R and F

I wouldn't. You just hooked up for a week.

I married my wife on June 7, 2011. Several days prior, I stayed next door in her cousin's home. On the evening of our wedding, June 7, 2011, she and I stayed in her room until I left back for the USA on June 14, 2011.
Would my time staying with her in her family's home and in her room be considered having "lived together"?

Can't believe it we're getting married this weekend!!

Don't be so sure!! As numerous people have said before, the wait is nothing compared to the transition to the U.S. A whole new culture, a whole new way of doing things, a whole new way of living, etc, etc, etc.
We had two denials & four or five interviews. Or one denial and one time ban depending on how you look at it, and then a reversal of the time ban - with four or five interviews thrown in for good measure! My husband has been here for a good amount of time now.
So, as someone who's gone through both experiences - my advice is - do everything you can to be together, but savor your free time as a "single" gal before he gets here. Both situations have their ups and downs. Enjoy the ups and hold on through the downs.

Please know, that the consular officers don't deny a visa on some willy-nilly bs. They deny based on the belief that there is fraudulent behavior by one or both parties. They might have some type of evidence in their files that demonstrates this. And yes, it its sad that people who are in love feel persecuted for whom they love, but these COs see so much fraud everyday that they'd rather err on the side of caution than to give the benefit of the doubt.

Sending my fiancé the stuff for interview....
What is the cheapest and safest way to ship??
Well they're all expensive but worth asking.

Jamie... nobody knows. What we do know are that there are red flags: indicators of things that might set off the consular officers' radar and make it more likely. Ultimately, there is no real way to PREDICT.
For example:
- How did you meet? Online is sometimes but not always a red flag.
- Are you the same religion?
- How much time have you spent together in person?
- How good is his English? Do you have a common language?
- Is there an age difference? If the woman is a lot older than the man in the couple, that is a red flag.
- Has he applied for a visa before?
- Have you been married before? Do you have kids?
- Is there a large difference in body type between the two of you?
I think most couples have at least a few of these... but this is the kind of thing that officers look for.
Ultimately, the best thing is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst: are you able to go and visit again before his K1 interview? If so, that can be VERY helpful. If your K1 is denied (lla y str!), are you willing and able to go to Morocco, get married, and file for a spousal visa?
Good luck.

and another month is here. more bills to pay

...still August? I'm ready for Fall..this has been the hottest summer of my life !
Terrie...RFE's sure suck..what did you get an RFE for? Hope it gets all fixed and move on to the next step.
Jackie

When your married you are responsible to look after your wife for longer than 10 years because shes your wife! your supposed to take care of her. Your scared of being responsible already and talking about divorce, not even married yet.
You may want to reflect on this. Make sure you actually want to marry her.

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. Almost a decade....WOW!!!! I sometimes can't believe we've made it this far. We're no longer that young doe eyed couple. I'm now thirty and he's fast approaching 40 later this year. We have two wonderful boys and we're finally settled into a comfortable, happy routine. I hope and pray for many more happy years together.

We got our k-1 visa approval last Wednesday went I went to visit!!!

Hello Rosie, Mimi here I am originally from Brownsville and my husband from Khemisset just noticed you live in Los Fresnos my dad's hometown. Have a blessed day...Pretty new to VJ what is the purpose of the monthly thread? Thanks,

list of consular allegations quoted in Notice of Intention to Revoke (NOIR's)
Photographs submitted as evidence of the relationship indicate that the petitioner and the beneficiary have spent only two or three days together.
The beneficiary and the petitioner did not have an engagement ceremony. This contradicts local, social and cultural norms in which many family members and friends are invited to engagement celebrations numbering in the hundreds of guest for even families of modest means.
The beneficiary is unaware of the basic facts of the petitioner's occupational background. She does not know the name of the petitioner's immediate supervisor. The beneficiary is unaware of the basic facts of the petitioner's occupational background. She does not know the name of any of petitioner's co-workers.
The beneficiary is unaware of the petitioner's day-to-day social contacts.
"The consulate official noted the petitioner is nineteen years older than the beneficiary." There appears to be a communication issue between the couple. The beneficiary submitted letters as evidence of communications. The consulate officer reported an individual signed the letters as ______. The beneficiary claimed that "______" is the petitioner's nickname."
The consulate reported that the beneficiary provided insufficient evidence of a bona fide spousal relationship. Written correspondence submitted as evidence of communication consisted of only one letter.
All of beneficiary's phone calls to the United States were made to an unlisted cell phone.
During the interview, beneficiary stated that she was introduced to the petitioner over the phone by her cousin. The petitioner and her cousin are alleged to be co-workers.
During her consular interview, the beneficiary was unable to answer basic questions about petitioner's family and failed to submit sufficient verifiable evidence to support an ongoing and bona fide spousal relationship with petitioner.
During her consular interview, the beneficiary failed to submit sufficient verifiable evidence to support an ongoing and bona fide spousal relationship with petitioner.
The beneficiary stated that the petitioner proposed in March, 2007, immediately after stepping off the airplane during the petitioner's first visit. The petitioner and the beneficiary were married 19 days later."
The beneficiary claimed that he talked to the petitioner every few days on the phone, but he did not know what the petitioner did last week-end.
The beneficiary divorced her ex-spouse within one year of marrying the petitioner.
The petitioner and beneficiary got married during the petitioner's first visit. The duration of petitioner's entire trip was brief.
The petitioner and the beneficiary do not share a common language

Pushbrk never suggested you change your priorities. He, "that's me" suggested that if you wish to be with your husband in the USA, eventually, you'll probably need to spend some significant time living with him abroad first. While it may not be practical to do that now, it may be later. However, you actually ARE choosing between your your child or children and your husband. How you do it, is an individual matter and perhaps different each time. My wife chooses between me and her daughter often and sometimes between me and the dog. I love the dog too but sometimes his needs make mine take the third seat.

