Martiniolive

believe me the consulate will be doing so many background investigations and behavioral checks on you in morocco (I assume all countries go thru this but I am only personally familiar with morocco) . don't get nervous (if you have no ghosts in your closet) it's their way of finding out if you will become a potential burden to our otherwise burdened government and economy. I would love to believe that they actually care about the petitioner but they have a legally binding agreement to protect the selves should things not work out.

If you really love or think you love this woman and are anticipating a happy or chance for a happy life with her in the USA than answer naturally and stay relaxed. They are going to even be watching you in the waiting room lol.

They may hunt down old school chums and question them about you too. If they can find ANYTHING they will..it's the government! And they will try to filet you in the interview if they can. So as I mentioned if you have no skeletons than no worries just be honest. You can get another interview it's not the end. What is time if you love someone? But if you have something's out there...save yourself and your fiancé or wife the heart ache and embarrassment because they will know it. Just saying.......only you ( and big brother lol ) know...

I am changing my display name to "Olive~" and dropping the "martini". Thats all

well found Reda a job it's just a part time gig but it's a start.... noone ever warns you how hard it is to find a job for an immergrant I am amazed at some of these employers gull. As a hiring manager myself it just reminds me what i need to be understanding of.

What's most important for Reda is he found soccer teams to play with Alhamdolilah .. *wipping brow* phew! so he is gaining friendships and connections to other employment opportunities that way.

Being married to a MENA man has it's up sides and some exhausting sides but all in all it's the love you get from them that makes it all worth while.

LOL...I think we are all about at the same place with the settling in. I completely know what u mean with the ups and downs. talk about a growing experience hhhhhhhh. You definately have to be really in love and very forgiving and tollerent at times! And it helps if the husband or immigrant is easy going with a real mild temperment too. I know after 7 mos I think my husband and I are leveling out whew..I just came back here too.......I swear its like when u first have a baby! It takes like 6 mos till you can deal with whats been going on outside of the "baby" ya picking up what i'm put'in down lol

Congratulations Caramella sweetie!!!!!!

my husband and i had filed all our papers and until the final interview everything was fine, all papers were filed in time and completed, at our final interview the interviewer decided without a proper interview that we were in a fraud marriage, she asked only a few questions off the forms we had submitted, her supervisor did another interview and asked me and my husband different question and then said our answers didn't match, now we have to wait up to 60 to get a letter as to why we were denied, we r not in a fraud marriage ,, what do we do now?? any suggestions will help

essaouira, was the interview for adjustment of status than? I did not see anything on your timeline to understand, but I hope you can turn this around.

Absolutely! Agree with you 'honeyandsweetie' it is soooooo hard! When I met my husband (online) I was clueless to the whole "usinf someone for a visa" thing. It wasn't until I was trying to (google) learn about his culture and country that I became aware of all the scandals and horror stories. I put him thru such an aweful time because I became so paranoid from ladies telling me "he wants out of his country" or "he'll dump you for a younger woman after he gets here" Or "he's a terrorist" The only thing that kept me going was: My love and his family are so wonderful. Also I thought if I gave up and stopped everything, I might lose a great man and regret it forever. I imagine many people have listened to all the bad stories and given up on possibly the greatest love in their lives. And I am sorry for people that have really been used. My husbanmd has been here now for 7 mos and I know now that he is too kind of a person to use me. He is everybit as sweet and honest as I suspected he was from the beginning. He is actually a better person in many ways than I am. We had red flags! Met online, I am 20 years older, I can't have children, I am not muslim, I married him just 5 mos after I met him and on my first visit to his country too. Let that be an example LOL. Martiniolive

I was wondering if anyone else feels like this...On VJ there are alot of dishearting stories of men/women being used for a green card. How does one stay positive about their own relationships when there are so many stories of people being used. Even if your spouse has good intentions and may indeed truely love and care about you...how do you resist the urge to question their intentions. I just wanted to know if any of you guys feel the same especially being married to a MENA man.

Hi classySun-

Congratulations and how nice to have a friend to share the journey with. I took my laptop with me. You will obviously need power adapters and I would get them here (it's easier). To Marry in morocco you will need alot of doc's, but I don't think there is much he needs to do for the fiance. Just take alot of pictures with his family (if u can) What city will u be in? My husband is from meknes and it's more conservative. If your fiance's family is more traditional be prepared to dress modestly and not sexy.

I did not bring gifts but sent some afterwards (I knew their tastes) Just to be nice you could bring the huge sized bottles of ibuprofen and acetemenophen in case you need them (of course) but leave them with his family cuz our meds are far better than what they have there (just my 2 cent) Martiniolive

Well, my friend and I are heading to Morocco in November to meet our soon to be fiances....It crazy...we are best friends, becoming engaged to best friends...lol Anyway, I want to take all of the paperwork that he needs to fill our for the fiance visa, since the mail system sucks & DHL is crazy expensive...what all do I need to take with me? I know to keep reciepts, plane tickets, LOTS of pics, etc....Anything else?? Also I have no clue what to bring as gifts for the family...I know...I'm probably thinking too much about it, but that's what i do...lol Last question...Has anyone taken a laptop with them or used an american laptop with wireless card in Morocco...if so, did it work, or did u still need to get seperate service?? Thanks

Canine Creep!

