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The IR Visa
A spouse of a
U.S. citizen is considered an immediate
relative (IR) and is immediately eligible to
apply for an immigrant visa under the IR
category. The Filipino spouse must be the
beneficiary of an
I-130 petition
approved by the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS). This petition
must be filed at the USCIS office that has
jurisdiction over the petitioner's (American
spouse) place of residence. On a
case-to-case basis, a U.S. citizen who
resides in the Philippines may be allowed to
file the I-130 petition at the immigration
services office at the U.S. Embassy in
Manila. However, the petitioner must be
domiciled
or residing in the United States at the time
the Filipino spouse has a visa interview.
NOTE: Active-duty U.S.
military personnel and other U.S. Government
personnel are considered domiciled in the
United States while serving overseas.
Children (below 21 years of age and
unmarried) of the Filipino spouse are also
eligible to apply for IR visas if individual
petitions are filed on their behalf by the
U.S. citizen spouse. Under U.S. immigration
law, only children under the age of 18 at
the time their natural parent married a U.S.
citizen are considered “step-children” for
immigration purpose. Children who were 18
years or older at the time of the marriage
may not be petitioned as step-children. They
may be petitioned by the Filipino parent
after he/she becomes a lawful permanent
resident (LPR) of the United States.
Once an I-130 petition is approved, the
National Visa Center (NVC)
in the United States notifies the petitioner
and provides guidance on how the Filipino
spouse and children can apply for IR1 and
IR2 visas respectively.
The NVC queues the applicant(s) for an
interview and forwards the approved petition
to the Embassy in Manila. The NVC will
likewise notify the applicant(s) when they
are scheduled to report for the medical
examination and visa interview.
It takes 6 to 24 months from the date a
petition is approved for the IR visa to be
issued.
If an investigation is required and if
the applicant does not satisfy all
application requirements, visa issuance may
take longer. A U.S. citizen should not
arrange to take the Filipino spouse back to
the United States immediately following the
marriage. No travel arrangements should be
finalized until a visa has been issued.
Because of the time involved in processing
the application for an immigrant visa, it is
recommended that the petitioner and
beneficiary gather the required
documentation to submit with the visa
application at the earliest possible time.
Medical Examination Fees
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- St. Luke's Medical Center Extension
Clinic (SLMCEC) in Manila, the Embassy's
accredited medical facility, charged
U.S. $213.35 for adults (15 years and
older) and U.S. $185.35 for children
(under 15 years of age) for the medical
examination fees.
- SLMCEC does not accept credit card
or dollar payments. The fees must be
paid in Philippine pesos at the
prevailing exchange rate.
- If you missed your visa interview
appointment at the U.S. Embassy in
Manila because of additional medical
tests, SLMCEC will schedule your embassy
interview appointment within the next
two working days. SLMCEC will give you
an appointment slip. You should bring
the appointment slip together with your
original appointment letter to
facilitate entry into the U.S. Embassy
in Manila.
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Visa Delivery
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The issued visa will be delivered to the
applicant's designated address by
Air 21 (the
Embassy's authorized courier service
provider) within 7 to 10 working days. The
visa delivery fee, which is determined by
the courier service, is paid by the
applicant. This fee to the courier service
is separate from any fees paid to the U.S.
Government. Applicants do not need return to
the Embassy to pick up their issued visas.
You may direct visa delivery inquiries to
Air21 U.S. Embassy service hotline at
879-4747 or to the U.S. Embassy page at the
Air21 website (Click
HERE for
the link). |
Philippines Calling Cards
Rates from
USA
to
Philippines
9.7 ˘/min
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AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP
Your wife can apply for Naturalization
(Citizenship) if she has been in her Green Card
status (including Conditional Green Card) for 2
years and 9 months and married to a U.S. citizen for
that entire period of time. To get a Green Card she
must apply for an Adjustment of Status after you are
married.
Why do Filipinas like to marry
foreign men?
One reason is
Filipinas see foreign men as more stable and
faithful. They consider an older man to be
less likely to stray. Part of the culture
here is that a married man may have one or
more girlfriends or mistresses. It is a
commonly held belief that this is tolerated
as a part of the culture. The truth is the
men tolerate it and the wives hate it!
However, because this is a catholic
dominated country there is no divorce and
annulment is very expensive to attain. A
woman would lose nearly all she has
including her children if she made a fuss
and her husband was more powerful than she.
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