I got my Barangay Clearance, Court Clearance and Police Clearance. You can get the first one from your Barangay Chairman and the last two from your City Hall. These only took half a day to complete! These are not included in the list the embassy requires a fiance to bring to the interview. But someone I know, who have been through the same process, advised me to also have them on hand just in case the consul asks for them during the interview. It would save you from having to come back for an interview all over again!.

July 6, 1999:

After over a month of waiting, my appointment letters and accompanying instructions and forms finally arrived in the mail. My appointment letter was dated June 15, 1999, but obviously, the embassy does not mail the packet on that same day. On page 2 of the "Instructions for Immigrant and Fiance(e)Visa Applicants", the important enclosures to this packet are itemized. My packet did not include the Instructions for medical examination (Form MNL-IV-3-)!! I am lucky that I have an officemate who's also a fiance visa applicant and she has gone through the medical examination already. She just gave me a copy of the medical examination instructions. When I went for my medical exam, there were other fiaces there who likewise received incomplete packets!

Check if the the packet you received is complete. If not call the embassy right away and ask what you can do to get the missing documents. Usually they will ask you to get it from their information window. That means you have to line-up early in front of the embassy, like all the rest

July 14, 1999:

I went to the St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic for the required medical exam. The clinic's office hours start at 7:30 am, but I was there as early as 6:30 am, because I heard that a lot of people line-up early there too. Arriving this early made me 11th in line

1. At around 10 minutes before 7am, the guard started to let us inside, but first asked to see our passport and appointment letter. She then told us to go to the 5th floor.
2. At the 5th floor, another guard inspected my passport and appointment letter, then gave me a number. I was number 11. After only about 10 minutes, the guard told us to line up again according to our numbers, then he led us to the fourth floor.
3. At the 4th floor another guard asked to see my passport and appointment letter again, then he retrieved the number given to me earlier and gave me a new number. I am now number 9. Then i waited at the sitting area for what to do next. After only a few minutes, we were told to line up again at receiptionist table. There, the receptionist inspected my passport and appointment letter (again!) then gave me a form to fill up and sign. After filling-up some basic information about myself and signing that I agree to the medical examination and the possible risks involved, I returned the form to the receptionist table and I was asked to wait for my name to be called.
4. When my name was called, i was given back the forms i submitted and was told to pay the medical exam fee of the Peso equivalent of $85 to the cashier. They only accept Philippine Pesos. The cashier then gave me a receipt then told me to go to Room 11.
5. Room 11. A male nurse asked to see my forms and passport. Then, he asked when my last period was. He then told me to go at a table where he will take a blood sample. This is for the HIV test. I was a little scared at first when i noticed that he was gonna take blood from the inside of my elbow and not from my finger where I thought he would, because that's where all my previous blood samples were taken. I became more scared when i saw how bigger the needle and container he needs to fill are too! But aside from the initial sting which was bearable, it was ok. He then gave me a small cup for my urine sample and told me where the ladies room was. When i gave him the sample, he asked me to wait outside. After about 5 minutes he called my name and gave back my forms to me. In the form, he put a "pregnancy test: negative" stamp. He told me to go to Table 10 for the X-ray.
6. Table 10. I was directed to the dressing room to change into a hospital gown. Then my chest X-ray was taken, the usual way. Next, the nurse told me to go to Table 9.
7. Table 9. I was given a number to one of the examination rooms. The doctor was not in yet, so i had a chance to talk to another fiance applicant who was very nice, and a whole family of immigrant visa applicants. On the door to the examination room, a notice was posted saying that I will be asked to completely undress for the physical. It was shortly after 8 am, when the doctor finally arrived. I don't think i can describe in detail here what happened , but if you'd had a thorough physical before, you'll know what happened next. But i am grateful that the lady doctor was very nice and she made me feel at ease. She then told me to proceed to Rm 2.
8. Room 2. Another doctor interviewed me to find out what immunizations I needed. To make sure I do not need shot for chicken pox, she asked me to show her a scar, fortunately i had one. I've never been thankful for having any kind of scar before, but this time i was . She determined that I needed 2 shots; 1 for rubella and 1 for tetanus. She also gave me the option of getting the shots that day in the clinic or in the US. I chosed to have it right there and then, I wanted to get it over with. She likewise warned me that I cannot get pregnant within 3 months of getting the immunization shots. She then told me to go to Table 12 for the immunization.
9. Table 12. I was told that immunization will start at 11 am and it was only 8:30 am at that time! So you have to find a way to kill some time. There are a lot of fast food joints near the clinic, so you can eat first. In my case, my old college -St. Scholastica's College- was near the clinic too and I needed to get some school records, so i decided to do that instead.
10. Fortunalely I came back at the clinic at 10 am, because my name was called at 10:30. It seems that they decided to start the immunization started earlier than 11am. But they asked me to wait for them to call my name. After about 20 minutes I was called in and was given a shot on each arm. They were not as bad as I thought. I was then asked to wait by the releasing area for my name to be called.
11. Releasing area. This is where I spent the longest time waiting. I was called at about 12 noon. I was given a sealed envelope - the result of my medical exam - to give to the consular officer during my interview. I was also given my immunization records to bring with me to the US, and my x-ray plate to be shown at my port of entry.

