scos said:Well, many of our apps are coming up on a year. The current posted time is 14 months. If you add another month for stage 1 then your app could take up to 15 months (and sometimes longer, Tagum can tell you about that). I'm not saying it is normal, or right, but it is within the "service time".
Sponsorships are normally complete very quickly. Mine waited unopened for over two months, but once opened was processed in under a week. Currently most stage 1 approvals are averaging about a month. That is the simple and fast part. As I said above, stage 2 posted time for Manila is 14 months. And it is during stage 2 that most of the heavy lifting is done (both metaphorically and physically if you have seen that VO picture).
Yes, there is a strike affecting many VOs in terms of staff walkouts. So those VOs will be very slow. So far it hasn't hit Manila though there is also a general work-to-rule order which will also slow things down to a lesser extent.
The thing I would be worried about is that they asked you if your application was serious. Did they actually put it in those terms? If so you might be concerned about the quality of your relationship proofs. I don't know what kind of proof you sent but you need much more proof as conjugal than as married because marriage forms a legal bond but conjugal has no "tangible" bond. It is this bond you have to establish. One of their biggest concerns would be your current wife. Many relationships reconcile and they have no way to know yours won't. There may also be a number of unresolved financial commitments tied up with the marriage that could be problematic.
So while it is good that you visit 4 times a year, telling them this says nothing. They will want to see passport stamps, boarding passes, hotel receipts, and other solid evidence. They will also want some kind of proof you were living together during your visits (but unlike some people, you don't need to send pics in the shower together
As someone else already mentioned, the Manila Conjugal thread would be the best place for you to check out. They have discussed all these issues and also many have had to deal with interviews and appeals which you might have to deal with as well. It is always best to be prepared.
Thanks so much. We've been supplying pics and supporting docs for all trips and socials. As to my divorce its a matter of convenience for my ex and I to wait until the kids are grown. No child support has been our motto for the past 14yrs. PS no chance of reconciliation.
