Required Documents for Visa Applications (US Embassy Manila)

Required Documents for Visa Applications

When a beneficiary is eligible to apply for an immigrant or fiance(e) visa (that is, priority date becomes current and/all the pre-processing requirements have been met), the National Visa Center (NVC) queues the beneficiary for a visa interview. The NVC will send the applicant a packet with the visa interview appointment, information, the application forms and a list of the required application documents. It is important that visa applicants submit documentary requirements to NVC to be documentarily qualified for the visa interview, otherwise they will be found ineligible for visa issuance and be asked to return to the Embassy for another appointment. The basic documents that an applicant must submit are:

1. PASSPORT valid for at least six (6) months.

2. DS-230 Parts I and II: Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Forms. These forms are sent to applicants along with their appointment letters. Each family member applying for an immigrant visa is required to complete these forms.

3. BIRTH CERTIFICATE. Copies must be issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and printed on NSO security paper. Copies are needed for beneficiaries, derivative family members and Philippine-born petitioners. You may call the NSO Information Center at 02-737-1111 or visit their e-census webpage to inquire about how to secure a birth certificate.

4. NBI CLEARANCE. Applicants aged 16 years and older must have a valid Record Clearance for Travel Abroad Purposes from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). An official letter of explanation from the NBI is required for any notation of “No criminal record”, No pending criminal case” or “With derogatory record.” NBI is located along Taft Avenue in Manila. For immigration purposes, an NBI clearance is considered valid only for a year from the date it is issued.

5. POLICE CERTIFICATES. A police certificate is required from a country in which the applicant lived for more than one year (six months if you are applying for a K visa) after turning 16 years old. Information on how to secure police certificates from countries where these are available may be obtained by contacting U.S. Embassy Manila’s Immigrant Visa Branch, or an Embassy/Consulate of the country from which the Police certificate is required.
The State Department's Visa Office offers online information on availability of country documents including police certificates through its Country Document Finder. Click on the letter that begins the country name, select the country and scroll down to "Documents".

6. MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. If married in the Philippines, a copy of the marriage certificate issued by the National Statistics Office and printed on NSO security paper should be submitted.

7. PROOF OF TERMINATION OF A PRIOR MARRIAGE. As applicable, official documents that prove all prior marriages have been legally terminated must be presented. This may be an annulment decree or a copy of a death certificate issued by NSO and printed on NSO security paper, a foreign divorce decree, or foreign death certificate whichever is applicable.

8. CERTIFICATE OF NO MARRIAGE RECORD (CENOMAR) - If never married, a Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and printed on NSO security paper should be submitted. You may call the NSO Information Center at 02-737-1111 or visit the NSO webpage at https://www.ecensus.com.ph/Secure/frmIndex.asp to secure a CENOMAR (Singleness).

9. SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OF IDENTITY AND/OR RELATIONSHIP. Applicants should be prepared to submit documents that further establish their identity and/or their relationship with the petitioner or the principal applicant. Personal photographs with family members together, taken over a period of time may help to establish the existence of a relationship. Personal correspondence, home telephone records, bank records, proof of joint property ownership and/or joint financial obligations, original baptismal records, medical record and adoption decrees are often useful.

10. EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

* Form I-864 Affidavit of Support (AOS). The I-864 AOS is required for visa applicants in all family-sponsored categories (IR and F) and certain E visa categories. The I-864 AOS is NOW VALID INDEFINITELY ONCE IT HAS BEEN SIGNED AND NOTARIZED (this is a change from the previous requirement of being good for one year only). In other words, applicants will no longer need to submit a new I-864 AOS or tax forms simply due to long processing delays between the date of the signature and notarization of the I-864 AOS and the date of the interview.

Additionally, petitioners (or cosponsors, if needed) filing an I-864 AOS are required to submit ONLY ONE YEAR'S TAX RETURN, CURRENT AS OF THE DATE THE SUBMITTED I-864 WAS NOTARIZED (this is a change from the previous requirement of submitting tax returns from the three most recent tax years).

The actual signed and notarized I-864 AOS must be an original copy. However, faxed copies of tax returns are acceptable.

Click here to read more about the required I-864 Affidavit of Support (NOTE: THE RECENT CHANGES IN I-864 AOS REQUIREMENTS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED ON THE MAIN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEBSITE)

* Form I-134 Affidavit of Support.
* The I-134 Affidavit of Support is required for returning residents (SB-1), fiancé(e)s or spouses of U.S. citizens (K1, K3), children of K1 and K3 applicants, spouses and children of LPRs, applicants with special immigrant status, and follow-to-join derivative family members of employment-based (E) applicants. A copy of the sponsor's most recent Federal income tax return (Form 1040) should accompany the I-134. Fax copies of the ITR are acceptable.

10. VISA PHOTOGRAPHS. Two (2) colored photographs printed according to specifications, provided in the visa application packet.

Employment-based applicants require the following additional documents:

* Official Job Offer with the salary stated from the potential U.S. employer
* Visa Screen Certificate (for nurses and physical therapists)
* Old and current professional identification cards

* Any document not in English must be accompanied by an English translation. A competent translator must certify the translations.

* Consular officers may require additional documentation to adjudicate your application.

* Consular officers may ask to see originals of documents. The applicant may submit a photocopy of a document along with the visa application but should bring the original document for the officer’s inspection.

From http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwh3217.html

Personal Note:
If you are a nurse with an agency or recruiter, most of these requirements might have already been submitted by your agency or recruiter (DS-230, NBI and Police Clearance, Birth Certificates). Please refer to your Packet 4 instructions regarding the needed documents you have yet to present during your interview. As always, it is safe practice to bring all originals in your possession, and at least 1 photocopy of each document.

The CENOMAR requirement for single applicants might or might not be asked of you during the interview, but then again, since it is listed as one of the requirements, it is still safe practice to secure one when you can. I believe this is most pertinent only for those applying for fiance visas (but then again I might be wrong). For single nurse applicants, it will not hurt (or cost) that much to secure a CENOMAR from NSO. Regular processing time can take up to 10 working days and will cost PhP180 per copy on security paper. And when you secure a CENOMAR, or any other NSO document for that matter, please double check that it has documentary stamps. Do not purchase these documentary stamps outside NSO, as there is a likely chance you'll get fake stamps.

Good luck to all applicants with a scheduled interview.