Addressing possible red flags in i-130 -- EGYPT

[DarwishAE 19]

Hellow fellow VJers

I want to know about how to deal with possible red flags the USCIS might see with the i-130 application for my husband.

Here is briefly how me met & when we got married:

My husband, Ahmed, and I were introduced by my best friend of 5 years and her husband who is Ahmed's first cousin. We began contact over Facebook and Skype in early September 2012. My family has been in support of our relationship from the beginning and his family also approves. In November he applied for a tourist Visa so he could come visit my family but was denied. We already knew we wanted to get married then and decided I would come to Egypt in December and we would get married. I spent 3 weeks in Egypt with him and his family and we Skyped with my family every other day so they could finally see us together. We married on Christmas. I returned back to the US on January 1, 2013.

The possible red flags:

- 8 year age difference --> I am almost 19, he is 27

- religious difference --> I am Christian, he is Muslim (we have discussed this quite a bit and it is not an issue for us, I am very open to Islam and have considered converting)

- marrying on first visit (our finances do not permit me to travel to Egypt often as I am a full-time student and the money my husband makes in Egypt is not the best when exchanged to US dollars, I am going to try my best to visit during the summer)

Do these need to be addressed? If so, how? I know Egypt is considered a hard embassy by many on this forum and I am trying to be as prepared as possible.

The evidence I am planning to include with the i-130 is:

- photos of us alone and with friends and family in Egypt

- my passport showing entry and departure stamp for Egypt & my plane ticket

- sworn affidavits by my parents and hopefully the friend who introduced us

- Some chat logs (I have to sift through over 900 pages...)

- Screenshots of us Skyping together

Thank you!

[spn1025 38]

So.. you met him online, talked for 2 months, flew over and got married?

well, as far as your questions, you should be all set. 8 year age difference is nothing compared to some of the people on this site..

you shouldn't have any problems with the paperwork as none of it asks about religion, but i'm sure some questions will come up during the visa interview about the religion difference, and maybe the age difference since you are so young. marrying on first visit isn't an issue.

just make sure you keep a good file full of stuff to prove your marriage is real, such as what you already mentioned. don't throw anything out. save every receipt.

[disconnection 4]

Lol i did not reply to any topics in the last 3 years but your case looks very good....first visit marriage isn't an issue at all and your ages difference is absolutely acceptable....they don't have time to read chat logs and it means nothing to them but pictures together and with his family, gifts, and phone bills show international calls and numbers may be helpful. The only thing I can think of now is the financial support. You should read about it and make sure you meet the requirements then after the interview get ready for an extended portion of time called the hell AP or Adminstration processing before he gets his visa. Good luck

[DarwishAE 19]

Lol i did not reply to any topics in the last 3 years but your case looks very good....first visit marriage isn't an issue at all and your ages difference is absolutely acceptable....they don't have time to read chat logs and it means nothing to them but pictures together and with his family, gifts, and phone bills show international calls and numbers may be helpful. The only thing I can think of now is the financial support. You should read about it and make sure you meet the requirements then after the interview get ready for an extended portion of time called the hell AP or Adminstration processing before he gets his visa. Good luck

Thank you for your reply. Would pictures of gifts be enough? He had a drawing of me done in Egypt and a photo clock made with a picture of us. I could also take a picture of my rings he bought me.

[disconnection 4]

Sure these things will add the emotional touch to the case but seriously they care the most about papers and guessing....I mean if they asked him some question about you such as where do you work or where did you go for college and he didn't know, pictures will not help then as anyone can take pictures with anyone but knowing almost everything about your spouse is not an option... Makes sense?

[Penguin_ie 5,984]

The age difference won't be an issue. The religious difference should not be a major issue as you are the female.

The short courtship and marrying on the first visit might. You can get around that by having lots of bonafide evidence (it';s great both your families approve). A second visit during the process and maybe a third for the interview would be good if there is any way you can.

[together4evr 360]

The red flags that I see (for Cairo) are

you are 18 years old.

you are best friends with his cousins wife (VERY BIG RED FLAG)

You seen him once and married

You only spoke for 3 months online before marrying

Different religions

The CO will believe this was a set up marriage. The cousin wanted to get his egyptian cousin here so he had his wife encourage you to marry him quickly, without knowing him but a few weeks. After they see this reg flag then all the other red flags will be amplified.

Remember many people have alot of red flags and they have no problems. Some people have no flags and they get denied or put in AP. There is not rhyme or reason for Cairos thinking.

Just keep hoping for the best

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The red flags that I see (for Cairo) are

you are 18 years old.

you are best friends with his cousins wife (VERY BIG RED FLAG)

You seen him once and married

You only spoke for 3 months online before marrying

Different religions

The CO will believe this was a set up marriage. The cousin wanted to get his egyptian cousin here so he had his wife encourage you to marry him quickly, without knowing him but a few weeks. After they see this reg flag then all the other red flags will be amplified.

Remember many people have alot of red flags and they have no problems. Some people have no flags and they get denied or put in AP. There is not rhyme or reason for Cairos thinking.

