Foreign Visa CFO Guidance and Counseling Certificate

Hi All,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I did not know about this until I read this thread just now! I looked up CFO and determined it is Commission on Filipinos Overseas. If I, as a USA citizen, want to take my wife, son, and daughter to Disneyland in Hong Kong, then my wife and daughter need to attend a Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP) seminar???
Mark

 

No, not required, even for Wrye. However, since Wrye is claiming a relationship to try and ensure success, it sort of is required. It is specifically for OFW and spouses/fiances that are going oversees permanently, not for a vacation. That's why they wouldn't talk to Wrye's until he called his female friend a GF. Wrye is just going the extra distance since he will not be there when she travels. You on the other hand are married and it's a family, not quite the same demographic as Wrye. If your family ever moves to the US. your wife will need to attend. I don't know how old your daughter is, but I doubt they would want to expose kids, if they are still doing the same things there were 17 years ago. Back then it was, there are terrible people out there, here are a few examples of what they have done to Filipinas (Filipina murdered or abused by foreign husband). If you get in trouble, here is a number to call. You might want to google offloading family Philippines and see if something comes up. I think you will be OK, just make sure she has the proper paperwork and she knows the plan. See Wrye's post on Cambodian Visas for links. My gut feeling is you will have no problems as long as you dot your t's and i's. Are the kids, biologically yours?

 

I'm curious how much has changed in 17 years. What is the CFO telling attendees these days?

 

Thank you for putting my mind at ease! Son is biologically mine, but daughter is not. I tried to adopt her, but gave up after seven years of paying an attorney and fulfilling the courts many requests when I was told to it would have to be an international adoption because I was not a resident of Dumaguete.

 

Didn't catch it the first time, but it sounds like you will be traveling with them. That should make things significantly easier.

 

Even after 10 years in the Phils I do sometimes forget that logically thinking about implementation and enforcement of rules & regulations will not apply. Buang me he he.....!!

 

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.
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

 

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.

 

Really!? I thought the seminar was to "educate" the Filipino about life abroad--what to expect in a foreign country. I attended in 1989 so I vaguely remember everything or maybe I wasn't paying attention when they talked about human trafficking. It's difficult when a foreign national is involved on the trip. Just recently, my daughter and her family were granted a 15-day visit by the Japanese Embassy with just the usual requirements-passport, itinerary, income tax return, certificate of employment and bank certificate. They didn't say in their application's cover letter that they have relatives here in Japan, just traveling as a family though the hotel reservations and flight confirmation might have helped. My bf and I did come to pick them up because it's their first time to leave the country so we boarded the same flight. Cebu airport immigration check was smooth, there's just one document needed for Filipinos who work for the local government--"authorization to leave". All was good and my granddaughter enjoyed Tokyo Disneyland.