How to apply for K-3 visa at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Completed USCIS Form I-130 submission
Completed USCIS Form I-129F submission
Approved I-129F petition
Required documents for embassy interview (see link below)

Step 1

Filing of USCIS Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. The filing fee is $355.00 per beneficiary. Thus if you have a child (K-4 derivative), you need to send a separate form and payment. You can also choose to submit your child's I-130 at a later date, during your AOS application in the US.

Please note that, when filing for a K-4 derivative visa, your marriage to your US citizen spouse must occurred before the 18th birthday of your child.

Once you receive the Notice of Action/Receipt (I-797), you may now start your I-129F submission. Do not forget to enclose a copy of this notice of receipt to your I-129F packet.
Step 2

Filing of USCIS Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e). There is no fee for this submission, since this filing is in conjunction with an I-130 petition a for K-3 visa application. This is the longest wait of the whole the process. The wait is over whenever you receive the Approval Notice (I-797) from the adjudicating USCIS service center.

If you register in USCIS case online service, you will receive an email the very moment the adjudicator approves or rejects your case. Even then, your USC petitioner will receive a paper copy in the mail. There will be a separate approvals for the I-130 and the I-129F. In most cases, approvals happen at the same day. Take note - at this stage, you can still change your route to a CR-1 / CR-2 application. If you do, inform NVC and USCIS, and most importantly, file form I-824. But if you wish to proceed with K-3/K-4, do nothing and just wait.
Step 3

The approved case will be forwarded from the USCIS service center to the National Visa Center. NVC will send a notification to the USC petitioner to inform him/her that the case will be now forwarded to the embassy for the visa application. If you do not have an idea on what is the status of your case, you can call NVC at 603- 334-0700 (then 1, 5) or email at NVCInquiry@state.gov.

Your I-130 form will be retained by the adjudicating service center (for your Adjustment of Status application in the US), while your I-129F will be forwarded to the embassy.
Step 4

Setting of embassy interview and medical appointment dates. When you receive a letter from the embassy confirming that the case is now "documentarily qualified" and is now ready to be scheduled, you need to call them. As of March 19, 2008 onward, the embassy has implemented a new scheduling process. It is the US petitioner or the visa applicant who will set the schedule. Visit the embassy website for more details. See link below.

It is recommended to take your medical exam at St. Luke's Extended Clinic a week or two before your embassy interview.
Step 5

Medical Examination at St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic.

The new medical exam fee is US $213.35 for adults (15 years and older) and US $185.35 for children (under 15 years of age). SLEC does not accept dollar payment. Be prepare to pay in peso equivalent of the said fees. Payment is done during the first day at the SLEC cashier. Do not worry at the first stage of the process they will give your a flowchart sheet for your guidance. You need to bring the following: appointment letter from NVC or the email print-out sent by the embassy Call Center, passport, 2 pcs. 2×2 colored picture in white background, and the fees.

The medical exam will take two business days. Do not forget to have a copy of your appointment letter from NVC or the email print-out sent by the embassy Call Center. It is recommended to undergo the exam two-three weeks before your interview date. If something goes wrong with your result, at least, you have the time to correct it. Like for example - if your X-Ray will show some signs of TB, you have to udergo another X-Ray and sputum test which will take another 3 days. Also, do not forget to have your immunizations even before the med exam. SLEC will only give you one shot of each kind of vaccine. Remember - most of the vaccines require 2 or more shots to complete. If SLEC will give you one shot of a 3-shot vaccines, that means that you have to complete your shots in the US. I tell you, it is very expensive here in the US. Go to your local physician or health center, and complete your vaccines as early as possible. Be ready to show you chickenpox scar, if you have. If you have the proof that you had a chickenpox before, you will be exempted for varicella shots. DO NOT forget to bring your immunization record, medical certificate (if you have major surgeries-but not really required), and previous X-Ray film within 6 months (if you have). These two days will test your patience. Be prepare for a very long wait. Have a little bit of food and water in your bag especially when you have a kid with you. When you are done with the whole medical exam, your passport will NOT be given to you. SLEC will forward it directly to the US embassy for your interview. You can call them at (632) 521 - 0020 , 521 - 8647, 524 - 6083.
Step 6

Embassy interview.This is your big day. Relax and enjoy. If you are a senior citizen, pregnant or with a child or children during the interview, rejoice. You will be given priority over other applicants not stated above. After the interview, you will be require to pay Delbros, even if your case in put in Administrative Review. At the end of the process, a pink slip means outright approval. If you are given a white slip with "wait until you hear from us" note, most likely, your case is under Administrative Review. A blue slip means outright rejection.
Step 7

Issuance Of Visa. Once your case is approved, the embasy normally asked you to pay in advance the courier, which has a booth inside the embassy itself. However, if you have gotten a 221(g) document at the end of the interview, this means that either you have to submit additional documents or your case in under adminstrative review. If you are required to submit more documents, follow this instructions from the embassy. If it is adminstrative review, the embassy will contact you when a decision is made.
Step 8

Port of entry. Welcome to America! At your POE (port of entry), you will be asked to fill up your I-94 (Arrival and Departure Record). After this, the immigration officer will staple the half of the document in your passport. BE SURE to have this attached in your passport. In case the officer forgets it, ask her/him. You badly need this document in almost everything you do here in the US -like application for AOS, EAD, SSN, Driver's License, State ID, etc.

Oooppps! you are not yet done, you have to apply for adjustment of status to Legal Permanent Resident. At this stage, I am pretty sure that you will be an immigrant expert yourself, so may no longer need my guidance. Good luck, friends.