100% Al Ahly Fan

lots of people with lots of visits have been denied too. lots of people with 1 visit have been approved. it doesn't seem to be a one size fits all answer or solution. the OP had none of the same big red flags as you. also a huge difference in financial and employment situations. looking back on her past posts, she was fired a few months ago due to missed work for a serious illness. if drs notes weren't enough to keep her job, trips to morocco probably wouldn't have been green-lit by her employer either. getting a visa is less awesome if the process leaves you destitute and living in a homeless shelter.
people try and do the best they can given their circumstances. it sounds like the op and her husband did their best given the cards they were dealt. there's some armchair quarterbacking going on in this thread though, that should be dialed back a lot.

Good post! I think it's best to look at this as strictly a divorce issue, and forget about the immigration factor.

She played you.. ? you both have two children. Maybe she just want to move on.

Please think of your children in this situation. File for divorce and petition custody as the primary parent. Usually the parent filing first has the upper hand. Also be advised that depending on the state you live in it could be considered a Mother's state as in the court will give primary custody to the mother..especially if the children are under the age of 5. I would suggest that you consult an Attorney who is knowledgeable in family law and find out your best options.
Forget about her green card and concentrate on being the best father you can be to those babies!

The time to do all of this due diligence was before you got married, not after. This is especially true of countries like the Philippines, whose citizens are known for their emigration-centred culture.
If you can prove she did not enter into the marriage in good faith (i.e. you have recordings of her admissions to you, documents, emails, etc.) then by all means contact ICE. If you don't then it's simply your word against hers, and since ICE cannot prove anything then they will not be able to do anything.
If everything happened as you said then yes, you got played. However, you cannot go back in time and get "un-played". It's already happened, so you should divorce and move on.

She only needs to prove that the marriage was entered into in good faith.
Husbands and wives are not commodities to be bought or sold, to be kept or returned. If she chooses to stay here then she can do so through a waiver filing, as stated above.

1. You can't, it's too late. You CAN withdraw your support of her I-751 at which point she changes it to a waiver filing. She will eventually need to send the divorce decree to file by herself, with proof of bonafide relationship.
2. She has a GC, she doesn't *need* you anymore to stay here. She doesn't "self-sponsor". The I-864 you signed back with the AOS (the first GC) stays in effect.
3. She won't be sent back. She has her GC and only needs to change the joint filing ROC to waiver filing. If she WANTS to go back that's between her, you and the courts regarding custody.
4. Divorce her, file for custody.
Unless you have evidence she used you (for 3 years and 2 kids) then there's nothing you can do. If you have evidence contact ICE (details at the bottom of this page) an they will do what they do. It's highly unlikely she will be deported, or have her GC taken away. If she really IS a scammer she already knows how to keep her GC.
It would be in your best interest, and the children's interest (unless she's a horrific mother who abuses them) to keep her in the country. This means, don't lie to her about being able to stay here. Tell her you want a divorce, tell her to change to a waiver filing, and be reasonable. being irrational and unreasonable will just look bad at any custody hearings. You will look like a poisonous parent.

I'm glad to hear things went in your favor, Kat. You handled things better than most as far as not being vengeful towards your ex. I don't know how you held it together all those years with the way he was treating you but I do understand how being threatened could paralyze you into inaction. Congratulations on your divorce. I wish you the best.

Congratulations on you divorce. Not the kind of thing that you normally congratulate anyone on, but I'm still happy for you. Lots of positive thoughts going your way. You've been through a lot and deserve some peace.

I don't know you but that was so heartbreaking to read. I pray you find peace and happiness in your life.

Yep I totally agree. Made in China products in Egypt are like dollar store ####### (or worse). In the U.S., made in China products can be relatively decent quality. I also agree about the toiletries. I had to buy shampoo in Cairo because I left mine at my inlaws (near Alex). Talk about garbage.

