Kemal J.

An update for those who are interested.
So far my story is going well. Alhamdulillah my wife and I are now married, in the USA. It was very difficult and lengthy in Algeria due issues concerning my chahada of Islam, so she applied for a tourist visa, was granted one, and flew to the USA. This was after I had given up, but al hamdulillah she had faith and persevered and believed that she and I must be together, I feel like a fool for having given up due to the difficulties.
We got a civil marriage after obtaining a marriage license at my local probate court, and then took the license to an Imam I knew who performed an Islamic nikah,the fatiha and kitab etc.
She went home and did not overstay her visa, we will now do everything by the books on the USA end and apply for a Marriage Visa here. Inshallah everything will go well, and I will be happy to share with the community my story and any successes (and God forbid setbacks) we encounter.
Thank you, again, everyone who replied.

Also, a tip to anyone who is considering the process of marrying a beloved in Algeria. While I am an American citizen, people from other countries like Britain may also be able to find some of this of use.
REMEMBER TO BE VERY HUMBLE. Algeria’s legal system is VERY different from Anglo-Saxon/American legal systems. What we do in America REALLY makes no sense to people in other countries. Likewise what you encounter may seem to make no sense to you, because you are used to something different. Francophone countries run off different legal principles than Anglophone ones. These principles make sense in the culture. Just be patient and humble.
Do request information on the chahada of conversion - شهادة اعتناق الإسلام - in advance, make sure that you clearly understand what they want to know on it, and whose signatures they want on it. Since it may take a long time to get an answer if you can have someone in Algiers talk to the Ministére des affaires religieuses in advance, this will help you.
The details in the certificate really do matter. For example, the Minister, in response to my frustration, showed me some examples of certificates he rejected. One was for a Pakistani, issued by the main Regent’s Park Mosque in London. I was surprised and told him I had been to London and it was a major mosque, why would he reject it? If I recall his words, he said the certificate didn’t clearly indicate the man converted. I opined “He’s Pakistani, he was born in Islam!” That really didn’t matter, his certificate should have clearly indicated it was a conversion certificate, and that he was born into Islam at such a such a time, had the proper title, AND been stamped by the Algerian embassy in London. So if you are British, whether born into Islam or a convert, be clear to attend to those details !
Americans be aware that the American embassy in Algiers can take a LONG time to reply to inquiries, so if you think you will need ANY assistance be sure to email them well in advance. Also I got a couple of snarky mildly sarcastic replies to my emails when I indicated some frustration with hard to understand replies from the American embassy. They have a sense of humor, it seems… If I were petty I’d complain to the State Department... but I won't.
Regarding certifying I was "free to marry" a trip to my county courthouse in the USA was able to produce a notarized certificate indicating no marriages had been recorded for me in their records. I was able to take this to Algiers and my fiancé had it translated into French by a competent translator of official documents.
One should make MULTIPLE copies of everything, multiple offices in your fiancé’s Wilayat as well as in Algiers may need a copy.
Your birth certificate is an important detail. It would be good to request from your state of birth multiple copies, say 2 or 3, of your birth certificate, all official long form certificates. This may take some time so plan in advance (it took me a few weeks to get mine from my state of birth).
The Algerian system of birth certificates is very much like the French system. Which is TOTALLY different from the Anglo-American system. It may be very difficult for this to be understood. For example though it seems an anachronism, certificates that one is free to marry do exist in French legal systems, they do not in America but if you know what to ask your county's courthouse you will be able to get something that suffices. In numerous countries, like Algeria, birth certificates are easily and regularly issued, m hence they may ask for a recent one. This does not happen in America, people typically just get one birth certificate and keep it for a long time unless it's lost.
Accept the beauty of your beloved's country, it's ways may be different than your's, but Algeria (and the Maghrib in general) has a beauty and grace that is palpable and real. There are disparities in wealth, and amenities but in some ways Americans would be surprised, many Algerians live far better, in essential ways, than we do. Their food quality is better, the produce, the houses are solid and beautiful unlike the cheap sheetrock drywall and plywood "Mansions" we have in America. The toilets and bathing system makes a lot of sense, people grow grapes in their backyards, family still matters immensely there in ways that have almost died out here in America.
It's a beautiful country and culture and respect it, your beloved's folk and nation, and do not try to mentally impose your ways on them, rather be open to their ways of doing things.
You will encounter stress and frustrations, say Mashallah to yourself, and realize it's a learning experience.
That's all, I hope it's of help.

