episode 109: Med Exam & Visa Interview Schedule
01.27.2007 - I received a package from the U.S. Embassy containing the schedule for my Medical Exam and Visa Interview. The letter was dated 01.19.2007. It says that my Medical Exam appointment is on 03.22.2007 at 7AM and my Visa Interview appointment is on 03.29.2007 at 7AM. My case# (for my refence only) is MNL2006825040. The Medical Exam will cost $95 while the Visa Processing will cost $100.
The package also contains:
a. Final list of documents you need to bring for the visa interview for K1/K2 applicants. There are a couple of additional requirements on this list that was not listed on the earlier list like CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage), Proof of Genuine Engagement, Proof of Termination of Marraige (for you and your petitioner) etc.
b. Medical Examination Instructions for Immigrant, K and V Visa Applicants.
c. Vaccination Requirements for K Visa Applicants. It is not required for K1/K2 Visa Applicants to get the vaccination before entering U.S. But once you file for change of status from a non-immigrant to a permanent resident (green card holder), USCIS will require you to comply with the vaccination requirement before they finalize the adjustment of your status in the U.S. A decision to grant a waiver of the vaccination requirement will only be made at the time an adjustment of status is filed and reviewed by the USCIS.
d. DS-156 Non-immigrant Visa Application forms.
e. DS-157 Supplemental Non-immigrant Visa Application forms.
f. DS-156K Non-immigrant Fiance Visa Application forms.
My heart was palpitating real fast while I was opening the package and reading the contents. I guess it's a mix of excitement and a realization that we are actually going through this process of making everything final. Part of me was a bit scared too. What if we get denied the visa? Then what? But I can't think of any solid reason why they might deny us the visa. So I guess I'll just have to be confident during the interview. Thank God that I have already experienced the process of getting a U.S. Tourist Visa thrice before. I think I would be more nervous if this is going to be the first time I'd enter the U.S. Embassy and line up for an interview while watching some of the people before me get denied.
episode 108: K1/K3 Pre-Interview Notice
01.08.2007 - I found a letter from the Consular Section of the Immigrant Visa Unit of the American Embassy Manila. My landlady must have slid it under my door when she found out that I have already returned from my 2.5 weeks long Xmas vacation. The stamp on the envelope said that the Makati Post Office received it on 12.15.2006. So I guess it took them a couple of days to finally deliver the letter to my address because I still have not received it before I left for my vacation last 12.20.2006.
The letter inside is a K1/K3 Pre-Interview Notice dated 11.28.2006. It says that on 11.24.2006, they received our approved I-129F nonimmigrant visa petition from the National Visa Center (NVC) according to my status as the fiance (K1) or spouse (K3) of a US citizen. Further action on my case awaits assignments of an interview date. Because of their heavy volume of K1/K3 visa applications, the waiting time for a visa interview at present is approximately 150 days from the date that they've receive the petition in Manila. They will inform me of the interview date as soon as it is scheduled. They will send me an appointment packet with information and instructions to apply for a visa about 30 days before the scheduled interview. In the meantime, I can now begin preparing for my visa interview. Enclosed to the letter is another page listing all the documents required in support of my visa application. I should obtain all of the items that apply to me. It also says that these documents should NOT be sent to the embassy. I will be bringing the documents only when a visa interview appointment has been scheduled. Other additional information on "K" nonimmigrant visas is available at http://philippines.usembassy.gov. For my record only, my case number is MNL2006825040.
The list of required documents on the second page are the following:
+ PASSPORT - must be valid for at least six (6) months.
+ BIRTH CERTIFICATE - issued by National Statistics Office (NSO) and printed on NSO security paper.
+ MARRIAGE AND TERMINATION OF MARRIAGE RECORDS - if applicable.
+ NBI CLEARANCE - obtain an official letter of explanation from the NBI if the clearance has any of the following notations: "No Criminal Report," "No Criminal Conviction," "No Pending Case," or "With Derogatory Report."
+ OTHER COUNTRY POLICE CERTIFICATE - if you previously resided abroad for 6 months or longer since your 16th birthday.
+ COURT RECORDS - if you have been charged of any crime.
+ For K1 Applicants, EVIDENCE OF PERSONAL MEETING WITH THE PETITIONER - present proof that you and the petitioner have personally met within two years before the petition was filed. Photos of you and the petitioner together during the specified time may serve as evidence of this requirement.
+ EVIDENCE OF A BONA FIDE RELATIONSHIP - present proof that your relationship with the petitioner is in good faith, and not merely as an immigration convenience. Evidence include, but is not limited to, photos, letters/emails, and proof of financial support.
+ VISA PHOTOS - obtain two (2) photos of yourself with the following specifications: 2 inches by 2 inches in size, must show full view of the face, colored with white background.
+ EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT - obtain evidence which will show that you are not likely to become a public charge while in the United States. A completed I-134 Affidavit of Support Form (singed and notarized less than one year prior to visa application) from the petitioner, including his/her most recent US Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040), Wage & Tax Statements (Form W-2), employment certificate stating income and bank statements will be useful to evaluate your petitioner's ability to be financially responsible for you.
+ MEDICAL EXAMINATION - the embassy will provide you details about the required medical examination once an appointment for your visa interview has been scheduled.
episode 107: Petition APPROVED!