I was born here in the US and my parents moved us to Saudi Arabia when I was 5 years old and we lived there (and the summers in Egypt) until I was 11 years old, at which time we returned to the states.
I can't tell you how much I loved it! I'll be honest though, my mother HATED it and that's with her being an Arab AND speaking the language. For me, being surrounded by family was the best. I had no issues with being in an Arabic school. It helped that there were other "foreign kids" at the school as well though. I'm sure it would have been harder if I was any older moving there. I also think it would have been very boring without many family and friend functions, since Jeddah wasn't as developed back then (in the 80s) as it is now. My poor mother hated how confined she felt living there. I mean she had my aunts, grandmother, and friends she met, that tried to make her feel welcomed but it just wasn't the same as living in Egypt or the US. She truly hated it. She'd cry every summer when we had to leave Egypt, Like her, I always loved our time in Egypt, as well, because it was much more fun (weren't summers always fun as a kid) then living in Saudiya. Overall I liked living overseas and have very good memories of those years.
I considered moving to Egypt, as well, before my husband moved here, but having a child who need special education services put that on the back burner. Thankfully with the unrest there I'm glad that we don't live there now. We may reconsider when my oldest graduates from high school.
Just curious...you mentioned "both your children," yes? If this is right, were you planning on leaving one behind? If so I think it's a terrible idea. I could never leave one of my children. It's either all of us or none of us.
Glad to hear you're planning the K-1 route considering the condition Egypt is in right now. Otherwise, in my opinion I think it would be a great experience for you and your child(ren).

I was born here in the US and my parents moved us to Saudi Arabia when I was 5 years old and we lived there (and the summers in Egypt) until I was 11 years old, at which time we returned to the states.
I can't tell you how much I loved it! I'll be honest though, my mother HATED it and that's with her being an Arab AND speaking the language. For me, being surrounded by family was the best. I had no issues with being in an Arabic school. It helped that there were other "foreign kids" at the school as well though. I'm sure it would have been harder if I was any older moving there. I also think it would have been very boring without many family and friend functions, since Jeddah wasn't as developed back then (in the 80s) as it is now. My poor mother hated how confined she felt living there. I mean she had my aunts, grandmother, and friends she met, that tried to make her feel welcomed but it just wasn't the same as living in Egypt or the US. She truly hated it. She'd cry every summer when we had to leave Egypt, Like her, I always loved our time in Egypt, as well, because it was much more fun (weren't summers always fun as a kid) then living in Saudiya. Overall I liked living overseas and have very good memories of those years.
I considered moving to Egypt, as well, before my husband moved here, but having a child who need special education services put that on the back burner. Thankfully with the unrest there I'm glad that we don't live there now. We may reconsider when my oldest graduates from high school.
Just curious...you mentioned "both your children," yes? If this is right, were you planning on leaving one behind? If so I think it's a terrible idea. I could never leave one of my children. It's either all of us or none of us.
Glad to hear you're planning the K-1 route considering the condition Egypt is in right now. Otherwise, in my opinion I think it would be a great experience for you and your child(ren).

I think it's totally a personal decision and depends a lot on ur child's personality but I was born and raised in the States and lived in Egypt for a number of years and I think it was great. It's a fun country and I think your daughter would be fine in the schools there... But thats just my experience (and yes I did live there recently... even through the entire Jan 25 revolution, I only came to the States again last March)

Thank you for your reply and good advice is never too late. My fiance and I have talked about all of our concerns and weighed all the pros and cons. We have decided to continue as planned with the K1, as soon as I receive my final divorce decree. We both agree that our best chance at a good future for both my kids, my fiance and God willing our future kids, is here in the USA. As I've been through this before, I know it's hard at times but the end result is worth it. My last marriage may have failed after almost 7 years but it was in good faith and it ended due to reasons not related to immigration.
I appreciate all the honesty and this is exactly why I visit VJ everday. I dont post as much but I do read and take in advice of those who have the expierence that I may not have. Good or bad information/ expierences for me are all very educational and helpful. This communnity tells it like it is, gives excellent advice and sometimes a person needs insight from someone who is neutral to the situation. A fresh look from someone elses perspective is exactly what we needed to confirm our ideas/ options.
I think a visit after we file will help to keep us focused on our ultimategoal of raising a family together and providing the best future possible, inshaAllah (God Willing).
Again, Thank you all ;-)