Alexis was bit in the face by a dog

It happened yesterday. I saw her today and it broke my heart. She said 'grammy am i still pretty?' Please pray for my grandaughter to heal and bounce back from this.

Jackie

welcome back WOM~~i missed ya

Perfect! They love interaction between the parents and spouse both ways. I think maybe in the top 3. Of course my experience is with casablanca morocco but who knows.

If you could condense this in a paragraph, great. USCIS does not require anything this lengthy because it just takes up the CO's time.

i know i was going back and forth debating doing that or not, but i feel like its worth it to take up 1 or 2 more minutes of their time by going into more detail rather than to leave it basic and then have them give her a harder time at the interview and asking more questions and stuff. but i dunno. i would make it shorter but i feel like everything i said will paint a better picture in their minds. idk though.

and to olive, i dont really have any pics with the family (OF the family not but with). but i am sending in facebook messages between my fiancee and my mom, so that should help the whole 'family relationship scene' i would think in that respect. yeah my emails and chats are normal i guess, its like a mixture of both. normal stuff with mushy stuff naturally thrown in. nothing really excessive though.

I am sure you will be fine. Just be sure that whatever income you make , you are above the poverty level for 2 people. That has held up many! And take alot of pictures of you with the family (not just the family alone) Take pictures evrerywhere with them or make it look like evrywhere...like you did alot together (her family and friends) Be careful of the chat records......make a long history of them but......... make sure they are bland...just yada yada..........it does not need to be the whole conersation just that you talk ofen. Same with emails...forget the mushy poetry ones too! they will twist them around and say you faked them to ruffle your feathers, just show basic ones. The fact that you (the man) are from here (USA) will be good. Best of luck to you. Olive

it does come easier than it sounds, just get your approvals, then follow the instruction for the pay online fees space them out a little and it will breeze thru, at the interview you ask for originals to be returned to you they do get the original i didnt want to send mine either but did

brnidokiegurl I did not get any of our documents back I was under the understanding that the originals would be returned to the petitioner but that was not the case with mine. I paid for each original and felt like my whole past was in that envelope. UGH! And that envelope that they give the recipient to bring with them to the USA (some say it contains your originals) they just took it from my husband and that was the end of it. I was dissoppointed

My husband reads the moroccan news everyday online and he thinks the gov & politics is too corrupt in morocco. Like how the kings crazy family can pretty much do whatever they want and get away with it. And the people don't have control of theyre life when it comes to changing the way the city does things like wqe do here in the states.

Yeah sweetie...he'll adjust...you'll adjust...we are all adjusting..the bottom line here I think (me and hubby think) is never under any circumstances say or think to call it quits (divorce). We will all get through this stuff. This is the stuff we will all laugh about when we are old married couples! BIG HUGGGGGG, Carol

Last night while cooking I said to the husband "can you come help me please" his responce was "why thats a woman's job", then starts laughing about it. Needless to said I didnt find it to funny.

If my husband said that to me, I would have put aside what I was cooking, slowly put my coat on and drove to the nearest applebees by myself and have dinner there I don't do well with snotty remarks like that.

besides, my husband is a fab cook. He's the best and he would never say "that's a woman's job". that infuriates me and wont take that from anyone.

he knows better.

This is really the way men from MENA think.....

THIS IS WHAT I THINK

ladies the ideas are great and thank you

i mean i guess it comes down on me either way

i am an excellent cook and cooked up a storm before he came, but i guess it was when I wanted to or had the extra time, usually on weekends

the freezing thing is a great idea and i am looking into that crock pot

hubby doesnt mind left overs for then next day

he does love tuna and mac n cheese and the easy stuff just not much for "dinner"

to him a sandwich is not a meal

I just told him that HERE people will eat pretty much whatever they want at any time

i told him snacks were good to hold him over throughout the day and like snacks dont work with him

ok

so i said that typically you can even eat breakfast for dinner, i mean it isnt ideal but it works if you are low on food or just plain ol hungry

i dunno i guess my liberal thinking is just too much for him, it's gonna take some time

I try to make enough of everything so I cab freeze some for another meal. Also I make harsha and millui breads and freeze them and the dough freezes good also. Huge batches of garlic bread, cookies, whatever he likes so when I am exhausted it's easy to throw meals together. We work together so luckily my husband knows if I am really tired. But he does not cook at all. And I admit the first month I wanted to send him back a few times when it was clear he was waiting for me to prepare every single meal. But now it's month 2 and I am adjusting. I think we will be ok in a year LOL. Good luck girl!!!!!!

Happy V-Day everyone! Abdou and I are off to work (we work together) yes it's a 24 hour marriage "as they say"

my brother in law works at the police dept in morocco and he says you can get it but you have to re apply every year.

mmm let's party!

