Filed DCF (I-130 for IR-1) at US Embassy Manila - AAR

[manilaraf 28]

So after some time getting the various documents needed I finally filed the I-130 at the US Embassy Manila on Thursday morning.

Here's a little After Action Report:

-The night prior to filing, I went on the USCIS Infopass website and scheduled an appointment for 820AM on Thursday, Dec 11. I made two copies just in case and brought it with me when I went to the Embassy.

-Documents I brought with me:

• I-130: I printed out and made 2 copies, again just in case
• G-325A (me): I'm the US Citizen and petitioner
• G-325A (wife): She's the petition beneficiary and PHL Citizen
• 2x2 Photo (wife)
• 2x2 Photo (me)

• Documents showing I'm a US Citizen
  • US Passport: (I made a photocopy of every single page, just in case)
  • US Certificate of Citizenship: (My parents Naturalized when I was 14yo, so I automatically gained US CItizenship, and I got this instead of a Certificate of Naturalization; see Section B, Question 13 on the I-130, I marked "Parents")
• Documents attesting to the Family Relationship
  • NSO Certificate of Marriage
  • Bank Certification of Deposit: Got this from BPI showing that we have two joint accounts, PHL Peso and US Dollar
  • Family Photos: I went through my iPhoto archive and selected a total of 86 shots from various points of our relationship; Dating/Pre Marriage, Civil Wedding Ceremony, PreNup Photo Shoot, Church Wedding & Reception, Photos together since we got married
  • Copy of our Church Wedding Invitation
  • Copy of our Church Wedding Massbook
• Documents showing that I'm legally resident in the Philippines (FYI, I'm a Dual US-Philippine Citizen)
  • Community Tax Certificate (aka Cedula)
  • PHL Bureau of Immigration Identification Certificate: Shows the date I'm was (Re)recognized as a (Dual) PHL Citizen
  • NBI Clearance (yes, I'm the US Citizen. But I live and work here in the PHL, so I have one handy)
  • Bank Certification of Deposit: For a non-joint account in my name only (my payroll account)
  • BIR 2307: Tax Withholding Document for Apr-Jun 2014
  • LTO Driver's License
  • PRC License (Physician): aka my medical license
  • PhilHealth Card: Member and as an accredited Healthcare Provider
• NOT LISTED IN THE I-130 Instructions but having read about DCF Filing in general and DCF Filing at US Embassy Manila in particular I also brought:
  • NSO Birth Certificate of my wife
  • A Photocopy of the Information Page of my wife's PHL Passport: She was out of town when I filed and uses her Passport as her travel ID, so I didn't have the original on me, but when I filed all the USCIS Officer wanted & kept where photocopies of everything. The only original documents she asked to see were my US Passport and my US Certificate of Citizenship, but she returned these to me and kept the photocopies.
• Just in case I also brought:
  • A copy of my wife's CENOMAR from when we applied for a Marriage License here in Manila
  • A copy of my CENOMAR
  • My Philippine Passport, Info Page
  • My US Social Security Card.

-Since I was driving in and live about 10-15 minutes away driving distance (near UST), I headed over at about 4am and parked along the Roxas Blvd service road at the foot of the pedestrian bridge that crosses to the Embassy side. (I know it was ridiculously early, but I really wanted to park close.) I crossed and was immediately accosted by the resourceful people selling black pens, giving notice of what you can't bring into the Embassy, and what line to wait in. Since, I'm Filipino by birth and look it, I asked in non-accented Tagalog where I needed to line up if I was a US Citizen seeking US Citizen Services. They said I didn't need to line up, that when the gate opened and people were started to be let in, I could just show my US Passport and INFOPASS Appointment letter to the guard and I could head straight in. I went over to the G4S Security Guard and confirmed this info, so I went back to my car and went back to sleep with my alarm set at 6:30AM.

-So my alarm goes off, and I head over to the Embassy again. By that time, they were already letting in the first of the NIV, IV, and Seamen who had early appointments. I showed my Passport and INFOPASS Letter and was told to go to the US Citizen Services/USCIS, etc line and head straight in through the US Citizens door and security check. Once past the security check (FYI, US Citizens can bring cellphones, you'll have to leave it here at the security check, but unlike the IV/NIV/etc line, they have a provision for US Citizens to leave it here.