I might be coming late to the party but trust me, you do not want to move to the Middle East. I was born and raised in the states, got married in Qatar and have been living here for the last 7 years. I've hated every minute of it. I'm not saying to take my experience as law, not saying you're going to have the same experience, but I don't know of one person who made the move from the USA to the Middle East and liked it. They all pine for the day that they'll move back. And a lot of them are in different stages in their lives. Everyone from the married woman to the single party boy all want to move back after one year, most times less. And these are people who live in the Gulf, where there is no unrest, you're safe, and you have all the amenities and most of the technology of home. But you're still not home and there are HUGE differences that most simply can not adapt to. Human rights issues and etc.
I am SO glad that we're moving back, and you know the deal breaker? My son's schooling. He's 5 years old, will be starting first grade next year, and there is no way we'll be able to afford good schooling for him. So we're moving. Even if my husband (the non-US citizen) does not find the best job in the beginning it will still be better than living here. Not to mention I do NOT want to raise my child in this society, it's not Muslim no matter what anyone tries to tell you. You have a better chance of raising a well rounded and stable child in the USA.
This is all my opinion and I do apologize if I offended anyone, but this is my experience and what I've seen and learned during my expat years, and what I've seen and learned of others' expat experiences.

I have to commend you for being honest and recognizing that perhaps uprooting your child was a selfish move.
Whether or not the child has an Egyptian father, Egypt isn't and hasn't been her home. Personally, I don't believe pursuing yet another marriage is good enough reason to uproot a child. I would take Nola123's comments to heart and really think about how moving your child to a foreign environment could affect her well being.

You should have a look at the previous thread which was relating to traveling to Egypt but still gives you a pretty good idea of what is going on there.
If you want some hard honest truth you should PM ihavequestions. She is living in Egypt right now and probably is the best authority. Doesn't seem like any place I'd ever want to be living now, much less with a kid in tow.

As somebody who took a 4 year old to another country recently, I implore you to really think on this. It was an absolute nightmare for her and she went from being a happy and normal child to a fearful and depressed one. My daughter even went to an expensive English speaking school here to ease the transition. That went horribly awry. In hindsight, it would have been best for my daughter to remain in America and me and my husband to just have waited out the process. My selfishness has had very bad consequences on her and I am having trouble forgiving myself.

I can not really reply on living there. The media is not blowing things out proportion, for the most fact now, they are not reporting things that are really going on. For now avoiding areas, is helpful. It is predicted that it will be war among the people, but who really knows. The thing to think about is what kind of education do you want your daughter to have. To go to regular public schools, and learn/speak Arabic, if she don't already. IF you want her to focus on a more american type of schooling, that cost money. Next it is not so easy to find a job there, unless you become a teacher there. Visiting Egypt is a lot different then moving there and adjusting. In the group I am in on Facebook, they was talking about how hard it is to live in Egypt. One lady that was a Consular Officer at the American Embassy was talking it took her about 18 months to adjust. This is not including your daughter and her adjusting. The health care system needs a lot of improvement. Some things are still 3rd world conditions. You said your daughter is 5 and I am guessing she is the daughter from your previous marriage. Are you sure he will allow you to take our daughter to Egypt to live with another man. Because if your ex decides to move back to Egypt, he can take you to court there and take your daughter. Not saying any of those things will happen, but things to think about. You can private message me, and I can introduce you to some ladies that live in Egypt from Facebook.

