jpaula

I use a company called VIGO, www.vigo.com I think. Costs 5% of the transfer but the money is there almost instantly and it can even be deposited in the bank for them. I am just opening another bank account and getting an ATM card for my wife. The international fee transaction fee is much less than transfer fees and safer for them as they are not walking out of a business which people leave with cash in hand. Just a thought.

Doug

No ATMs in Algeria.

Holly, I am curious what kind of prices you found for tix. I hope it all worked out and he is coming soon.

I've used www.kayak.com in the past. It searches all other websites and then reroutes you to the airline's site for purchase. It also lets you search with flexible dates. Online has been my means of choice bec in Algeria I have had trouble finding places to buy a ticket with a cc. There is a Lufthansa office in Algiers (don't know about Oran) where they are very helpful and take cc. The fancy hotel in Alger also has a travel agency that lets you pay by cc but they only deal with a limited number of airlines. Maybe the Sheraton in Oran has something similar. I usually fly Lufthansa bec they wind up having the best fares, although Air France can surprise you from time to time. Also, on Air France, sometimes buying the ALG-Paris leg from Algeris is much cheaper than buying it through airfrance.com. No idea why. So, I have also bought the legs seperately a few times.

I am sorry your husband is bored. I think boredom is Algeria's national disease and it does alot of damage. May he get to the US soon.

i go to the site mychitchat.com and for $10 i get an hour to call a mobile in algeria and you can program your phone number into the account so you dont even have to type in a pin hope this helps

I am getting almost 2 hours to an Algerian cell with the Safari cards I buy on speedypins. They do round up to the nearest three minutes, so if you make alot of short calls it burns through it faster, but still...great rates.

I use www.speedypins.com. Just choose where you are calling from and to and they suggest calling cards for you. You buy them on line and they give you the PIN immediately. I buy the "Safari" card for Algeria. Fabulous.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement. The Algerian ecomony is not doing too well, and it is extremely difficult for an illegal immigrant in Spain to get any kind of (steady) work. My fiancee's decision to leave Algeria was personal, and he still feels that in time it will be the right one.

One of the many things my fiancee has taught me is that we should all be extremely thankful for the many opportunities we have in this county. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to live in a country where you are unable to find work and unable to travel, to look for better opportunities. We are in love, and both know in our hearts that its best for me here to study. But like I said, there are some nights when you just feel really down, and need support, and that is what I was looking for on these boards. I don't really get this support from friends or family, who really cannot understand my situation at all.

Thanks again, and I'll start filling in my timeline when we apply within the next few weeks.

Christina,

I understand him not wanting to be in Algeria, but if he has no status in Spain how will you be filing while he is still there? I know these decisions are hard and so long as you have your eyes wide open and know yourself well, are brutally honest with yourself, you will be fine. None of this is easy and no decision obvious. But, from a purely practical perspective, you do have to know if he is required to file through Algeria and if he is if he will be willing to go back to do so.

I wish you much luck

Saudi Arabia is an Islamic Monarchy, don't they follow the sunna, sharia and coran and isn't it a model to makes the laws of this country? no?

No they don't always follow the Quran and Sunnah in Saudi. There is no country today that completely follows or adheres to the sharia as it should be. The house of Saud (the royal family of Saudi) are far from the Quran and Sunnah... they are in Americas pocket!

FYI, there is no law that prohibits women to drive in Saudi... this woman probably didn't have a driver's license and would have been arrested in the US under the same circumstances (driving without a license).

And how would she go about getting a license?

yup.. but unfortunately in some countries, women are kept illiterate or in the home, so that they are not aware they even have the rights.

So they have the rights just are kept in the dark about it ?

Just in some countries.

Countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan etc etc have a considerable number of females in Parliament.

Countries like Yemen (does have 0.3 percent), Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi, and the UAE have practically none.

Here is an article with some figures. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4314211.stm

Note that they list participation in raw numbers rather than percentages. One also has to keep in mind that in some countries parliament is only symbolic.

I know there is a big push (by international orgs) right now in Algeria to increase female participation in politics in general, but I don't see it doing much yet. I would say that the problem here is less that few women are involved in politics than that not enough people are involved in politics. Bad government is a shame.

OK, I just went and read your old posts and I think it may have cleared something up. He was just denied Spanish residency, right? You have not yet applied for a US visa. That makes more sense.

Also, it seems his concern in returning to Algeria is that Algeria will then not let him leave for five years. This is just not true. My husband came back to Algeria after approx seven years of being in the US illegally. His passport had long expired so he needed a new one which he got after ony minor administrative hoops. We have traveled out of the country using this new passport and had no problems whatsoever despite there always being a police "interview" upon leaving Algeria.