OMG!!! Happy Birthday JJ! And This Picture Will Kill mE!!!!!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Hello pat-yass. We had a simular experience with a lady interviewer in casa also. She wanted the american citesens income records to prove that it was above poverty for the usa.

Ask your wife to send you her records federal express or overnight (ASAP) it will still take a week o so to get to you in morocco but than you can take them to CASA so she can review them. If it is the same lady that interviewed our case she is really challenging so don't let her agitate you. She'll try. Good luck.... many of us have been thru it same as you and we are together now .

Alla ysahal 3likom. ri khasak chwiya dyal sbar.

inchallah

Abdou and Carol AKA Martiniolive

Maybe wear a "BEBE SPORT" hajab hehehehe

Well after a distance from home while traveling the salats are cut in half so when he prays it will not be so long. I should mention to him to find the prayer room for that though. I wear hijab and always am pulled aside for "random" security check. I had one in Amsterdam that was the 3rd one right at the gate. The passengers were boarding and I had to prove where I had been, with whom I had been with and where I was going and my attachments I had in the U.S. Alhamdolilah I had pictures of everyone on my camera to show them but they had completly surrounded me and almost missed the plane.

And I have a U.S. passport so I don't think it matters if he has a u.s. visa and I am as homegrown American looking i think as you can get??? well minus the hijab hehehehe

I am so confused

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!!!! Hope Santa Fills your stockings LOL! We aren't doing gifts this year just christmas cards!

God bless all of us this next year!!!! We need a fresh start!!!! Cio Martini and Abdou

Hi Bernice! If I was going thru this situation with casa I would first pick a senator near you and fill out and submit their release form pronto! It takes them at least 3-4 weeks to do anything on your behalf so start right away. Next act like it is still in casa and keep emailing them asking for the pouch # and be really nice in your emails. Ask if there is anything at all you can do to prevent your petition being returned to uscis. If it does end up back at uscis, my congressmans office told me it is best to cancel the petition and start all over with a new one. She said priority is given to the new petitions and alot of times the old ones get wait listed as such. she said your in for the same 6-9 month wait but at least it's only 6-9 mos as opposed to ????????? that was my husband and my plan B. If ours was sent back I would move there and file direct consular or refile a new petition with me staying with him for a few mos. Thank God ours was turned around! It's up to you but I could not wait anymore. Good luck to you.

How im so grateful to all of you for helping me in this matter...... i have not been online because i have been in the hospital with my daughter she has been very sick with her asthma its now 4:21 AM Monday morning im waiting for 8AM to come around so i can make an appointment for her to see the doctor.....and also so i can make appointments to see the senators and congressmen...... i do have to make appointments right?? Well im setting an alarm to wake up in time.....i pray 09 is a much better year.....and Lord willing i plan to go see my husband in March which that will make one year that i last visited him.....i dont speak arabic i know like maybe 10 words.....when we communicated in the past he would use all the words he could in English and some that i understood in arabic and he even used some words in spanish..... ill never forget how he tried to explain to me one day that someone that used a horse to help move some of his things to a different garage..... i laugh now as i remember he made the sounds of a horse but by golly i understood what he meant.... we had us a good laugh that day....well my dear friends i need to get a little sleep ill check in with you all as soon as i make those appointments ....God Bless You All....Bernice

Who are they? Can they PM me? I just sent letters from all our family and friends, called the consulate and sent them emails explaining that I felt my husbands interviewer missunderstood his personality. I called and talked to the consulate chief himself and he seemed receptive to giving us another shot. It could have been luck. Could have been sympathy. Not sure. And we were praying and praying toooooo. I am just so glad it is past us. My heart bleeds for people going thru this stuff. I hope someday immigration will find a more professional and regulated process. God help us alllll!

It is so good to hear from you! Hugs to you both!

Favor.....we have another couple with a return petition. What advice can you offer to assist them to keep the petition at the consulate?

Jackie!!!! Thank you! The shampoo is made with very gentle surfactants especially because I henna the underside of my hair and it is so shiny and rich i don't like the color stripped. It has no sulfates or salts and alot of my customers use it on theyre pets with real sensitive skin too. LOL. I know we love it too. It does not take the oils out of youre hands either so it is great for winter. That bar once you get used to it is so addicting. Even my husband uses it on his hands now and lips. we had to make a spexcial lip balm now that has a carmal-vanilla taste. I can send you more no problem. Hope your hubby joins you soooon

Hey you, get back here ! What is in that shampoo/conditioner you sent me???????? I MUST HAVE MORE! Seriously, it is the most awesome product I have ever used!

Jackie

pet grooming salon and boutique. I can't wait till the holiday grooming frenzy is over! Love the $$$$ but I am sooooo exhausted!

Finally came up for air huh? I was the same way. So busy getting dh settled in and planning our wedding that I hardly posted at all. Wishing you the best in your new life together. What kind of business do you own?