Dual-Citizen (US-Foreign) Marriage to Foreign Spouse?

[Faraoncito 0]

Hello everyone!

OK this is my first forum post and I had a question. I'm getting married in Egypt. I'm a born US citizen but I'm also an Egyptian citizen (Egyptian citizenship is hereditary). My fiancee is Egyptian. In Egypt, the process for a foreigner marrying an Egyptian is different than a "regular" Egyptian couple getting married.

http://egypt.usembassy.gov/consular/acs12.html (Process for an American marrying an Egyptian). The process for an Egyptian couple is much easier and takes less time and paper work. My question is, since I want to apply for the CR-1 visa, should we do an American-Egyptian marriage or an Egyptian-Egyptian marriage? My name in my Egyptian ID and birth certificate is the same as my US passport and birth certificate (this isn't the case for a lot of Egyptian-Americans btw) and my Egyptian birth certificate actually says "Citizenship: Egyptian, Place of Birth: Abroad-USA" and that would be on an Egyptian marriage license. I'm guessing probably an American-Egyptian marriage, but I'd like to make sure. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Also some really quick questions: Is it relatively faster/easier for a female from a Middle Eastern country to come to the US as opposed to a male? Also, she's 19 (I'm 23), is that too young for a marriage visa, do they make an issue of it? Finally, when she actually gets the visa, can I go back to Egypt and "pick her up" and come back with her, or does the person with the visa have to travel alone?

Thanks so much.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Faraoncito

[Faraoncito 0]

*paper work, not paper time lol

[teeak 224]

I don't think it matters how you do it as long as the marriage is legal in the country you're marrying in then it will be accepted by the US government.

I think its faster in the sense that women from MENA countries aren't in AP for too long unlike males where after their interview they may be stuck in AP for months and months at a time [personal experience here, my uncle was in AP for almost 2 years based on his "religious look" and the fact that he has travelled to many Muslim majority countries for religious meetings as we speculated]

It's legal to marry once you're the age of 18. You'll need to provide a lot of evidence that your marriage is bona fide though (i.e. chats, phone logs, etc.). Basically, you want to overcome any red flags that the CO may see in your marriage.

Yes, you can go and have her come back with you. A lot of my family has done this since they're scared to travel by themselves.

Edited September 30, 2015 by teeak

[jrp 4]

No, the Egyptian-Egyptian marriage is correct, especially if it's easier. First of all, citizens of one country, even if they are also citizens of another country, are usually not supposed to represent themselves as foreigners to the authorities of the one country. Second of all, it shouldn't matter to USCIS if the marriage certificate says you're Egyptian, because you have to submit proof of US citizenship anyway.

Edited October 1, 2015 by jrp