-Once inside the compound and inside the courtyard/waiting/seating area, there was a sign posted on the door leading into the New Office Building that the door for US Citizen Services would open at 730AM, so I sat down at the USCS, USCIS, SSA, etc seating area and got comfy.

-Shortly before 730AM, the guard had us line up outside the door and when the time came we were let inside a few at a time. At the security check inside the office building, I showed my INFOPASS letter. The person said that I'd receive no number, but that my name would be called and to head to the 2nd floor, Window 25. (Please note that on my INFOPASS Letter, the location stated was Room 247, but the attendant at the gate said that's just where USCIS has their office, but that business would be conducted at Window 25. So if this happens to you, don't freak out like the person in front of me did who had the 8AM appointment).

-I went up stairs and sat in the seating area in front of Window 25. 8AM rolled around and the window opened and they call the two people who had appointments ahead of me. They were done pretty quickly, so my name was called at about 810AM.

-When I got to the window, I was greeted by a friendly female Fil-Am USCIS Officer and told her that I was filing an I-130 for my wife.

-She asked for my documents and she took the following from what I brought with me:

• I-130: She went through it and actually made a correction with whiteout and had me fill in a mistake I made. On the second page, Section C, Question 22, she said since I was doing consular filing/processing to fill up MANILA, PHILIPPINES on the right side under "American Consular Post"
• G-325A (me)
• G-325A (wife)
• 2x2 Photo (wife)
• 2x2 Photo (me)
• US Passport (I gave her the entire stack, but she took only pages that had stuff on them. She set aside, but didn't return to me black pages)
• US Certificate of Citizenship (Before she had a chance to ask, I volunteered that I received my US Citizenship via my parents and had this with me)
• NSO Certificate of Marriage
• BPI Bank Certification of Deposit - Joint Accounts
• Family Photos: Out of the 86 photos I brought, she took a selection of 10 from the various categories. She was especially happy to receive photos from our Civil Wedding, Church Wedding and since our wedding
• NSO Birth Certificate of my wife
• Information Page of my wife's PHL Passport (She was satisfied with just the NSO BC, but was happy that I provided this as well)
• She then asked for documentation showing I was here in the Philippines legally (I told her I was a Dual Citizen and she nodded and said, "Oh, okay. So what do you have?" So I handed over:
  • She kept:
    • Community Tax Certificate (aka Cedula)
    • Bank Certification of Deposit: For a non-joint account in my name only (my payroll account)
    • BIR 2307: Tax Withholding Document for Apr-Jun 2014
    • LTO Driver's License
    • PRC License (Physician): aka my medical license
    • PhilHealth Card: Member and as an accredited Healthcare Provider
  • She handed back:
    • PHL Bureau of Immigration Identification Certificate: She handed this back to me since she said that officially, the US Gov't doesn't recognize the fact that I'm a Dual PHL Citizen
    • NBI Clearance

​-At this point she was pretty satisfied with what I had and then gave me a slip to give to the cashier for payment and to come back to her when I was done.

-So I went over to the cashier and paid the equivalent of the US$420 (PHP19,320.00 at the prevailing rate).

-Once I was done with the cashier and the person at the window when I got back was done, I went up and gave her a payment receipt. She took it and handed over a form for me to fill up authorizing them to contact me via email and phone should they need to contact me for more info, or when it gets approved and kicked downstairs to the Immigrant Visa Section.

-She said that processing would take 1-2 months. (In retrospect I'm not sure if she meant 1-2 months for I-130 approval or for the entire IR-1 process. But since I'm on the VJ board, I know that it's actually significantly faster for DCF filing in Manila if you're diligent and follow up)

-And that was that. Waiting and sleeping in my car waiting for the Embassy gates to open and sitting/waiting for the US Citizen Services door at the New Office Building took longer than the actual filing process. I was done with my business at Window 25 in under 10 minutes.

