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Some insights about PDOS or CFO Seminar

Posted on | August 30, 2007 |

Hi everyone, let’s talk again about my US Visa procedures and one of the requirement before I came here in the US. But firstly, let me emphasize this: All of what I’ve written here are based on my OWN experience; the process may or may not change so I would advice you to do more research on this topic, also this is only for K1 or fiancee visa procedures.

Before you buy your luggage, pack your things or get that despedida (go away) party, you need to attend a Pre Departure Orientation Seminar first to get a CFO stamp in your passport. Remember, YOU CAN’T LEAVE THE COUNTRY WITHOUT THE CFO STAMP. Why? Our government requires it and they are so strict when it comes to this rule. Plus you don’t want to delay your flight just because of this right?

Now, what is a Pre Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) and what is a CFO Stamp?

PDOS is required for all Filipino emigrants or those leaving the country to settle permanently abroad. The main topic of this seminar is to help the emigrants prepare themselves for settling overseas. Like adjustment to a new environment, how to deal with homesickness, travel regulations, immigration procedures, cultural differences, settlement concerns, etc. 12 years old and below are exempted from attending the PDOS and are only needed to be registered to the CFO Office.

PDOS Requirement:

  • Photocopy of passport biographic page
  • NBI Clearance
  • Fee of Php250 or roughly $5.50

Address: People’s Reform Initiative for Social Mobilization Inc.(PRISM)
2nd Floor Equitable-PCI Bank Building, 2422 Taft Avenue, Manila
Phone Numbers: (632) 525-3114, (632) 525-3783, (632) 525-4314

CFO Stamp is a sticker, stamped into the emigrants passport. This stamp served as a proof that this visa holder has attended the PDOS and is now ready to travel.

CFO Stamp Requirement:

  • PDOS Certificate
  • Passport
  • US Visa
  • Fee of Php400 or roughly $9

Address: Citigold Center, 1345 Quirino Avenue corner Osmena Highway Manila Phils
Phone numbers: (632) 562-3848,(632) 561-8321 ext. 104, 105, 201- 203

*PDOS and CFO Office are NOT located in the same building.



See the importance now? If you are from Mindanao (like me), you can schedule your PDOS seminar in any of the days you stayed in Manila after taking your medical exam and waiting for your interview. I did mine right after I finished taking my medical exam. My medical exam and interview had an 11 days gap so I had all my vacant time to attend the PDOS Seminar. My seminar runs only for 2 hours (but it depends, sometimes its 3 hours), after the seminar, they gave me a certificate as a proof that I attended it. I then went to the CFO office to pay my CFO Sticker, I just told them that I’ll pay in advance and I’ll get the sticker after I get my visa (because they don’t release the CFO stamp without the US Visa).

So I completed the seminar, paid for the sticker, passed the interview then went back to Mindanao. I went back to Manila a day before my flight going here in the States because I need to get the CFO Stamped (remember I did not get the stamp yet when I paid for it because I am still on the process of getting my visa). I gave myself a day allowance in case there are lots of CFO Stamp applicants and it might cause me a delay. True to what I expected, there are more than 50 CFO stamp applicants when I arrived in the CFO office and I spent like 3 hours waiting for my CFO stamp.

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Category: Lead Story, Travel Guide, US Visa, fiancee visa

Comments

23 Responses to “Some insights about PDOS or CFO Seminar”

  1. no imageCess (Who am I?)
    March 17th, 2008 @ 11:00 pm

    Hello Gladys, its abig help tlga tong ni post mo, thank u so much, now i understand the PDOS kasi yung sister ko paalis to canada now she’s advising to attend PDOS and pay P6,000 with OEC, now nalilito ako bakit P6,000 eh according sa website nang CFO only P400…naguguloan ako…d kaya scammers etong nag sasabi sa sister ko na she has to pay P6,000?

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  2. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    March 17th, 2008 @ 11:35 pm

    Cess,

    The best thing to do is to call CFO office para ma-clarify mo yung payment for PDOS papuntang Canada. Yun yung pinaka the best na option as of now. I think they have phone numbers lna nakalista sa website..so call them.

    Tsaka ang laki naman yata nung P6k, ang PDOS kasi is aattend yung mag-aabroad ng seminar which cost P250 (last year price ito nung time ko) tapos P400 para dun sa sticker na mismo. Di naman siguro aabot ng P6thou yung seminar tsaka sticker.. Yung seminar is around an hour to a maximum of 3 hours lang.

    Kailangan ding tumawag ng sister mo para malaman niya yung place ng venue kasi magkaibang building yun, unless nabago na.. I know how you feel, pero at least may resources ka na to clarify everything. Wag din magbabayad ang sis mo sa kung sino sino lang unless dun na siya kamo sa building at may resibo.