• I was told the the busiest day of the clinic is Mondays, so if you can avoid it, go on the other days of the week.
• Be there as early as you can. I was there as early as 6:30 am and I finished at 12:noon!
• Keep your passport and appointment letter handy. You will be asked to show them over and over! You only need these 2 documents for the medical exam.
• Try not to bring a lot of stuff with you. You will be asked to go grom one room/table to another and having to carry a lot of things with you will be very inconvinient. As it is, you have to perpetually hold on to forms, and your passport.
• Dressed in comfortable clothes. One that you can easily remove and put back on. Sleeveless, cap sleeves, or a loose-sleeved shirt is ideal, especially for the immunization shots.
• Be friendly and converse with other fiances. You will be surprised how much you learn from them about, and the tips they are very willing to share.

August 6, 1999:

My interview day. My appointment was at 7 am, but I arrived at the embassy at 5:45 am, and saw that there were already a substantial number of people lined up. I asked one guy in the line if it was for those with appointments and he said yes, so i lined up there. After about 15 minutes, I started talking to a woman in front of me and found out that I was in the wrong line! It was only for tourist visa applicant interviews who received what they called "stickers". I was not so sure what that meant, so I looked for a security guard from the embassy and finally found one who was outside the embassy after about 5 minutes. I asked where the queue was for fiance visa applicants and he just pointed to a group of people standing and sitting at a waiting shed near another gate. He said I don't need to line up. So I just sat with the rest of the people there. After about 15 minutes, I noticed some of the people near me pointing and starting to walk to another gate of the embassy. So I also checked it out and saw that there was another line there! So I went there and found out that that's were I am supposed to line up! Fortunately, the line was not yet that long and it was grouped according to appointment time, i.e., 7am, 7:30 am, 8 am and so on.

1. At around 6:15 am they let us in the embassy according to our interview time. At the gate, I was asked to show my appointment letter to a security personnel and another guard inspected my belongings. At the entrance door, there was a big sign that said to drop the appointment letters at Window X and wait for our names to be called. I did exactly as instructed, then took a seat and started waiting. There were several billboards listing down the documents we must present (these were the same as those on the mailed packet I received from the embassy).

