After your fiance visa petition is approved by the USCIS in the United States, it is forwarded to the US embassy for final processing.
Generally, the US embassy will contact your fiance when his or her case file is received, a case number is assigned, and the embassy is ready to proceed.
Consular processing from your perspective consists of gathering the original (and copy) of required supporting documents; preparing and submitting the Department of State application forms along with the requested documents; paying the visa and medical examination fees; attending the medical examination; and finally, attending the consular interview.
The steps required differ from country to country.
Please find the consular processing package and procedures from the US embassy in Manila which is in charge of all fiance visa cases for the Philippines. I try to keep this information as current as possible, but you should always check with the U.S. embassy web site for the most up-to-date information.
1. K-1 Consular Package (English)
2. K-1 Consular Package (Tagalog)
Once the K-1 consular package is received from the US embassy in Manila, you may go ahead and schedule your K-1 visa interview. You should then begin to gather all of the supporting documents listed on the K-1 Consular Package, pay the visa fee, and pay for and attend your medical examination at the hospital indicated.
Please be aware that Philippine law requires all Filipino emigrants or those leaving the country to settle permanently abroad to attend the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Only emigrants aged 12 years and younger are exempted from attending the PDOS. For additional information (registration and counseling requirements, PDOS schedule, and schedule of guidance and counseling sessions), the applicant may visit CFO’s website at: http://www.cfo.gov.ph.
Scheduling Appointments for IV or K Petitions
To schedule a visa appointment for IV or K petitions, please contact the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service at (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Manila time), except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers in the U.S should call (214) 571-1600, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
You must have the case number, passport number, and passport expiry date for each applicant (principal applicant and derivative family members) ready when requesting for a visa appointment.
You can also get information and book an appointment online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph.
Embassy of the United States of America
Consular Section – Immigrant Visa Unit
Manila Philippines
Dear K1/K2 Visa Applicant:
This is to inform you that an approved I-129F visa petition has been received by the Embassy from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) according you status as a fiancé(e) under the provisions of Section 101(a)(15)(K) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. You are now eligible to be scheduled for a visa interview. You must pay the K visa application fee before you can schedule an interview appointment.
The application fee for a K1 or K2 nonimmigrant visa is US$240, payable only in Philippine pesos at the prevailing exchange rate.
There are three ways to pay the K visa application fee: cash payment at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) branch; online payment bill option provided by BPI to their clients; or online payment through Bancnet.
All K visa applicants are required to present a U.S. visa application deposit slip to pay the K visa fee. They must print the applicable U.S. visa application deposit slip which can be downloaded from the online appointment website: http://ustraveldocs.com/ph/ph-niv-paymentinfo.asp, and take it to the bank to pay the fee. For K1/K2 visa payment instructions, you may visit a link to our website. The visa fee is non-transferrable and is valid for one year.
Once you have paid your visa application fee, you may schedule your appointment for your visa interview. To do so, please visit the U.S. Embassy in Manila’s Visa Information and Appointment Service online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph or call (632) 982-5555 or (632) 902-8930. The Visa Information and Appointment Service is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers may speak with an English-, Tagalog-, Ilocano-, or Cebuano-speaking operator. Applicants, agents or petitioners calling from the United States may also use this service by calling (214) 571-1600.
You must bring the following documentation when you come to the Embassy for your interview:
1. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. It is important that you submit ALL of the following documentation to facilitate the processing of your application. You may be asked to return for another appointment if you fail to bring any of these documents:
a. PASSPORT. You must have a passport valid for at least six (6) months. If you do not have one, you should apply in person at the Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA), Aseana Business Park, Bradco Avenue corner Macapagal Boulevard, Paranaque City. Applicants may set an appointment by going online at https://www.passport.gov.ph/ or by calling 02-737-1000. The DFA website is https://www.dfa.gov.ph.
b. NONIMMIGRANT VISA ELECTRONIC APPLICATION (DS-160) CONFIRMATION PAGE. You must print the DS-160 Confirmation Page that contains the barcode information to bring to your interview.
c. BIRTH CERTIFICATE. Your birth certificate should be a copy issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on security paper (not from the Local Civil Registry Office). If applicable, you should also submit NSO birth certificates for all your children, even for those who are not applying for a visa. You may call the NSO Information Center at 02-737-1111 to inquire on securing a birth certificate or visit their website at https://psa.gov.ph/. If the NSO does not have a copy of the birth certificate, you must obtain a statement about its unavailability from the NSO and obtain a certified original copy (not an extract) of the birth certificate from the local registrar in the town where you were born.
d. NBI CLEARANCE (Green Form). Applicants aged 16 years and older must have a valid Record Clearance (for travel abroad purposes) from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Clearances should be in the applicant’s current name, birth certificate name, maiden name and any aliases or nicknames used, including different spellings you have used of those names. An official letter of explanation from the NBI is required for any notation of “No criminal record” or “No pending case”. For immigration purposes, an NBI clearance is valid for one (1) year from the date it was issued. The NBI website is http://www.nbi.gov.ph.
