R and F

...and we finally have our IR1 in hand. I am going to be a bit over the top, maybe emotional, and I know most people say this when their journey is over, but what I am going to say is absolutely from the bottom of my heart. Firstly, we could not have done this without VJ. It has been an amazing source of information, and is what enabled us to do EVERYTHING by ourselves. Our K1, our marriage in Morocco, our CR1, our NOIR, and finally getting our visa. As much as VJ itself has helped, it was really the people I have encountered from when I joined in May of 2009 until now. I have made some great friends because of this journey, and just absolutely could not have done this without their knowledge of denials out of Casa, and the NOIR. There were a few woman who helped me with my first denial in 2010. Then the ones who stuck by me through the second denial in 2011. So many people have followed our case, and have prayed along with us for a great outcome. I can not begin to thank everyone enough. There are so many people who took the time to leave me comments on my page, and who truly cared about us, and our case. It doesn't seem like much, but that has meant a lot to both of us, and gave me strength and courage knowing I had so many people rooting for us.
My family. Wow, my immediate family, to my extended family...parents, sisters,cousins, aunts, uncles, are all excited for his arrival. They are planning a huge Welcome to America/wedding party for us in August. I could not ask to be more blessed with all the support I have received from here, my family, and my co workers. For everyone who left me comments, or emails, I thank you for caring about us. I wasn't able to comment directly to everyone, but I want you to know, I appreciated your concerns for us. You all know who you are. I will also be more than happy to help anyone who needs it here. I have already helped a few people, and it feels so good to be able to pass on the knowledge that I learned to others going through Casa. I don't know everything, but will pass along anything I know, because I would not wish my journey on anyone.
Lastly, I am going to say I am thankful that God knows best. He wanted us to wait. We did our best every step of the way, but it just wasn't our time. He tested us, and I am so proud to say how much closer we are because of this, and how proud we feel that despite all of the let downs, we didn't let that interfere with the love we have for each other. We kept fighting for our relationship, and in the end, we were able to convince them that we deserve this. I was never truly angry with the consulate, as they were only doing their jobs. I would be frustrated with how they conducted business sometimes, but when you have the daunting job of deciding who is a fraud, and who isn't, I can't imagine it is easy. We knew our relationship was real, it was just a matter of time before they would see that. I believe that is why everything went so, so fast in the end. Scheduling the interview for the next week, telling him to get everything in ASAP, calling the very next morning after dropping off documents the day before to get his visa right after the weekend. It really was a blessing. They even made sure to change his CR1 to the IR1. I could not be more pleased with the way it ended.
My husband will now leave everything that he has ever known, but I am happy to say he is coming into a family that has a lot of love and support waiting for him. My mother is an immigrant herself, and remembers exactly how it felt to leave her country. I have so much faith that our relationship will only continue to grow, and all this waiting will be a distant memory. My son will not know when he is coming, because my husband has his heart set on surprising him. Our life has been on hold for many years, and we finally get to begin our lives together as husband and wife
Sorry for the long post, I just have a lot gratitude to share

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter!!

Hi,
I applied for N-400 with 3-year route and I didn't have any problems during the process.
As far as tax return, I just sent IRS tax transcript for the past 3 years. I don't think it's necessary to send certified copies.
I don't think USCIS scrutinize tax return more meticulously for N-400. As long as your tax returns show joint filling, you're going to be fine.

I was married before and I forgave all them mistakes over and over thinking he had not had freedom and he was experiencing new found situations. When I married this time around I made it clear to my husband that those mistakes would not be forgiven by me. I can love him and accept errors within boundaries but not mistakes where he knows he is doing wrong and believes I love him so much that I will forgive him over and over. I will not live being suspicious and looking over my shoulder. I did that before and it tore me apart. I was crazy and stupid before, I am only crazy now. Just ask my mom.

You come to ask advise but you have your heart made up all ready that you will come to the US if you get a visa not matter how dark a lie you are making. The visa you applied for is for a couple to be together, yet you are no longer a couple. You have posted on a public board monitored by immigration and you are destined for AP where they will look at things closer. Is your soon to be ex still willing to sponsor you ? Does she know that she is on the hook for the affidavit of support long after you will be lying in the arms of another woman. If you sign divorce papers right after getting to the US you will be trying to remove conditions with no proof of have a valid relationship. Getting to the US is not the end of the battle and you are almost sure to lose your green card if you get it in the first place. If you want to do the right thing , which I doubt you do , you would call off the current interview, divorce the current wife and start a fresh and honest immigration process with your new love. If not you are no better than the 419 boys that Nigeria is known for. It is the type that scam their way through life that gives Nigeria a name good Nigerians hate. And from your words so far I see you are one of the bad boys.

