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Foreign Visa Best Posts in Thread: CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate

  1. AlwaysRt

    AlwaysRt DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Blood Donor Veteran Air Force Marines

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    I do not know about the daughter, your wife will need the certificate to get a passport in her married name. That is what we were doing when we ran into this, made appointment online for Manila, went and had no problems. Wife was 26 when when went through the seminar.

    Having been through the seminar can be an extra help, like a sort of no hassle by immigration insurance. Even when not required, immigration officers have less justification to hassle and deny departure if you do have a certificate. YMMV as all officers kinda do their own thing.
     
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  2. AlwaysRt

    AlwaysRt DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Blood Donor Veteran Air Force Marines

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    Sounds like things went as they should which is not always the case. Maybe they had a great BI officer, maybe he was hungry and wanted to go to lunch, having attended the seminar is not an express lane pass but is one less justification a BI officer can use to ruin someone's day. Kinda in the same way the guard at Lee Plaza the other day wanted my wife to leave her backpack, I said nothing to him, told her "let me carry it", put it on my shoulder and he looked away (an often occurrence there, I just forgot to take the backpack before we entered that time). Me carrying it instead of her was no guarantee, but it does increase the odds of not being hassled.
     
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  3. Jack Peterson

    Jack Peterson DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Air Force

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    I have said before but worth saying again, When My wife went for her renewed passport into her Married name she had to do the Seminar, OK so if that is it then we have to do it OK BUT they would not at first issue the Cert as The DFA wanted to know why she needed a Passport and where she was Going silly questions as it answered itself EH? So when she said I will join my Husband in Spain they needed to see my Spanish Residents Papers as a Foreigner there. So off it went scanned and it was turned down as it was in Spanish (Funny that as I told the guy on the phone) that is what they speak in Spain. Sir it has to be In English.:rolleyes:
    As she was in Cebu and off work, we did not have time to get a Translation so she said OH, just put the UK. Fine said the man that will be 500 peso for changing the Form

    You can't win anyway round you go :facepalm:
     
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  4. cabb

    cabb DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster ✤Forum Sponsor✤

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    Actually, it's targeted. If you read Wry's thread on Cambodian Visas, you will see things like age, education, financial situation and previous travel play a role in this "offloading" process. They seem to be profiling people that are most likely to get take advantage of.

    If your are in the young, poor, uneducated, unemployed demographic, it is certainly overbearing. That said, those are not your typically international travelers. It always amazes how many people in the Philippines have never even been out their barangay, let alone traveled internationally.
     
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  5. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    Holding a clearance with the USG I was tempted to provided them with my yearly anti-human trafficking certificate. There is a good chance that I will email her that certificate to showo in case immigration gives her sh*t at the airport. If they don't let her through with all that I have provided about my personal and work life I'm going to be properly pissed off. This young lady I'm traveling with (and the PI government if they wish to see all documentation) knows more about me than even my own mom does.
     
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  6. cabb

    cabb DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster ✤Forum Sponsor✤

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    Here are some links that talk about human trafficing in the Philippines. The second one specifically provides statistics.

    Human trafficking in the Philippines - Wikipedia

    Quick Facts: Human Trafficking in the Philippines

    Making something difficult typically has the result of reducing that behavior, although I'm open to statistics showing otherwise.

    A adult woman should have the right to travel as she desires. What really needs to be focused on, is what creates the situation (education, opportunity, etc). However, that's always the harder way to solve a problem.
     
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  7. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    So here is all the information I provided to the CFO to get the certificate:
    My (Foreigner) documentation/information:
    1. Photocopy of US passport
    2. Photocopy of TX drivers license
    3. Photocopy of Philippines drivers license
    4. Photocopy of military CAC card
    5. Photocopy of old ACR icard
    6. Photocopy of Paystub
    7. Photocopy of dissolution of marriage
    8. Affidavit of Support / Guarantee (Attached)
    9. Letter of Intent (Attached)
    10. Photos of my "partner" and myself together. (Showing on phone was fine.)
    (Note: I went a bit overkill on the photo IDs. Two IDs is probably enough but I wanted to prove that I have been living in the Philippines and that I am most likely not a human trafficker.)

    In addition to this they also wanted to know, but did not require proof, of:
    • My education level.
    • Where I was born. (Even though it was clearly stated on my passport.)
    • If my "partner" and myself were having or had previously had sex.
    • My religious affiliation.
    • My mother's name.
    • My x-wife's nationality.
    • The reason why we were divorced.
    (Note: It would be wise to either accompany your partner/fiancé/wife to the appointment or to be available to answer questions your partner might have with the registration paperwork through instant messenger.)

    Requirements for locals are on the appointment slip:
    Counseling Requirements: (with or without visa) No need to photocopy any registration document,No need to submit ID photos
    1.
    Two (2) original valid identification cards with photograph (see samples below);
    2. Duly completed guidance and counseling form to be secured at the CFO;
    3. If married in the Philippines, original Certificate of Marriage on security paper from the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA);
    4. If married overseas, original Report of Marriage duly registered by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate or the Department of Foreign Affairs; and
    5. Payment of PhP400.00 counseling and registration fee.

    Additional documents may be required in the event that the counselor determines it to be essential to complete the guidance and counseling process. It is advised for all the GCP applicants to prepare the following documents (if applicable to them) in advance and bring these documents when they come to CFO:

    1.
    Divorce decree/certificate (of Filipino spouse or foreign spouse, if previously married)
    2. Annulment paper (of Filipino spouse or foreign spouse, if previously married)
    3. Proof of residency/Alien Registration Card-ARC (of foreign spouse)
    4. Proof of relationship (picture together, e-mails, among others)
    5. Death certificate (of Filipino spouse or foreign spouse, if widow/widower)
    6. Certificate of Family relations / registration (of foreign spouse)

    Additional registration requirements for those with visa:

    1.
    Original valid passport;
    2. Original valid visa
    3. Original Immigrant Data Summary (please do not detach fromyellow packet) for US-bound emigrants, except
    4. for K visa holders;
    5. Original Confirmation of Permanent Residencefor Canada-bound emigrants; Original Visa Grant Notice for Australia-bound emigrants;
    6. Original Certificate of Eligibility for Japan-bound emigrants;
    7. Original CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate (if already attended the GCP); and
    8. Duly completed emigrant registration form.

    Note: You must be at the CFO Cebu office at exactly 8:00 AM for the registration procedure.
    In addition to this my partner had to provide the counselor an essay on an overview of our relationship. (I won't provide a copy of this, you wouldn't be able to make much sense of the Engrish anyways. :wink:)

    All of this might be a bit much but it is better to go over-prepared than have some things you are missing. Also, since I will not be traveling with her through an international airport in the Philippines I think it is best that she comes armed with as much documentation about who she is meeting on the vacation to show immigration.

    See below for how I worded the two submitted documents. The letter of intent was not written prior to going to the CFO, I made that sh*t up to tell the counselor what she wanted to hear after we were told that "friends" couldn't get a CFO certificate and were turned away. I've made it easy to fill in the blanks so feel free to use them if you like.

    We still haven't made the trip overseas so I'm not sure if this will be enough to keep immigration from "offloading" her at the airport. I'll update this thread with the outcome.
     

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