11.21.2006 - Steve received another Notice of Action (I-797C) from USCIS from the mail today. This time, the Notice Type is an Approval Notice (valid from November 17, 2006 to March 17, 2007) for the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance he has sent. The Notice Date is November 17, 2006. It says that the Petition has been APPROVED! And that they have sent the original visa petition to the Department of State National Visa Center (NVC) which means that the INS has completed all action and that further inquiries should be directed to the NVC. It also says that the NVC processing should be complete within two to four weeks after receiving the petition from INS. The NVC will create a case record with our petition information. NCV will then send the petition to the US Embassy or Consulate where I will be interviewed for my visa. A notice will be mailed to Steve when NVC has sent our petitioin to the US Embassy. The notification letter will provide us with a unique number for our case, name and address of US Embassy where our petition has been sent to. It says that if it has been four weeks since Steve has received this approval notice and he has not received notification from NVC that our petition has been forwarded overseas, we should then call NVC. So that means that Steve should get a notice from NVC by next week (December 18-22). If none arrives, then we should call NVC.
episode 106: First Contact!
10.31.2006 - Steve received an I-797C (Notice of Action) from USCIS in his mail today for the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance he has sent. It says that they've received the payment of US$170. Receipt#: EAC-07-016-50988. Receipt Date: October 23, 2006. Notification Date: October 24, 2006.
This is the first reply from USCIS that we've got. The notice means that the ball has just stated to roll. I hope they find everything in order and would give the approval right away. Steve and I are hopeful. We're another step closer to the finish line.
episode 105: The count-down officially begins!
10.19.2006 - Steve received the package I sent him with most of the document needed for the I-129F on 10.18.2006 (US EST). I informed him ahead of time about the documents that he has to provide for to complete the requirements for I-129F. So all he had to do is to sign the forms that I have pre-filled on his behalf, toss in those documents needed from him, write a check out to USCIS or US Homeland Security for US$170 as the processing fee, send those documents out to the proper USCIS office which in our case is Vermont. Steve did all those on the same day he got the documents from me. Good job, baby! He sent the package out to USCIS through registered mail so we'll know when it got to USCIS exactly. He was told that it should only take around 2-3 days. We'll see.
So now is the official start of the count-down! Wish us luck!
episode 104: Registered Mail
10.16.2006 - I gave my "unmounted" passport picture along with some of the extra pictures of Steve and I that I've developed for the "proof" to Ira last Friday. I asked her to send it to Steve through registered mail which supposedly takes just a week to get to the destination. We'll see how true that is. If it's true, then my passport picture would get to Steve the same time as the documents for I-129F would. In that case, we're still good! So all you guys out there, if you find sending the whole documents through FedEx or UPS expensive, better remember to opt for registered post mail rather than the regular.
Ira has been my pigeon for sending post mails to Steve because she passes by the post-office on her way to work. Thanks for your patience Ira! Luv ya!
episode 103: Let the Journey Begin!
10.10.2006 - Mailed the filled-up forms and supporting documents for the Petition for Alien Fiance to my fiance Steve. I asked my friend/co-worker Ira (who in turn asked her boyfriend Cris) to mail it for me. It has been mailed through snail mail (regular post mail) which should take around 2 weeks to get to Steve in Virginia. Just for my record, it costs me P550. I know, I should have sent it through FedEx or registered mail for it to reach Steve earlier. Yes, it would've cost more but the agony of waiting would've been a lot less. Sigh ... I'm such a dumb-dumb sometimes. As if that's not enough, I also made the mistake of stapling my passport photo to my G-325A form. The instruction on I-129F form says the passport photo should not be "mounted" ... didn't realize that it means it should not be stapled. Duh ... sometimes, I just can't help but be amazed about how brilliant I am. Sheeesh! So now I have to send another "unmounted" passport photo to Steve tomorrow.
episode 102: How to make a Petition for an Alien Fiance?
Here are the information I know so far about what you have to do to apply for a U.S. K-1 Fiance Visa:
1. Whoever is the U.S. citizen of the couple will have to apply for a petition Go to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to fill up the Petition for Alien Fiance form (I-129F). You can fill the information directly on the PDF form online and just print it out when you're done. If you're going to fill the form up manually, make sure you use black ink. For help on how to fill up the forms, go to VisaJourney.com where they have sample filled-up forms for your reference 2. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should fill up a Biographic Information form (G-325A). One for each person.3. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should get a passport-size color photograph taken. One for each person. The photos should be taken within 30 days of the date of filing the petition. The photo must have white background, be glossy, un-retouched and not mounted(don't staple). Using a pencil, lightly print the name on the back of each photograph. 4. The U.S. citizen should make a copy of Birth Certificate.
5. The U.S. citizen should make a copy of all the pages (including blanks) of the US Passport.
6. Both the U.S. citizen and the fiance should submit an original of the Statement of Intent to Marry which says that you're legally able and willing to marry the other within 90 days of the fiance's arrival in the U.S. The VisaJourney.com website has a sample of this that you can use. Have them notarized if you can. 7. Provide proofs of having met in person in the past 2 years. Copies of visas, entry and departure stamps, copy of tickets or boarding pass, copy of flight itineraries from travel agencies, pictures of the two of you labeled with the date and place they were taken, etc.
8. A cover letter for I-129F that states the nature of the submission and list all the documents that you're submitting in support of the application. 9. Write a check out to "Department of Homeland Security" for the processing fee. Check the latest amount for the processing fee on the USCIS website. Right now (10/10/2006), it's US$170. 10. Send all the documents according to you place of residence because USCIS has service centers around US that services specific areas. Read the instructions on the initial pages that comes along with the I-129F for the right USCIS Service Center. It should be under the question "Where should you file this form?"
Good Luck!