I guess I'll be the bad guy and give a reality dosage. To me it sounds like he's starting to adjust well to things here, he got a job, joined a club and is making new friends. He can't be too homesick if he doesn't want to go back. It's been conveyed to me via this section of the forum that it's perfectly normal for a female to have many male friends, but when the shoe is on the other foot and it's the guy with even just 1 female friend he is most likely to be up to no good. Not sure which side of the fence you are on, with this.
Try the counseling thing if you can't have a normal conversation with out fighting. I think counseling may be able to work in some rare instances, but in many it is just a precursor or a brief delay to the inevitable break-up. I don't think there's much you can do to prevent him from staying here(except prove fraud) if it doesn't work out.
In the meantime, you could try sending him off to work with a smile every morning with some bedroom olympics, a good breakfast and a home packed lunch. Then send flirty texts throughout the day and finally prepare him a great dinner and to cap the evening off, try and drive him through the bed again before saying goodnight. Go to some of his club games, surprise him at work with an extra snack, etc, etc. If he's not interested in any of this, then you'll have to come to the logical conclusion that he's just not that into you. Life is way too short to spend too much of it(meaning 6 or more months, not a couple of weeks) unhappy, trying to repair something that is not repairable. Good luck to you!

Laws are written in an outline format so that sections, paragraphs, and clauses can be referenced and located relatively easily. The basic rules of outlining usually apply, one of which is that you don't use the same type of enumerator for two sequential levels of nesting. This means you might use (number)(letter)(number)(letter), but you wouldn't use (number)(number)(letter)(letter). I suspect the "P" in this case refers to "paragraph". In other words, INA 212a, paragraph (5)(a).
A denial under 212a(5)(a) is often used when they don't believe there's a bonafide relationship. I've always thought this was particularly odd because paragraph (5)(a) is related to labor certifications for work visas. I've heard various explanations for why they cite this particular paragraph of the INA. The explanation that seems to make the most sense is that the consulate has determined that the applicant isn't eligible for a visa based on a petitionable relationship, so the only remaining basis for eligibility would be a work visa. They don't have a labor certification, so they're determined to be inadmissible on that basis. In other words, they end up here because it's the default trigger at the end of the list. I realize that this is twisted logic, but there is no paragraph in 212a that covers a CO's discretionary determination whether a bonafide relationship exists.
Anyway, the INA section cited by the CO doesn't change the real reason they denied the visa - they think the relationship is a sham.

I agree with Vanessa and Darnell. Screw the mediator. You don't have to pay a nickel unless and until a judge orders it. You don't have to agree to the terms the mediator recommends.
You don't need advice on a public forum. You need a vicious divorce attorney. It will be the best investment you ever made.

Your story helps explain why it is so hard for honest people to bring their loved ones here. You realized things were horribly wrong and yet you chose to continue. You clearly admit to fraud on your post. I guess oaths and honesty are not a the top of your list. In FML I would click on the "You totally deserved this" button....

Congratulations to everybody who got their approval/oath letters :thumbs: ... still nothing here.... :crying:

it was suggested that you have your better half join the site - that is an excellent suggestion as the communication gap between yourself and the helpful participants in this thread is too wide to bridge - and those that do try wind up frustrated or attacked by you as you misunderstand them.
this thread is now locked as it seems to be a round robin circus anyways with no end in sight.
do not restart this thread.
charles
vj moderation

I have been reading this entire post and enjoy all your comments. You people are really fantastic in trying to give Farid advice. And yes maybe Lisa can come on board and you guys can help her. I have learned the hard way not to ever give advice on how to obtain a visa as others don't think I know what I am doing. So I only stand from afar and applaud those who are alot more intelligent than I am in giving advice. This MENA forum is the best. :dance:
Still awaiting Farid's oath ceremony. Wohoo Morocco here we come. :luv:

don't blame me for any cravings.

i don't cause now i'd have to sort it all out.

You have every right to be in a bad relationship if you want...
The US Government also has the right to not allow people of "Low Moral Character" (such as ones who would physically, emotionally or sexually abuse US Citizens/residents) to enter the US at all let alone on immigrant visas.

Woohoo congratulations!!

