How do I get my wife into USA?

My wife and I were married here in DGTE in June 2022.  Her legal name and passport name at the time was her widowed name (first, maiden, married).  We were engaged at the time; she had recently updated her expired passport to reflect things as they were at that time; we were planning to get her a K-1 Fiancee Visa.  Now that we are married, since a CR-1 Spousal visa will take 2 or more years, we're opting for a non-immigrant tourist visa and are filling out our DS-160 application (which looks like a nightmare even if you have a positive attitude), and are wondering.... if we left her former widowed name (as it is on her passport) and masqueraded as an old man and his slightly old fiancee, are we likely to run into problems?  Or do we bite the bullet and apply for a new passport for her?  Anyone know how long it takes to get a new Php passport?

About 3 weeks is what it took us to get one for the kid last year, expedited, as he needed it for Silliman. If you're in Dumaguete, go to Robinsons, the food court upstairs, and there is a travel agency there that can do it. They will get you the appointment at DFA (Dept of Foreign Affairs). My understanding is you cannot get it directly.

@TitoDan Careful here, since a passport with her old name and a failure to indicate status, married, could easily be construed as visa fraud should she ever decide to immigrate to the US.  May not matter that she did in fact leave the US before the tourist visa expired.  Recall that in addition to stated grounds for exclusion, still need show good moral character, and entering on a passport with a no longer valid name and not indicating her and your married status... The concern is: If you have entered the United States through the VWP or on a tourist visa with the intent to remain longer than your lawful stay, then your use of VWP or tourist visa was unlawful. As is obvious is not you or your wife but the immigration officer who determines intent and that may not even matter, since if one lies, well, then one lied.


Yeah, it svcks. Since one way around this might be, if one gets married, then immediate relative petition, etc., but problem is, even if she or any spouse enters the US rather shortly after grant of immigrant visa, need be in the US for X number of days over whatever the period is, since if not, then permanent residence no longer valid. As crazy as this may sound, unless there is good reason in the country of the foreign spouse, don't get married unless you and she plan on living in the US and be prepared for the wait. I got lucky, since turned out that the human handling my paperwork after immediate relative petition approval went to UCLA with me, remembered me, so moved to the front of the line.


Interview at the embassy in Manila was a hoot, as my wife was shaking like a leaf and did not answer the first question, I was in the room, pointed to her and said, she's rather nervous, and our embassy gal just nodded and then stamped the document she had and said, approved. That was the interview.  A single question that my wife never answered. 


Oh, and you know how the PI works right? A price tag for everything. PI law, same as here, waiting period from time when marriage application/petition granted and marriage performed, but slip the court clerk some dollars and 15 minutes later you're married in chambers. And wait all day at the NBI for her clearance, well, nothing that dollars can't make faster.


Anyway, good luck.

My wife just received her Non immigrant Tourist Visa from our US embassy here in Manila, it's good for ten years/Multiple use...


I recommend to update her Passport as we did, not that difficult and doesn't take long to update the name change...


For her the interview was a breeze, we were prepared...


But in your situation it sounds like you are wanting/needing to go for good.

The interviewer's Job is to determine if she is coming back or not, they know what to ask, so you need to show ties here in Philippines as in property, business, children etc, basically reasons for her to return.


If it's just you and her and no proof of ties to the country it might be a waste of the fee they charge to interview.


i suggest to take the time and apply for the Spousal Visa and do it the right way...


I had a good friend who came here with me and also married a Filipina, He paid for her to go 7 times to the interview and she failed every time, I'm suspecting they caught her in a lie every time...they do this every day and get paid to determine if someone is lying or not, just saying. That's my 2 cents


BTW, when we went in July, they only allowed her inside to interview, I was not allowed inside Embassy at all and just waited in the car.

Not sure if that's changed now, but then, only the applicant with appointment was allowed to enter.