KittyPollitt

Don't waste your money even applying for a tourist visa.

Use the money you would be wasting to buy something for the house, like a table or a set of pots and pans.

Awesome advice. Have him get some 400 threadcount Egyptian cotton sheets instead.

We are preparing to send in our CR-1 after two failed K1 attempts. Thank you for this information. We are not sure how much to send and if we should concentrate more on the time since our last denial up to today? We sent 25 pounds of proof and were denied. I don't want to kill them but we want it to be good and enough. The denials reasons were very weak but they were denials none the less. We have been together for 5 years so as you can see the proof could be huge. Any advise? Thanks

You should probably concentrate on the time from your denial to the present, especially if they have previously seen past evidence. Frontloading the petition with a handful of photos (5-10 really good photos, stuff of you with him and his family, etc, maybe one from each trip to show how long term the relationship is) is a good idea, because they WILL look at that stuff when it arrives at the consulate. There's only a 50/50 chance of them looking at any evidence you take to the consulate, as you most likely know. So make the frontloading count.

I'm not very familiar with your case and what red flags you may have, but addressing them directly in the new petition with any kind of evidence you can provide is probably wise. Affidavits from both yours and his family regarding the relationship, etc could be helpful to put into the petition itself. If sending affidavits, make them short and to the point, one page max. I sent in an "evolution of relationship" timeline letter, describing the milestones of our relationship from start to the present- this is something that is recommended to do in several Asian countries, and I liked it because it gave me a presence at the interview, and showed some of my personality to the CO.

Think quality, not quantity, and try to make the evidence you send irrefutable. I made sure the photos I let them see did not seem at all posed or phony (we all put on phony smiles for the camera sometimes). I tried to convey to them our everyday lives and interaction in them. They did look at them. I don't know if it helped, but it seemed the right way to approach them.

Good luck, hon. I really REALLY hope you make it this time.

Sarah

I like possitive constructive people.thanks for all your support.yes, money is spent.Plus, re-booking is alot better than booking your flight for next week..

If you're so sure of your good decision, why create a thread asking about it? Just so people can reinforce your poor decision? Wow.

You really aren't going to find any supportive tips regarding Morocco here. Tough place to get through, and that's about it.

To some extent, it is the same as anywhere else: get your documents and interview skills in order as best as you can, and attend the interview.

Good luck.

That's not 100% true. There are trends about the CO's at Casablanca that can be studied and used to one's advantage. They tend to favor people that are well prepared, but not over prepared (don't take too much evidence, minimalism is best). They like people that are relaxed and confident, but not cocky. Going over practice questions repeatedly (to the point of extreme) is advisable, so that one is comfortable with the answers, but doesn't seem too rehearsed. Trying to relate to the CO as a person and not talking like you're at a job interview is a good thing- being conversational and somewhat jovial loosens them up a bit.

I've studied this consulate extensively, both before and after my husband's interview, and waited with several people while their SO's interviewed to get a first hand, fresh perspective on how an interviewee feels after leaving the consulate. There's no doubt, the place is a nightmare- but it's not impossible to get out of there with a visa the first time.

OP should read the reviews, go back in the MENA forums and read about the interviews of those both approved and denied- look for trends in both. There's also a set of videos of a town hall meeting in Washington, DC that the chief of the non immigrant visa section did a while back. Her name is Nahal Kazemi, and she handles a lot of K1 interviews herself. Watching the videos gives you a good feel for her personality and how to approach her:

Yeah, it sounds like preparing for war. Know what you're up against. A key to winning a battle is to know what your opponent will do first.

There's some supportive tips for success at Casa.

When my fiance had his interview, we had lived together in Morocco in his parent's home and had a 6 month old daughter together. They raked him over the coals at the interview- saved him for last, and he was questioned by 2 CO's. Several times, they'd ask him questions, send him away to discuss his answers, then bring him back to the window for more questioning.

We had enough evidence to pass an adjustment of status stokes interview for a married couple. I believe they still wanted to deny him. They even requested a drug test be taken, and an I 864 be submitted before he was issued his visa, and in the end, I think they only issued it because of our daughter and that they knew I was in Morocco and could show up at the consulate with her if they denied. I sent them emails telling them I would.

Casablanca is nothing to fool around with. Be over prepared, calm, and speak in conversational tones. Wish you luck.

Truth is, he bought the ticket. He is already committed from a financial perspective. At this point, what does being negative do for him? Tickets can be changed for a fee. If the visa isn't given, the plane ticket will not be the main focus of his disappointment.

Be positive!!! The money is spent.

So long as he doesn't come on here later, whining that his money is gone, it's ALL GOOD

hey there,

My interview is on the 28th of July for K-1 and I did something which may not sound so clever.I booked my flight on the 5th of Aug.Because we already delayed the wedding once and we dont wanna delay it anymore.We've arranged everything for the wedding party.My question is 'In 2007 and 2008 I ve got my j-1 visa by passing both the interviews succesfully and my passport was delivered within 3-4 days.Do you think I am going to be able to recieve my K-1 visa sticked passport before the 5th of Aug?

please encourge me!

thanks

Let us know how that works for you. SMH

that would suck for us as Bahadir and I have been together longer to have this as a issue. We are about to go to our interview....they actually just filed their K1...Hope this is not issue:(

I think you'll be fine. I haven't read horror stories about the consulate in Turkey. They seem pretty reasonable.