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR THOSE FILING DCF @ US EMBASSY MANIL:

-You as the US Citizen petitioner can file, in person, alone. My wife was out of town for work, but didn't need to be with me. The fact that she wasn't with me didn't matter. The fact I was alone was never brought up at any point.

-You don't have to line up with everyone else there for NIV/IV or other business if you get there before the Embassy opens. You could conceivably show up when the Embassy gates open at 6:30AM or even later in the morning, just show your INFOPASS Letter and US Passport to the guard, stress that you're there for USCIS/US Citizen Services and you'll be directed straight into the Embassy Compound. Once inside, however, you will have to wait along with the other US Citizens, Permanent Residents doing business at US Citizen Services, especially if you get there before the office opens at 7:30AM

-You as a US Citizen, can bring a phone and leave it at the security gate. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE IT WITH THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE SELLING PENS AND PASSPORT PHOTOS!

-Be sure to obtain an NSO Birth Certificate for the person/persons you are petitioning. THIS IS NOT IN THE I-130 INSTRUCTION FORM! The form assumes you're filing from the States using the USCIS Lockbox system. THIS WAS THE ONLY DEVIATION FROM THE I-130 INSTRUCTIONS, but it's a big one since you'll have to get the NSO Copy. I got mine from the Business Counter at the nearest SM and got it back after about 4-5 working days. (I provided the info page of my wife's passport, but this was just icing on the cake since the USCIS officer wanted the NSO BC to begin with).

I would like to note and mention the following VJ Members and threads. Since they were very helpful when I was researching the DCF Process and the DCF Process at USEM in particular:

-jace8569's post is MUST READ: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/448070-just-filed-dcf-manila-today/)

-KendrickPaula I would like to thank for taking the time for my questions and replying: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/525270-dcf-filing-last-november-14-2014-super-fast/)

-BigJohn's post is where I found out that I'd need my wife's Birth Certificate: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/278604-dcf-manila-philippines-we-did-it/)

Other helpful members' posts/threads:

-rawkus212: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/515100-dcf-manila-approved/)

-bookworm123: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/498046-filed-dcf-today-5-27-2014/)

-lou2565: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/466461-my-experience-dcf-manila-philippines-11202013/)

-elginPH: (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/438180-dcf-manila-experience/)

Overall, I had a good experience filing. I had all the documents I needed and the USCIS officer was friendly & helpful, and even made small talk when going through my family pics. None of the stereotypical gruff and surly US Gov't Foreign Service worker mold. I even bought a US Embassy Manila pin on my way out. (I was tempted to buy a shirt & a mug, but I'll save those for future visits).

Hopefully Spring of 2015, I'll be bringing my wife to Opening Day at Citi Field, Inshallah. I'll be making a weekly pilgrimage to St. Jude and lighting candles as well as a monthly trip to the Sta. Clara Convent with my half-dozen eggs until this process finishes.

Wish us luck and if you ever have any questions about DCF Filing at USEM, but send me a message or reply to this post.

[Ryan H 3,818]

~~Duplicate thread removed; please do not start multiple threads on the same subject.~~

[manilaraf 28]

My bad, I figured one for the Philippines forum and one for the DCF forum since a forum reader might go to one or the other but not necessarily both.

[manilaraf 28]

Just got off the phone with DHS-USCIS at the USEM. First day back to work after the Holidays.

Inquired about the status of the I-130 I filed last Dec 11th.

Talk about a nice, belated Christmas present.

I-130 was approved last December 24th.

Looks like someone with be regularly emailing the IV Section for a Manila Case Number.

[Hank_ 9,174]

DCF goes very quickly, friends of our were done in about 30 days.

[Dennis8 6]

Good day manilaraf! I am also a dual citizen US/PH. I was born in the US but have been living In the PH since highschool. I married my long time GF last year july 2014 and then returned here to the US on october 2014 to pursue a different career. This feb 2015 i was planning on petitioning her. When i read about DCF i realized this would be a much faster option. My question now is, would i have to make a personal appearance in manila to file or could my spouse file for me if i sent her everythng she needed (including my passports?) if not i may have to find time to go back or just do it the long way. Thank you so much and congrats on your successful petition!

