Morocco questions re Interview in Casa

[JayandZou 0]

Hi everyone! This is the first time I've posted in this forum. Happy to see many people from Morocco since my Moroccan fiance is going to be interviewing for our K-1 on May 13th! We just got our date yesterday after I emailed the consulate. So... now we are preparing and I have a few questions.

1) I have a big package with emails, chats, skype, tax return, I134 etc and I was wondering if anyone has figured out a good way to ship it to Morocco without spending a fortune. I looked at USPS, DHL, and Fedex. It's going to be a heavy package. I think the US Postal Service is the cheapest but I want to make sure it gets there. A few months ago, I had to send him something and I did it "registered mail" and it was a disaster because it becomes a Government thing and not postal so it took forever and the USPS couldn't even track it. (How odd when that was the reason I sent it registerd). Any suggestions would be helpful!

2) For all our pictures for the interview. Do I need to write the date and place for every pic? I was going to send him a thin album with 4 pics from each trip (5 trips to Morocco in 1 year!) and then just have him bring a ton of other pics that he has. Does he need to write the date/place for every single one? There are a lot of pics!

3) This may sound goofy but what is MENA? I don't know the term.

I might have more questions a long the way but this is it for now. Thanks so much and wishing everyone a happy day!

Jayme

[Berber Mama 5]

I scanned a majority of our things like pics he didn't have, emailed them and let him print them out. Luckily he saved all of our old chat logs as well so I didn't have to send those. We didn't write anything on our pics. I know that it is somewhat expensive but I would invest in shipping via Fed Ex. You want to be sure that it gets there in plenty of time for the interview. For what I did have to send to him I used Fed Ex and it seems like I spent around 150.00. The Post office takes too long and you can't guarantee with certainty that he will get it in time. I once mailed my hubby a card and it took two months to get to him.

Good luck to you and MENA is Middle East/North Africa

[New Beginnings 32]

I would go the scanning route and have him print them off there if you can. It's just so much easier that way. USPS takes on average about 3 weeks to be delivered. Also, fedex can *get* the package there in 2 business days but they cannot gaurantee that the package is delivered in 2-3 business days because once it enters customs it's out of their hands.. so it could be a big expense for not much time savings. If you can just have him print it that would be best in my humble opinion

[JayandZou 0]

I would go the scanning route and have him print them off there if you can. It's just so much easier that way. USPS takes on average about 3 weeks to be delivered. Also, fedex can *get* the package there in 2 business days but they cannot gaurantee that the package is delivered in 2-3 business days because once it enters customs it's out of their hands.. so it could be a big expense for not much time savings. If you can just have him print it that would be best in my humble opinion

Thanks Laura and Berber Mama. I actually have to snail mail some papers that I must sign (the I 134 and tax returns) so he won't be able to print everything there. I guess not matter what, I'm stuck with Fex Ex for $150. Crazy....another $500 and I could go myself!

[dimanuni 1]

I just mailed a package last Friday via USPostal Service, express mail. it cost $38. It's basically a sort of pre-paid envelope. It got there in ONE WEEK! he had it by this Friday. They promise 8 business days.

I recommend you send big envelopes, and not packages, because if customs sees a pacakage, they want to open it and it'll take more time. But an envelope won't be opened. In my three years of living there, every pacakge was opened, and NO envelopes were ever opened.

Good luck!

[Berber Mama 5]

I just mailed a package last Friday via USPostal Service, express mail. it cost $38. It's basically a sort of pre-paid envelope. It got there in ONE WEEK! he had it by this Friday. They promise 8 business days.

I recommend you send big envelopes, and not packages, because if customs sees a pacakage, they want to open it and it'll take more time. But an envelope won't be opened. In my three years of living there, every pacakge was opened, and NO envelopes were ever opened.

Good luck!

That's odd because I have sent numerous packages to Morocco and they all arrived unopened.

[dimanuni 1]

That's odd because I have sent numerous packages to Morocco and they all arrived unopened.

Are you sure? they put Moroccan Customs tape on the box. I always found they did it on the bottom side of the box. It wasn't a big deal, they didn't take anything, it's just that it will take a little bit longer...

[JayandZou 0]

I just mailed a package last Friday via USPostal Service, express mail. it cost $38. It's basically a sort of pre-paid envelope. It got there in ONE WEEK! he had it by this Friday. They promise 8 business days.

I recommend you send big envelopes, and not packages, because if customs sees a pacakage, they want to open it and it'll take more time. But an envelope won't be opened. In my three years of living there, every pacakge was opened, and NO envelopes were ever opened.

Good luck!

Wow! $38 and only 1 week! Thanks for the tip. As you know, I decided to fly there myself instead and deliver them in person. I'm glad to know about the envelope trick though.

[love is great 0]

I agree about customs opening packages. I have sent Houcine and family several since December and all have been opened. Another thing, they dont get in any hurry about delivering them either. His last package sat in Casa for 3 weeks before it was delivered.

Letters seem to be no problem.