hassan_debbie

isn't it wonderful that there are so many successful marriages here!

Congratulations everyone and many many happy anniversaries to come.

Deb

7 years on April 5

we have ours picked out.

William Kabbour for a boy. My deceased dads name and his dads name.

M'Barka Grace for a girl. His deceased moms name and my moms name.

They don't use middle names in Morocco but our kids going to have one.

Deb

I personally believe if you're strong in your faith and truely believe what your religion teaches then it's impossible to convert.

I am a Christian and there's not a chance I'd convert.

All EU countries (not Switzerland) do not require a visa if you have a green card. You need your green card and your moroccan passport (with at least 6 months validity).

This is absolutely wrong. My husband and I went to Europe last year before he got his american citizenship and he had to get a visa. They have a visa called The Schengen Visa. There are a number of European countries that are part of the Schengen pact. We had to go to the embassy of the country that we would first visit and get the visa, then after landing and going through immigration we could travel in any country that is part of the schengen pact, I think there is about 15 total. You should go to the consulate page of the country you are planning to visit and see what the requirments are. In our case my husband had to appear in person to file for the visa and give all the required paperwork. The closest consulate to us in Atlanta was in Washington DC. He received the visa within a week. My husband is Moroccan.

Deb

get a Magic Jack and talk to him for free on a landline or cell phone. My husband bought one set up an Atlanta phone number on it and then sent it to his family in Morocco. They hooked it up to their computer and now they can call anytime to our house phone or to our cell phones. We can also call them and its just like calling across street or town, its a local number. All he needs is a computer with internet.

Deb

We brought my SIL over for a visit. There is a form for her to fill out. Can't remember if we got it from the INS website or the Consulate website. But my husband filled it out for her and we wrote a letter saying we would be responsible for her and any monetay needs she might have while here.

She was called in for an interview and given a 3 month visa however when she got to Atlanta they changed it to a 6 month visa. This wasn't anything unusal they do this routinely and we expected that they would. So she stayed for the full 6 months and then went home.

Deb

omg why didn't they keep her. She is nuts!

anyone who thinks she is really trying to help the people in Gaza don't know anything about her.

I was unable to add my husband to my insurance policy (BCBS) until he had his SSN.

That was illegal and you could get them in trouble for that. You can call the social security office to verify this but it's on their flyer they give out about what you need a social security card for and not for. You do not have to have a social security card to get health insurance. I added my husband to my health insurance at work way before he even filed for a social security card.

Deb

How many of us are going to move back to Morocco? and where?

Yes, Rabat

My husband thought he wanted to until he had lived here for 3 years and then went back to see his family and help his sister take care of some business. He got so aggravated trying to deal with people who want wouldn't take care of business without a bribe and trying to drive where no one really follows the road laws, that he called me from there to tell me we are never moving back to Morocco. Once he came home he was ready to buy a house, get his citizenship and forget about living in Morocco. We will visit but not stay.

Deb

I've been to Morocco twice. The first time when I met and married my husband. We traveled to Marakkech and Essouria. The second time we traveled north to Tangier. The first time I arrived in morocco a lady at the airport began talking to me and once she found out I was there alone she began to insist I go home with her. She was worried about a woman being alone in Morocco...lol. I quickly explained I would be staying with my husbands family and she was relieved but stayed near me to make sure someone picked me up from the airport. The people there are just so nice and caring. I love Morocco and its people.

Deb

Cool! It's nice to meet you all (so far ) I find it pretty funny that "Tarik" is a popular name and so is Taza

Where are all my Casa people?

So next question: Have you been to Morocco and if yes, what did you think about it? What are some funny/memorable experiences you had?

We had heard the K1 visa was quicker so when I first visited my husband we had a wedding ceremony with all his family and friends at his home. We did not make it legal in Morocco. We then applied for the K1 visa and he was here with me in 7 months. We then made our marriage legal here in the USA but we celebrate our marriage on the anniversary of our wedding in Morocco.

Deb

Name: Debra

Where you're from: Georgia currently live in Atlanta

SO's name: Hassan

Where he's from in Morocco: Casablanca

How long he's been here: 5 years

Anything else to add: not that I can think of

Send them. Always send more than you need, just in case. You never know what the person doing the interview will ask for that isn't on the list.

I sent an affidavit of support and copies my last 3 years taxes, even though I knew it was already in the file. I personally don't think you can send too much information.

