RapidVisa Blog

If you worked in Singapore for 6 months or more from age 16, you definitely need a Police Clearance for your US Embassy Interview. Here's the instructions on how you get obtain a Singapore Police Clearance. Certificate of Clearance (COC) is issued by the Criminal Investigation Department of Singapore Police Force to CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE to certify that a person has no criminal conviction in Singapore. Applicant must show documentary proof from the relevant consulate/immigration authority/government authority which clearly indicates that the production of the COC is required. All applicants must pay attention to the following application procedure and documentation requirements: IMPORTANT INFORMATION: 1) Singapore Citizen residing in Singapore is to appear in person at the COC Office located at Blk D Police Cantonment Complex, #02-07/08, 391 New Bridge Road, Singapore 088762. The office is open from 8.30am to 12.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). 2) Singapore Citizen residing overseas...

New Applications Please have all your original documents and IDs photocopied before going to DFA on your appointment date. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Personal appearance Confirmed appointment Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) and duly authenticated by NSO. Transcribed Birth Certificate from the LCR is required when entries in NSO Birth Certificate are blurred or unreadable. (Report of Birth duly authenticated by NSO if born abroad) No need to submit a passport size photo Valid picture IDs and supporting documents to prove identity (Please refer to List of Acceptable IDs and List of Supporting Documents) NSO Birth Certificate Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO depending on the NSO signatory. In Case...

The United States Embassy in Ankara will implement new fee payment services.  These arrangements will reduce the cost of applying for a U.S. visa. Starting Wednesday December 19, 2012, applicants who wish to pay by cash will pay their visa application fees (MRV fee) in Turkish Lira at AK Bank. For convenience, AK Bank has 959 branches throughout Turkey. Alternatively, applicants can also pay their visa application fees by credit card in U.S. dollars online or through the automatic phone system. 

There's one mandated functions of the NBI is to act as national clearing house of criminal records and other information for use of all prosecuting and law enforcement entities in the Philippines, of identification records of all persons without criminal convictions. For a long time, the NBI clearance used the paper and ink method in the clearance application. Overtime, it shifted to the new clearance system known as the NBI Biometric Clearance System. It started on July 04, 2011 and continuously expands its operation by opening numerous satellite clearance centers nationwide. Presently, there 63 opening clearance centers nationwide, 16 of them are from regional and 22 from district offices, 11 are from Local Government Units and the rest are located at Malls, in Robinsons, Ever Gotesco, and at Duty Free Philippines. The following guidelines must be observed by the applicants: 1. Applicants are advised to observe proper dress code: shorts, sando, and slippers are not allowed. 2. Applicant should bring...

What is a CENOMAR? It is a certification issued by the NSO stating that a person has not contracted any marriage. Also called a certificate of No Record of Marriage or Certificate of Singleness. A Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR)  from the National Statistics Office (NSO) is simply what its name implies.

In legal definitions for interpersonal status, a single person is someone who has never been married. A person who was previously married and was divorced or widowed is usually considered an "unmarried" person. If a marriage is annulled, however, or it is found to have been void ab initio (i.e. not valid in law to start with), and assuming the person was not married previously, that individual is single, rather than unmarried.

When requesting for a CENOMAR, the interested party shall provide the following information to facilitate verification and issuance of certification.

CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) 

Complete name of the person Complete name of the...

A Birth Certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO) is a vital record that establishes the birth of a child. It is an official form that gives details on the time and place of a person's birth, and his or her name, sex, mother's name and (usually) father's name. The word "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document or a certified true copy of or representation of the original record of birth document. The birth certificate is issued shortly after an individual's birth, after the mother's physician files the required forms with the appropriate government agency, usually the local civil registrar's office. The official birth certificate is stored at LCR where records are archived at the NSO. The birth certificate is used to authenticate one's identity and nationality, and assist with obtaining government-issued identity documents, such as a passport or driver's license. Holding a birth certificate makes it easier to prove citizenship in nations where citizenship depends upon location...

