Cake and eating it too.

[capt david]

The Filipina that I am most interested in tells me that she is still a virgin and I believe her. I respect that and don't want her to be compromised. I am a teacher and have only enough money to go to the Phils once. If I find the right one I plan to marry. I have heard that it is much quicker to go the Fiancee visa "route." Is there a way, if you are sure she is the one, to marry in the Phils and still bring her to the states using the fiancee visa. I teach in Brownsville Texas and have have seen the problems that can arise if any "technicality" is used. It would be wonderful to "honey moon" in the Phils, but not at the expense of months more of waiting. Thanks in advance, capt david

[Bear]

... in response to Cake and eating it too., posted by capt david on Nov 8, 2001

The new K-3 (when implemented) will get your spouse here with in a few weeks of your filing both a I-130 and an I-129F.  Once you recieve the NOA on the I-130 you file the I-129F including that number.  4-8 Weeks later she takes a physical and buys a plane ticket, finishes the immigration process here.

Bear

[capt david]

... in response to Re: Cake and eating it too., posted by Bear on Nov 8, 2001

I think that I have found the one, but who knows untill we actually meet. I am not going until June, so I have time. When will the new paperwork become in effect? I know that you got married in the Phils. What did that intail, and what do I need to start doing before I go? BTW There is a regional INS office about twenty minuets from my school. Can I just show up and find a real person that might be of some help? Thanks for your help. capt david

[Ray]

... in response to I have time, but?, posted by capt david on Nov 9, 2001

Start reading here capt:

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwh3317.html

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/rp1/wwwh3318.html

After you get the affidavit from the consulate, you apply for the Marriage license. There is a 10-day waiting period and usually a required seminar before you can get married.

Will you be married in the church? If so, there are other documents and requirements you’ll need to meet.

For the INS forms to bring with you, you can download them off of the Internet, but I would recommend ordering an I-130 spouse package from the INS by phone. Your local INS office may have them also.

Question: Are you SURE you want to do this in one trip?

Ray

[capt david]

... in response to Homework Assignment, posted by Ray on Nov 9, 2001

.........dunno, until I meet her. She seems wonderful on paper, but who the heck knows until we meet. At my salary I can only afford a trip about every two or three years, this will be my first to the Phils. I wasn't looking very hard and I found someone special it seems. I have enough to get her here, but not to go twice and bring her back. At this point I am just exploring the "what ifs." thanks capt david

[Jeff S]

... in response to I absolotely positively..........., posted by capt david on Nov 9, 2001

I'm with the group on this one - take your time. You could make enough in a few months with a part time job or by buying fishing tackle at flea markets and selling it on e-bay or tutoring one the side or all sorts of things to make a trip or two every year. Don't be in a hurry. Meeting someone while you're on vacation for a couple weeks in a tropical paradise is no way to decide if you're going to be compatable for the rest of your life. Both you and she will be on your best behavior and it will be no indication of what the rest of your life will be like. Sure, there are people who "just know" when they meet, but by and large, many of those "love at first sight" scenarios end up  disasters. If you hurry things thinking "Gee, I gotta decide right now because it will take me two years to save up to come back" you may be making a huge mistake. If you know, you know, but putting a timeline on falling in love is sure to kick in the desperation factor and desperation rarely wins out. In my own case it was two years of two trips a year before we got engaged, then two more trips before we got married - and no I didn't have that much money at the time, but I made it work out. I searched for bargain tickets, stayed with her family, etc, etc. to just get to spend time with her until I finally knew it was right.
-- Jeff S.

[Richard]

... in response to I absolotely positively..........., posted by capt david on Nov 9, 2001

If she turns out to be "the one", have you considered bringing here here on a K1 fiance visa and marrying her here?  This would give the two of you a little more time to make sure that this is actually what you want to do. This way you have the option of going back to her home (when you can afford the trip) and having a second ceremony for her family there.  I know some couples that have gotten married in a small ceremony to make it legal and then held another fancy wedding to actually celebrate the wedding with friends and family.

[capt david]

... in response to Re: I absolotely positively..........., posted by Richard on Nov 10, 2001

....and still is my original plan. I have always thought that bringing her here on a fiancee visa would give us the time to consider everything. As I have said before I am exploring my options. Thanks,capt david

[Ray]

... in response to I absolotely positively..........., posted by capt david on Nov 9, 2001

I think you should be able to make a trip over for $1,500 or less with no problem. If you really wanted to go cheap, you could cut that in half.

If you bring all the papers just in case, then decide to marry while you are there, you may be sort of limited in the type of wedding ceremony because of time restrictions.

My advice in that case would be to come back for a wedding after the young lady has a chance to plan her dream wedding and make all the arrangements, unless she doesn't care for anything fancy. A good size church wedding over there would cost you $2,000 to $5,000 maybe. But a $5,000 wedding there is like a $40,000 wedding here.

Whatever you do, take HER wishes into consideration first before your own when it comes to wedding planning. This is a very important day for these ladies and you want to make sure she has a happy wedding.

Just some junk to think about. You've got plenty of time until June :-)

Ray

[Bob S.]

... in response to Cake and eating it too., posted by capt david on Nov 8, 2001

Taking a single trip and getting married while there?  Oooo, that's rushing in where angels fear to tread.

But anyway, no, if you "legally" get married while in the Phillipines complete with legal documentation, then legally she is your wife, NOT your fiancée.  So you would file for an I-130 Spousal Visa rather than an I-129F Fiance Visa.  Others have gone that route.  And expiditing an I-130 Visa request is no easy task.  It only seems to work well if the guy resides there long enough to do a direct consular filing.  Unless you are able and willing to spend months there, it can be problematic at best (at least from the previous posts I've read).

If you want to get hitched but have her legally remain a fiancée, you could try to talk her into some sort of bogus "commitment" ceremony where you exchange rings and promise to be faithful to each other.  But you file no papers, and legally her status is just your girl friend/fiancée.  And you would still have to get married again (for real this time) once she is here.  You know her better than us.  Would your gal go for something like that?