Bringing a Filipina Fiancée to America

In a relationship between an American citizen and a Filipina, love has already figured out a way to lock two souls as one. Through the non-immigrant K1 visa, the Filipina fiancée is allowed to travel to the United States of America, marry her American boyfriend, build a family and a new life there.
Through this, Filipina fiancée can legally enter the US. Within 90-days, she is supposed to marry her American fiancé and apply to become a legal permanent resident (LPR) of the country.
Requirements
A Filipina fiancée is eligible to apply for the K1 visa if she completes the following requirements:

1. Passport, valid for at least 6 months
2. DS-156 Non-Immigration Application Form (2 copies, completed)
3. DS-157 Supplemental Non-Immigration Visa Application (2 copies, completed)
4. DS-156K Non-Immigration Fiancé/e Visa Application (1 copy, completed)
5. Birth certificate, authenticated by the National Statistics Office
6. NBI clearance
7. Records from courts and prison, if the applicant has been jailed
8. Records of military/police service, if the applicant has served the Philippine military or police force
9. Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), issued by the NSO
10. Divorce certificate (if applicable)
11. Death certificate of the late spouse (if applicable)
12. 3 2x2 photos (recent, colored, in white background)
13. Medical examination results

On the other hand, the American fiancé must submit the following requirements:

1. Proof of financial capability
2. Certificate of Eligibility to Marry
3. Divorce Certificate (if applicable)
4. Death certificate (if applicable)

Most importantly, the couple should convince the US immigration officer that they are not merely circumventing the laws by providing the following requirements:

1. Evidence that the couple have met personally, meeting through webcams is not honored
2. Proofs of genuine and on-going relationship (plane tickets, hotel reservations, photographs, e-mail messages, chat records, etc.)

Procedure
Once the requirements are completed, the American fiancé may now file an I-129F petition at the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Office which has jurisdiction over the petitioner’s area of residence.
The application’s approval will be forwarded to the National Visa Center for further processing. It will be the agency responsible for sending the application to the Embassy of the United States in Manila, Philippines.
The embassy will notify the Filipina K1 visa applicant once the application is lodged on their office. The applicant can now arrange for an interview schedule with the US consular officer via calling the Visa Info Services at 1-909-101-7878 (from the Philippines) or 1-888-877-9888 (from the United States). When calling from the Philippines, it will cost P53 per minute; whereas when  calling from the US, it will be US$18 per minute.
Before going to the interview, the application fee of US$350 shall be paid in peso at designated Banco de Oro branch around Metro Manila. Prior to paying, the Application Confirmation Receipt issued to the applicant must be presented. The teller will then issue two copies of the bill payment slip. Present the blue to the consular officer on the day of your interview, along with ALL your requirements.
If the Filipina fiancée fails to bring the complete requirements during the interview, she should arrange for another schedule.
After the interview, the couple needs to wait for the application’s decision. If approved, the Filipina fiancée can go to America and get married within 90 days.
It is the couple’s responsibility to adjust the status of the Filipina after marriage. Application shall be lodged at the USCIS which services the couple’s area of residence.
Applying for a K1 visa may seem really easy, but the truth is, it could be daunting. The US Embassy in the Philippines is known for notorious denial of visa applications. To avoid denial, it is recommended to seek legal assistance. There are lots of competent Filipino lawyers who specialize on immigration cases and could offer their help on this matter.