DCF in Algeria is fast and painless. The bigger problem is doing the paperwork to be able to get married in Algeria. This will take more time than DCF will. Although, things being as they are here, if his father is a police officer things could move much faster.

I just have a quick OT question - how long did it take you to get your marriage license in Algeria?

We were actually married in the US. We did get our marriage recognized here which took a few months because we had to have any docs translated and then the powers that be had to write to the Algerian Embassy in the US asking them to verify our docs. They gave us no hassles, just took some time to work its way through the paper-based (LOTS of paper) system. Praise be the age of computers, I say, and may it arrive here soon. We do have friends who were married here. I do not know the entire process, but it took them a few months to get "permission." I am not sure what docs they had gathered in advance, i.e. how prepared they were, so maybe with a little fore knowledge and some preparation one could do it faster. I still think, given how fast DCF is here and that non-residents can do it, getting married here and going the I-130/CR-1 route is the way to go.

OK, I just went and read your old posts and I think it may have cleared something up. He was just denied Spanish residency, right? You have not yet applied for a US visa. That makes more sense.

Also, it seems his concern in returning to Algeria is that Algeria will then not let him leave for five years. This is just not true. My husband came back to Algeria after approx seven years of being in the US illegally. His passport had long expired so he needed a new one which he got after ony minor administrative hoops. We have traveled out of the country using this new passport and had no problems whatsoever despite there always being a police "interview" upon leaving Algeria.

DCF in Algeria is fast and painless. The bigger problem is doing the paperwork to be able to get married in Algeria. This will take more time than DCF will. Although, things being as they are here, if his father is a police officer things could move much faster.

How did he apply for a visa without his being in Algeria? If he does not have residency in Spain he cannot apply through Spain, can he?

I have dealt with the Algerian Embassy for the past year and can tell you that they are very helpful. I would call and explain the situation to them. Ask what to do or if they can write a letter requesting the info from Spain. If you are going to tell the truth throughout this process, as I think you have to, there is no reason not to ask.

We have just filed a waiver in Algiers for my husband's illegal entry and presence in the US (We are now in Algeria). If you needed to, you could do a waiver without a lawyer. It just takes alot of time and research. However, you usually have to file a waiver for US immigration violations, NOT for violating immigration laws of third countries. The police report is to see if he has a criminal record for which he would have to file a waiver. Did he answer all questions honestly in his visa application? Not doing so is another reason why he would have to file a waiver.

It also seems very unlikely to me that any country would grant a visa while you are living in another country illegally. The argument goes that you had been in Spain illegally but are now trying to do things the right, legal, way. This is hard to claim if you are still in Spain illegally.

Call the US Embassy in Algiers. Call the Spanish Embassy in the US. However, I don't think you are going to get much traction with either if he is still in Spain.

He'll survive a return to Algeria. This country is filled with men who were kicked out of Europe and had to come home after x number of years. If you have all your paperwork in order, DCF through the Embassy here is fast. I think it may be the best Embassy one can go through. You fly here for a few weeks, go into the Embassy with him, file everything, ask for help with anything you need help with. I told the Embassy up front that my husband had been in the US illegally for 7 years. They just said, "well then, this is what you have to do..." They have been helpful, even supportive, throughout. Believe me, I understand his not wanting to come back here. It took us a year to decide that, if we were to do this right, we had to leave the US and come to Algeria to wait it out. But, in the end, you get to be legal together in the US and you just have to focus on that long term goal and do what you have to do in the short term to get there.

Good luck!

Yes Noura , I am trying to explain that to my guy, but it seems he cannot get past it. Usually brings this up, trying to get me to move permanently to Algeria. I wouldnt mind it, but I would to fix somethings here in the states in order to do that...and he cannot seem to get that. Just wants to be with me...at any cost.

How to get your SO to understand we MUST do this, not cos we want to but we MUST????

I wonder now what is even the point of going to Alger now?

Henia, please think long and hard before any decision to move here permanently. Come visit. I think seeing each other face to face is important. It lets you talk when you want to, not just when the phone rings and catches you in whatever mood has blown through at that moment. And, you have to see his life here to better understand where he is coming from. I think men waiting here have a much tougher time than a SO in the US because there just isn't much to do with your time here. Life isn't full. No distractions. And, people around you are not incredibly supportive, especially if they think you are going to get out. It can be quite toxic that way. My husband and I prop eachother up all the time--no one else will. Coming to visit will help him and it will help you understand what he is going through. And, it will give you some idea if you could really live here.