[manilaraf 28]

1) You need to file the petition yourself, either through the regular USCIS dropbox system or via DCF. You are the US Citizen petitioning her and thus she can't file it herself.

2) With your current situation, you cannot file DCF. From what I've read, you need to be legally resident in the Foreign Country you'll filing DCF from, for at least 6 months. As a Dual Citizen, you won't have a problem legally staying that long; the problem is that you've been living in the US since October and thus, they'll likely not accept your filing DCF (again, the USCIS officer went through my Passport & the entry/departure stamps, most recent was 2012).

So you have two choices:

A) File the I-130 there in the US Domestically using the USCIS dropbox. Or

B) Pull up stakes and move back to the Philippines for at least 6 months and then file DCF in person, yourself, at the USEM.

[Dennis8 6]

Thank you for the prompt reply! I guess it really leaves me no choice than to go with the long route since i can't just pack up and leave. But at least i have a backup plan in the event I decide to return to PH. Thank you for the info and congratulations again!

[bookworm123 7]

Congratulations!!

[manilaraf 28]

Update: Emailed IV Unit-Manila last Monday requesting for the MNL Case Number. No reply all week. Refrained from emailing everyday since the notice on the Contact page of the IV Unit says not to send repeated inquiries so as to not clog the system. I figured they might have been backlogged from over the holidays.

Emailed them again yesterday. Got a reply via email this afternoon stating our MNL Case Number as well as having the Packet 3 info attached.

As Hank_ always says, "It's time to Rock n' Roll!"

[Greenbaum 12,259]

manilaraf, on 13 Jan 2015 - 08:02 AM, said:manilaraf, on 13 Jan 2015 - 08:02 AM, said:

Update: Emailed IV Unit-Manila last Monday requesting for the MNL Case Number. No reply all week. Refrained from emailing everyday since the notice on the Contact page of the IV Unit says not to send repeated inquiries so as to not clog the system. I figured they might have been backlogged from over the holidays.

Emailed them again yesterday. Got a reply via email this afternoon stating our MNL Case Number as well as having the Packet 3 info attached.

As Hank_ always says, "It's time to Rock n' Roll!"

Thanks for all the good tips. This is what it means to be a member in this forum and giving back. Your a true warrior. Good luck on the rest of your journey and don't stop sharing your vital information.

BTW on a side note, if you list your dates first for your actions in your timeline it's easier to read especially if someone is following along as I am. Again, thanks.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Greenbaum

[manilaraf 28]

Noted. Anything to do to help out. I've gotten so much info in the way of tips from VJ, it's only right that I give as much as I get.

[manilaraf 28]

Wow, I totally did not expect this. PhilPost delivered to our place this morning a mailed, paper copy of our NOA2, signed by the USCIS-Manila Chief of Dept. Received 8 days after I got the email NOA2, and 28 days after the actual I-130 approval.

Hell, it does rain in the Mojave once in a while doesn't it?

[Hank_ 9,174]

I think PhilPost delivers once in awhile just to shock as person.

[manilaraf 28]

Just some updates.

Wife had her medical at SLEC on the 24th & 25th. (Tuesday & yesterday).

Arrived at 6am. Out by 1030 the first day. Prepared all her paperworks for her ahead of time (SLEC Online Reg, DS-260-just in case, Interview Appointment Confirmation, NOA3-just in case, Passport, 2x2s, etc). Stupid guard was asking for the NVC letter, and in straight Tagalog I'm explaining to him the DCF process and I showed him the Appointment confirmation & NOA-3, so apparently to stop me badgering him, he let the wife in.

2nd day, arrived at the appointed time of 9am for vaccines (Thank God). Wife got the Do Not Open Envelope, CXR CD, Vaccine paperwork at 530pm. I know it won't probably do any good, but once we get done with this I'm writing my US Senators, Congressional Rep, the Ambassador, the DCM, and the Medical Director of St Luke's (I've actually met him in the course of my work a few times) about the inordinate amount of waiting time for what's an obviously healthy checkup.

Anyways, that's done at least. Interview is schedule for late next week.