Update and Questions

[Hank]

My fiance had her interview yesterday and was approved.
I was never as nervous as I was yesterday. I am glad that it's over now.
I am wondering what happens next. I know she has to attend a seminar in Cebu before she can fly to the USA, which brings me to my first question.  I found a 1 way ticket on Hawaiian Airlines for $665.I can't find any discount sites that do 1 way from out of the country ? I also if I buy that ticket, she would change planes in Honolulu, would she go through customs there or in LA (final destination) ? They have 2 connecting flights 1st one is 2 hours later, the 2nd is 4 hours later. I am wondering if 2 hours is enough time to get through customs ? 

I then am wondering what is the next step, after she arrives and get married ? I was told at work she will need a Social Security #  to be put on my health insurance. I am wondering how quickly she can get one ? then will that be able to become a green card ?

Thanks for any advice now, and all that you guys gave me in the past 

[Jeff S]

Often times you're better off getting a round trip ticket and throwing half away. It's usually cheaper than a 1 way. Or hang on to it, in case you end up like JunFan, and you stand each other after she arrives. You can bundle her up and ship her back out. (Just joking of course - but that really did happen with JunFan and his Colombian bride.)

If she lands in Hawaii, she'll have to clear customs there, as the domestic flights from Hawaii to ConUS don't arrive at customs equipped gates and terminals. Two hours seems like it's pushing it. Maybe, but maybe not. It would be better for her to clear at LAX.

- Jeff

[Ray]

Hank, Congrats to you and your fiancée!

Is she going to be flying out of Cebu? If so, the flight with the easiest connection to LAX is Cathay Pacific. It makes an easy plane change in Hong Kong with a 1-hour layover and arrives in LAX early afternoon the same day. No need to put up with that nonsense in Manila.

Have her check with a good travel agent for the best deals on one-way flights. They used to offer a special fare for immigrants/fiancées on some airlines. When my wife first came over, she got her ticket through a Cebu travel agent and it was the best fare we found anywhere, with a flight on Cathay.

If she goes through Hawaii, that’s where she will clear immigration and customs. She may have some difficulty transferring her checked baggage to the connecting flight after customs, depending on the airline. Two hours may be a little tight(?).

About 2 weeks after she arrives here, take her to your local Social Security office with her passport, Form  I-94, certified NSO copy of her birth cert, and a picture ID if she has one. She will get a SS Card in her maiden name and you can change it later after she is married. DO NOT let the bozos at SS tell you that she is not eligible for a SS Card as a K-1!!

After you marry within 90 days, order an official copy of the marriage certificate from the county/state. Then you will submit your I-485 petition to adjust status and get her Green Card.

Ray

[Dave H]

Hi Hank,

Congratulations to you and your fiancee!

I talked to my travel agent a few months ago and she said that you could get a better one way deal from a travel agent in the Philippines. As Ray said, it would be nice to avoid "that nonsense in Manila" and fly out of Cebu.

They gave us a hard time at the SS office when we applied for my fiancee's (wife now) SS card. The guy wanted to give her a "Not Valid For Employment" card. I showed them something similar to this page. http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=576 The guy went to ask a supervisor and came back pissed that I was right! He had no choice but to issue her the regular card.

Dave

[Hank]

Thanks for all the input.
So she should try a travel agent near her home, she is Malaybalay City and says they have no travel agent in her town. She should be able to find one in Cagayan de Oro ?
I understand about wanting to avoid the Manila airport, but wont frying through H.K make the flight quite a bit longer ? or does the direct flight from H.K. make up that time ?

So she can get a SS # pretty much upon arrival as long as we take all the paperwork that was mentioned ?   

[Jeff S]

The length of the flight is not the issue, it's always the number of stops and what you have to do at the stop that make traveling a problem. It's FAR faster to go through the transient lounge in Hong Kong while the airline takes care of your baggage, than clear customs somewhere else. Give me a loooong nonstop any old time. Besides, Hong Kong is not far off the great circle route from the PI to California. That flight goes over Korea Northern Japan and the Aleutian Islands. It's Hawaii that's out of the way. The world is not shaped like a typical Mercator projection map with the equator in the center.

[Ray]

Hank,

Yes there are travel agents in Cagayan. While she is in Cebu for the CFO seminar, she can also check with some Cebu travel agents for comparison.

If she is flexible with the travel dates, a good travel agent can find the best fare and/or most convenient connecting flights. My wife flew Cathay Pacific from Cebu to LAX several times because it was the cheapest at the time and the connection in HK was real easy. Total travel time was about 16 hours or about 10 minutes on the clock.

Also, unless there has been a recent change, the tickets for flights originating in the Phils must be issued in the Phils (or at least printed there) so there may be some restrictions on purchasing tickets here. I don’t know how e-tickets affect that policy(?). There is a travel tax usually included in the fare.

She is eligible for a SS number on arrival, but there may be a delay for computer verification with Homeland Security, which is why I suggested about 2 weeks after arrival. Your employee insurance probably won’t cover her until you’re married anyway, so take her to Disneyland first.   

Ray

[Dave H]

Also, unless there has been a recent change, the tickets for flights originating in the Phils must be issued in the Phils (or at least printed there) so there may be some restrictions on purchasing tickets here. I don’t know how e-tickets affect that policy(?). There is a travel tax usually included in the fare.

Ray

Hey Ray,

I know that is the way it used to be. I think my US travel agent would purchase the one-way tickets directly from Philippine airlines. Then my mother-in-law would get an e-ticket or be issued the tickets at the PAL ticket office in the Philippines. Thus, the tickets would be issued in the Philippines and my travel agent was more or less a middle-man. The bottom line was that my US travel agent adviced us that it was cheaper to purchase the tickets in Philippines, either from the airline or a travel agent! We purchased the tickets at the local Philippine PAL office and their price was cheaper.

Dave

[Monk]

Hey,

I lived in Honolulu for several years and I can say that I would far prefer to go through the airport in Honolulu than LA.  I don't know how long customs takes coming from the Philippines, though I expect it is not too long because there is a huge Filipino community in Hawaii and people travel back and forth all the time. I do not know anybody who has been delayed more than an hour (lost bag + customs = bad time all around).  Heh, and that was from Japan.  I don't know about people who are immigrating to the US.  Has anybody noticed if that takes longer than other foreigners entering for other purposes?