any advice offered is welcomed

[Ameera 1]

It's been almost 4 years that I met my fiance online. We talk several times a day, every day via skype and cell. We are so in love and want to marry. He is a doctor waiting for internship in Egypt, I am a nursing student with 2 years left to graduate in USA. I am American and 46, he is Egyptian and 26. We are both muslim. I traveled to Egypt July 2010 for 11 days to meet him and his family. It went well. He has now applied to take a medical exam here in USA this year thinking it will help him to be approved for a visa to visit me. We are hoping he doesn't get rejected for a visitor visa. He is afraid to come here on K1 visa thinking it might harm his medical career if he was rejected. I think we have more than enough proof of our time together and of our meeting to prove we are serious and not jumping into anything in the spur of a moment. We want to marry in Cairo in 2012. We are worried about our ages and what our chances are to marry without problems. I cannot stay in Egypt after we marry as I have a job to return to and college to finish. Does anyone think that if I cannot stay in Egypt longer than 15 days that we may be investigated as fraud? and... any suggestions on a better way for us to marry? Anyone think age will play a factor? I would appreaciate any feedback for our situation.

[Ayman___ 92]

It's been almost 4 years that I met my fiance online. We talk several times a day, every day via skype and cell. We are so in love and want to marry. He is a doctor waiting for internship in Egypt, I am a nursing student with 2 years left to graduate in USA. I am American and 46, he is Egyptian and 26. We are both muslim. I traveled to Egypt July 2010 for 11 days to meet him and his family. It went well. He has now applied to take a medical exam here in USA this year thinking it will help him to be approved for a visa to visit me. We are hoping he doesn't get rejected for a visitor visa. He is afraid to come here on K1 visa thinking it might harm his medical career if he was rejected. I think we have more than enough proof of our time together and of our meeting to prove we are serious and not jumping into anything in the spur of a moment. We want to marry in Cairo in 2012. We are worried about our ages and what our chances are to marry without problems. I cannot stay in Egypt after we marry as I have a job to return to and college to finish. Does anyone think that if I cannot stay in Egypt longer than 15 days that we may be investigated as fraud? and... any suggestions on a better way for us to marry? Anyone think age will play a factor? I would appreaciate any feedback for our situation.

Welcome To VJ

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

46-26, yes I think age will be a very big factor A 20 year age gap is pretty substantial. . I do not think he will be approved for a visitors visa but I am not a consular, just my opinion. I would get married and come back and file a k3. Amount of days spent abroad shouldnt be a huge issue since you would have proof of multiple visits.

[Aymsgirl 0]

I agree with the above poster. Any suspicion will probably come from the age factor. I would try and visit as often as you can for as long as you can. If it's only a week at a time then so be it. Best wishes!

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

LMAO Kat, why dont you tell her how you really feel on the matter. HA! Glad someone isnt afraid to say it like it is.

[LaL 418]

LMAO Kat, why dont you tell her how you really feel on the matter. HA! Glad someone isnt afraid to say it like it is.

remember the old term for something like this?

[Muh and me 18]

remember the old term for something like this?

[Ban Hammer 13,406]

3 posts removed, 2 posters received admin action.

provide helpful information pertinent to the op's question, not observations about how the relationship will turn out.

Edited June 7, 2011 by charles!

[Staashi 371]

Age will always be a factor. The only one I've known who had an easy visa approval with such a significant age difference is Sofiyya. But her culture is MENA. Are you a recent convert or a long time Muslima? Are you of the MENA culture or is it foreign to you? The reason I say this is that all of this makes a huge difference to a CO. There are lots of factors that will make your relationship suspect....it is your man's duty to convince them that he is without reservation or hesitation completely prepared to spend the rest of his life with a woman who is 20 years older than him.

I'm not saying it will be denied, but I'm betting you two are in for quite an uphill battle. Good luck!

[Ameera 1]

Age will always be a factor. The only one I've known who had an easy visa approval with such a significant age difference is Sofiyya. But her culture is MENA. Are you a recent convert or a long time Muslima? Are you of the MENA culture or is it foreign to you? The reason I say this is that all of this makes a huge difference to a CO. There are lots of factors that will make your relationship suspect....it is your man's duty to convince them that he is without reservation or hesitation completely prepared to spend the rest of his life with a woman who is 20 years older than him.

I'm not saying it will be denied, but I'm betting you two are in for quite an uphill battle. Good luck!

I have been muslima for a few years. I dont know MENA culture. I don't know why one person gets to make the judgement for a couple who wants to marry. How can he know if it will be good marriage or not? Im just saying.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I have been muslima for a few years. I dont know MENA culture. I don't know why one person gets to make the judgement for a couple who wants to marry. How can he know if it will be good marriage or not? Im just saying.

Assalamu alaikum,

While it sucks for ya'll who are new to this, this isn't new to the COs. They have more than a decade of experience in the internet sprung marriage based visa game and have seen literally thousands of these applications come across their desks. And unfortunately, they've seen a lot of fraud. We don't have any statistics available to us, but I'm sure they have some idea of the number of marriages that have failed, and whether or not couples with a large age gap fail at a higher rate than those that are closer in age. And they use that hindsight and the interviews they have every day to develop their fraud-o-meter.

That isn't to say that these kinds of relationships aren't genuine, or that they won't work out. It will just take more to prove that it is genuine. And honestly, at this date and after so many years of so many MENA men conning american women, I don't know what to do for that beyond visit several times. But even that isn't a fool proof method.

Rather depression, honestly, but that's the reality :/

[momof1 205]

I have been muslima for a few years. I dont know MENA culture. I don't know why one person gets to make the judgement for a couple who wants to marry. How can he know if it will be good marriage or not? Im just saying.

No one will tell you who you can marry. Marry who you choose, but that doesn't mean he can come to the US. As difficult as it is to see now, COs are trying to protect you the USC. The age diff is troublesome... If I can be honest with you.

Visas are hard to come by for young MENA men. If his real interest is studying in the US maybe he should try for a student visa and then see what happens with yr relationship.

[brad836 0]

Salaam Alaikum,

Dear sister, the age difference will be your greatest hurdle. The visitor's visa is very difficult, I've tried for friends from Iran and the UAE with an attorney, and it's never worked for me, either not approved or is in process indefinitely. I wouldn't put much hope in it. My advice would be to go to Cairo at least once more to spend time with your fiance in the company of his family and take plenty of pictures, I would then apply for the K1 through a reputable immigration attorney, when it comes time for his interview, be with your fiance at the interview inshallah, and if he could have some of his family there too, maybe father and mother that would be even better, you all go together to the window to talk with the consular officer. Good luck, mashallah on your reversion to Islam .

Edited June 16, 2011 by brad836

[brad836 0]

To clarify by reputable attorney, I mean an immigration attorney who has at least 10 years experience, with knowledge of middle east culture and considerations, has had recent successes with embassies in the region, and is politically connected.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

The age gap will be an issue, and time together- in the US or Egypt or elsewhere- will help, as does his and your family's acceptance of the relationship. A big question at the interview will be children- by marrying you, he can (very probably) never have biological kids, something that is usually a big thing for anyone, but especially men from his culture. He should be prepared to answer some hard questions about that.