“What is the CFO Seminar (Philippines) and why is it required?” The CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) Seminar is a Philippine government requirement for Filipinos leaving the country. It’s partially for their internal counting of people expatriating, but also it gives a crash-course on a few things Filipinos should know when emigrating out of the […]

On July 5th, 2019, USCIS will permanently close its field office in Manila, Philippines, as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce legal immigration. After this date, there will be no USCIS international field office located in the Philippines. The office began redirecting Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the USCIS Lockbox on […]

Why would the Philippines not allow a joint sponsor for a K-1? Many US embassies accept joint sponsors for fiance visas. However, unfortunately, the most popular country for the K1 visa, the Philippines, doesn’t allow them. They do allow joint sponsors for married couples applying for CR1 visas, but not the fiance visa. It’s unfortunate, […]

How long is the PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] taking for the official marriage certificate? I will need this before applying for the CR1 spousal visa. If you get married in the Philippines (civil), you will need to take the certificate of marriage to the local Philippine Civil Registrar where one the parties is a resident. […]

“Do you know how long it takes to get an appointment for the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) seminar? I don’t want a situation where my girlfriend gets her visa and then has to wait a few months to attend the seminar. It seems like the website doesn’t allow you to make an appointment without […]

Can I get married in the U.S. if I’m married here in the Philippines, but I’ve been separated for 12 years? You may be able to get married, but the USCIS and Department of State are not going to accept that as a legal marriage. In order to legally marry and receive an immigration benefit […]

So you are a Filipina with a fiance in the US and you want to visit him on a tourist visa. What are your chances for tourist visa approval? Honestly, they’re not good, unfortunately. Issues that face most people in this situation are regards to strong ties. If you are a young, single Filipina with […]

Joshua Strange asks: “I’m going to the Philippines next Friday. Is there anything special I need to do for the K-1 visa?” Whether or not you’re going for the first time, you want to keep evidence of your meeting. For the K1, one of the things you have to prove is that you’ve physically met […]

Sharlene asks: “Hi. I just want to ask about the CFO in the Philippines. I came across it when I was checking out your site. Do I need to do it now even before we start the visa process with you?” The CFO stands for “Commission on Filipinos Overseas”. In the Philippines, you have what […]

Next question comes to us from Instagram: “Do you guys mainly help with the Philippines? My fiancee is from the Dominican Republic.” Excellent question. Last time I checked, I believe we’ve processed visas from over 174 countries. We do mention Philippines a lot because we do have a couple of call centers over there, and […]