Hi i was reading this thread and it seems that the embassy in Morocco is tough! Hope everything works out!!!!

I have a question concerning the Brothers thing.....Can they deny a brother if another brother got approved on a K1? Is this something to worry about? My fiance and I are about to go to our interview soon in turkey...and his brother is applying with his fiance for a K1 they are a few months behind us...Is this something to worry about??? will they see that as red flag? Will they see his brothers K1 if it hasnt reached the embassy in turkey?

At most consulates, this is not a huge deal. Even at Casablanca, it's not a dealbreaker. But Casa is a consulate that will look for any small reason to deny a K1 case- so it may or may not have been a contributing factor.

It may become an issue if you know the brother's fiancee, or if you live in the same town specifically.

You mention his brother - did his brother come to the US on a K1? Did the consulate ask your fiance about that?

This might have been an issue. They might see it as the family trying to shift continents.

OP, with a K1 you had a high chance of being denied, regardless of what the content of the interview was. He could have accurately answered every question, and they'd say he was rehearsed. He could have been 100% honest, and they'd say they find him untruthful. Casablanca sucks.

I'd say, start preparing for a fresh trip to Morocco now. To get married over there, you'll need to get fingerprinted at your local police station and request a police record (do this about 2 months before you leave). 2 weeks may or may not be enough time to get married there, it depends on who you know and if you can slip a few dirhams into the right people's pockets. We like to tell people to have at least 3 weeks, preferably a month when planning to marry over there. If you go with only 2 weeks, there's a good chance you'll leave still engaged.

There's plenty of women on Visa Journey who have gone through what you're going through. Head over to the Middle East and North Africa discussions for some first hand advice. That's right here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/97-middle-east-and-north-africa/

Sorry this happened to you I hope you can stay positive and work it out.

ok thanks alot. i was going crazy over that. cuz i didnt see neone filling in morocco say that they had to pay i864 fee, But they do charge it turned in with a K3 application??

They charge it when it's turned in with an IR/CR-1 application. A K3 would complete it in the US the same way a K1 would. You have to understand that the K1 is not technically an immigrant visa. It's a non-immigrant visa that allows it's holder to establish immigrant intent when they enter the US. The I 864 is a document that can only legally be applied to an immigrant visa. If you read the document itself, this becomes clear. The I 134 is the financial support document that is normally required for non-immigrant visas, such as the K1.

Casablanca consulate has taken it upon themselves to require that SOME (not all) K1 filers submit an I 864. I am assuming that it is because they either A) Want to see that someone is willing to sign this legally binding document on behalf of the interviewed individual. Or it could be B) A way for them to make couples slip up, so they can deny.

I put nothing past them. But rest assured, you don't need the $88, and any I 864 submitted with a K1 is pretty much a useless, non binding piece of paper.

Sooo a friend of mine that filed the I-130 whose fiance is in Morocco says that I will have to pay $88 for the I-864 and send the receipt with it to morocco, but im confused because im filing the I-129 and K1 visa so isn't there a difference and I also researched that, you only pay $88 if ur filing for I-864 within the U.S. and you don't pay if ur filing outside of the US. soo can someone please please tell me the inside scoop? Does the USC have to pay the $88 with the 350 for the visa fee????

They're not going to charge you for the I 864 turned in with a K1. Honestly, I think they only ask for the I 864 with a K1 to show that someone is willing to sign that form for the intending immigrant. The I864 contract used at the consulate for a K1 cannot be reused when the immigrant comes to the US and adjusts status. It is not considered binding until immigrant intent is established- that's when the immigrant comes to the US and marries. At that time, when AOS is filed, you'll need a brand new I 864, and the fees are included in the $1070 AOS fees.

Hello All,

About half of my fiancee's parent's house burned down and I want to send some money to help them. They don't have a bank account and I don't think they have proper IDs to open one. It's going to cost around $2000 to repair the house and replace what they lost.

What would be the best way to send the money? I don't really want to use Western Union. Would FedEx be safe enough? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Brian

That really depends on how badly you would flip out if the money was lost. If you can afford to take the risk that $2000 in cash might disappear, then sure, Fed Ex it, DHL is great for international as well.

I'd personally feel much better about using Western Union or Money Gram than I would about sending cash overseas. Remember that it has to go through customs when it gets there, and you'd be at the mercy of whatever Filipino customs agent got your package. Think hard about it.

How do you send the visa fees and im not talking about online. I mean like do i send a check with my fiance to morocco or western union? what? wat is the best way? or how did u do it?

He's got to pay in cash, at either a BMCE bank, or at the consulate itself. I'd recommend you send him the money via Money Gram (it's much cheaper and more plentiful in Morocco). Then he can go pay the fee.