Wow, seriously Olivia? Where are you getting your information? Have you spoken to your husbands family in Egypt? Have you read the news lately?
This isn't just "blowing over" any time soon. My sister in law lives just blocks from Tahrir and it's a crazy mess! She's been attacked twice being less than one block from our home as recent as two months ago and we live across the street from a police station. Does she ever see the police out? Just about never.
As for the majority voting Morsi in, by what percent? Really? Not much and what he did win with was probably more because his hetchmen where out offering bribes for votes (BTW, both sides did this not just the Brotherhood), We know for fact, since if happened to my SIL, aunt and cousins.
I'm not trying to scare RFQ, but the reality is Egypt is a mess. Foreigners aren't safe like they used to be. Period.
I know people who visited and were perfectly fine. Most of them stayed outside of downtown, which is better but bad things are happening all over Egypt. As long as RFQ is with family I'm sure things will be okay but it's better to be aware then not, just don't down-play something you don't know for certain, Olivia.

Wow, seriously Olivia? Where are you getting your information? Have you spoken to your husbands family in Egypt? Have you read the news lately?
This isn't just "blowing over" any time soon. My sister in law lives just blocks from Tahrir and it's a crazy mess! She's been attacked twice being less than one block from our home as recent as two months ago and we live across the street from a police station. Does she ever see the police out? Just about never.
As for the majority voting Morsi in, by what percent? Really? Not much and what he did win with was probably more because his hetchmen where out offering bribes for votes (BTW, both sides did this not just the Brotherhood), We know for fact, since if happened to my SIL, aunt and cousins.
I'm not trying to scare RFQ, but the reality is Egypt is a mess. Foreigners aren't safe like they used to be. Period.
I know people who visited and were perfectly fine. Most of them stayed outside of downtown, which is better but bad things are happening all over Egypt. As long as RFQ is with family I'm sure things will be okay but it's better to be aware then not, just don't down-play something you don't know for certain, Olivia.

Be careful of snakes on planes headed to Egypt-
http://m.gawker.com/5965760/cobra-bites-man-aboard-commercial-flight-in-egypt

Wow, seriously Olivia? Where are you getting your information? Have you spoken to your husbands family in Egypt? Have you read the news lately?
This isn't just "blowing over" any time soon. My sister in law lives just blocks from Tahrir and it's a crazy mess! She's been attacked twice being less than one block from our home as recent as two months ago and we live across the street from a police station. Does she ever see the police out? Just about never.
As for the majority voting Morsi in, by what percent? Really? Not much and what he did win with was probably more because his hetchmen where out offering bribes for votes (BTW, both sides did this not just the Brotherhood), We know for fact, since if happened to my SIL, aunt and cousins.
I'm not trying to scare RFQ, but the reality is Egypt is a mess. Foreigners aren't safe like they used to be. Period.
I know people who visited and were perfectly fine. Most of them stayed outside of downtown, which is better but bad things are happening all over Egypt. As long as RFQ is with family I'm sure things will be okay but it's better to be aware then not, just don't down-play something you don't know for certain, Olivia.

Wow, seriously Olivia? Where are you getting your information? Have you spoken to your husbands family in Egypt? Have you read the news lately?
This isn't just "blowing over" any time soon. My sister in law lives just blocks from Tahrir and it's a crazy mess! She's been attacked twice being less than one block from our home as recent as two months ago and we live across the street from a police station. Does she ever see the police out? Just about never.
As for the majority voting Morsi in, by what percent? Really? Not much and what he did win with was probably more because his hetchmen where out offering bribes for votes (BTW, both sides did this not just the Brotherhood), We know for fact, since if happened to my SIL, aunt and cousins.
I'm not trying to scare RFQ, but the reality is Egypt is a mess. Foreigners aren't safe like they used to be. Period.
I know people who visited and were perfectly fine. Most of them stayed outside of downtown, which is better but bad things are happening all over Egypt. As long as RFQ is with family I'm sure things will be okay but it's better to be aware then not, just don't down-play something you don't know for certain, Olivia.