Just keep hoping for the best

These same issues jumped out at me as well. I agree that it's the connection between the two Egyptians (the best friend's husband and the cousin in Egypt that she was introduced to) that is likely going to receive the closest scrutiny at the consulate. A lot of people think being introduced to a foreigner through a member of that person's family who is already in the US is persuasive evidence of a couple's sincerity; in fact, it's a big red flag - it's been identified as a common factor in many fraud cases. (Of course this does not mean that everyone who matches this description is a fraud case; it just means that the consulate has been trained to scrutinize cases with these factors very closely.)

Elizabeth - How long has your best friend been married ? How did she meet her husband ? The consulate will want to know. They will also want to know when you and your now-husband first discussed marriage, and when you first discussed his immigration to the US.

[NY_BX 397]

So.. you met him online, talked for 2 months, flew over and got married?

well, as far as your questions, you should be all set. 8 year age difference is nothing compared to some of the people on this site..

you shouldn't have any problems with the paperwork as none of it asks about religion, but i'm sure some questions will come up during the visa interview about the religion difference, and maybe the age difference since you are so young. marrying on first visit isn't an issue.

just make sure you keep a good file full of stuff to prove your marriage is real, such as what you already mentioned. don't throw anything out. save every receipt.

Egypt, well MENA countries see this with different eyes. It's the opposite.

[NY_BX 397]

Hellow fellow VJers

I want to know about how to deal with possible red flags the USCIS might see with the i-130 application for my husband.

Here is briefly how me met & when we got married:

My husband, Ahmed, and I were introduced by my best friend of 5 years and her husband who is Ahmed's first cousin. We began contact over Facebook and Skype in early September 2012. My family has been in support of our relationship from the beginning and his family also approves. In November he applied for a tourist Visa so he could come visit my family but was denied. We already knew we wanted to get married then and decided I would come to Egypt in December and we would get married. I spent 3 weeks in Egypt with him and his family and we Skyped with my family every other day so they could finally see us together. We married on Christmas. I returned back to the US on January 1, 2013.

The possible red flags:

- 8 year age difference --> I am almost 19, he is 27

- religious difference --> I am Christian, he is Muslim (we have discussed this quite a bit and it is not an issue for us, I am very open to Islam and have considered converting)

- marrying on first visit (our finances do not permit me to travel to Egypt often as I am a full-time student and the money my husband makes in Egypt is not the best when exchanged to US dollars, I am going to try my best to visit during the summer)

Do these need to be addressed? If so, how? I know Egypt is considered a hard embassy by many on this forum and I am trying to be as prepared as possible.

The evidence I am planning to include with the i-130 is:

- photos of us alone and with friends and family in Egypt

- my passport showing entry and departure stamp for Egypt & my plane ticket

- sworn affidavits by my parents and hopefully the friend who introduced us

- Some chat logs (I have to sift through over 900 pages...)

- Screenshots of us Skyping together

Thank you!

You do have big red flags as other members have noted. Marriage in a first visit after "meeting" online for a few months is a huge issue. Just so you know, converting to Islam may be seen as a red flag also- believe it or not. It makes the petitioner look desperate or worse, it may seem as if the petitioner was coerced. Again, it may seem like that even though it's not. The issue you have is the whole picture: a young- christian- full-time student flies to Egypt after 3 months of chatting online with a handsome man introduced by HIS family member and marries him in a snap. In the Consular's view (please keep in mind this is NOT our opinion) this is text book immigration fraud through marriage. That said, religions and age differences are not issues.

Frankly, the worst issue is financial. You are a full-time student. Who will sponsor him? Are your parents or legal guardians willing to sign the affidavit of support?

You'll need to dig into your best friend's story. They will ask your husband at the interview. Does your husband have more family members in the US?

Out of curiosity, what was the reason he was denied the tourist visa? Was it not enough ties to Egypt? Did he say he was visiting you?

Good luck, and please know we're not trying to hurt you. We're trying to help you. This is not our opinion, as we do not know you. This are possible answers you may get form the Consular.

[NY_BX 397]

Thank you for your reply. Would pictures of gifts be enough? He had a drawing of me done in Egypt and a photo clock made with a picture of us. I could also take a picture of my rings he bought me.

That won't do any difference. Pictures of you and your family is fine, but know that's secondary evidence. You're married. They want to see a marriage: credit cards and/or bank accounts together, lease or mortgage in both names, him on your health insurance, joint taxes, etc. You may or may no have any of these things.

The evidence you're providing is good, but it's more of a fiance visa package. If that's what you have, add it all.

[Ihavequestions 419]

I just looked at your profile:

"Ahmed is related to my friend's husband and I remember them both telling me over the phone they had found me the man I was going to marry."

Tread carefully. In fact, the last thing I would be doing is busting my a$$ on a visa application. Instead, I would be getting down to the nitty-gritty of married life. For example, talking about dividing up the household chore list and whether or not you're willing to wake him up every morning with a glass of tea under his nose instead of talking about how hard it is to be apart.