2. They started calling out names on the speaker system at 7am. In front of us were several windows with embassy personnel behind each. The window are numbered and when they called out names, they also said the window number where you are supposed to proceed. At about 8:10, I heard my name called and was instructed to go to Window 39. The guy behind the window asked for my documents and inspected them. While inspecting my documents, he asked me 3 questions: "who is petitioning you?"; "how did you meet?"; and "Do you have pictures of the two of you together?". He also requested to look at our pictures, so I showed him our photo album. He kept the documents and asked me to wait for a consular officer to call my name for my interview.
3. I heard my name called at around 9:00 am, but it was called in such a low volume of voice that I barely heard the window number I was supposed to go to, but I thought I heard "window 32", so I proceeded to that window.
4. In window 32 (actually it was more like a small room) the consul was still interviewing a family so I waited by the window. I was wondering if I might have misheard the room number but I thought the consul would have asked me what I was doing there if he did not call my name. But after about a couple of minutes, I heard my name called again and it said "last call", and then I heard that I am supposed to go to window 30! So I hurried to that window which was just 2 doors away.
5. In window 30, I was interviewed by a very nice and friendly vice consul. He asked me several questions like: "How did you and your fiance meet?"; "Where in the US is he from?"; "What do you most like about him?" "When was the last time you saw each other?"; "How long did he stay in the Philippines the last time he was here?"; "Where did he stay?"; "Did you stay with him?"; "Do you currently live with your parents?"; "What does he do for a living?"; "Are you currently working and what kind of work do you do?"; "Do you have brothers and sisters and how many?". He then asked if he could read some of my letters (snail mail) from Jeff. He looked at 3. He also looked at pictures of Jeff and I.
6. He then handed me a paper and said to go to the cashier who will give me a receipt and then give back that receipt to him.
7. When I handed him back the receipt, he gave me a claim stub for my visa. He stamped his name on the stub because he wanted to request for a wedding picture or a postcard once I arrive in the US, but only if I wanted to. He explained that it was not a requirement. He is just very interested as to what happens to the fiances he interviews. Since he was a very nice person and I enjoyed being interviewed by him, I promised to send him a picture when Jeff and I get married. He then wished me luck. My interview ended at approximately 9:20 am.
8. I then left the room but stopped by the waiting area to fix my things. The people still waiting to be interviewed asked if I was asked a lot of questions. I said yes, but it was ok because the consul was very nice. They asked if I got approved and I said yes, and they congratulated me. I thanked them and then headed home.

• Go to the embassy earlier than your appointment time. As early as you can. There will be other fiances and immigrant applicants with the same appointment date and time, so it will be on a first come first serve basis.
• Upon reaching the embassy, immediately look for an embassy security guard who will point you to the right line. But still, talk to the other people in the line to make sure you are in the right queue. The security guard can still be wrong, like in my case!
• Use the time you spend on waiting for your name to be called to check your documents. Double check if it is complete. Make sure that you filled out everything that has to be filled out. Arrange everything according to the sequence specified on the bulleting board.
• Also use the waiting time to talk to the other applicants. You never know, but it can be a life saver! One applicant did not fill out her applications! Good thing that she asked the other applicants there before she was called to have her documents inspected by the embassy personnel. So she was able to complete it in time.
• Bring something to read or munch on because it could be a long wait. Don't be like me! I found myself wishing I at least brought some candy and/or mineral water with me. Oh and don't forget to bring your own pen!
• Relax and just enjoy the interview. After all, if I use my interview as a guide, they only ask about you, your fiance and your relationship and you would know that by heart!

August 10, 1999:

As instructed by the consul who interviwed me, I went to Gate 1 of the US embassy at 1 pm to pick up my visa.

1. After a few minutes of arriving, the loud speaker announced that they will start calling names in a few moments and that only the one called can enter the said gate. So I waited.
2. After about 15 minutes, they asked all the fiances to enter the gate and line up at Window 2. There, we were asked to drop our claim stubs and asked to wait for our names to be called.
3. Before calling names, the man behind the window explained about what we will be receiving, and that we have to attend a seminar first before we leave for the US. He warned us that a certificate will be attached on our passport as proof of our attendance in the said seminar and that not having this certificate will pose problems with immigration. So much so, that we can be denied entry.
4. He then started calling our names. I was handed a sealed brown envelope that contains all the documents I submitted to them during my interview. Attached to it is my passport with my fiance visa on one of the pages. I also received leaflets about the visa I received and some information regarding the seminar that I'm required to attend.

