Below is my Youtube video that explains what the interview at the US Embassy Manila is like for the Filipina Fiancees and Fiances for this very last step to get their K1, I-129F Fiancee visas approved. Each applicant must schedule an appointment at the consulate, and convince the consular officer that theirs is a “bone fide” genuine relationship, and that the purpose of the Fiancee Visa application is solely for sincere marriage.
I met a Filipina on my last day of a trip to Philippines. We are in love and want to marry. I am 30 years older then her. Do I have a chance to get my fiance or marriage visa application approved?
I am a matchmaker and founded http://www.heartofasiaonline.com I have helped many thousands of Filipina – American couples find each other. When marriage results, my couples often ask advice on how to accomplish immigration, and reunite in the USA.
The two issues are The relationship is brief and a large age difference.
Large Age Difference:
Large age differences between Filipina wife and Husband are common and generally acceptable in Philippines culture. Maturity and stability are valued. Respect for elders is a cultural trait. The US consulate in Manila sees a lot of December – May couples. And approves their petitions.
So, the large age difference is not a problem.
Brief Relationship
A brief relationship generally IS a problem. But the solution to the problem is easy. The couple should spend a little more time, a little more effort, in developing the relationship first, before petitioning for the Fiancee Visa.
Immigration is mandated to weed out visa fraud. They look for couples that pretend to have relationships, dishonestly attempting to enter the USA. These “sham” relationships make it harder for “genuine but brief”, or “genuine but poorly documented” relationships to be approved.
In order to be approved for the visa a couple must be able to prove to a skeptical immigration official that the couple has a “bone fide” or genuine relationship. In considering this they look at the longevity and the quality of the relationship.
I have recorded a youtube video on proving a genuine relationship. This is visible at
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubegenuinerelationship.html
Longevitity is how long the couple have been courting. In the above case, it looks like the couple has been courting only 2 months. There is no specific rule about how much time is needed, but for most countries I suggest clients have a minimum of a year. The US consulate in Manila is a bit more “couple friendly”, so for there I think a minimum of 6 months is ok.
Quality is basically how much time the couple have devoted to the relationship. Most important is “face to face” time. How many trips to be together. How many days face to face. A trip of 2 weeks together is more quality than a 1 week trip. Two trips is more quality than one trip.
Then, when separated, how regularly, how long and how often do they communicate?. Most couples can communicate via txt messages, emails, telephones, web cams and post. All of these methods can provide a “paper trail” of the contacts. The more regular, frequent, and time consuming the couple contacts each other, the more quality the relationship demonstrates. For example a couple that talks on skype once in the morning, and once at night is much more believable than a couple that trades one email a week.
In the case above, they have only 2 days of “face to face” time in the Philippines. I strongly suggest that the American sponsor add much more quality time by taking another trip. This time to devote himself to courting his Filipina fiancee, and meeting her family and friends. And of course now that they are separated he should communicate with her regularly and frequently. If he is computer savvy he can use web cams’ and emails. If not he should make regular phone calls. If he uses an inexpensive calling card (these are very popular) he should check that the service provides an itemized list of every call he makes. He will need this as proof of the contact when he submits his petition. I recommend the following prepaid card, cause it is cheap and ALSO provides an itemized call record. See http://fianceevisaservices.com/international-prepaid-long-distance.html
Above Case:
The age difference should not be a problem. Adding some more time and effort to the relationship, communicating regularly, retaining a “paper trail” of communications, and making another trip will overcome the ‘briefness” of the relationship.
Recommendations:
To obtain either Fiance or marriage visa, you will need to put longevity, and quality into your relationship in order for it to be deemed genuine.
There are a lot of details involved. I have recorded a series of three videos that explain the
process:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6229C8E44191DB9D
To summarize.
First of all you have a real courtship and relationship with the gf and you plan to get married.
Then check that you both meet the marriage visa eligibility requirements: You are US citizen. You both are currently ‘free to marry’. You earn over $18,300. You have met each other ‘face to face’ at least within the past two years.
You will have to ‘prove’ that you have a real, genuine, ‘bone fide’ relationship. You do this with
a combination of correspondences, photos, letters, plane tickets, etc.
See my youtube on ‘proving your genuine relationship’
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubegenuinerelationship.html
You should make sure that you build from the start a solid ‘paper trail’ of the communications of your relationship. This means itemized telephone records, emails, instant messages, voip calls, snail mail, packages. If you use prepaid cards make sure yours gives you an itemized call list, or switch to http://fianceevisaservices.com/international-prepaid-long-distance.html
When traveling to visit your fiance, take plenty of photos, vary the shots, locations, wardrobes. Meet her family, and friends. Document with photos. Turn date stamping on.