e. OTHER COUNTRY POLICE CERTIFICATES. Applicants aged 16 years and older must also present police certificates from other countries where they have lived for six (6) months or more after reaching the age of 16. As with NBI clearances, foreign police certificates should be obtained in any maiden names, aliases or nicknames used while in the country in question, including different spellings you have used of those names. Country-specific information on how to secure police certificates is available on the State Department’s website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html.
f. COURT AND PRISON RECORDS: Applicants who have been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime must present copies or transcripts of court or prison records relating to the crime or offense.
g. MILITARY OR POLICE SERVICE RECORDS: Applicants who served in the military or police should present certified copies of their military or police service records.
h. EVIDENCE OF A GENUINE ENGAGEMENT. You must be prepared to prove to the consular officer that you have a genuine relationship with your petitioner and a clear intention to marry within 90 days of admission into the U.S. In the past, successful applicants have submitted photographs, letters, e-mails, phone records, bank records, and remittance records as evidence supporting their relationships and intent to marry.
i. PROOF OF TERMINATION OF A PRIOR MARRIAGE. If applicable, official documents (divorce decree, annulment decree or death certificate, etc.) that prove all prior marriages contracted by you and the petitioner have been legally terminated prior to the filing of the petition must be submitted.
j. CERTIFICATE OF NO MARRIAGE RECORD (CENOMAR). If you have never contracted marriage, a CENOMAR (Singleness) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and printed on NSO security paper should be submitted. You may call the NSO Information Center at 02-737-1111 to inquire on securing a CENOMAR or visit their website at https://psa.gov.ph/.
k. EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT. You should be able to demonstrate that you will not become a public charge or be a burden on the U.S. taxpayers for financial support. A completed I-134 Affidavit of Support Form with original signature will be useful to the consular officer to evaluate your petitioner’s ability to be financially responsible for you. You should also submit your petitioner’s most recent U.S. Federal income tax return (Form 1040) and wage statements (Form W-2). Employment letters stating salaries and bank statements may be included to substantiate the I-134. Download Form I-134 at https://www.uscis.gov/forms.
l. VISA PHOTOGRAPHS. You must bring three (3) color photographs; two are for the visa and one is for the medical report. Size and format specifications must be strictly observed: Photos should measure 2 by 2 inches (roughly 50 mm square) with a white background and the head centered in the frame. The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (25 mm to 35 mm) with the eye level between 1 1/8 inch and 1 3/8 inches (28 mm and 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo.
m. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) DOCUMENTS: If you have applied for any benefit, such as a change of status, adjustment of status, or asylum, before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or have been the subject of any enforcement proceedings, such as deportation or removal proceedings, by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), please bring all documents pertaining to such matters with you to the interview.
n. MEDICAL EXAMINATION. All K1 and K2 visa applicants must complete a medical examination at St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC) at least a week before the interview appointment. Prior to their visit, applicants are also encouraged to register online with SLMCEC at their website: www.slec.ph. Registering online will save processing time and make the visit to SLMCEC faster and more efficient. Refer to the instructions (see separate page) regarding the medical examination.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- Come To The Embassy On Your Appointed Interview Date.
- If you are eligible for a K1 or K2 visa, your passport with the approved visa will be delivered to your designated delivery address at no additional cost. The Embassy uses a guaranteed courier service to handle visa deliveries. 2GO commercial courier is the new Embassy’s authorized courier service provider for the visa units. Delivery should be within two weeks from your visa issuance. Applicants also have the option to pick up the visas at any 2GO branch.
- If we have questions about your application, we will send a letter and ask you to submit additional documents, or to return to the Embassy for another interview. No Embassy representative is authorized to tell you that a visa has been approved until a consular officer authorizes printing of the visa.
- For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants are no longer permitted to bring cell phones or other electronic devices into the U.S. Embassy. Applicants who bring such devices will be denied entry. Please make arrangements to leave your electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds during your interview appointment.
- We will try to return documents that you submitted and asked us to return, but do not give us anything that cannot be replaced. Make copies of important documents and submit copies along with the originals you want returned to you.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six (6) months. We will ask you to submit a new passport if your current one has a validity of less than six (6) months.
- The K1 or K2 visa is NOT an immigrant visa (IV), nor is it a lawful permanent resident card (green card). The K1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) that allows you to travel to the United States to marry your petitioner within 90 days of your entry to the United States. Once you marry, you need to apply to the USCIS to adjust your status to a legal permanent resident (LPR). Traveling outside of the U.S. while an adjustment of status application is pending may have severe consequences. You should contact the USCIS before you travel to determine if you require a travel document to re-enter the U.S. It is important that you obtain proper documentation before leaving the United States, even on an emergency. The K1/K2 visa is valid for only one-entry into the U.S. Once you enter U.S. territory, e.g., Guam, you will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. on the same visa if your onward flight transits a third country.