Make sure to register your items before you leave the United States. If your laptop computer was made in Japan—for instance—you might have to pay duty on it each time you bring it back into the United States, unless you could prove that you owned it before you left on your trip. Documents that fully describe the item—such as sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals—are acceptable forms of proof. To make things easier, you can register certain items with CBP before you depart— including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and CD players—as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent markings. Take the items to the nearest CBP office and request a Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad (CBP Form 4457). It shows that you had the items with you before leaving the United States and all items listed on it will be allowed duty-free entry. CBP officers must see the item you are registering in order to certify the certificate of registration. You can also register items with CBP at the international airport from which you’re departing. Keep the certificate for future trips....

Parents and children schedule appointments together, even if they plan to travel separately. Each family member needs a DS-160 application barcode and fee receipt, and each family member needs appointment.  If children are applying, both parents should interview with the child. If one parent cannot attend, please bring a no objection letter from the absent parent. If your children are not applying for visas, please do not bring them to the Embassy unless absolutely necessary. There is limited space in the waiting room and the added noise makes it difficult for other applicants to hear properly during their interviews.


Source: http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/interviews-and-appointments.html

Majority of foreign citizens come from the United States of America. The largest number of foreign citizens in the country came from the United States of America (29,959 persons). The next largest numbers came from China (28,750 persons), Japan (11,583 persons), and India (8,963 persons). Foreign citizens in the country reaches nearly 200 thousand

Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH), the number of foreign citizens in the country was 177,368 as of May 2010. They comprised 0.2 percent of the total household population.

Three in ten foreign citizens (31.1 %) were residing in National Capital Region (NCR) at the time of the census. Those residing in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao made up 22.3 percent of the total foreign citizens. Region III had 9.0 percent, Region IVA had 8.4 percent, and Region VII had 6.0 percent of...

If you are a Principal Applicant, and been issued your immigrant visa (categories F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4, FX, K1 or K3) and already in the US and have children who you would like to join you in the U.S., then you need to do the following steps: 1. Contact the Visa Information Center

Persons in the Dominican Republic must purchase a personal identification number (PIN) at any Banco Popular branch (either the equivalent of US$5.25 in Dominican pesos for five minutes of access, or the equivalent of US$16.00 in Dominican pesos for 15 minutes). The PIN will become active 24 hours after you purchase it. Then call 1-809-200-3232. Persons in the United States must call 1-877-804-5402, and the call will be charged to their credit card. The operator will collect information from you, explain procedures, answer questions, and communicate your request for...

 If you need to reschedule an appointment you need to notify the Embassy immediately by fax, email or mail . Every effort will be made to ensure that a more convenient appointment time is given. Members of a family who will receive immigrant visas at a similar time, but have received different appointment dates, are encouraged to reschedule the appointments together. Important note: Many immigrant visa files include documents with validity expiration dates, and most types of administrative processes expire within three months. Please make sure that the administrative process for the applicants will be valid on the new interview date before rescheduling. Also make sure to bring new copies of expired documents to the interview. Source: http://turkey.usembassy.gov/reschedule_appointments.html...

All applicants for nonimmigrant visas are advised to arrive at the Embassy gates at least an hour before their scheduled appointments and to be inside the Embassy at least 15 minutes before their appointments. You need to make sure that all necessary documents are available on the day of the interview to avoid any inconvenience or delay of your appointment. Although all applicants should plan to arrive early, we understand that sometimes unexpected events do occur.  A one-hour grace period may be granted to the applicant, depending on the circumstances. Applicants are only allowed to reschedule their appointments twice through the call center (not including the initial appointment) without penalty. If the second rescheduled appointment is canceled, an applicant will only be allowed to reschedule after a waiting period of 90 days. Please note that same-day and next-day expedited appointments...

If your stay will take you beyond the initial 21 days, you can visit a local immigration office and apply for an extension of 38 days taking your total stay, in the Philippines, to 59 days. This extension is not a visa and is referred to as a visa waiver. 

This article will cover the entry and exit requirements for U.S. citizens visiting the Philippines as a tourist. This article covers quite a bit of information so it has been written in a five-part series with the first part covering the initial requirements to enter and exit the Philippines without extending or requiring a waiver.

Now that you have gotten married you will turn your focus to getting your foreign spouse to the United States. This step can be very time consuming, frustrating and expensive as the process and documents can be very complex and confusing.

Holders of valid visas in expired passports need not apply for a new visa.  US visas are valid through the expiry date printed on the visa regardless of the passport’s expiry date.  Simply travel with both passports when entering the United States.