See my youtube video on what photos to take:
http://fianceevisaservices.com/youtubepetitionphotographs.html
Don’t move too quickly. Couples that instantly fall in love and get engaged or married may be suspected of fraud. Go slowly, build your relationship.
Once your relationship gets serious, don’t let too much time elapse between trips. The longer the separation, the more suspect the relationship is. I recommend travel to meet with your Fiance every 6 to 9 months.
Once your relationship has progressed, you have made 1 or more trips, and you have abundant proof of your relationship. Then you apply for the visa, to USCIS Homeland Security.
Then about 3 to 5 months later your Fiance will be asked to come to the US embassy in Manila to have her interview. If all goes well she is granted her visa, comes to the USA and you can marry.
Once you marry, she applies for her Green Card and can remain with you.
If she remains residence in the Phil, then only an annulment will do.
To expedite this, start today, and if you are willing to throw more money at it, in terms of hiring a good attorney, and/or finding and negotiating with the ex-husband, then it can proceed more swiftly, say 6 months.
Divorce is a possibility, if she can live outside the Philippines and apply for her Fiancee or Spousal visa at the US embassy in her new residence country. The US consulate in Manila, is bound to follow local laws. So will not accept a divorce to a Phil citizen, can only accept an annulment.
If she is living in a different country, the US embassy there is not bound by Philippines laws, and so could accept either divorce or annulment. Don’t try this in Hong Kong however, because while they are not bound by Philippines laws, then choose to obey them, and so only accept annulments by Philippinos who had previous marriages to other Philippine nationals.
I am a matchmaker and founded http://www.heartofasiaonline.com A lot of Filipino – American couples first met at my dating service. And I am often asked to provide them with advice. I am happy to help you too.
The consulate in Manila is probably the busiest US consulate anywhere in the world. The good news is that they have worked extremely hard, and WELL to make the process there smooth and efficient.
The way the Fiance K-1 visa process works, is USCIS (Homeland Security) takes a few months to process your case. They conduct a background check on your Fiance. Once that is accomplished, they send the case to the US State Department’s offices in Vermont called the National Visa Center (NVC). Just as soon as NVC gets your case, they send a letter to your American Fiance, confirming that they have the case, and telling him what case number (for the Manila consulate) has been assigned to your case. This is a case number that starts with “MNL”
Just as soon as your fiance receives the case number, he or you can IMMEDIATELY call the consulate directly and make an appointment for your interview. Once your appointment is scheduled, the consulate sends your name to St. Lukes, and they expect you to take your medical about a week prior to the appointment.
Sometimes, 1 in 100, when St. Lukes takes your X-rays, they find “a spot” on your lungs. When that happens, they will contact the consulate, and your case will be put on hold, until about a month later, when you can take the X-rays again, and hopefully then have a clean bill of health. Whenever a delay is caused by issues with the medical, that is when St. Lukes gets involved with the scheduling of your interview.
I have put together a collection of about 100 questions that may be asked at the consulate interview, to get a copy go to http://www.fianceandmarriagevisas.com and sign up for the newsletter.
Best of luck with your interview.
Fred Wahl
Matchmaker
The embassy in Manila will mail these to you. But sometimes the mail is unreliable so it is a good idea to obtain them yourself.
I am a matchmaker and have helped a lot of Fil-American couples find each other.
So I have tried to make it easier for them with advice and help..
Below is a collection of links where you can get free downloads of the forms you need.
When you download a form, be sure to check the “Good till” date to make sure you have the most current addition.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_1342.html Official State Dept download page
https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp Form DS-156 This form can only be completed while online
http://fianceevisaservices.com/uscisforms.html – My download page with Copies of all forms needed
http://fianceevisaservices.com – “How to do it” videos for fiance and marriage visa applicants
The answer depends on where you are REALLY resident. If you are a resident in the USA, and spending a few months in the Phil on a tourist visa, then you should submit your petition to USCIS, in the USA.
If you have taken up PERMANENT residence in the Phil. (you will need to prove it). Then you can apply directly to the US Embassy. This is called a direct consular filing.
The process for Philippines Fiance or Spousal Marriage visas, recently is moving along nicely and I have seen couples get their visas in as fast as 5 to 8 months.
The preparation of the petition is more complicated than just completing forms at DMV for a drivers licence. In addition to filling in the forms correctly, you must also submit a lot of supporting documents, like birth certificates, divorce decrees, etc. Plus convincing proof that the relationship you have is “bone fide”. It is pretty unlikely that you would have carried all of that with you on your trip to the Phil, so probably you will have to return to the USA in order to complete the petition package.
As a matchmaker, I believe that “what is meant to be, will be”. So it is not a big deal that you will have to wait a few extra months before you submit the petition. Important is that you do a proper job the first time. This is how to bring her to the USA the fastest.
Fiance and Marriage Visas News