I met Samer late last year. After a few months of chatting he invited my girls and I to come there and stay with him for a month. We had a great time, fell in love and just now are starting the whole process. We talk to each other all the time and online rarely now.

After reading all I have, I see most timelines for a fiance visa is about 6-9 months. With the marriage visa thing being longer. He wants us to move there while everything is processing, and wants to get married. I said it would null and void the whole process as the marriage will have already taken place. He said, his first marriage was never filed with the embassys. (although he had to go to court to get a divorce, he was married in Yemen) He wants two weddings, one where his family can attend and one here. I don't want to mess anything up what so ever. Which is the best way to go in your opinion?

Thanks,

Wendy

Hi. Mabrouk for your engagement. Amman is a pretty busy consulate right now, they're processing visas for Iraq, Palestine and jordan all at the same time, so no matter which path you choose, there's going to be a big wait. Also I hear that it's easier to get a marriage based visa than a K-1 fiance visa... but that is just hearsay. I hope everything works out well for you and it's good to have another from the michigan-ish area

Our case didn't go through Jordan but I know dollface on here did. She went to Jordan and lived with her husband after they got married. Hopefully she can give you some better answers but if you are considering or willing to live there then maybe getting married there and doing DCF (Direct Counsular Filing) would be a good option for you. I am sure it takes more that six months but once you're approved his greencard and work permit would be ready within a few weeks after you came back (after recieiving the visa). It's totally your choice. If you want to do "two weddings" maybe doing an un-official one in Jordan to celebrate (before or after his visa is approved and paperwork filed) and the official one in the US would still be within the requirements of a K1 fiance visa. Or vice-versa. If you get married there, have a reception in the US. I know that most of us who got married in the US are planning to do some kind of celebration in our SO home country at some point. Hope that gives you some idea and like I said hopefully some people who filed in Jordan can offer more answers for you!

THank you for the response and the well wishes . I actually grew up in Livonia and lived there till i was 28ish... Where are you living now?

I am highly confused about the different visas to be honest. I Have read on them till I am blue in the face, and still... I guess I have to go to the lawyer and sit with him and say ok what do you suggest? He hasnt done any from Jordan yet, but all he has processed have not been denied. He said it would take about 6-8 months from start to finish but he has no control over all that.... So if anyone has been thru it ...

We just found out Samer will be working now in Aqaba with making the new roads into Saudi Arabia. He said it is pretty western there, so he would be able to live with us (yes as long as we were married). I keep telling the girls it isnt forever and it is a good experience for them, they can learn arabic and so much history. I told them they could home school, either online or just like here with books on our own. I know it wont be forever and we do miss him so much.


I wish a fairy could come and say ok this is how you need to do it. If it was up to him, we would be there already and married!


Wendy



quote name='iceyspots' date='May 28 2006, 06:41 PM' post='221071']
Hi. Mabrouk for your engagement. Amman is a pretty busy consulate right now, they're processing visas for Iraq, Palestine and jordan all at the same time, so no matter which path you choose, there's going to be a big wait. Also I hear that it's easier to get a marriage based visa than a K-1 fiance visa... but that is just hearsay. I hope everything works out well for you and it's good to have another from the michigan-ish area
[/quote]

i did live in jordan for nine months and married my husband sofyan .....I will say I honestly believe it is the quickest and most rewarding way....you wont have any immigration troubles once he recieves his visa and u move back to the USA....and also...there are sooo many perks of living abroad for a year or less....our process start to finish took 9 months, and the nine months flew...im only 21 and left alot behind, but it was sooo worth it in the end, and now im crying to go back, and its only been 2 months since we left...if you have the opprotunity to do it...i encourage you....not to mention, it is not easy having a painless process on a fiance visa thru a arab country especially one that is 95% muslim..(jordan) if u have any questions on the process feel free to ask me....also, PM me if u would like...best of luck..

Kelly and Sofyan

Thank you Kelly!

Actually, Palestinians process through the Jerusalem consulate.

Maybe you are talking about Palestinian refugees who are resident in Jordan. These cases would indeed process through the Amman consulate, as Jordan is their country of residence.

I don't know how things work in Yemen, but if you are going to live in Jordan as his wife, you will have to register your marriage. I don't think you can stay in Jordan for that entire period of time with your american passport as a visitor. Anyone who stays in Jordan for more than 4weeks (I think?) has to keep registering with the police.

If you do decide to live in Jordan, you should do the DCF like Kelly did. 6-9 months for a fiance visa is huge understatement at this point. I would double that with any visa applied for from the US. I don't know if DCF has been affected by the longer wait times, but I would suspect that it has. I wish you the best of luck.

Jordan is a wonderful country. There are good schools there, but I'm not sure what there is in Aqaba regarding schooling. There is alot of tourist type stuff there in Aqaba, but I don't know about schools. We also wanted to get married before we applied for the visa, but it was not possible and looking back on it now, I'm glad we didnt risk it.

I wish you the best of luck.