We came back to the States 2 days before Ramadan started last year. It was painfully difficult for him. He came from an environment where everyone is fasting to America where he has to constantly explain himself. It was tough because my family wanted to have him over for dinner to meet him and stuff, but they're all old people who eat dinner at 5pm. Compound it with me going back to work, and there were a few days when he only ate one meal.

This year will be better. He understands that I have to get up at 5am for work, so I can't be up all night cooking for him. And he's learned his way around the kitchen, so he can take care of cooking his meals during the day to eat later on. He's got it all planned out. We'll see how it works

Direct Consular Filing in Morocco. GC?

You have to actually hold the carte de sejour for 180 days before you become eligible to file directly at the consulate. The carte de sejour takes about a month or more to process (this is the Moroccan govt we're talking about- dirhams can make the wheels spin faster). Make sure you apply for the carte de sejour within 15 days of entering Morocco, as is required. Good luck

Have you done this too?

I am prayin to God that Nabil won't sit on his rear and do nothing when he gets here. But Nabil is kinda laid back (a very nice word for lazy) just like yours, so I know that it's likely he just might be the same.

Can you picture me doing that, Tracy? Honestly?

Today I bought a cool futuristic looking vacuum/steamer and told him to imagine he's scanning for an underground bunker on an unexplored planet while he's CLEANING THE DAMN FLOOR. If that doesn't work, at least the thing will make MY job easier.

I'll be applying at our local SS Admin office. Any idea how long it will take to be issued a number? I have a job lined up but the employer wants SS number soon.

Thanks, and good luck to everyone who is waiting for their AOS approvals.

Hubby got his about 9 days after applying. Depending on the office you go to, your mileage my vary. Give it 14 days. Congrats on the job!

I was married to a man like that and we both worked. However, he somehow thought everything domestic including the house, laundry, yard work, cleaning cars, paying the bills was my responsibility. I got tired of begging for his help and it was one of many issues that led to our DIVORCE. Life is too short to be someone's door mat. If you are working 60 hours a week and he somehow doesn't see how him sitting on his rump doing little if anything is disrespectful then that probably won't change no matter how much you ###### about it. For me, the resentment got to be too much and I found myself disliking him. I felt that I deserved someone who treated me with more respect and caring so I left. Guess you will know when enough is enough. Hang in there, and I hope things change for you. You are only human and can only go on at that pace for so long until your health or sanity or both give way.

I try to be understanding, because I lived with his family for 6 months and got a really good idea of the lifestyle he was accustomed to before coming here. He never had to lift a finger to do anything- his mother would even prepare his bathwater like a little child. I would often tell him that it's not going to be like that in America (my mother would have laughed at me if I'd even asked her to prepare my lunch lol). Conversely, I was not raised by a very domestic mom. My mom has always been on the messy side, and is now married to a guy with OCD who does all the cleaning for her (she's smarter than me, I guess). I never learned how to cook or clean until I was out on my own, and it was self taught. Come to think of it, most of my life skills have been self taught and I'm very independent, which makes it even more difficult for me to relate to his neediness.

When it comes down to it, I don't see it becoming a deal breaker, because it's my home too and if you want something done, sometimes you've gotta do it yourself. I'm just a little tired.

Sarah, the best advice I can give is to make sure your current fiance is fully aware of all the (tiniest) details surrounding your first marriage and divorce. Having evidence that your prior relationship was also bonafide might help. When addressing your age difference- contact with, and approval from his family, as well as addressing the issues of future children in your relationship are the best ways to go about dissuading a CO's possible suspicions that may arise due to the age difference.

Overall, have an airtight case. Make sure your fiance is well versed about your life. Make as many trips to Jordan as possible, and document them with lots of photos, especially of you and him interacting with his family together. Do a little research on VJ about other common red flags that come up at MENA consulates, and if you have any of those issues, find a plausible way to counteract them.

If you take the time to do some research and prepare your fiance for all possible lines of questioning at the consulate, you should be just fine. Good luck.

Sarah

I think your man wants you happy and I'm glad for you that you were able to have a conversation with him and that the issue seems to be resolved. Remember, just like anything else it will go up and down and you may need to have another conversation to get back on track.

I think it was a good choice to avoid the passive-aggressive route and talk to him about it. Because of the amount of time we spent apart during the CR-1 process my husband and I had developed such amazing communication skills. I would hate to forget I have those skills and not resolve issues, whether they be dishes or anything else, by using those skills. I believe in the long run, if you go down the passive-aggressive road you may manipulate your partner into doing what you want, but wouldn't you rather they understand what the problem is and what they can do better? I know for me personally, if I was doing something that bothered my husband I would rather he speak to me about it instead of not bringing home dinner for me.

Passive-aggressive is giving me way too much credit. Last month, it got UGLY up in here. But it achieved nothing. I'm a "work for what you want" kinda girl, and using different approaches seems to be working So I'm gonna stick with it.

Today I overhauled most of the apartment myself. I figured giving him a clean house to start with might help. He seems to be getting that this issue isn't going anywhere. The last thing he wants to happen is for me to go get some wine and let all this frustration simmer. So he's being agreeable to pulling some more weight. I'll let ya'll know how it works out

That's so great, Yassine! Keep up the good work!