You ran head first into a culture you don't understand. Take your time.

Where is he from? What is his university degree? What is his job now?

[NY_BX 397]

I just looked at your profile:

"Ahmed is related to my friend's husband and I remember them both telling me over the phone they had found me the man I was going to marry."

Tread carefully. In fact, the last thing I would be doing is busting my a$$ on a visa application. Instead, I would be getting down to the nitty-gritty of married life. For example, talking about dividing up the household chore list and whether or not you're willing to wake him up every morning with a glass of tea under his nose instead of talking about how hard it is to be apart.

You ran head first into a culture you don't understand. Take your time.

Where is he from? What is his university degree? What is his job now?

Ok, I'm not the only one that thinks this.

I'm looking for the thread about the lady that was abandoned in no time after she put her husband in the deed of her mom's home. The guy lands in the US and goes AWOL. That case haunts me, I swear.

Elizabeth: we're not trying to scare you, but we've read about many many many cases that start out like yours. And we aren't Consulars! Remember, Egypt is one of the top 5 most immigration fraudulent countries- Nigeria being #1. Do your research, which sounds like you are. I second Ihavequestions recommendation: learn about marriage life between 2 culturally diverse individuals before applying.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

You do have big red flags as other members have noted. Marriage in a first visit after "meeting" online for a few months is a huge issue. Just so you know, converting to Islam may be seen as a red flag also- believe it or not. It makes the petitioner look desperate or worse, it may seem as if the petitioner was coerced. Again, it may seem like that even though it's not. The issue you have is the whole picture: a young- christian- full-time student flies to Egypt after 3 months of chatting online with a handsome man introduced by HIS family member and marries him in a snap. In the Consular's view (please keep in mind this is NOT our opinion) this is text book immigration fraud through marriage. That said, religions and age differences are not issues.

Frankly, the worst issue is financial. You are a full-time student. Who will sponsor him? Are your parents or legal guardians willing to sign the affidavit of support?

You'll need to dig into your best friend's story. They will ask your husband at the interview. Does your husband have more family members in the US?

Out of curiosity, what was the reason he was denied the tourist visa? Was it not enough ties to Egypt? Did he say he was visiting you?

Good luck, and please know we're not trying to hurt you. We're trying to help you. This is not our opinion, as we do not know you. This are possible answers you may get form the Consular.

Who said it's not our opinion?? I find her whole story VERY shady, am sorry to say. I am not saying that she is in on any sort of scheme, but this Egyptian man and his family sound like they've got a plan in the works for REAL. If the consular officer who gets their case doesn't see it - he or she is not doing their job IMO.

Elizabeth, dear. You are entirely too young to have made such a choice so soon. I was your age not too long ago and I believed myself to be mature for my age, but I still was nowhere near ready to get married. In fact now that I'm older and wiser I see how immature I was back then! No offense - but how did your family approve of such an arrangement?? I really can't fathom that.

I am not just going to judge your predicament though. This is an advice forum so I will give you mine, take it or leave it:

Spend a lot more time with your husband in Egypt. Visit for as long as possible, as much as possible for at least a year or two before applying for the spouse petition (preferably wait until after you graduate). I recommend over summer vacations since you are in college. Before 2011 I would have said go study abroad there (I studied in Alexandria for 6 months several years ago) but it is not safe to be that out in the open in Egypt anymore. This is not to strengthen your application though - this is so you can over time decide whether or not he is right for you and whether or not a life with him is the life you want. If he gets pushy and wants to get to the US sooner rather than later, this should be a very big indication of his real intentions.

You mention considering converting to Islam. I implore you to spend a lot more time thinking about that before acting, as you did in this marriage. Converting to Islam is the biggest decision you will ever make in your life, other than having children. I am not saying this to bash it as a religion in any way. I am marrying a Muslim and I am not one and probably never will be. I have nothing but respect for the faith, but I know in my heart it is not for me. Your religion is something that you yourself should be convinced of without doubt, not something you adopt to fit into a community, a culture, or a marriage better. Many people have made that mistake and they live to regret it.

Age difference isn't tremendous though again he is almost 10 years older. That puts him in a position of power over you, whether you realize it or not. This on top of the fact that his culture is very paternalistic. Get ready for a lot of compromises.

In the meantime, you are still young so please don't let being married keep you from pursuing all the things young people try and do. Your college years really do help determine the person you will become for the rest of your life and more experiences make you a more well rounded person. Take the opportunities to have fun and explore because years from now you will look back and regret all the things you missed out on.

Edited February 16, 2013 by Sarah and Adnan

[Mithra 1,185]

Marrying on the first visit isn't the biggie. It's knowing each other for 3 months before marriage and then the way you met. This is a very worrisome factor. Plus, you're so young and may be looked upon as easy prey. Just be careful. Not to mention the cultural differences. Whoa mama that's a big one. You haven't had time to be exposed to the culture enough to know how different it is. Please be careful. There are plenty of wolves in sheep's clothing in MENA.