Asking for Brother-K1 Visa interview in Islamabad recently?

[rooji 25]

Hello All,

 

I am asking for my brother and his fiance. He received NOA2 recently and we are waiting for the case to be at NVC so he can get the case number. I wanted to know the timeline for the visa interview at Islamabad embassy. Originally our plan was for him to get married last year and then apply for the IR-1 visa, but unfortunately Covid happened. So we decided to do K-1. We don't know how long it will take for her interview date to come at the Islamabad Embassy and since our Pakistani people do not like to do long term engagement since we didn't have any official ceremony for that. Does anyone have any kind of timeline for Pakistani Embassy when it comes to K-1 Visa?

 

There is also another issue, she has family back home and she wants to have a function or some sort of traditional party or ceremony there before she enters USA and I am not sure if she can do that since we applied for the K-1 visa. Is that possible? could we do the ceremony or a function in Pakistan before they enter USA and then officially do a marriage in USA or do a court marriage in USA? I am not sure if that is wise or not. my brother's fiance is the oldest in her family and they cannot travel to USA for her marriage so she wanted to have some sort of ceremony for her family and we were thinking of going there as a family sometime next year and get her with us if her visa gets approved in the mean time. and we were trying to decide when it would be best to do something in Pakistan? We never had any engagement ceremony when they got engaged.

 

Any guidance would be nice.

Thanks

rooj

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

1.  It could take many months until the interview can be scheduled since there are many couples already waiting.

2.  Having ANY sort of ceremony which could be seen as a marriage before the official wedding in the US is a bad idea.  It would better to have the marriage inside the US, then a celebration in Pakistan later. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Crazy Cat

[Boiler 43,438]

Not my area but we have members familiar with local practice as is the Consulate so exactly what traditional ceremony are you considering?

[rooji 25]

6 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Not my area but we have members familiar with local practice as is the Consulate so exactly what traditional ceremony are you considering?

I am not sure how to answer that but if you are familiar with it then we were thinking like a party such as rukhsati party but not official marriage. just the function. not sure if that would be something to consider or not. I know that you have to register nikkah in pakistan and officially do a nikkah as I did that but I did the marriage visa so I had no issue.

 

But I think someone answered my question that no ceremony of any kind should be done. I just wanted to know if we do not officially do their nikkah in Pakistan and just do a ceremony function and nothing more then would it be acceptable?

[Boiler 43,438]

Yes

 

Rukhsati[edit]

Rukhsati (رُخصتی) - "sending off" (sometimes called Doli (ڈولی) - "palanquin") takes place when the groom and bride leave the shaadi venue together with the elders of the Family. Before this point the bride and groom will have already been married in the eyes of God by the imam in the nikkah. This is a Bride's farewell by her family. The games and pranks are juxtaposed with the dour occasion for the bride's parents, as the doli marks the departure of their daughter from the family unit, to establish a new home for herself. In order to bless and protect the couple, the Qur'an is held over the bride's head as she leaves, and even though there is no basis in Islam or Muslim tradition for the Rukhsati.^[15] In recent times, withholding or delaying the rukhsati has been used to exert control over the couple by the family of the bride or to extract dowry from the groom.^[16] Intentionally delaying or not hosting the Shaadi or Rukhsati May be used to disavow the relationship. However, in Islam as it is considered haram (impermissible) for any person to restrain a married woman from going with her husband, after the Nikkah has been performed^[17]

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

9 minutes ago, rooji said:

I am not sure how to answer that but if you are familiar with it then we were thinking like a party such as rukhsati party but not official marriage. just the function. not sure if that would be something to consider or not. I know that you have to register nikkah in pakistan and officially do a nikkah as I did that but I did the marriage visa so I had no issue.

 

But I think someone answered my question that no ceremony of any kind should be done. I just wanted to know if we do not officially do their nikkah in Pakistan and just do a ceremony function and nothing more then would it be acceptable?

We have some other experts, who can explain.

@JeanneAdil  @Cathi 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Crazy Cat

[JeanneAdil 6,202]

any kind of party with both are considered " too married for K1" by immigration 

my bachelorette party before my marriage was me with just women in family 

but no engagement party with family and i was getting married

 

don't do before the K1 visa is approved or after (before person leaves Pakistan)

why some have been denied a K1?

1.  photos looked like wedding celebration

2.  clothing in photos looked like marriage 

3.  photos posted in facebook by self or family say "congratulations on marriage

4.  photos showing henna being done says marriage

5.  photos showing dates and milk (by muslims ) show marriage 

 

Why turned away at POE with K1 visa?

