Patrick Bittel

My fiancé in the Philippines has her interview on feb 27th. Someone she
knows there is telling her that I need too get a certificate of no marriage
here in the U.S. and send it to her for her interview to prove that I'm a
single guy. It says nothing about this in the packet that the U.S. embassy
sent her but she still thinks I need too get it. Has anyone heard of this?
I've never seen in mentioned any where else.

Booger

"Patrick Bittel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > My fiancé in the Philippines has her interview on feb 27th. Someone she
    > knows there is telling her that I need too get a certificate of no
marriage
    > here in the U.S. and send it to her for her interview to prove that I'm a
    > single guy. It says nothing about this in the packet that the U.S. embassy
    > sent her but she still thinks I need too get it. Has anyone heard of this?
    > I've never seen in mentioned any where else.

Not true. SHE is the one that needs the cenomar to bring to the interview.
Because divorce is illegal in the Philippines many women who were abandon
long ago by deadbeat husbands try to "re-marry" while technically still
married.

Divorce in America is as easy as going through the drive through at Burger
King. Therefore there is very little reason to suspect an American sponsor
of a foreign fiancé would be hiding a still legal marriage although it
happens.

Bottom line, if you are divorced, provide her with divorce papers otherwise
don't worry. Also be advised, some say that the embassy does not accept
cenomars from the girls because of a forgeries and sometimes will put the
case on an 8 week admin review to check for prior marriages. Manila has been
doing that more and more lately. Janette's interview is next Friday and we
are really dreading that possibility. Usually it's girls over 30 who get the
reviews or any age with children.

Good luck!


--
Me (Ohio USA)
Her (Davao, RP)
1st NOA April 3
2nd NOA... Oct 22!
203 Days in the NSC Prison
NVC Notice Oct. 30
Packet Received Nov 6
Interview Date Jan 9
Trip to US Jan 31!!!!!
Wedding Feb 14!!!

Michael D. Young

Patrick Bittel wrote:

    > My fiancé in the Philippines has her interview on feb 27th. Someone she
    > knows there is telling her that I need too get a certificate of no marriage
    > here in the U.S. and send it to her for her interview to prove that I'm a
    > single guy. It says nothing about this in the packet that the U.S. embassy
    > sent her but she still thinks I need too get it. Has anyone heard of this?
    > I've never seen in mentioned any where else.

This is only needed from the U.S. embassy in Manila or consulate in Cebu City
if you are going to get married in the Philippines. If she is doing a K-1
visa it's not needed.

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha009.html#Certificate

Dad of 3

I think Booger is really on target on this issue. The Certificate of No Marriage (CERNOMAR) is something that is unique to the US Embassy in Manila because of no divorce issue. As Booger mentioned, due to the overwhelming incidents of fraud (rumor has it a copy shop very close to the embassy actually sells the National Statistics Office (NSO) special security paper on the black market by the sheet), people are reporting that the embassy is NO LONGER accepting the CERNOMAR directly from the applicants. Rather, if the consular officer wants to verify that all previous marriages of the Philippine citizen have been disclosed, the embassy orders a search of the marriage index on its own DIRECTLY from NSO. For some unknown reason, the embassy DOES NOT order them ahead of the interview when they are processing the file for the interview (which is about 8 weeks lead time at this time), rather they only order it after the interview making the applicant wait the additional time.

The embassy can require the CERNOMAR for both K1 (Fiancee visa to marry in US) and K3/IR1 (Marriage in the Phils) although it is appears to happen more to K1 applicants.

As far as the divorce decrees for the US Citizen.....supposedly USCIS should be checking on that (if necessary) during the first part of the process. However, send Certified Copies of all divorce decress to your wife/fiancee anyway just in case. Actually he/she will need this to obtain the CFO certificate. Also, a few people have reported being asked for the US Citizens Original Birth Certificate as well.

The best thing you and/or your sweetie can do to prepare is READ everything you can about people's experience with the interview, St. Lukes interview and CFO. THere are a few other boards that are good to check out so if you send me a PM, I will provide those names to you.

Best of luck to you
Dad of 3

lpdiver

there is a link in the root post for this forum/to the ASAWA website. It is covered in detail there.

Hypertweeky

Hey there!!

Divorce is very easy to get here too "sigh".
When Mark and I got married here, one of the requirements for him and I was a paper certifying we were both allowed to get marry known as "FE DE VIDA Y SOLTERIA", he got it at the US embassy in Madrid.
It is not required for the interview though

Ps: So if there is no divorce there, what do you do If you wanna get married again??

lpdiver

Covered here
http://filipinawives.com/Forum.htm

Hypertweeky

Thanks
Whats up with packet 3??, Any news??

lpdiver

Ah yes the packet! The requested second one was delivered to the address I supplied on News Year Eve. Governmental offices are closed until the 13'th of January. After several weeks of urging her to return to Colombia she infomed me recently that "She" has decided that it would be a good idea for her to go take care of this paper work?

So the plan now is for her to return to Colombia on 13 Jan. She gave two weeks notice at her jobs in case we have to file a waiver and she has to wait a long time. She can fill out her paper work and fax it to the Consulate. We are hoping to have our interview on the 26'th. It is a walk in in Colombia.

Hypertweeky

I am glad things are finally moving, You must be so excited huh?. I wish you nothing but the best, you gotta keep me updated!!. Our case left NVC on December 30th, it is on its way to Madrid, we even have a new case number
Getting closer!!

Booger

"lpdiver" <member15505@british_expats.com> wrote in message

    > Ps: So if there is no divorce there, what do you do If you wanna get
    > married again??

You can't remarry in the Philippines unless you're widowed or get an
annulment from the Catholic church which is reserved for the rich and those
able to bribe and sometimes not even then. The only way to get an annulment
is to prove that your spouse had no right to marry in the church therefore
the marriage is not valid. Adultery, abandonment and abuse don't cut it.

Booger


--
Me (Ohio USA)
Her (Davao, RP)
1st NOA April 3
2nd NOA... Oct 22!
203 Days in the NSC Prison
NVC Notice Oct. 30
Packet Received Nov 6
Interview Date Jan 9
Trip to US Jan 31!!!!!
Wedding Feb 14!!!

Hypertweeky

:scared: ...

Dekka's Angel

Actually the relevant statute's more complicated than summarized above, particularly the provisions allowing annulment from a spouse who did not "have the capacity to understand the requirements" of marriage. I did a fairly long post on it in connection with a Filipina who came here a few months ago admitting to bigamy, summarizing the grounds. I agree with your bottom line though - annulment is extraordinarily difficult to get on the Phillipine side of the equation.

Also on the CERNOMAR, it is my understanding that a few months ago, the consulate stopped accepting without question CERNOMARs delivered to them by the applicants (I presume because some had been fraudulently submitted, in light of the no divorce rule), and instead has been ordering them directly from NSO (and sometimes putting applicants on admin review if necessary while they wait). So a fiance/ee can bring it with them, but should be prepared that the consulate will still request its own.