13A process, getting marriage cert apostalized.

[Heeb]

I married my wife in San Diego many years ago and I have a marriage certificate with stamp. I’m trying to get a 13a visa and apparently need to get it apostillized. The woman at the Olongapo BI said we could get it done at the US embassy but from what I can tell they aren’t providing this service currently. Has anyone been in my situation and willing to give me advice. I can’t find anything on the web that matches my situation.

[Heeb]

Looks like I found my answer. I have to mail the original to Sacramento.

[mountainside]

The US Embassy in Manila no longer "authenticates" these documents, although they once did, in a manner acceptable to the Philippine government.  The Philippines, since 2019, now requires foreign government documents to be apostilled in the foreigner's home country.  Your California Secretary of State instructions image looks correct to me.  Your CERTIFIED copy of your California marriage certificate should be fine.  You might want to see if the California SOS will permit private courier service (DHL, FEDEX, etc.).  Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of PhilPost.  Another alternative:  Google US apostille services.  These private outfits specialize in using couriers back-and-forth on a fee-for-service basis.

[Lee]

Heeb, when I went through this a few years back the PI wouldn't accept an original marriage cert from decades ago. The new ones are printed on security paper that at least my old MC didn't have. If you are from CA, then order a MC from Sac and then send it back to whatever office in CA handles this the apostillization. Perhaps it can be all done in one place---when I did this in FL separate agencies handled each process .

A few years before Covid, the newly apostilled document WOULD THEN have to be sent to the PI Embassy in DC for them to authenticate it. Thankfully their rules have changed.

[Heeb]

48 minutes ago, mountainside said:

The US Embassy in Manila no longer "authenticates" these documents, although they once did, in a manner acceptable to the Philippine government.  The Philippines, since 2019, now requires foreign government documents to be apostilled in the foreigner's home country.  Your California Secretary of State instructions image looks correct to me.  Your CERTIFIED copy of your California marriage certificate should be fine.  You might want to see if the California SOS will permit private courier service (DHL, FEDEX, etc.).  Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of PhilPost.  Another alternative:  Google US apostille services.  These private outfits specialize in using couriers back-and-forth on a fee-for-service basis.

I plan on using the military FPO system at the RAO in Olongapo, I have an FPO mailbox there. Although they can’t provide any tracking, something to think about.

[Heeb]

40 minutes ago, Lee said:

Heeb, when I went through this a few years back the PI wouldn't accept an original marriage cert from decades ago. The new ones are printed on security paper that at least my old MC didn't have. If you are from CA, then order a MC from Sac and then send it back to whatever office in CA handles this the apostillization. Perhaps it can be all done in one place---when I did this in FL separate agencies handled each process .

A few years before Covid, the newly apostilled document WOULD THEN have to be sent to the PI Embassy in DC for them to authenticate it. Thankfully their rules have changed.

Good info since mine is from 1991, never even thought about that. The process just got more complicated, I’m about ready to just fly with the wife somewhere close and come back to reset my balikbayan.

[Lee]

1 hour ago, Heeb said:

Good info since mine is from 1991, never even thought about that. The process just got more complicated, I’m about ready to just fly with the wife somewhere close and come back to reset my balikbayan.

BB is a pretty good option but I noted that some expats got hung up during Covid when their BB was about to expire. Some had stayed here so long that they were forced to leave the country or pay fines. Every BI seems to do things differently. If you are going to get a new MC, I would suggest getting a new birth certificate also.

My 13A and permanent ACR was almost a 3 year slog. Wife was born in the late 50s in a small farming community where documents weren't deemed important. She didn't have a BC, Baptismal Record, nor school records due to typhoon damage to prove that she was born here. In the 80's she renounced her PI citizenship and became an American. A bit later we married but never sent a copy of our MC to the PI Embassy as required (We didn't know).

The payoff today is simple. We don't have to hassle with leaving the country for the day to go some place that we have probably already been to. At some point our health might keep us from traveling at all.

Are we going to have another pandemic outbreak in the future--probably not. Will the PI change the rules for BB in the future---I would say quite likely. The BB program was never intended to be used by expats to scamper in and out of the country yearly. It was intended for a Filipino that lets say moved to CA years ago and now wanted to return briefly to visit with family.

Edited April 12, 2023 by Lee
clarification

[Heeb]

4 hours ago, Lee said:

The BB program was never intended to be used by expats to scamper in and out of the country yearly. It was intended for a Filipino that lets say moved to CA years ago and now wanted to return briefly to visit with family.

Yeah I get it but I do like to scamper, I didn’t think about the getting old part and not being able to. I had 3 nightmare trips my last go back to the states in February, mostly due to problems caused by an accident last year. One was supposed to be a short flight but I ended up in salt lake city airport overnight due to a snowstorm. Gone are the days when I could sleep on a hard airport carpet.

[mountainside]

5 hours ago, Lee said:

I would suggest getting a new birth certificate also.

Yup.  Philippine consulate in Houston says BI will require me to have an apostilled BC if I apply for a 13A.

[mountainside]

8 hours ago, Heeb said:

plan on using the military FPO system at the RAO in Olongapo

Four-in-the-Corps won't get me in, but I'm glad that our retirees still have that option.