Source: http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhni25.html#06

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a Consular Officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview.


Reference: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/a_zindex/a_zindex_4353.html

 Due to increased rates of TB infection in the U.S., the U.S. Government now requires more stringent testing and treatment of all applicants before they can immigrate to the U.S.
During the medical exam, the panel physician is required to test for TB.

Reference: http://bogota.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html

 Access to Consulates and Embassy Grounds
For security reasons, visa applicants and American citizens are not allowed to enter the Consulates or the Embassy grounds with bags (with the exception of one small purse), cell phones or any other electronic devices.
Reference: http://brazil.usembassy.gov/immigrant-visas/contact-info/hours.html

Any foreigner who wishes to marry in the Philippines is required by the Philippine Government to obtain from his/her Embassy a “Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage” before filing an application for a marriage license.

For U.S. citizens wanting to marry in the Philippines, there a few things that he or she needs to be aware of. This is not a complicated process but it can be very time consuming and may the requirements may be different than you are used to. This blog article will provide an overview of the process and lay it out in a manner that makes it easier to follow and understand.

The DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, is a fully integrated online application form that is used to collect the necessary application information from a person seeking a nonimmigrant visa for temporary travel to the United States. Form DS-160 is submitted electronically to the Department of State website via the Internet. Consular Officers use the information entered on the DS-160 to process the visa application and, combined with a personal interview, determine an applicant’s eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa. Reference: http://travel.state.gov/visa/forms/forms_4230.html ...

St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLEC) now offers online registration for those applying for a U.S. Immigrant Visa. This online service is to aid in the registration process and is expected to reduce registration time by having most of the applicant's information ready upon arrival at the registration area.

Mission China will be closed for the upcoming holidays. Visa consular services will be closed October 1st through October 8th. The appointment call center will be closed from Monday October 1st to Thursday October 4th for Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese National Day.  Have a nice holiday! Source: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/non-immigrant-visa-section.html

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Effective April 13, 2012 the Department of State will be reducing it's processing fees for all immigrant visas plus the K-1 Fiancee visa.  The price of a Tourist Visa along with other nonimmigrant visa types will be going up. Type of Visa Previous Fee New Fee K-1 Fiancee $350 $240 K-3 Spousal $350 $240 CR-1/IR-1 Spousal $330 $230 IR-5 Parent $330 $230 Tourist $140 $160 Reference...

Contrary to popular belief, the personal documents your fiancee takes to the interview in Kiev do not need to be translated as long as they are in Ukranian, Russian or English.  There are a lot of folks who don't want you to know this becasue they make good money charging for so-called "Certified Translations".  Here is the exact wording directly from the United States Embassy in Kiev: TRANSLATIONS: Documents in English, Ukrainian or Russian do not need to be translated. When you arrive for the interview, you MUST present all the original documents accompanied by an English translation, which is produced by a certified translator, only if the document is not in English, Ukrainian or Russian. To see this for yourself click here....

An exceptionally good video series by the US Consular Office in Manila.  This is a great resource for information on how the visa process works at the embassy!
Have questions about tourist visas? This might have your answers. The consular dispels a lot of myths & provides great insights to the inner working of the consular office.

 
My name was misspelled on my birth certificate. How do I request a police certificate from Hong Kong? Kuwait? Libya? & more...   ...Information from the US Embassy in Manila

Holiday Schedule for the Manila Embassy  The Immigrant Visa inquiry line 301-2000, extensions 5184 and 5185 will not be accessible on the following days: 

• Wednesday, December 21, 2011 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.;

• Friday, December 23 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 

• Monday, December 26 from 7:30 to 4:30 p.m.; and

• Friday, December 30 from 7:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

During these periods, please contact the Call Center at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 908-8930. Alternatively, written inquiries may be sent to IVManilaReplies@state.gov. 



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The Bangkok embassy website continues to link to old instructions that say either to pay at the post office and mail in the receipt, or to pay at the embassy.  Both of these instructions are wrong.

The $350 Non-Immigrant Visa Fee can be paid at any of the over 250 Thai Post Offices.  However, instead of mailing in the receipt along with your other documents, applicants should bring the receipt to the embassy with them when they come for their interview.