Also, a tip to anyone who is considering the process of marrying a beloved in Algeria. While I am an American citizen, people from other countries like Britain may also be able to find some of this of use.
REMEMBER TO BE VERY HUMBLE. Algeria’s legal system is VERY different from Anglo-Saxon/American legal systems. What we do in America REALLY makes no sense to people in other countries. Likewise what you encounter may seem to make no sense to you, because you are used to something different. Francophone countries run off different legal principles than Anglophone ones. These principles make sense in the culture. Just be patient and humble.
Do request information on the chahada of conversion - شهادة اعتناق الإسلام - in advance, make sure that you clearly understand what they want to know on it, and whose signatures they want on it. Since it may take a long time to get an answer if you can have someone in Algiers talk to the Ministére des affaires religieuses in advance, this will help you.
The details in the certificate really do matter. For example, the Minister, in response to my frustration, showed me some examples of certificates he rejected. One was for a Pakistani, issued by the main Regent’s Park Mosque in London. I was surprised and told him I had been to London and it was a major mosque, why would he reject it? If I recall his words, he said the certificate didn’t clearly indicate the man converted. I opined “He’s Pakistani, he was born in Islam!” That really didn’t matter, his certificate should have clearly indicated it was a conversion certificate, and that he was born into Islam at such a such a time, had the proper title, AND been stamped by the Algerian embassy in London. So if you are British, whether born into Islam or a convert, be clear to attend to those details !
Americans be aware that the American embassy in Algiers can take a LONG time to reply to inquiries, so if you think you will need ANY assistance be sure to email them well in advance. Also I got a couple of snarky mildly sarcastic replies to my emails when I indicated some frustration with hard to understand replies from the American embassy. They have a sense of humor, it seems… If I were petty I’d complain to the State Department... but I won't.
Regarding certifying I was "free to marry" a trip to my county courthouse in the USA was able to produce a notarized certificate indicating no marriages had been recorded for me in their records. I was able to take this to Algiers and my fiancé had it translated into French by a competent translator of official documents.
One should make MULTIPLE copies of everything, multiple offices in your fiancé’s Wilayat as well as in Algiers may need a copy.
Your birth certificate is an important detail. It would be good to request from your state of birth multiple copies, say 2 or 3, of your birth certificate, all official long form certificates. This may take some time so plan in advance (it took me a few weeks to get mine from my state of birth).
The Algerian system of birth certificates is very much like the French system. Which is TOTALLY different from the Anglo-American system. It may be very difficult for this to be understood. For example though it seems an anachronism, certificates that one is free to marry do exist in French legal systems, they do not in America but if you know what to ask your county's courthouse you will be able to get something that suffices. In numerous countries, like Algeria, birth certificates are easily and regularly issued, m hence they may ask for a recent one. This does not happen in America, people typically just get one birth certificate and keep it for a long time unless it's lost.
Accept the beauty of your beloved's country, it's ways may be different than your's, but Algeria (and the Maghrib in general) has a beauty and grace that is palpable and real. There are disparities in wealth, and amenities but in some ways Americans would be surprised, many Algerians live far better, in essential ways, than we do. Their food quality is better, the produce, the houses are solid and beautiful unlike the cheap sheetrock drywall and plywood "Mansions" we have in America. The toilets and bathing system makes a lot of sense, people grow grapes in their backyards, family still matters immensely there in ways that have almost died out here in America.
It's a beautiful country and culture and respect it, your beloved's folk and nation, and do not try to mentally impose your ways on them, rather be open to their ways of doing things.
You will encounter stress and frustrations, say Mashallah to yourself, and realize it's a learning experience.
That's all, I hope it's of help.