    Sana nakatulong kahit konti ang reply ko :)

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  3. no imageSapphire (Who am I?)
    March 18th, 2008 @ 2:54 am

    hello Gladys,
    thanks for this post….I really want some info regarding this since my family and I will be settling in Canada in June. We are thinking on not to attending this PDOS but then again basing my previous experience in the Immigration section of out airport. So this somehow helps us.

    hi cess, your sister might have a working visa? coz OEC is for OFWs. I got one before going in Dubai to work. Gladys’ case is for emmigrants.

    thanks again….

    sapphire

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  4. no imagedanny (Who am I?)
    March 27th, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

    Hi Gladys,
    Thanks for your post…
    Is it really necessary to take the PDOS at CFO? Based on my web research, regional POEA will also conduct PDOS and will issue OEC. It was also confirmed to me when I called OWWA. So what’s the difference of getting PDOS and OEC from PRISM or CFO or POEA?

    Danny

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  5. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    March 27th, 2008 @ 9:51 pm

    Hi danny,

    I’m not sure about the OEC for contract workers, the one I went through was for a fiancee visa. But anyway, hence OWWA had already told you that you can get it from the airport, then that’s probably how your OEC is processed.

    Gladys

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  6. no imageanne (Who am I?)
    April 8th, 2008 @ 2:21 am

    hi,
    salamat sa post, at least it gave an idea about this. im waiting for my visa for permanent resedency sa sweden, my husband is from sweden and we got married last jan. tapos na ako sa interview ko, and i been to abroad before under sa JICA,so basically its my first time to work everything on my own, i wonder if what are the things that i need to prepare prior my travel. PDOS is one, ano pa iba? mga tips po. (documents, seminars, exams)

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  7. no imageramon (Who am I?)
    April 11th, 2008 @ 2:43 am

    Immigrants going to Canada are required to undergo a FREE pre-departure orientation seminar sponsored by the Canadian embassy.
    I can not find a good reason why we have attend another seminar called PDOS and pay 400.00php for a “holy stamp”.
    I think, the seminar facilitated by the Canadian embassy is more reliable… but…shooosh, what can we do? I have already attended the PDOS!
    There goes our 1,600.00php (we’re 4 in the family) going down the bulokrasya drain.
    Hmmm… 80,596 registered Filipino emigrant last year, times 400.00 pesos, whew, that’s government 32,238,400.00 php reacher last year.
    E ano ang pakinabang ng mga umaalis….? Ahah! Just another reason to leave the country.

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  8. no imagecathy (Who am I?)
    April 15th, 2008 @ 6:35 pm

    hi there, gladys.

    your site has been of valuable help to me. i came across it by accident when i was looking for additional info before taking my medical. you saved me from a couple of unnecessary trips and worries.=)

    i’ve yet to take the CFO seminar; i plan to take it as soon as i get my visa (k1). i had my interview in the first week of april, and i’m still waiting for word from delbros. i paid the verification fee two days before the interview.

    i was wondering how long it took before you received your visa. a friend who applied for spousal visa got hers less than two weeks after her interview. this is technically two weeks to the day i was interviewed kasi, and there’s no way to track the progress naman.=)

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  9. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    April 16th, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

    Hi Cathy,

    You paid the verification fee 2 days before the interview? I don’t know about this..there was no verification fee on delbros during my time. The only time the applicant needs to pay delbros is when he/she already passed the interview from the consul..but I don’t know the process now. They might change it..

    Anyway, right after the applicant passed the consul’s interview..she/he will be directed to pay delbros, which is also inside manila embassy.

    It will take 3 to 7 days if you live in Manila and it will take 2 to 3 weeks if you live in the province.

    You can call or text delbros to verify, if you paid them..they’ll give you your receipt and on that receipt; there’s a number included.

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  10. no imagecathy (Who am I?)
    April 17th, 2008 @ 12:58 am

    thanks, gladys!

    i think the embassy introduced the document verification requirement fairly recently (though i’m not sure how recent). they ask visa applicants (esp. k1 and the like) to pay a separate fee to delbros, and they verify birth certificates and certificates of no marriage with the NSO. but it’s really taking so much time.

    the frustrating part is that the consul won’t tell us whether or not our visa has been approved, only that we should pay delbros for the delivery fee and the doc verification fee (if it hasn’t been accomplished prior to the interview). there’s a disclaimer on a piece of paper saying that the delivery fee will be reimbursed in case the visa is not approved. so we’re mostly just in a wait-and-see stage.

    thanks again!

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  11. no imageofelia wettlaufer (Who am I?)
    April 30th, 2008 @ 11:39 am

    hi, i hope someone can help me. i have my schedule for my interview at the canadian embassy. on the 22nd of may. i wanted to know what are the chances of me getting denied. by the way its a spousal visa that applied for, my husband is canadian and i applied for permanent residency. medyo kabado lang. i hope you guys can help me. what are the questions they asked in the interview, so that i have an idea. palapit na kasi ng palapit yung interview. and how long will it take before i can get my visa. i live in antipolo btw.

    thank you

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  12. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    April 30th, 2008 @ 8:55 pm

    Hi Ofelia,

    Don’t worry about the interview, the only thing that you need to do is to prove them that your relationship is REAL and TRUE. That’s it.. All of the questions the consul asked from me were based on the papers I handed to them. Like he asked my husband’s (then fiance) work, my husband’s name, his house address and etc.