Reference

All visa applicants, regardless of age, need to complete a medical examination at the St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC) before the visa interview. Applicants are advised to have their medical examinations done at least one week before their interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

Philippine-born immigrant visa applicants 16 years and over are required to furnish certificates issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).  The green NBI certificate annotated for travel abroad is the correct certificate.  Other colors are for local use only.

When attending the Embassy Interview for the K-1 Fiancée Visa, K-3 Spousal Visa or CR1 Visa, the applicant is requried to bring their birth certificate. Applicants may obtain birth certificates at any NSO branch for a small fee.  Relatives in the Philippines may obtain these documents.  The NSO can also provide an index of all children born to an applicant. Birth certificates can also be ordered on the website www.ecensus.com.ph.   The site accepts credit cards issued in the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong.  There is a flat fee for each document of $20.  The fee includes shipping by courier to the delivery address abroad.

The following documents must be presented to the Consular Section (Embassy) on the day of your visa
interview. You will be notified in writing of the date of your interview.

The following document are required for your Visa interview at the U.S. embassy in London:

Birth Certificte:  Obtain the original, or certified copy, of the birth record of each family member (yourself and all unmarried children under the age of 21, even if they are not immigrating with you.  If the children are deceased, so state giving year of death).

Requirements for submitting requests in the United States Embassy in Managua

The only forms I-130 that can be submitted in Managua are those U.S. citizens who have been residing in Nicaragua continuously for at least 6 months before filing a petition for their spouses and / or unmarried children under 21 years age. In addition, foreign spouses and / or unmarried children must be permanent residents of Nicaragua. Both the U.S. citizen petitioner and the beneficiary must be present when submitting the request in the United States Embassy.

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You must bring the following original documents to your embassy interview in New Zealand:

If you will be having your Immigrant medical exam for the K-1, K-3 or other type of visa in New Zealand, you will need the following:

1. Passport for all applicants, including children.

2. Three photos of each applicant. Attach one to the Medical Examination form DS-2053, one to Xray form DS-3024, and one to Doctor's Request Slip for Laboratory testing.

3. Consulate's Medical Instruction Form; Enter your passport details on the form, which must be signed by the Physician and Laboratory staff.

4. Vaccination form DS-3025, to be completed by the doctor (one for each family member).If you have written evidence of having recent vaccinations you may not need to retake those shots. Bring this evidence with you.

The Department of State today announced the introduction of a redesigned Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The CRBA is an official record confirming that a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. The redesigned document has state-of-the-art security features that make it extremely resistant to alterations or forgery.

You are required to attach a copy of your most recent tax return to your I-134 or I-864 Affidavit of Support.  Opitionally, you can include your last 3 tax returns.  If you don't have copies of your tax return, you can get free transcripts from the IRS at the link below...

Need a Copy of Your Tax Return Information?

All K1, K2, K3 and K4 visa applicants must submit a completed Electronic Visa Application Form. The Electronic Visa Application Form must be filled out online at http://evisaforms.state.gov. After filling out the form online, applicants will be able to print a copy of their visa application form, which will include their data in a barcode format.

If you are the beneficiary applicant for a K-1 Faincée Visa or K-3 Spousal visa you must provide the U.S. embassy with a police report from all countries you have lived or worked in since age 16.  Many people travel to Hong Kong for work and therefore will need a Hong Kong police clearance.  The following are the instructions for obtaining the HK police clearance:

 

The issuance of Certificates of No Criminal Conviction is a charged service provided by the Hong Kong Police Force which is solely in connection with a person's application for a visa to visit or reside in another country, or for adoption of children. Applications for the Certificate for any other purposes will not be accepted.

The embassy will send you a list of documents that will normally include the following:

● Valid Passport, 2 visa photos and a photocopy of passport’s personal information pages. Each applicant must have a passport valid for at least 8 months beyond date visa is issued.

● Two copies of the DS-156 form in English with original signatures. Chinese nationals must also fill out Items 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 18, 20 in both English and Chinese and must provide the telegraph code for their Chinese surnames and given names while filling out Items 6 & 7, which can be found at most Chinese post offices.

The following are the authorized clinics for the embassy medical exam.  You must have your embassy interview letter to schedule your medical exam.  You must bring with you your passport and four passport photos.  Your medical exam must be complete before your embassy interview.

