St. Luke's Clinic Procedures

Here is a step-by-step guide for any Filipina planning to visit St. Luke's as part of the K1 Visa procedure.  I used a variety of sources to compile the list, but relied heavily on the ASAWA forum and a plethora of emails I've collected over the years from ASAWA site visitors.   I welcome any feedback, in the form of corrections, additions, deletions, whatever.  You can email them to bobukhan@yahoo.com. However, if you have additional questions, please join the forum and ask for help there, since the volume of email I receive prohibits me from answering individual questions (sorry!).  Anyway, the guys and gals in the forum have the latest and greatest scoop, so they're a better resource for you than I would be. Thanks! 

1.  Go to the St. Luke's Extension Clinic early in the morning, Monday thru Thursday.  Don’t go on a Friday, because this is a two-day ordeal, and if you start on Friday you’ll have to go back on Monday, which means either a weekend in Manila or a couple more bus rides than are really necessary. 

If you do end up spending the weekend in Manila, there are hotels within walking distance of the clinic.  One ASAWA member suggested a hotel called the Soriente that costs around a thousand pesos a day and is across the street from the clinic. 

You do NOT need an appointment at St. Luke’s. Try to arrive around 5 a.m. Even though St. Luke’s doesn’t open until 7 a.m., clinic personnel sometimes hand out before the clinic opens.  You should eat a big breakfast because no food is allowed in St. Luke’s and you might be there for a while. 

There are actually two facilities called, “St. Luke’s": one in Quezon City and one in Ermita, Manila (1177 Bocobo Street).  You must go to the one in Ermita, Manila.  It’s a new, air-conditioned building about a 20 minute taxi ride from the U.S. Embassy. The clinic is open from Monday through Friday (except holidays), fom 7:30 AM-11:30 and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM The clinic’s phone numbers are 524-60-83, 525-41-73, and 526-43-27.

Take the following items with you:

* Your passport,

* Four passport photos – 2 for the K1 package, 2 for the St. Lukes Patient Data Sheet (PDS),

* Your K-1 Visa application materials,

* Around 5,000 pesos to pay for the medical exam and immunization (you should keep the receipt in case she has to go back the next day),

* Your Notice of Approval (NOA) #2 (original or faxed copy), or a letter from the Embassy indicating you have an appointment for an interview.

2.  Give the guard your appointment letter (or NOA #2) and passport.

3.  “Take a number”.

4.  Wait for the receptionist to call your number.

5.  The receptionist will give you some Patient Data Sheets (PDS) to fill out.

6.  Give your PDS back to the receptionist once it is complete.  She will look at it and, if it’s acceptable, send you to have a digital photo made, which will be kept in your record.

7.  Go to the 5^th floor and pay the medical exam and immunization fee. By the way, you don't need to memorize all these floor numbers, because clinic personnel will direct you from place to place at all times.  I'm just including the floor numbers because I had them available.  The clinic might rearrange their offices or floors at anytime, so it's a good idea to ask a receptionist, nurse, etc., where to go next, if you're not sure.

8.  Go to the 4^th floor and give a urine sample and blood test.

9.  Go to the 3^rd floor for a Chest X-Ray.

10. Go to the 5^th floor for a Physical Examination.  Be prepared for a Gynological examination and some very personal questions about your sexual history. 

11. Go to the 2^nd floor to check out. 

12. Return to the clinic the next day and show the guard your medical receipt.

13. Go to the 2^nd floor and present your medical receipt and passport.

14. Receive immunizations, if any. This is your choice.  The general advice is to avoid them if you’re pregnant, possibly pregnant, or plan on getting pregnant soon. Otherwise get them.

15. Go the ground floor to wait for the release of your Chest X-Ray and Vaccination Report.

16. Go to the 2^nd floor Document Checking Section and wait for your name to be called.  The clerk will arrange your Visa Application package and perhaps give you back some documents he or she thinks unnecessary, such as the CERNMOMAR.  There’s a lot of debate about what should or should not be in the package, and the CERNOMAR is one of those items that there doesn’t seem to be any agreement on.  If it’s removed from your package, don’t be too concerned. 

17.  Once your package is assembled, the clerk will give you a claim stub.

18.  Proceed to Gate 4 of the U.S. Embassy and pay a courier, in advance, for the delivery of your visa.  The cost will be around 100 to 150 pesos. 

19.  Wait for your visa to arrive, hopefully within 4-8 weeks. The clinic staff may tell you that your visa will arrive with a week, but that’s almost certainly not true. If you want to know the status of your visa, you may call the Visa Information Center at 1-909-101-0011.  The cost is 25 pesos per minute for that call. 

That's it!  Good luck!!!!

All original materials on this website (www.asawa.org, www.filipinawives.com) are copyrighted by the author, Bob Lingerfelt, 1997 -2007  with materials on file at the U.S. Copyright Office.  No reproduction is authorized, in any form, without express permission of the author.