You can renew your British passport forever and also have a US passport--a dual nationality so to speak.
As an LPR you are required to report foreign bank accounts if the total of all accounts exceeds $10,000 (when converted to USD.) Your first report for 2011 is due to the US Treasury Dept (not an IRS tax return item) by June 1, 2012. The form for reporting is TD F 90-22.1 and is commonly called the FBAR and has been around for years. Info http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=210244,00.html
It is not taxable because you have already paid UK income tax at the time you earned the money and put it in the bank. If you earn interest on any UK accounts or pensions, that is reportable as income on your tax return. If you pay UK tax on the interest earned, then a foreign tax credit may apply.
New IRS requirements this year include Form 8938 commonly called FATCA for reporting (as part of your tax return) foreign assets and accounts and the value of your pension seems to fall into that category by most interpretations. Real estate does not unless it is for investment (like renting out the house.) There are threshholds. In general if the value of all accounts together (bank, pensions, shares, etc) exceed $100k if married, then you file Form 8938 as part of your return. FATCA info http://www.irs.gov/businesses/corporations/article/0,,id=255061,00.html
When you start getting monthly pension payouts, that is taxable as income. If UK taxes are taken out, then that may be another story. You can request that no UK tax be levied because you will be paying US tax. It's all to do with tax treaties and we haven't gotten to receiving the UK pension yet so I don't know the details.
Advantage to citizenship: If you get abducted in a foreign country, the US Navy SEALS will blast their way in and load you up in a helicopter, while leaving your captors full of bullet holes...oh nevermind...I watch too much TV.

Amen.
Olivia - putting aside everything - US/Egypt, medical school, defending your husband, visa, residency, Visa Journey & all its craziness and dynamics, etc etc etc, please think about being 50+ and looking back and possibly regretting not having children.
You don't have to defend your marriage and husband to anyone, but you owe it to yourself to not give up being a mother if that is what you want.
As I'm writing this I'm thinking about the selfishness that is involved in his "announcement", and it makes me crazy to think about a woman accepting someone else's decision/"announcement" about something as precious as that woman being a mother. It's ghastly that he feels that he can take this away from you, and sad that anyone would accept it.

Well got updated USCIS status saying Farid's oath ceremony letter on its way. We are excited about this. He truly deserves being a naturalized citizen, I am so very proud of him. He just bought me some sugar wafers. Good man.
And I just got my house rented again to new people. God is great, we are truly blessed.

Happy
Friday to one and all. Working only half day today and hoping for a great weekend. Take care now. (L)

Guys, I was just reading the RFE and it says that "the translator must certify...that he is competent to translate." The professor doesn't actually say that he is, but underneath his name he has listed that he is a professor of Spanish at this particular university. Is that enough to certify his capabilities? Would that be enough for the govt?

Well got updated USCIS status saying Farid's oath ceremony letter on its way. We are excited about this. He truly deserves being a naturalized citizen, I am so very proud of him. He just bought me some sugar wafers. Good man.
And I just got my house rented again to new people. God is great, we are truly blessed.

We chose to wait for 2 years before trying to get pregnant because I wanted us to work out most of the adjustment issues before bringing a child into the mix. It took us 6 months to get pregnant once I went off BC.

Met Wael almost 8 yrs ago and have been married almost 6 yrs. He arrived in the states Dec 07, so
it's almost 5 yrs since he left Egypt. We certainly were very fortunate to not have any adjustment problems.
He has loved the states since his arrival, worked for a few months and decided to go back to school. He has
a BA in Accounting, obtained his BS in Economics, and now will graduate with his MBA (Finance) May 11.
Last year he went home for the first time since arriving here. He had just graduated from the University of Arizona
and was a new American citizen. The first week he was back in Egypt, he couldn't wait to come "home"! So much
had changed. Of course he misses his family and speaks with them a couple times a week. He's just been so busy
studying and it has consumed so much of his time. I love and have always loved his independent nature and his
love for learning. He's still the same kind and gentle man I met and married. We have no problems with him being
Muslim and me Catholic. I learn and he learns. My family just adores him!
Tammy, replying to your topic of has it been what I expected....it has been more than that. I count my blessings
everyday and could not imagine myself without my sweetheart. He's such a good guy!!

No, life has not been what I expected
The hardest part for us was when he got here. We're both very independent and hard headed and because most of my family lives outside the US it made it harder to get the support I needed in the first year. There were many many arguments that happened, even though we talked everyday for 2 years before he came over and we talked a. Once he was able to work though it became a lot easier for us to really appreciate the time we have together and value what we do for each other.
Now we've been married 3.5 years and have a 6 month old. Its a challenge everyday but we make it work and its totally worth it.