Deb

I am from Georgia and I have such a southern accent and of course I say things a little differently. My husband has picked up some of my southern slang. The first time I heard him say "I reckon" I nearly fell over laughing. He is officially a southerner now using all of the typical southern slang like, yall, over yonder, I'm, fixin, and I reckon. It cracks me up.

Deb

Oh my DH drives me crazy when I we are talking and I say "do you know what?" he always says "yeah". I will say ok what and he'll say I don't know you haven't told me yet. I'll say but you said yeah and he'll say but I say yeah to everything but it doesn't mean yeah it means no what.

Deb

Originally my husband wanted me to move to Morocco to live, but that wasn't going to happen because I have kids and joint custody. So he agreed to move here and we agreed when the kids were grown we'd move back to Morocco. Fast forward 6 years later and there is only one kid left at home and she is almost 15. All the plans have been thrown out the window...lol

After living and working here for the first 2 years my husband went home to visit his family in Morocco and take care of some family business. He called me the 3rd day there and informed me to forget moving to Morocco. He said he couldn't live there anymore because of the corruption. He had gotten so use to being able to go into an office and take care of something without any hassles for bribes and he got so aggravated with the office he was dealing with for his sister he left. He also had gotten so use to driving by the law and said he couldn't drive in Casablanca the whole time he was there. He was so happy to get back home. He said there is no way he can live there permanantly anymore, we will just visit and come home. He is so serious about it he applied and got his American citizenship this past February.

Deb

My husband and I moved to Atlanta in 2005. We moved here because he was offered a very good job here. I am a nurse so I can work anywhere.

We've done well because he already had the job before we came. Truthfully, we've met alot of people who can't find jobs or have to work 2 or 3 very low paying jobs just to get by. If they dont' have a college or technical education they end up working in stores or restuarants owned by people who take advantage of them, making them work 7 days a week and long hours at minimum wage. The "good" areas to live in are very expensive so you will find that alot of people who move here with no job or education live in very poor conditions. We could show you areas that look like a third world country with the people still living in conditions no better than their home countries. Nothing is cheap or free. If you don't have a real plan, money set aside to get a place to live and a job waiting for you, you'd be crazy to up and move here. A young man whose family we know came here 6 months ago on the green card lottery. His brother-in-law got him a job in one of his "friends" cafes. He worked him everyday from morning to evening paid him minimum wage and took advantage of him. He got mad and quit and can't find another job. He's going to end up either going back to that bad job out of desperation or he's going to end up going home. Alot of the men even end up joining the army as translators because they can't find anything else to do. I'm sorry if this isn't what you hoped to hear but its the truth.

Deb

What is Cathy Pacific?

I've never gotten a better deal directly through the airlines. We are going to Vienna in June and tickets directly through the airlines are $1600 EACH which is $3200 for both of us.

However, asaptickets.com has them for $790, all taxes and fees included, each which comes to about $1600 for both of us. Half price is so much better.

Before you purchase check several sites. Here are two we use depending on which one we can get the cheapest ticket.

asaptickets.com

vayama.com

We filed our K1 petition in May 2003, 1.5 years after 911, a few months after the war in Iraq started and just after the first bombing in Morocco. My husband is muslim but wasn't put in AP. He was approved at the interview, they kept his passport and called him back to pick it up when the visa was ready. I don't know why some people get AP but I don't think its mostly muslim's.

Deb

am not sure if its really a mena-thing....but i'd have to considerably conclude that i see too many smokers here (2 yrs plus in uae). In my work place alone, every arab i know don't eat during daytime but they smoke chimney-lots! and that never ceases to amaze me how they manage to live w/out eating (at least not that i visibly see) other than smoke and coffee (some turkish coffee-very strong) till our time-off work.

Seriously, how do these guys not develop gastrities/ulcer related problems when i never see them eat during at which time we (means me and those i have lunch with)perceived as "time to eat or else"?

Just look at the mortality rates in those countries and you will have your answer.

Deb

One of the things we have in common. Neither of us smoke and we both hate it can't stand the smell. We are such anti-smokers we don't have friends who smoke. That would have been a deal breaker for me and him.

Deb

Hi, anyone has the Contact Phone number for the Atlanta Field office, especially the extension for the IO named Ms. Mehta?

I passed interview with her more than 2 months ago but haven't received the Oath Letter yet. I would like to contact her for an update.

Please help. Thanks.

Dominix

You will have to go to the office. The only number you can call is the 800 number unless someone at the local office gives you a card with their number on it. The local office numbers are not listed.