- Minor children who are identified and listed in the approved I-129F petition may follow-to-join their petitioned parent. However, such follow-to-join K2 visas can only be issued within one year from the time the parent was issued the K1 visa. After one (1) year, they will no longer be able to derive immigration benefits from the I-129F petition and you or your spouse will have to file an immediate relative or second preference petition for them to qualify again for immigration benefits.
- If you have one or more children not listed on the visa petition, or a current pregnancy, or a prior undisclosed marriage even if the marriage has now been terminated, or are currently afflicted with a contagious or communicable disease of public health significance, you must be prepared to present a notarized letter from the petitioner stating he/she is aware of the discrepancies between the facts stated on the petition and your actual personal circumstances, and still wishes to proceed with the proposed marriage.
- Do not finalize arrangements for travel to the United States, dispose of properties, or resign from your job until a visa has been issued and delivered to you. Generally, a one-entry fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa is valid for six months from the date of issuance, unless its validity is limited by medical or other restrictions.
W A R N I N G
VISA FRAUD IS A SERIOUS OFFENSE. ATTEMPTS TO MISREPRESENT A MATERIAL FACT OR MISLEAD A CONSULAR OFFICER MAY JEOPARDIZE CURRENT AND FUTURE VISA APPLICATIONS
MEDICAL EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
FOR FIANCE(E) VISA APPLICANTS
Under U.S. immigration law, ALL applicants for fiancé(e) visas are required to undergo and complete a medical examination, regardless of age. The medical examination findings by a panel physician are binding on the consular officer and used to determine eligibility to receive a visa.
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 6:00 p.m.to 4:00 p.m. When you go to SLMCEC for medical examination, you must bring your passport and three photos (size: 2” x 2”). Prior to your visit, you are also encouraged to register online with SLMCEC at their website: www.slec.ph. Registering online will save processing time and make your visit to SLMCEC faster and more efficient.
It is important to complete your medical examination at least a week before your interview appointment. Otherwise, your visa application may be refused or you may be asked to return for another appointment. The medical examination results are delivered directly to the Embassy.
First-Come, First-Served
Applicants are examined on a first-come, first-served basis. Medical examinations may take more than one day to complete. Female applicants may request a female doctor to perform the examination. Unless it is necessary, do not bring companions due to space limitation at the clinic.
Fees
The medical examination fee is US$223.35 for adults (15 years of age or older) and US$185.35 for children (14 years of age or younger). Repeat X-rays will cost US$7 each. Fees must be paid only in Philippine pesos at the prevailing exchange rate.
X-Rays
A chest X-ray is not required for children below 15 years old, unless symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) exist, there is a history of TB, or there has been possible exposure of TB with a known case such as a family or household member with TB.
The U.S. Public Health Service/Centers for Disease Control (USPHS/CDC) mandates women who are pregnant to have chest X-ray examinations conducted. Chest X-rays for pregnant women are not dangerous if taken with the proper shielding. Applicants who have previous chest X-rays must bring the results with them to SLMCEC for comparative analysis.
VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR “K” VISA APPLICANTS
U.S. immigration law requires that ALL immigrant visa applicants be vaccinated against certain vaccine-preventable diseases before they can be admitted to the United States for permanent residence.
Vaccinations currently required are as follows:
Mumps Measles Rubella Polio Tetanus Diphtheria Pertussis Haemophilus influenzae Type B Rotavirus Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Meningococcal disease Varicella Pneumococcal Influenza Any other vaccinations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.
Note: On December 14, 2009, the 2009 Technical Instructions for Panel Physicians for Vaccinations had replaced the 2007 Vaccination Technical Instructions for Panel Physicians. For more information, please click here.
“K” visa applicants, as nonimmigrant visa applicants, are technically not subject to the vaccination requirement. “K” visa applicants who refuse to comply with the vaccination requirement will not be denied a visa on that basis. As a matter of expediency, however, it is encouraged that “K” visa applicants meet the vaccination requirement before they are admitted into the U.S.
Bring Your Vaccination Records for the Panel Physician’s Review
You should bring records to show that you have already received vaccinations against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. The panel physician will review the vaccination records and will determine if you meet the vaccination requirement. Only the panel physician can determine which vaccinations are medically appropriate. This could mean that you may be required to repeat doses of vaccines that you have already received. Administering a second dose, however, will not endanger your health.
Adjustment of Status Application after “K” Applicant’s Admission into the U.S. After you have been admitted to the U.S. in “K” status and apply for adjustment from nonimmigrant to a permanent resident (green card holder), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will use the panel physician’s vaccination assessment to determine your admissibility on medical grounds. Applicants who have not fully complied with the vaccination requirement will have to do so before they may finalize their adjustment of status in the U.S.
Vaccination Requirement Waiver
A decision to grant a waiver of the vaccination requirement will only be made at the time an adjustment of status is filed and reviewed by the USCIS.