CFO........... Commission on Filipinos Overseas...

I couldn't agree more

I think they have in Davao but only on a scheduled basis.
It's like a mobile thing just like this:
http://www.cfo.gov.ph/news/cfo-news...-to-davao-city-and-pangasinan-march-2016.html

I just hope they do the same in Cagayan de Oro which is the nearest city to me, only an hour away from me. But I know they won't adjust for me so I'll have to adjust for them

Great thread for information.
We have put our application in and just the painful wait for a response with no tracking available.
Currently thinking will have to wait until the visa and the information pack is returned so Tina can have all the evidence that seems to be required, other posts suggest it isn't really necessary so a bit confused. I know there is no definitive list as it seems to change from person to person but is it reasonable to think we can get this out the way with just some basic photocopies? Read some posts where a facebook page has been enough?
As an aside has anybody had problems at the airport with a one way ticket with a residency permit, read on another forum it had caused problems?

Have you already applied for the UK settlement visa? I'm a little confused

Yes application went in on the 28th December. Yes question not very clear! I was planning on waiting for the documents to be returned with the visa so Tina can take then to the CFO then should be no problems with what ever evidence they ask for but I would rather get it done now whilst we are waiting so can tick another box. Problem being she does not have any evidence so will just have to print of photocopies but I am not sure that will be enough, hope that makes more sense

I follow! Would suggest wait till your docs are returned as you mentioned, as unless you've put the intended travel date very soon, you'll have a window of time before the visa is valid and you can get the CFO stamp, so you can do the seminar in that window period

During my CFO seminar, all that they had asked where copy of my fiance's birth certificate and passport (to fill up the forms). During the one-on-one counselling, the councilor just looked evidence stored in my phone mainly photos, skype history, facebook stuff.
I already had my fiance visa at that point so i got the certificate as well as the sticker.

Yes that is what I am finding confusing, lots of stories such as yours but then others asking for far more information. I would rather get the day over with then get the magic sticker at the airport once we know dates. Just seems a risk as too unpredictable. This thread goes back a long way in time with some horror stories, have things improved of late?

Yes I put date of travel as February 14th, totally unrealistic I know but thought it was romantic!

Your heart was in the right place

Don't we just love the old romantics

This is the email response I got. We just don't have copies of that stuff so guess we will have to wait.

This refers to your email to us regarding the CFO guidance and counseling program (GCP).


Please be informed that per Department of Foreign Affairs’ Department Orders No. 28-94 and 11-97, Filipino fiancée/spouses/partners of foreign nationals or former Filipinos have to attend the CFO guidance and counseling program (GCP) as a requirement for application or renewal of passport to married name. The objective of the said program is to help the said clientele make informed decisions and prepare them for the realities of cross-cultural marriages and settlement overseas. Those who are not planning to settle abroad is still required to attend as stipulated in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Passport Law which is enacted through the said DFA orders.


One may participate in the said counseling program even without a passport and visa. The following are the requirements in attending the GCP;


• If MARRIED, original marriage contract in security paper (SECPA) from the Philippine Statistics Authority; or Report of Marriage duly registered with the Philippine Embassy/Consulate or the

Department of Foreign Affairs (if married abroad);


• Two (2) valid IDs with picture (i.e., NBI clearance, driver’s license, SSS/UMID card, latest postal/voter's identification card/office ID, passport or other government-issued ID);


• Completion of the guidance and counseling form available only at the CFO office;


• P 400.00 registration fee;


• Additional documents that may be required by the counselor such as partner's/counselee's birth /divorce/annulment or separation papers; death certificates of previous spouses for widow/ers; CENOMAR or

Certificate of No marriage; Xerox copies of petitioner's papers such as passport, legal capacity to marry, pictures together/with Filipina's family, etc); and


• Attendance to the guidance and counseling session.


Additional documents that may be required by the counselor could vary depending on the issues that will be discussed during the one-on-one interview.


The counselee will then proceed to the DFA to present the CFO certificate for passport issuance.


Counselees who already have their passports and emigrant/residence/fiancee/spouse visas are then required to complete the registration process so that the CFO emigrant sticker could be placed on their passport. The CFO counseling certificate and emigrant sticker will be checked by immigration officers at the international airport on the day of departure.


Counselees with tourist visas are NOT required to return to us for the CFO sticker. The CFO counseling certificate, however, will still have to be presented at the airport upon departure. After he/she gets the fiancée/spouse/partner visa he/she will come back to the CFO either in Manila or Cebu to get the CFO sticker.


Please be further informed that we have implemented the GCP Appointment System to enable our clients to conveniently reserve a slot for the program.


Clients may access the system by going to the CFO website www.cfo.gov.ph and click "the Guidance and Counseling Program Register” for the procedures, counseling requirements and counseling schedules. Clients will NOT be allowed to attend the counseling session without an appointment schedule.

@ChrisTina what we did was await the advice that a decision has been made on the visa, we then arranged an appointment with the cfo office for my wife to attend the seminar. We then stayed over in Manila and collected the visa decision and all documents the day before the cfo appointment duly arrived at cfo appointment armed with the documents.

Don't worry about the travel date we put July as intended and travelled October the key bit is to ensure once you have a positive visa decision that your wife attends the cfo and you travel within 30 days of the visa valid from date.

@Mattecube yes thanks basically that what we will do. Tina lives Mindanao so we will get the documents by post. I have checked CFO Cebu and there seems to be plenty of open slots so will book that as soon as the visa (hopefully) arrives. Just looking at ways to speed things up, the waiting is killing me but won't rush it and make more problems. Would be nice if got email alerts to say where the application was at.

As an aside I read on one forum that there was a problem with a one way ticket to UK even on a residency permit (fiancee valid six months). Anybody else had this? She will be flying alone so no one to support her, just trying to avoid problems

The one way ticket is all she need, fiance visa is a settlement visa the officers on the aiport should know that, so don't worry about it. CFO sticker is one of the important things she should have when leaving the country, not a ticket.

I had my cfo seminar in cebu. Appointment was easy to get it is not very busy. Tip when going there, tell the taxi driver that it is close to national bookstore in fuente osmena.

I only had a one way ticket when i flew to glasgow on a fiance visa last nov 30 2016 no questions asked except for the cfo stuff. Logically the should know that it might take time before your fiance can go back to ph.

I had a one-way ticket when I flew to Manchester last week. In my experience, the immigration in Davao wasn't that strict. The officer just checked my visa and cfo sticker in the passport and that's it. It was a very smooth transaction.

Basically, fiance visa is a settlement visa. As for the CFO seminar, you might want to have it scheduled when you already have the visa. Saves you time attending the seminar and getting the sticker.
Good luck!

out of interest--has anyone been refused the CFO sticker--? if yes--what happened then ?