You should be able to find answers to many of your questions about the immigrant visa process on this website. If you are interested in filing a petition for a fiancé (e) or family member, please see the Who can apply for an Immigrant Visa section on the left side of this page and see what steps you need to take to begin this process. If you have already filed a petition or have had a petition filed for you, and your case is current, please see the Immigrant Visa Appointment section on the left side of this page in order to inquire about or confirm your appointment date at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. If you have questions about a specific case, or after reviewing this information have other questions, please contact the Immigrant Visa Unit by fax or by e-mail or by mail or telephone.

Increase in Medical Examination Fees

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently made significant changes to the vaccination requirements for all immigrant visa applicants. Accordingly, eight new vaccinations have been added to the current list. Not all of these vaccines are currently available in the Philippines.
• On May 2, 2008, St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic (SLMCEC), the Embassy's accredited medical facility, will increase the medical examination fee by U.S. $30.70 to cover the costs of administering the currently available new vaccinations. The new medical exam fees will be U.S. $213.35 for adults (15 years and older) and U.S. $185.35 for children (under 15 years of age).
• Further price increases are anticipated in the coming months as the remaining vaccines become available in the Philippines.
• SLMCEC does not accept dollar payments. The fees must be paid in Philippine pesos at the prevailing exchange rate.
• If you missed your visa interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila because of additional medical tests, SLMCEC will schedule your embassy interview appointment within the next two working days. SLMCEC will give you an appointment slip.  You should bring the appointment slip together with your original appointment letter to facilitate entry into the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
  

Increase in Visa Fees

• Effective January 1, 2008, the immigrant visa application fee will increase from U.S. $335 to U.S. $355 plus a U.S. $45 visa security enhancement surcharge. Therefore the total immigrant visa application fee is U.S. $400. For "K" and "V" non-immigrant visas, the application fee will increase from U.S. $100 to U.S. $131.
• The increase in fees will be used to cover the cost of enhanced biometric security features which have been added to the visa application process.
• Immigrant visa applicants who have already paid the U.S. $335 application fee before January 1, 2008, will not be charged an additional payment even if they are scheduled and appear for their interview after January 1, 2008. Applicants who will make their payment after January 1, 2008, will be required to pay the increase even if the original bill sent before January 1, 2008, indicates the U.S. $335 fee.
• "K" and "V" non-immigrant visa applicants who paid U.S. $100 before January 1, 2008, will not be charged additional payment if they are scheduled and appear for their visa interview before January 31, 2008. Applicants who paid U.S. $100 before January 1, 2008, but who are scheduled and appear for their visa interview after January 31, 2008 must pay the U.S. $31 difference.

Document Verification Fee

• Applicants whose visa eligibility is dependent upon their marital status (i.e. K-1, K-3, CR-1, IR-1, F-1 and F2-B categories) will normally need to have their documents verified through the National Statistics Office (NSO) before the U.S. Embassy in Manila can issue the visa.  Those with a delayed birth or death certificate or only local civil registrar copies of such documents may need to have their documents verified.
• In order to avoid unnecessary delay in the visa issuance process, the U.S. Embassy in Manila strongly encourages applicants in the categories mentioned above to pay the document verification fee prior to their immigrant visa interview.  Payment can be made through any Metrobank location.  The cost of the document verification is PhP 650 per applicant.  For specific instructions on how to pay the document verification fee, please click here.  If you are unable to pay for the document verification before your immigrant visa interview, you may be asked to pay the fee on the day of your interview.  Please note that if you pay on the day of your interview, there will be a delay of one to two weeks in the processing of your application.

Increase in Visa Delivery Fee

• Once a visa is issued, it will normally be delivered to the applicant's home or office by DELBROS courier service. Starting March 10, 2008, there will be an increase in the delivery fee from PhP 135 to PhP 250 per visa packet for Metro Manila and other key cities.

Cell Phones No Longer Permitted on Embassy Grounds

• For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants are no longer permitted to bring cell phones or other electronic devices into the U.S. Embassy. Effective 01 March 2007, applicants who bring such devices will be denied entry. Please make arrangements to leave your electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds during your interview appointment. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation.