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Thread: CFO Experience at SMEF-COW

  1. #1
    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Lightbulb CFO Experience at SMEF-COW

    I had a nice, quick and easy experience on getting my CFO certificate and sticker at the SMEF-COW in Aurora Boulverad, Quezon City Manila. Nice because it is a one stop processing centre (they have a CFO office at the back of the guidance counseling centre) and also they have friendly staffs and a little canteen at the back which I think is very convenient for the applicants.

    I went there at around 7am to make sure that I will be in the first batch of applicants to be catered for the guidance counseling session. Submitted 3 photocopies each of my passport and visa page in the window, wrote my name down in the log book and they handed over the forms that I need to fill up with informations for my counseling/seminar and for the CFO sticker which every partners/spouse/fiancee/fiance of A FOREIGN NATIONAL needs to file before leaving the PI as an immigrant. I then paid P250.00 for the guidance counselling fee and fill the form with personal details in the counselling room. One of the staffs named Angela came up to me and started asking me questions like have I met my fiancee, how often we see eachother, do I know or Have I met his family etc etc. After a 30 minute interview, I went upstairs with 2 ladies (also applicants), watch a 30 minute documentary film about experiences of Filipinas who married foreign nationals and had a little discussion in the end. They gave me my guidance counseling certificate (blue paper), instructed me to go to the CFO office which is located at the right side of the SMEF-COW building (you will see signs anyway) and photocopied my certificate.

    So, I rush me self to the CFO office, paid P400.00 for the sticker fee, handed my passport to the lady in the desk whos assigned for the releasing of sticker, few minutes later she returned me passport with the CFO sticker on the page next to my Fiancee Visa and another certificate that was being stapled on the last page of my passport that proves I attended the CFO guidance and counseling program.


    Tips and Advices:

    Make sure you know your fiancee/fiance middle name, workplace, your partners work's phone number, if your partner is divorce then what year they get divorced with the ex wife.

    Schedule for the UK bound applicants:

    Monday-Friday (1st batch-8:30am, 2nd batch-11am and 3rd batch-1:30pm)

    I hope this helps! Cheers. xxxx


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    Sounds like my wife's visit. She went to SMEF COW in Manila also. It went a lot easier for her than we expected but she went prepared. 2 of her friends didn't take their husbands divorce papers so they had to do an extra trip back there.


  3. #3
    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Yes, it is a lot easier there. You can do the counseling and get your sticker in the same building/location. Specially when the wifey or gf isnt that fussy then having lunch in the canteen will save them time and fare from looking for a resto. It was nice there, I really recommend it! xxxx


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    Newbie (Restricted Access) plate:)'s Avatar
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    hello..im new here, finally im in here ,very informative and helpful furom


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    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Hello Plate!

    Welcome to the forum. I hope you get answers to your querries but just dont hesitate to ask because everybody here will try to help you out. xxx


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    Newbie (Restricted Access) plate:)'s Avatar
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    i have question here, about CFO sticker, they just only issue sticker if its the visa is valid?


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    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    They wont issue any CFO sticker without a valid VISA. Even you have joined and completed the guidance counseling session and receive your certificate, you cannot get a sticker without a valid visa.


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    Newbie (Restricted Access) plate:)'s Avatar
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    i got my visa already now but the validity is on JULY 10, is it ok if i attend the seminar first then ill going back again there for the sticker?


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    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Well you can attend the seminar and ask one of the staff about your concerns and if you can get the CFO sticker after. As far as I know, you can get CFO sticker when you already got a visa on hand so why dont you try.


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    Newbie (Restricted Access) plate:)'s Avatar
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    ok maam thank you xxx..


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    Quote Originally Posted by plate:) View Post
    i got my visa already now but the validity is on JULY 10, is it ok if i attend the seminar first then ill going back again there for the sticker?


    Thats what my wife did. It can be done in 2 stages. Visit 1 - Seminar then Visit 2 - Sticker. But like Melovesengland says, you cant get the sticker till you have a valid visa.

    I think I am right in saying that the Visa has to be valid first.......maybe someone else will confirm that.


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    Respected Member myliitlehaven07's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by plate:) View Post
    i got my visa already now but the validity is on JULY 10, is it ok if i attend the seminar first then ill going back again there for the sticker?
    Hi plate, just to answer your question coz i had the same, i emailed the cfo and was told that you have to wait till your visa is valid before you have your CFO sticker, so to avoid expenses i suggest you wait and do everything on the same day! the seminar and the sticker ) as for me, i already had my seminar last 2007 so am just getting the sticker.


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    Respected Member myliitlehaven07's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lastlid View Post


    Thats what my wife did. It can be done in 2 stages. Visit 1 - Seminar then Visit 2 - Sticker. But like Melovesengland says, you cant get the sticker till you have a valid visa.

    I think I am right in saying that the Visa has to be valid first.......maybe someone else will confirm that.
    YES! i confirm this


  14. #14
    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by myliitlehaven07 View Post
    YES! i confirm this
    Atleast all her queries are answered now. Thanks for the confirmation!


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    Respected Member malditako's Avatar
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    is it the new rule? my experience was different i got the the sticker the same day i attended the seminar 1 week before the validity of my visa. I just do not know if this is also apply with those with fiance visa. but then i heard about it so I told them ahead of time that it be difficult for me to go back to get the sticker as my flight is the same day as the visa valid.


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    Newbie (Restricted Access) plate:)'s Avatar
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    thank you for the info, i got fiancee visa maybe ill do seminar first then i will be back if my visa is valid coz my flight is the next day upon visa valid.


  17. #17
    Respected Member malditako's Avatar
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    i think i have paid 100 pesos extra?


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  19. #19
    Respected Member melovesengland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gparry2007 View Post
    is it the new rule? my experience was different i got the the sticker the same day i attended the seminar 1 week before the validity of my visa. I just do not know if this is also apply with those with fiance visa. but then i heard about it so I told them ahead of time that it be difficult for me to go back to get the sticker as my flight is the same day as the visa valid.
    No, its not a new rule. I got my sticker the same day as I done me counseling and it also applies to any settlement visa.


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