• Be sure that all information in your visa are correct. Check the spelling of your name, your fiance's name, the validity date, etc. One fiancee who also picked up her visa the same time I did had her name misspelled.
• Remember not to open the brown envelope handed to you and do not detach your passport from it, as the embassy instructed.

August 11, 1999:

I went to the seminar the embassy required all the fiances and immigrants to attend. It was held at the Center for Filipinos Overseas or CFO

1. I arrived at about 2 pm to make it to the 3pm session. I made it a point to be early because I was earlier advised that there is a quota for the number of people they will accommodate per session, and I wanted to be sure I make that quota.
2. Inside the building I went to a windows marked as the "step 1". There, I handed the requirements which are listed on a leaflet that came with the visa I received the previous day. I was given a form to fill-up. After filling-out the form, I submitted it to another window where I also paid for the seminar fee. I was then told that my name will be called when the seminar is about to start.
3. At about 3 pm, my name was called and was told to go to the floor where the seminar will be given. The earlier session was not yet over and it took another hour before we finally started with our session.
4. In the seminar with me were 10 other fiancees and immigrants. Before the speaker started her talk, she first asked each one of us to give "our story" and asked a few questions. She asked me how I met Jeff, how long we've known each other, what our age gap is, etc. The speaker was really friendly so I wasn't uncomfortable telling our love story to complete strangers.
5. She then proceeded with the seminar It was basically about what immigrants and would be immigrants need to know first before going the US. We were also given a booklet called "The Filipino Immigrant's Handbook", to take with us. It contains a more detailed version on the subject discussed during the seminar.
6. The session ended after about an hour. The speaker then called us one by one for a private consultation. She just asked me what was my greatest concern about migrating to the US.
7. After the one-on-one, we were asked to wait for our certificates before going home.

• It is best to call first before going to the CFO. I was planning to go to the 1 pm session, when I thought of calling first to check if I had the correct directions on how to go to their office. I was informed that they won't have a 1 pm session that day and that the next one would be at 3 pm.
• During that phone call, I was also advised that they have a quota per session so it's best to be there early for the session you want to attend.
• The day I picked up my visa, I noticed that there were one or 2 vans there who take people who want to attend the seminar right after getting their visa, to the CFO. For a fee of course. I think it was about 20 or 30 pesos per person. I think this is good for those who are based outside Metro Manila who may not know how to go to the CFO. I just cannot tell you if this is available all the time. Also, it may not be an assurance that you will have a place in the seminar because as I said, they have a quota per session.

August 21, 1999:

I arrived at my firs stop, i.e., San Francisco, which made it my port of entry.

1. At the immigration window, I handed the officer my brown envelope with my passport attached. After checking it, he handed me a form that I had to fill-out. He also asked me a couple of questions like how Jeff and I met and when the wedding will be.
2. He then stapled the I-94 or departure record to my passport, handed it back to me and wished me good luck. He kept the brown envlope with him.

• Remember to handcarry the brown envelope and your X-ray plate. Although the immigration officer did not ask to see my x-ray plate, it is best to still be ready with it.
• If you are planning to work as soon as possible, ask the immigration officer if he can give you an EAD. I was not given one, but I did not really ask for one. I'm not sure if you'll be given one if you ask, but it's worth a try. I hear they give it at some port of entries, but I have a friend who's port of entry was also San Francisco, and she was not given one either.
• If you have to catch another plane, make sure you have ample time between flights. Take into consideration the waiting time if you check-in your baggage, the line for the immigration check, and baggage check. I was supposed to have 2 hours between flights which I though was enough time. However, our plane landed a few minutes late, then I had to wait a looong time for the my luggages at the carousel. So, I only checked in my flight for Atlanta about 15 minutes before departure! That was very close! Good thing the ground personnel of that airline was kind enough to still accomodate me, because their check-in counter was actually closed already!

August 22, 1999:

I finally arrived at Atlanta Airport. As soon as I stepped out of the plane door, Jeff was there waiting for me! What Bliss!   Since San Francisco was my port of entry, I did not have to do a thing here but to enjoy my reunion with my fiance.

October 24, 1999:

OUR WEDDING DAY!

November 18, 1999:

I mailed my application for Adjustment of Status and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to the INS office that has jurisdiction over our State.

• I requested for these application forms online, from the INS website. I received them in the mail within 10 days. If you're really in a hurry, you can also download the applications from their website.

• In some port of entries, the EAD is automatically given to the fiance by the immigration officer who conducts the interview. If not, you don't have to wait until you get married before applying for the EAD. You can immediately apply for it as a fiance visa holder, if you want to work right away.
  
• Added 3 months after: As much as possible, also apply for your advance parole together with your Adjustment of Status, even if you think you're not going out of the US within the year. I did not apply for it thinking that I would not need it soon. So now, Jeff and I want to go on vacation out of the country, and we won't be able to, without my advance parole document. I also cannot apply for it yet because I need proof that I have a pending adjustment of status application with the INS. The proof is the notice of action and/or receipt for my application that I have yet to receive from the INS.

February 18, 2000:

Received in the mail, notice from the INS that I can get my EAD from their Memphis office. It also included the receipt for the EAD application fee. However, I have yet to hear from them regarding the adjustment of status application I filed together with my EAD application. This prompted me to call the INS National Inquiry Line (1-800-375-5283). I was advised that it may take them up to 4 months to send the notice of action and receipt for this type of application. She also suggested to call them again once the said 4 months has elapsed.

March 20, 2000:

Drove with Jeff to the Memphis INS to get my Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or to what I refer to as work permit. I thought that I left all the long "waiting in line" in the Philippines but I was wrong! I had to wait 3 1/2 hours before I was issued by EAD!

1. When we arrived at the INS at exactly 8:30 am - the time they said they open - I was surprised to see that the waiting room was already packed!
2. I got a number and I was 56th in line.
3. At about 15 before 12 noon, my number was called and I was asked to go to an office cubicle
4. There, I was asked to sign a signature card and then, my picture was taken. The same pose as that in my visa application, you know, where you look to your right, show your left ear, you know the drill :)
5. My EAD card with the picture that was just taken of me was immediately produced by their machine and I was asked to sign it. Then they laminated it.
6. I was advised that if I want to apply for a Social Security Card, I can apply for it right there and then.
7. I was asked to go to another room where a girl gave me the application form which I filled-out. I was told that I can expect my card in the mail in 7 to 10 days. The application is free by the way.
8. I was out of the INS a little past 12 noon.

   

   • I do not know if my experience is true for all the INS offices, but if you have to go to the Memphis INS, I suggest you go there as early as you can. One of the people I was able to talk with said he was there as early as 6:30 am and he was already number 21!
     
   • Upon getting there, immediately look for the waiting room and get your number. I almost made the mistake of lining up in the first and only line I saw. Good thing I have a habit of asking questions, so I found out from the people in that line that I should go thru another door that was not visible at all because people were blocking it!
     
   • In the waiting room, first thing to do is talk to the security guard, tell him what you are there for and he will tell you what to do. The office is lacking in posted guidelines of what to do. People are there for different reasons and the steps are different for each. For example, I only had to get a number and wait. Others had to fill-out something, others had to drop their appointment letters in a box, etc. When in doubt, always ask.
   • In the notice I receive, they said to bring the receipt and notice the INS mailed me, my passport and another photo ID such as driver's liscence or student ID. However, only the first 2 was asked of me when I went to get my EAD. Still, it is best to bring another photo ID with you just in case.

March 27, 2000:

Received my Social Security Card in the mail, 7 days after I applied for it.