    I know that the questions will differ but the topic would solely be based on the relationship of the petitioner and the applicant.
    .

    The best thing you need to do is to prepare all your papers and try not to panic, kayang kaya ang mga tanong. I’m not sure about the timeline ng delivery ng visa pero yung sa kin around 2 weeks. I live in the province and it takes time for the courier to locate me.

    Basta relax ka lang…and God bless n your upcoming interview.

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  13. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    April 30th, 2008 @ 9:00 pm

    Hi Cathy,

    They verified the documents we (during my time) submitted too but the verification took time before the interview and yeah you are right, the process is different now from our time.

    That was fast though, I had my interview 11 months ago, it’s not even a year yet. My guess is that they probably changed the process July of last year when they also increased the processing fee.

    Good luck and God Bless on your interview.

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  14. no imageofelia wettlaufer (Who am I?)
    May 1st, 2008 @ 4:47 am

    Hi Gladys, Thank you very much for responding to my questions. Gladys, i wanted to know if they will still ask me about my past life, like where i lived or what work i did since i turned 18. I am just really worried thats why i wanted to prepare myself before the interview or will they just ask about my relationship with my husband? i hope u can help me out on this. i also wanted to know if i need to bring extra money when i go the embassy, is there any other fees that i need to pay or how much. thank you very much.

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  15. no imagemicee david (Who am I?)
    May 10th, 2008 @ 6:21 am

    hi cathy,

    im a little confuse.. im going to have that seminar next week.. but imnot sure where i should go.. there are 3 diff buildings.. smef-cow, prism, cfo.. so on which should i go? im doing a fiancee visa.. tnx

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  16. no imageyenna (Who am I?)
    May 10th, 2008 @ 9:00 am

    hi, glad, you’re such a blessing! i dont even have an idea about this seminar. im glad u unselfishly posted ur experience here. God bless. salamat.

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  17. no imagerick and cristys (Who am I?)
    May 11th, 2008 @ 8:15 pm

    she got her k-i visa in hong kong divorced in hong kong as well. but stll married in the philippines will she be able to get cfo stamp in manila or should she just come to america from hong kong and put off seeing her kids.thankl you reply back to totebang@hotmail.com

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  18. no imageabby (Who am I?)
    June 14th, 2008 @ 7:08 pm

    hello po. Naguguluhan kasi kami, ang flight namin ay sa june27 na then ang schedule ng pdos namin e sa june 27 na rin. ang sabi nung kausap ko sa cfo na makakahabol naman daw siguro kami sa flight namin kasi 4:50 pa naman daw yung flight namin e ang seminar naman daw late na yung 1pm na natatapos sya tapos pede na kami umalis. basta daw pumila na kami agad ng mga 7:30am pa lang para daw habang nagseseminar e napoprocess na ang papers namin. tama ba yun? or magpapabook na lang kami uli ng flight kaya lang ang mahal din ng penalty na babayad namin e. di kasi namin naasikaso agad tong PDOS e nagpaschedule kami nung friday lang june 13 akala namin ang aga pa namin magseseminar yun pala puno na yung schedule nila at june 27 na daw kami maisschedule ng PDOS. btw canada kami pupunta as emigrant. thanks

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  19. no imageDyepri Budoy (Who am I?)
    July 20th, 2008 @ 7:12 am

    PDOS ko na rin sa Friday. Kaso iba yung category ko. Im just 18 so parang peer counsel ata ako pasok..
    .
    .
    .
    .
    hay.
    thanks sa post

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  20. no imageRona (Who am I?)
    August 11th, 2008 @ 12:25 am

    hi,

    my youngest brother will be working in UAE. he will have his PDOS tom. how much is the fee for OCW in UAE? What are the requirements? is it place-dependent?

    thanks,
    rona

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  21. no imageRayvee (Who am I?)
    August 27th, 2008 @ 9:55 am

    Weve got our working Visa bound for Canada,we processed it here in UK,but were planning to exit in the philippines.Do i still need to have PDOS to be done. Please help… thanks

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  22. no imagemyla (Who am I?)
    September 2nd, 2008 @ 1:28 am

    HI Gladys, I am an OFW here in Guangzhou, China. My American husband and I got married here. I have registered our marriage with the Philippine Consulate here. As per the US Consulate, GZ, we can file for the CR1 since we’ve been married for less than 2 years. My questions is, my contract will end Feb 2009, where do you think should we file our papers? Philippines or Guangzhou? If in the PI, do i have to attend the PDOS too? If there are other details that you can inform me, i’d appreciate it.

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  23. no imageGladys Erhardt (Who am I?)
    September 3rd, 2008 @ 9:47 pm

    Hi Rayvee,

    As far as I know, if you exit from the Philippines going out of the country, you always need PDOS. There were people in my PDOS seminar batch that were bound for Canada on that time. But to make sure, try contacting them and inquire.

    Gladys
    http://www.gladysmuana.com

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