US Embassy Manila DCF Overview for Spousal Visa - Graphical View

[DaveSana 13]

US Embassy Manila Direct Consular Filing Overview for Spousal Visa
Created November 8, 2016 Author: DL

[DaveSana 13]

Our Experience

Petition submitted and accepted in 10 mins.

Petition Approval 6 days after submission of the petition.

Case number received 10 days after submission of the petition (could have been shorter by 4 days, except for holidays).

Visa Interview scheduled 26 days after submission of the petition (could have been shorter by 9 days, except for holidays and our schedule).

Completed the medical at St. Luke's in one day. (Day 1 and Day 2 steps both performed on the same day.)

Interview scheduled for two days from now....

DaveSana

Edited November 14, 2016 by DaveSana

[DaveSana 13]

December 2, 2016 - Updated the document to present our interview experience at the Embassy.

Dave

[Mexicangirl 1]

Thanks this is very useful!!

[Anonymous9999 2]

Hi DaveSana,

Where did you file the I-130? Did you request for expedite?

I am divorce,Filipina, but my American husband initiated the divorce, I am already USC that time. I am planning to marry my Filipino fiancé but I am still married in the Philippines. I have read that I need to get it amended by Philippine Law and cost me 200k and 6-12 months of processing. I don't wanna wait that long. I have also read that once a divorce USC, can get married again in the Philippines. I am not sure, it did not emphasize that they have their divorce decree amended. But can I get married in Hongkong instead? I wanted to file him I-130 so I can bring him here with me. We have file I-129-f in the past but the consul who interviewed us is not convinced of the relationship, they mentioned our age gap (he is 12 years younger). He also asked me about my ex husband because we are still in the same address. I told him, he live in the mother in law apartment and we don't have anymore relationship, divorce 2010. But he just noded.. after a month of the interview, I submitted 200 pages of chat logs, 15 pictures and wedding plan. They never even asked for my I-134 Affidavit of Support and ITR. I only submitted documents that they are wanting from us. I don't wanna waste anymore time waiting for their decision. I am planning to go back in the Philippines on March and get married in Hongkong. I am just worried the Manila Embassy will question about the HK marriage and if they run my CENOMAR, and shows up my marriage. I am not sure if it will be a problem in the future. DO you know anyone in the same boat? I needed advised, really confused here.

Jane

[lilpinay 59]

Hello,

Thank you for posting this very helpful thread, but can I ask? The thing is my husband is the USC and I used to be a green card holder, but after my husband and I came here in the Philippines, my green card has been expired for 5 years already, now that we wanted to go back to the states, we're planning on doing DCF, but I read in your post that as a petitioner he and I need to have a CENOMAR? But we are already married 8 years ago, how could we get it? don't know how to get that since we both living here in the Philippines and we got married in the states, I don't even know if I can get a CENOMAR here in the Philippines, since we didn't registered our marriage here, though everything else in your list we have it except the CENOMAR.

Thank you once again, God bless

[lilpinay 59]

By the way what is CEMAR? Is that certificate of marriage? If so can we submit that instead? Sorry if I sounded ignorant here, I'm really nervous and I want to have everything in hand before we go to Manila. We live in Cebu and it's too far away and costly to go there just to find out we didn't have everything we need.

Thank you!

[DaveSana 13]

Hi lilpinay!

Thanks for the kind remarks.

There are three things:

1) Marriage Certificate

2) CENOMAR

3) CEMAR

The CENOMAR is described here:

https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/requesting-civil-registry-document/cenomar

"

CENOMAR

A Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR) is simply what its name implies. It is a certification issued by the PSA stating that a person has not contracted any marriage. Also called a certificate of No Record of Marriage or Certificate of Singleness."

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A CEMAR is also called Advisory on marriage.
It is provided by the NSO as well, and it shows your marriage(s).

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If you apply for a CENOMAR, and the NSO system has you as married, then you will get a CEMAR, because you are married, or have been. That is my understanding.

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Me and my wife ordered CENOMARs even though neither of us is Filipino, neither of us has ever been married, and we did not get married in the PH when we did get married, and the CENOMAR showed nothing, as is appropriate and expected in our case.

The marriage certificate is a completely different thing.

Why do they ask for it?

Here is my view of it -

The Embassy wants to know:

1) Are you married?

2) Have you ever been married?

3) Have you ever been LISTED as married in the PH NSO system?

That way they can tell what documents you need to provide.

There have been cases where people have been listed as married by some ex-lover, when in fact no marriage had occurred. It was done, presumably, for spite. In any regard, the Embassy wants to know what is shown in the local marriage system.

This is my understanding.

Hope it is helpful.

Dave

[DaveSana 13]

We filed our I-130 Petition via Direct Consular Filing (DCF) in Manila.

The USCIS/DHSOfficer at the time of I-130 filing said - "You have CENOMARS. Great! Good to have" - even though she knew that both of us are not Filipino, AND that we had gotten married OUTSIDE of the PH. We actually got married in Hawaii, USA!

The Pre-Screening Visa Officer on the day of the interview specifically asked for our CENOMARS even though she knew that we were both not Filipino and that we had not gotten married in the PH. In fact, she checked to make sure we had the ORIGINALS.

Get CENOMARS, or CEMARS - whichever is appropriate. That is my suggestion.

Dave

[DaveSana 13]

Hi Jane,

>>Where did you file the I-130? Did you request for expedite?

You file it at the US Embassy in Manila. The petitioner has to be resident in the Philippines for 6 months prior to qualify to file directly at the Embassy.

>>if they run my CENOMAR

The Embassy will not order a CENOMAR - You have to order it and submit it to them when you file the petition.

You might want to speak with an attorney regarding all the marriage/divorce issues and statuses.

Hope that is helpful.

Dave

[lilpinay 59]

Thank you so much Dave, anyway, where did you get your CENOMAR? Here in the Philippines? Was just wondering if both my husband and I can get it here since we didn't register our marriage here after we got married in the states, but anyway, I still try and go, we'll see what they have in their records.

Thank you for your great help again. God bless

[DaveSana 13]

Thanks again for your kind remarks.

And you are welcome.

Yes, you get them here.

My wife went to an NSO office here in Manila to get hers.

Here is a website that might be helpful:

https://www.ecensus.com.ph/Default.aspx

It lists the CENOMAR as one of the documents you can order.

Hope that is helpful.

Best,

Dave

[grinnil 0]

Hello, read your overview a couple months ago and was wanting to read it again before we go to the embassy to file petition next week. But the overview isn't showing, it just says dcf.jpg.