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SAMPLE NEWSLETTER - TO GET THE LATEST EDITIONS, SEE THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ASAWA Community Digest & Newsletter – April 26, 2003 As always, there was a wealth of information posted in the ASAWA forum during the past week. Here are the highlights: Immigration Matters Various subjects: 2607.1 “….anyone else needing to obtain a bank draft to pay for a police clearance (Certificate of No Criminal Conviction). If you need a bank draft, try to plan ahead. It may be a major ordeal, not like walking into a bank in USA…” 2580.4 “ The Undersecretary of Policy, Programs & Standards issued a letter of directive to all Regional Directors stating and clarifying that minors traveling abroad with one parent do not require the issuance of a travel permit. He orders them to strictly comply.” 2593.8 “When the Civil Registrar typed our marriage contract she typed my "civil status" as "single" rather than "divorced". Now, my wife has attempted to apply for a new passport and they would not approve her because I'm divorced and the marriage contract says "single". I know she will need to get a corrected marriage contract to satisfy the passport people in the Philippines. (I was concerend that when this might affect ) my K-3 Visa application (I-130)…I talked to BCIS. The rep. said that BCIS will check the authenticity of the marriage certificate against the one on file the the Philippines. However, she also said I should submit the one I have --that says 'single' rather than 'divorced' in my column of information --and after getting the marriage cert. corrected, file it along with a copy of my receipt as an 'update' to the filing.” 2594.1 “I was just reading the updated March 2003 processing times for Family Visa requests for Philippine Immigrants on the US Visa News website at: http://www.usvisanews.com/pdates.html. This talks about the times it takes to bring family members to the US. I'll summarize the article below: FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES: First Priority -- Unmarried Sons and Daughters of Citizens: ** Philippines - Now processing apps from April 22, 1990 ** !!! Other Countries – August 1, 1999 !!! Second Priority – See Two Divisions 2A & 2B Below: 2A. Spouses and Children: ** Philippines - Now processing applications from February 01, 1998 ** !!! Other Countries – August 15, 1995 !!! 2B. Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older): ** Philippines - Now processing applications from August 15, 1994 ** !!! Other Countries – November 8, 1991 !!! Third Priority -- Married Sons and Daughters of Citizens: ** Philippines - Now processing applications from December 8, 1989 ** !!! Other Countries – March 1, 1997 !!! Fourth Priority -- Brothers and Sisters of Adult Citizens: ** Philippines - Now Processing applications from December 15, 1981 ** !!! Other Countries – April 22, 1991 !!!” 2537.6 “The INS is currently 700,000 Address Changes behind. Read the article about the change of address fiasco: http://www.usvisanews.com/memo1874.html ‘Attorney General John Ashcroft decided that he would enforce the long-standing provision that required non-U.S. citizens to notify the federal government whenever they have moved. Several months after making that broad proclamation, the INS is sitting under mountains of change-of-address cards, to the tune of some 700,000 with more pouring in by the thousands daily. The cards are under storage in Washington D.C. with absolutely no foreseeable solution in sight...’" 2591.1 “I just learned today from a very reliable individual that the Nebraska Service Center in Lincoln is hiring Kelley temps to take care of the back-log of visa applications. The positions require an extensive background investigation (back 7 yrs.) which can take up to 4 to 5 weeks to complete. However, once this is done and the temps. are on board, the visa processing in this center should speed up. “ Travel to/from the Philippines Subject: Tickets to the Philippines 2530.2 “It is impossible to save by buying (tickets) directly from the airlines right now. I've always bought from http://www.cheaptrips.com/ or http://www.aircourier.org/ , which are affiliated. My first round-trip was $ 989, including all taxes. Last time I went, it dropped to $ 889. And the first time, if I had been a little patient, I did get a call from another agent at Cheap Tickets, after I had already book, for $ 752 round trip! I was sick! But I knew I had saved money anyway because Northwest wanted $ 3500 for the same ticket at that time--flying the end of January the first time, and early March the second. Again, if I had been a little patient, I might have saved this time too because Northwest had the same round trip on sale for $ 752! Live and learn. Next time, I will shop more or ask Cheap Tickets/Air Courier to be more competitive.” 2530.4 “Try looking for a travel agent that works with flight consolidators. Flight consolidators are groups of agents that pool their money to make bids a large portion of a given airline's capcacity. They get a great discount because they buy (for example) 25% or 50% of all the seats on a plane. They are like a coop. Then, the consolidator agents can sell any of the seat at the lower rate. When they sell one of the discount seats, they then pay back the co-op for the price of the seat they sold plus a little extra for the service. Generally, a flight consolidator can save you beteen 10-30% off the prices advertised on the websites and by the airlines.” 2530.13 “The people Andrew suggested, Mabuhay Express are really good. Excellent service and very friendly and great to chat with. I used them to get a RT ticket for $949 from Columbus Ohio, using AA to LA then Cathay Pacific. Cathay isn't the greatest, but you can go direct to Cebu from Hong Kong, if you dare go that route, instead of stopping off in Manila. Also with Cathay you can take so much more carry on luggage. I didn't see any weight restrictions at all and some of those carryons were more like suitcases.” Calling/texting/ mailing/send$$ Subject: Preventing mail to the Philippines from being opened or stolen 2597.2 “One person said to put a postage meter strip from the post office instead of a stamp. Also to use an envelope which can be held up to the light and looked through, so anyone could see there was no money inside. In other words, don't make the envelope enticing in any way. If someone decides to open it, then they can't deliver it. 2597.4 “I used to write on my envelopes- "Hoy tanga walang pera dito! all it takes is one thief - let em know how you feel.” 2597.5 “I always wrote: NO MONEY INSIDE! PLEASE DELIVER! And made a Smily face.” 2597.11 “For only $.70 you can send an aerogramme to the Philippines. No enclosure is permitted. No one will try to open one looking for money because it is just one sheet of paper that can be easily felt. Also there is no stamp on it that may tempt a collector because the postage is preprinted right onto the paper itself. http://ircalc.usps.gov/speed.asp?Country=Philippines&cmdSubmit=Continue&Contents=2 You should also take note that the following items are prohibited in mail from the U.S. to the Philippines: Coffee in any form. Coins; banknotes; currency notes; traveler's checks; or securities of any kind payable to bearer in ordinary mail. Such articles are only permissible in registered mail. Firearms and weapons and parts thereof; ammunition. Gambling devices. Lottery tickets, circulars, or advertisements relating to lotteries. Perishable infectious biological substances. Perishable noninfectious biological substances. Radioactive materials. http://ircalc.usps.gov/prohibitions/Philippines.htm” Filipino Food and Entertainment 2596.1 “I just found out that the asian-egyptian looking girl in the trio SUGABABES is a filipina! me and dutchman thought shes egyptian... and it was during the TMF awards here in holland (last week) where the sugababes won a few awards and rendered a song that I found out she is actually a pinay (well 50%). she was not there during the TMF awards and the 2 girls were talking about why she could not make it blah blah... then they mentioned her name, MUTYA. I said, whooaaaa isnt that a real traditional pinay name? she is indeed 50% pinay (father) and 50% irish (mother). sugababes has many hit songs like 'round round' and 'stronger' that i like. u can find their website at http://www.sugababesuk.com/” Announcements Forum member alterego (KL51672000) announced that his wife gave birth to 7lb 14once baby boy on Monday, April 21st. Congratulations! 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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.
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