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My fiance got denied in Cebu at the CFO. Can she do the CFO in Manila,or do i have to back to the Philippines?

... in response to Got denied at COF in Cebu, What can i do..., posted by hitmanbrett2004 on Jun 25, 2005

Yes, she can go to Manila to complete the CFO seminar.

What exactly do you mean she was “denied”? They can delay approval, make it difficult for the lady, and generally be a pain in the ass, but I have never heard of anyone being “denied”.

If the CFO counselors see something that they interpret as not being in the interest of the female visa applicant, they sometimes order further counseling or can request an interview with the girl’s parents if she is under 25. What usually triggers red flags for the CFO is a very young girl engaged to an older man who has been divorced more that once. Did she provide a copy of a divorce decree for you when she went to the CFO? Was there anything in the divorce decree related to any kind of spousal abuse or violence on your part?

The lady who used to run the Cebu CFO office (don’t know if she’s still there) was very strict compared to the people working at CFO in Manila. She would sometimes tell young girls (under 21) that they weren’t old enough to marry and that they should wait a few years. She got a lot of complaints, but I guess she has a lot of leeway with the approval stamp. If the young lady persisted and jumped through all the hoops, showing her real commitment to the relationship, then she would eventually be approved.

Sometimes a personal phone call from you to the head of the Cebu CFO office will clear things up if there is something that she is concerned about on your side. By speaking directly to her on the phone, it often helps to make you seem more like a real person rather than just a name on some documents. The CFO people, while seeming to be wielding their authority recklessly, are generally motivated by a desire to protect the Filipina women from exercising poor judgement or putting themselves in a potentially dangerous position by marrying a questionable foreigner.

How many times have you been previously married? How old are you and your fiancée? What was the specific reason for the “denial”?

Ray

... in response to Re: Got denied at COF in Cebu, posted by Ray on Jun 25, 2005

I have only been married once before. My age is 42 and her age is 20. She didn't know alot about my work and my wage.

... in response to Re: Re: Got denied at COF in Cebu, posted by hitmanbrett2004 on Jun 27, 2005

They will often ask her a lot of questions about your family and personal life to see how well she knows you and to make sure that she is making an informed decision.

What was the reason for the denial? Were they specific?

Did they ask her to come back with more documentation?

Ray

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Got denied at CFO in Cebu, posted by Ray on Jun 27, 2005

yes, they asked her for more paperwork she did not bring with her. they asked her about my work, she did not know.  nothey did not ask her to come back.

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Got denied at CFO in Ceb..., posted by hitmanbrett2004 on Jun 28, 2005

Why doesn’t she know anything about your work? How long have you known each other?

I think you and your fiancée need to work with the CFO people in Cebu. She can always travel to Manila and sign up for the CFO seminar there, but she is likely to run into the same problem. A lot of those questions they are asking at CFO are going to come up again during her visa interview. I can guarantee you that if she has little knowledge of your personal life, then they will flat out deny her fiancée visa. Why? Because there are a lot of folks filing for visas with fraudulent intent. Some families here in the U.S. will pay an American citizen to petition their Filipino relative in order to get them into the country. If the consular officer even suspects that your relationship is not a genuine one, you are going to have problems.

Make sure your fiancée knows everything about you, including your job, your family, your children, your ex-wife, your car, your pets, everything! Send her a copy of your COMPLETE divorce decree and make sure she understands why you divorced. She will need your divorce papers for both the CFO and the visa interview documentation.

At her visa interview, she will need to present evidence of a valid relationship. She should have a sample of at least 6-8 letters or cards from you and your family members, in the original envelope with postmark, covering the entire period of your relationship if possible. She should also have copies of phone records, e-mails, chat transcripts, money transfers, photographs, or anything else that shows a genuine relationship with the intent to marry. She will also need evidence of your financial status including your employment, income, tax returns, etc.  They will ask her questions about you and your relationship to determine if she really does know you well. If she has little knowledge of your life, then no visa.

Ray