1. rings worn say married

2. henna says married

3. no ring but mark of no tan line on ring finger say someone tried to hide marriage rings

 

just save party for after US arrival marriage and arrival

if family needs to be part of this ,  get married and go CR1 for spouse,   it has  the best possible chance for approval and overall is the cheapest

and at this moment K1 is not fast 

 

JUST plain don't do a party 

[rooji 25]

4 hours ago, Boiler said:

Yes

 

Rukhsati[edit]

Rukhsati (رُخصتی) - "sending off" (sometimes called Doli (ڈولی) - "palanquin") takes place when the groom and bride leave the shaadi venue together with the elders of the Family. Before this point the bride and groom will have already been married in the eyes of God by the imam in the nikkah. This is a Bride's farewell by her family. The games and pranks are juxtaposed with the dour occasion for the bride's parents, as the doli marks the departure of their daughter from the family unit, to establish a new home for herself. In order to bless and protect the couple, the Qur'an is held over the bride's head as she leaves, and even though there is no basis in Islam or Muslim tradition for the Rukhsati.^[15] In recent times, withholding or delaying the rukhsati has been used to exert control over the couple by the family of the bride or to extract dowry from the groom.^[16] Intentionally delaying or not hosting the Shaadi or Rukhsati May be used to disavow the relationship. However, in Islam as it is considered haram (impermissible) for any person to restrain a married woman from going with her husband, after the Nikkah has been performed^[17]

I know all that I am not sure why you are posting this. 

 

We are not planning to do traditional rukhsati event because we are not doing a nikkah until she gets to USA. I am well aware of traditional rukhsati event and that is not what our plan is. 

[rooji 25]

4 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

any kind of party with both are considered " too married for K1" by immigration 

my bachelorette party before my marriage was me with just women in family 

but no engagement party with family and i was getting married

 

don't do before the K1 visa is approved or after (before person leaves Pakistan)

why some have been denied a K1?

1.  photos looked like wedding celebration

2.  clothing in photos looked like marriage 

3.  photos posted in facebook by self or family say "congratulations on marriage

4.  photos showing henna being done says marriage

5.  photos showing dates and milk (by muslims ) show marriage 

 

Why turned away at POE with K1 visa?

1. rings worn say married

2. henna says married

3. no ring but mark of no tan line on ring finger say someone tried to hide marriage rings

 

just save party for after US arrival marriage and arrival

if family needs to be part of this ,  get married and go CR1 for spouse,   it has  the best possible chance for approval and overall is the cheapest

and at this moment K1 is not fast 

 

JUST plain don't do a party 

Thank you for your answer.

 

So my question to you since you are stating you did the Bachelorette party with just women. Did the poe officers or the visa people find out or did you inform them of it?

 

As for your other points are 100 percent valid however they can be avoided. We plan to hold an event in the USA once she arrives. My brother's k1 visa process has already started even though it is not fast but we are at the nvc stage now. So for us to do marriage and start a new process, wouldn't that means one more year and still the same amount of time?

 

What you have presented here for rejection of visa, the reasons that is, how exactly were those found out? I mean if someone posted then it would make sense right or that they decided to share those pictures on social media then yes they are questionable. 

 

What I don't understand is the henna and ring thing. Don't the engaged people wear a ring? I wore a ring for 2 years before I got married. So I am not sure how that is questionable when it comes to indication of marriage. As for henna, we wear henna for no reasons or for holidays and other occasions so how is that indication? I am sorry if I am sounding like going in circle or sound broken record. I want to understand all the facts and asks someone's experience who went through what we are thinking of. 

 

The idea is to have the marriage hundred percent in USA including the nikkah and official rukhsati. But we wanted to do something for her family there and our extended family as well since most of our aunts and uncles are in pakistan. Also the fiance is our first cousin (before anyone asks, our state allows first cousin marriages). So the nikkah and walima and other functions will be performed here.

 

Also a side question: once she comes here on k1 visa (if approved of course) when can she travel to pakistan again if she wanted to since we want to have a function there?

[Nasirlahore 28]

Just  do a simple function at home without too many people invited. 

[Nasirlahore 28]

On 9/3/2021 at 7:44 AM, rooji said:

 

She can travel back to pakistan only  after getting advance  parole  from immigration, and that may take about  6-8 month provided she applied for AOS application. 

[mitzab 285]

If you guys are considering doing a nikah to calm the girls family, then NO don't do it.

 

#1 it's illegal to be on K1 visa and be married regardless if it's not considered marriage in US.

 

#2 you will be able to find examples in the above reply that there is a chance you will be denied at POE. 

 

Having a going away party is not an issue as long as the officer doesn't suspect that there is more to that.

 

As far as timelines are concerned it's a hit and a miss lately, I have seen people going from NVC to Interview and approval in 60 days then I have also seen people sitting at NVC for a bit. 

 

Based on Visa statistics, US embassy in Islamabad is back to normal as far as K1 visas are concerned to pre covid levels. 

 

Hopefully she will get it quick. Prayers for you and family.

Edited September 18, 2021 by mitzab

[rooji 25]

On 9/4/2021 at 7:36 AM, Nasirlahore said:

Just  do a simple function at home without too many people invited. 

Is that what you did or someone you know who did for k-1 visa

[Nasirlahore 28]

My point was ,while you going for k1 visa we must  be very careful that co don't feel that you too married for k1 visa, a simple mangni(engagement) function  in pakistan  may look like a marriage  to someone who is not familiar  with our culture.