St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC) is the Embassy’s accredited medical facility. It is located at 1177 J. Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila. The telephone numbers are 521-0020 and 521-8647, and it is open for business Monday through Friday (except on Philippine holidays), from 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. When you go to SLMCEC for medical examination, you must bring your passport and one photo (size: 2” x 2”).

Female applicants can request a female doctor.  As of this writing the medical fee is US $213.35 ($185.35 for kids 14 and under).  Fees must be paid in Philippine pesos only.

Here is a map to St. Luke's Medical Center 



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If you are pregnant you must present a notarized letter from the petitioner stating he/she is aware of the pregnancy and still wishes to proceed with the proposed marriage.

• A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States.  • Birth certificate  • Divorce or death certificate of any previous spouse for both the applicant and the petitioner  • Police certificate from all places lived since age 16  • Medical examination  • Evidence of financial support (Form I-134, Affidavit of Support may be requested.)  • Two Nonimmigrant Visa Applications, Form DS-156 (A Form DS-156, prepared in duplicate.)  • One Nonimmigrant Fiancé(e) Visa Application, Form DS-156K  • Two passport photos (each two inches 50 X 50 mm square, showing full face, against a light background)  • Evidence of a fiancé relationship  The consular officer may ask for additional information according to the circumstances of the case. Documents in foreign languages should be translated....

The K1 and K3 medical exam will take place at a doctor's office, hospital or clinic that has contracted with the U.S. government to provide such services.  This will be a local provider and not a United States medical facility.  The embassy will have the local provider sign the agreement below which spells out the requirements for the medical exam.

Update: Note that these income requirements apply to the Adjustment of Status process.  For the actual K1 or K3 interview using Form I-134 Affidavit of Support, you only need to show an income of 100% of the poverty level for your household size.

If H.R.4321, Comprehensive Immigration Reform ASAP Act of 2009 passes unchanged, the income requirements for sponsoring a K1 fiance or K3 spouse would change from 125% of the poverty level to 100% of the poverty level. Here are the actual proposed changes.

One of the many new rules in the proposed Comprehensive Immigration Reform ASAP Act of 2009 would positively impact K1 and K3 applicants. The new rule impacts children of K1 and K3 aliens who join the beneficiary on a K2 or K3 visa.  The new rule would allow the child to use his age as of when the K1 or K3 petition was filed for purposes of getting a green card (adjusting status).

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing, along with four U.S. consulates general across China, is opening on Saturdays over the next few weeks to work a backlog of visa applications.

Yes, headgear can be worn in the passport photo if the person wears it for religious reasons, and normally wears it everyday. Here is what the USCIS says:

Unless worn daily for religious reasons, all hats or headgear should be removed for the photo. A signed statement from the applicant must be submitted with the application verifying the item is worn daily for religious reasons. In all cases, no item or attire should cover or otherwise obscure any part of the face.

Effective June 4, 2010, the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fee, also known as the embassy fee or interview fee will increase from $131 to $350 for the K1 & K3 visa. The K1 is the Fiance Visa and the K3 is the Spousal Visa.

There are two ways to book an interview appointment: through the Embassy call center or through the VisaPoint™ system.

Scheduling an appointment through the Embassy call center

These telephone appointment systems are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Philippine time, except Philippine holidays.

1-909-101-7878

The largest group of K1 beneficiaries come from the Philippines. Accordingly, It seems like I get a lot of folks asking how to contact the embassy. I'm going to list the contact information here...

After check-in of applicants at the entry gate, applicants will proceed to the Pavilion where they will submit their documents for data entry. Each applicant will receive a number. When you number is called, you proceed to the appropriate window for finger scanning. After finger scanning, documents including the DS-156 application for a nonimmigrant visa, and passport, will be returned to you for presentation to the interviewing officer.

A document promising that the person who completes it will support an applicant financially in the United States. Family and certain employment immigration cases require the I-864 Affidavit of Support, which is legally binding. All other cases use the I-134 Affidavit of Support.

Before the issuance of an immigrant visa, every applicant, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination which must be performed by one of a panel of doctors authorized to complete the medical examination and x-ray of U.S. visa applicants. Applicants are provided instructions by National Visa Center