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Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)
Guidance and Counseling Session.
This is NOT a requirement from the U.S. Embassy, rather, a
requirement from the DFA for all Filipinos fiancé(e)s or
spouses of foreign nationals.
Important
Information
No seminar, no departure. The fiancé(e) needs to attend this to
receive a certificate and have his/her passport stamped as proof of
attendance/registration. If attending the CFO class before applying for the
passport, the DFA may require the applicant to have the CFO prior to
issuance.
Read the Philippines Passport Act of
1996
You will also need to present this certificate together with your spouse/partner
visa, at the Immigration office at the international airport on your day of
departure.
To
attend the seminar, you may proceed to either two of CFO's service providers located at Manila or Cebu.
Manila or Cebu location address and schedules.
Location maps, phone numbers and email for contacting.
Schedule
of Guidance and Counseling Sessions in Metro Manila
This schedule is only for United States of America Applicants.
Monday - Friday (3) seminars per day.
10:00am
1:30pm
3:30pm
After you comply with all the
requirements and finish the counseling session, you will be given the
Certificate of Attendance by SMEF - COW or PRISM which you will have to bring along with other pertinent
documents, to the CFO, for registration.
Once you already have your valid
passport and spouse/partner visa, then you have to register with the CFO. You
will then be issued the GCC as well as the CFO Sticker.
Important
Notes:
You will have to bring with you the required documents to be accommodated in the counseling
seminar.
The counseling session runs for a minimum of two hours and is meant to
provide you with adequate information regarding inter-marriage and migration,
the cultural and social realities abroad as well as available support networks
for women in distress, among others.
-
You may avail of the Guidance and
Counseling Session even while you are still processing or waiting for your visa.
If such is the case, you will only be issued the GCC. Once your visa is
released, you will return to CFO to continue with your registration. The CFO
sticker will then be affixed on your passport.
Requirements for Registration
- Original Passport;
- Original and photocopy of visa;
- Original and photocopy of Immigrant Data Summary for US
bound;
- Original CFO guidance and counseling certificate;
- Duly completed emigrant registration form and
- Payment of the authorized registration
fee.
CFO has a warning to Filipino's to be aware of "FAKE" CFO papers.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas
warns the Filipino women and the public in general of fake CFO Guidance and
Counseling Certificates and Registration Stickers sold by so-called recruitment
agencies or marriage brokers.
The documents purport to show that the women are
married to foreign nationals and therefore can leave for abroad usually to work.
Fake CFO papers will cost you time and money. |