That'll show 'em...

Marrying is a first seemingly major step but not the major solution. The major solution is to live together as husband and wife for some significant time abroad. Are you prepared to do that? For how long?

People should be careful to compare what is considered a red flag in Casablanca and what is considered a red flag in other countries. They are often widely different.
I mentioned Vietnam in my previous post only to point out that the format of the denial slips is different from those in Casa, but if I were to focus on the specific red flags at the consulate in Vietnam they would bear little resemblance to the ones at the consulate in Casa. In Vietnam it's considered compulsory to have a traditional engagement ceremony followed by a large party with guests often numbering in the hundreds. Not having one of these costly affairs is quite often a deal breaker for either a K1 or a CR1 visa. There's nothing even remotely similar in Casa. On the other hand, the petitioner and beneficiary being different religions (often Christian and Buddhist) is not the least bit unusual in Vietnam, where it can be a deal breaker in Casa. A large age difference in Vietnam is a very minor red flag. It's a huge red flag in Casa, especially if elder fiancee is a woman past or near the end of her child bearing years. One of the most important reasons for marriage in Islamic culture is to produce children.
In a nutshell, personal opinions about the relevance of a large age difference, and comparisons with countries other than Morocco, are practically useless. The OP is dealing with the consulate in Casablanca, and a large age difference with an older female petitioner IS a red flag at that consulate.

I would say that how much of a red flag that would be depends on whether he is Muslim, has been married before and if you are divorced with children. It's a combination of things but one factor that mitigates somewhat in your favor is that you are still of child bearing age. The primary combination of factors that goes against the common culture is for a Muslim male, childless and not married before to marry a divorced woman too old to bear his children. Going too much against the culture tends to scream that the relationship is for immigration purposes. Overcoming that loud scream is not easy, particularly when working with the highest fraud Consular unit in the world. Time spent together in person is the most powerful evidence of a bona fide relationship.

t...r...o...l...l...

Ahlan and hello everyone all my friends new and old on VJ!
It's been a long while again since I have stopped by to say hi!
I'm still here in Algeria happily married with now 3 children machallah! ... still in Tipaza living by the sea ... still hosting gathering at my place, blogging about food, culture and travel, still trying to help with questions on Algeria, the VJ process here, and life in Algeria in general and still trying to keep up with all you on Facebook! I promised this last time but unfrotunately I didn't manage to do it ... but I promise this time to stop by again more often. But feem free to stop by my blog Simplicty's table by the sea or Friend me on Facebook - just please write me that you know me from Facebook and please I only add females NO men! Have a great blessed day everyone and much success with your journeys!!! kisses bises!

My sweet husband is now a US Citizen. He took the oath for naturalization yesterday in Memphis. No more USCIS for us!
Meriem

Welcome to VJ 2.0 Terrie! Wishing you both a lifetime of hapiness
Fasten your seatbelt, AOS off a B1 is a bumpy ride!
Jax 2 da max

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to let anyone with a "Returned back to USCIS for further Review" case, that USCIS Re-Affirmed our case after 13 LONG months. This was all possible because of our constant effort to remain very actively involved by bringing attention to our case and by getting my Congresswoman involved.
Our case was returned back to Cairo in mid-May and two Consulate employees contacted my husband letting him know that some docs needed to be updated and sent to them via DHL. Once they received the documents (6/19) they called him back to report on the 21st of this month, at 9am, to sign the DS-230 in front of a Consular Officer. When he attempted to ask them if he was being scheduled for an interview, they would not answer the question and simply told him to report on that day to sign the form. Well, needless to say, my husband went prepapred only with the first evidence we submitted when our case was first filed(pictures, emails, chat logs, phone records) and his passport. He said that as soon as he checked in, within 3minutes, his name was called. A CO Officer and a translator met with him. The CO officer made a comment about how old our case was: (Priority date of August 2009), how he noticed after his denial of the visa during his first interview - my children and I still traveled back to Egypt, acknowledged my interview here in California by 2 Homeland Security agents & their report of their investigation, and reviewed about 20 family pictures of my last trip to Egypt, that included my husband's immediate family, aunts and cousins, along with my children and I. After reviewing the pictures with my husband and asking him a few questions about who the people in the pictures were, my husband said that the CO took his pen and wrote "APPROVED" on the file and informed him his visa will arrive in about 14 days in the mail!!!! That if they needed something else from him or if something was missing from the file, they will inform him or otherwise his visa should arrive in the mail within 14 days. He also told my husband, that after having endured the process for 2 long years and all the work I put into our case, that he should sherish me and take care of me and the children. Told him "mabrook" and the interview was finished at this time. Though my husband did not give me the exact duration of this last minute interview, he sounded as if the entire process was handled pretty quickly.
During the time that the Consulate contacted my husband via phone, I emailed the Consulate twice, letting them know that I was still very much involved in the case and requested that they inform me of their intent with our case. I received one response that was pretty simple, stating that once my husband sent them all the documentation via DHL, the Consulate will move forward in the processing of his visa petition.
Now, I only hope they honor their CO's decision to issue my husband his visa and that it in fact arrives within the 14 days or sooner!...Insha Allah. My husband and I are still pretty much in a state of shock because of the long wait we have endured...As soon as his visa arrives in the mail, I will make my reservations and the kids and I will visit with the family for a few weeks and we'll all return back home with my husband! Alhamdilullah!!!
Anyone that maybe in this part of the process...please hang in there. Keep hope alive, fight the fight and all will end well.
Sincerely,
Lizz&Mohamed