and seemed content with it). So he is making ____ annually? Do you have...? (while looking at my co-sponsor documents)
M: Co-sponsor? Yes sir.. His mother.
C: Ok that makes it easy.. (He’s now looking at the co-sponsor documents)
M: She’s a nurse.
C: That makes it a lot easier.. (smiling)
M: Thank you Sir.
C: (Now browsing through our photos from the USCIS file) So you went to Singapore and Hongkong together?
M: Yes sir. I have an organized set of photos here..
C: That’s ok. You can keep it. (Smiling)
M: You can see the wrinkles adding up in our photos. The thin us and the thick us. We’ve gained and lost weight at the same time.
C: (He was laughing so hard) Yeah I understand that, it happened to me and my wife.
M: (I was laughing) I think it happens Sir..
C: Yeah it does. Hmmm, well I think I’ve checked everything here..
He then typed notes on his computer. I think I amused him with my bubbly comments and was amazed by how well-researched I was with immigration stuff. After checking every single document and typing notes on his computer.. he closed my very thick file and stamped it. He then put my file aside and he leaned towards the window.. And then he said..
C: “You know what? Welcome to America! Go get married and make us proud!”
M: Oh my god, really? (And I almost burst into tears) Thank you sir, that means so much to us.
C: (I can see he is very happy for me) Now, it can just take a few more days for some additional processing and then you’ll get your visa. You just have to wait again for your number to be called for the final instructions.
M: Thank you so much Sir. You are really very nice..
My interview lasted for maybe 20-30 minutes I think. But it was all good. I didn’t notice the time passing because the interview was very conversational. The consul is really nice and warm. I never felt like I was just another applicant in a let’s get down to business scenario. I was evaluated as a person. Our saving grace was our almost a decade relationship. I think the consul saw and believed in our love story and commitment to each other. And that, is our best cover-up for not having an ITR.. =P
Everything feels just like a dream right now.. We made it to our final blow. And pretty soon, I’ll be married to the man I’ve spent almost half of my life with.
Thank you VJ Family.
To God be the Glory! |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0