We just spent two weeks eating out way through Morocco and the seafood B'stilla was my favorite. We had great shrimp pil pil in Essaouira, too. Wonder if it was the same restaurant.

Aside from the one mentioned, does anyone have any good Moroccan cookbook suggestions? Seems worth adding to the library.

just a quick question, how long does DCF take in Algeria? Were you given an estimated time?

We are doing DCF in Algeria. Our time line is not exactly normal as we have to file a waiver and so have spent much time preparing that. Our I-130 was speedy as can be, though. We called for an appointment, got one the next day (note: I was not an Algerian resident at the time) and they approved the I-130 on the spot and told us to call when we had everything ready for the visa interview. We FINALLY have everything ready and I called for an appointment and, again, was offered one for the next day. As our visa will be denied and we will turn in our waiver I can give no indication of how quickly it takes a normal case to be approved, but from what I have seen the Embassy is great. Not alot of Americans around here (about 900 total in the country according to the Embassy and most are working for the oil companies in the South) so you get alot of attention and quick responses. And, they are actually really nice!

They are kind of funny because the Americans who work there never leave the Embassy. When I first arrived I went to register and, being one to ask alot of question, asked if they had a map of Algiers (none exists except for these 16 enormous folios), where to cash traveler's checks (good luck on that one), a safe neighborhood to rent an apartment (they all live at the Embassy) etc. Finally they asked, "What are you DOING here?" I told them my husband was Algerian and they said "Well then you know more than we do." So, for logistical support...not so good. But they are nice and at least humor you.

Welcome!

I finally saw Oran for all of one day as we passed through the other week. Just enough time to drive along the coast a ways and get back into town for a good meal (a fish place up on the hill). It had a much different feel than Algiers, felt the Sea more there Liked it alot. Hope you do to.

And, we have our visa interview on Sunday so we'll break them in for you!

Ah ok.. glad that got cleared up.. I wonder what happend there? I've never seen any Indian people in Algeria... However it seems like there's been an influx of chinese and koreans.

There are definitely Indians in Algiers even a good, popular Indian restaurant. Very happy about that.

Icey,

I'm in Algiers.

My optimism waxes and wanes, mind you. It is in a waning phase at the moment. But, I will try to hold out hope, even in my doldrums

Here are some verses from the Quran:

[4:15] And as for those who are guilty of an indecency from among your women, call to witnesses against them four (witnesses) from among you; then if they bear witness confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens some way for them.

Hmmm.. that says keep them in the house... does that mean stabbing someone to death or throwing them off a cliff? No..... and then at the finish... open some way for them... means leave it in God's hands.

I just find it very strange that non-muslims fail to mention all the rights that women ARE given in Islam and the Qu'ran..

If the arguement comes down to the idea that locking women, indecent or no, in their homes until they die is different in degree than stabbing them to death...fine. It is literally different, but downright, horribly wrong none-the-less.

Married to a rather liberal Muslim man, I am desperately trying to find the good in Islam and separate some truly horrid cultural practices from what is real and true. But, I think this argument has to happen first and foremost in MENA and that Muslim women have to "mention" to other Muslims what rights they are given. And family codes and judicial sytems have to enfoce these rights. Religion is used all too often to take those rights away and Muslim women are the first victims. There is only so long we can point to the difference between theory and practice.

Icey, I hope your optimism about Algeria proves true, but eight months here has me less hopeful. It has the potential to be an example but is still in a rough and tumble transition that has yet to see real resolution.

I love fiction but have had trouble finding books in English in Algeria but for a few Penguin Classics so my reading list of late is a bit odd. I just re-read Jane Eyre and some James Joyce and Henry James (that was the Penguin Classics list). I do drag back a few books anytime I make it to the States or Europe and have loved a few of them. Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking" is wonderful and so was "The Time of Our Singing" by Richard Powers. Almost through "The Electirc Michelangelo" by Sarah Hall. Fantastic. I started "Alchemy of Desire" but got a little bored.

I try to follow book reviews of new fiction on-line so I have an evolving "to buy when I get a chance" list and I would be thrilled to hear any recommendations from other fiction fans.

Bum bum bum Another one bites the dust!!

LMAO

One comes back, another goes...

Safe trip

...and some just stay.

Safe travlels and welcome to Algeria! (Apologies for the wheather.)

Meriem,

I live in Algiers just a block from UPS and have used them often (although never to receive a visa, unfortunately). They are very professional and I am quite sure they will place that visa in his hand with no problem.

Many congrats. It is great to hear success stories through Algiers.