Vanessa1

I hope you can help.

Those of you that have filed the CR-1 or old K3 Visa, the letters from family and friends specifically from Morocco.....

1) Were they translated from Arabic or French to English?

2) Did they have to be certified?

I have heard many say they can be in English as long as they are signed and there is a statement regarding the translations value and the ability of the person to translate. USCIS states this as well.

Others have said they need to be in Arabic or English, translated and then they will be stamped but they will not be "certified" without translation.

I know the letters I have been provided here in the US have been certified when signed. I just want to be certain we don't have a problem down the line.

Basically, do they need to be certified and translated or can they be written in English?

Thanks

When I filed the initial petition I sent in two affidavits, as per the instructions on the form. One was sent from my side and one from his. The one from my side I just sent in as I received it from the person writing it but signed. If you look in the Wiki's there is sort of a format for information for them to include and it was followed. For his side it was written in Arabic so I had it translated here to English and it was from a certified translator. I sent copies of both the original and the certified translation. I hope this helps!

Never been to Casa but I did throw a big American fit in the Tunisian airport over the EXACT same issue. Still, in the end, despite the POLICY in hand...and my feet on African soil...I had to pay $75 to take my bag home from the "European" airport in Tunis.

Is that a change? When I flew to Morocco last summer is was 2 bags for free because it was an international flight. Now since I booked the to NY portion separate they wanted to charge me for the second bag on the US leg of the flight but when I showed them my confirmation for the NY to Casa flight they didn't charge me. The same applied with the return trip with my husband.

VISA IN HAND March 18th!!

Monica

YAHOOOOOOOOOO MONICA!!!!! :dance: I'm SO excited for you!

My nerves are shot....Not sure how I am going to get through the next couple of weeks. I need all the prayer and well wishes I can get. I just have the worst feeling of being overwhelmed, and worried. So much is going on right now, and I feel like I can't handle it today...

Hang in there and good luck!!

Interview is next monday....CAN'T WAIT!

Oh my goodness how exciting and good luck!!

VIP communications had been really good for us. I think it's 3 or 4 cents a minute if you call a landline. It's more if you're calling cell phone. It's worked great for us. I tried pingo and didn't like it at all.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm going to look into it.

We have B of A and so it sounds like your live chat person gave you the right info. It certainly couldn't hurt to go into your branch if you know the manager but I don't think you're going to get a different answer because the computer wouldn't even allow my husband to be added when he had his SSN but it wasn't yet synced up in that big SSN database.

A lot of people have had luck with the Magic Jack. It might be worth looking into. Squeaky could give you information on it. I have used www.speedypin.com and that is good if you plan to make one or two long calls. They have a bunch of cards to choose from. I used them a lot to talk to my husband when we were dating and we've used it to talk to his family once. The down sides of those cards is that sometimes you get a horrible connection and there are connection fees each time. The upside is that if you do get a good connection you get so much time. Nowadays we usually use this card from Circle K which is for international calls. It is reloadable from home so it is convenient. We also notice that the price per minute depends upon what type of cell phone his family members have. Some of them are $0.54 per minute and others are $0.75. We're honestly still looking for a better option. The speedy pin cards are better per minute but the Circle K ones give you a more stable connection with better quality sound.

I have not had a chance to read through the entire thread so if I repeat any suggestions already offered, I do apologize. My biggest piece of advice is just to make sure that you and your SO talk about the fact that it is going to be a big adjustment and not just one conversation. You need to also prepare yourself for being patient with him when he gets here. For me, I would just remember how difficult it was for me spending weeks away from my family and to realize he was going through the same thing. I also remember how much he has given up for me to be able to stay here in the place I grew up and there is some grieving that he will go through that will take a lot of time. Now talking about it ahead of time will not make it not happen. There is a term called "culture shock" and it is a very real, psychological process that a new immigrant goes through no matter where they immigrate to. I had learned about it when taking some classes for my teaching job and was really glad I did because I could first give a name for what I was going through, on a much smaller scale, over there on long visits and also let him know that he should expect the same when he got here.

Ok, now you have a foundation built, try to keep him busy, make connections, and stay connected with family at home. Did I mention be patient? Your SO will likely go between wanting to assert independence and then being very dependent on you, which will most likely not sit well with him. This eases up in time and the more he is able to find his own identity here in this new, strange place. Don't be hurt by this because it's not you. Just be patient. Find that balance between being helpful and letting him stand on his own two feet. By the way, the degree to which each is necessary changes. This is where communication is so vital.

In terms of some specifics you discussed...when we went to add my husband to the bank account we had to wait until he had his SSN. I know there are others who have posted before that they were able to add their spouses before but our bank wouldn't let us do that. Then after he did have his SSN I guess there is a database with the numbers and they only get updated once a month and so we had a to wait a couple more weeks after that because his information had not yet synced up. But once it was in the system, it was very easy.

I called the DMV in Arizona and they said that with a driver's license from Morocco (I asked specifically and they checked the specific country for me) they said he could drive for 1 year with the license he already had. So we weren't in any hurry to get him a license right away. We practiced and over a few weeks he gained confidence and actually found driving here in the States a lot easier than in Morocco. He studied the booklet and got his license.

When it came to finding work, that was a challenge. My husband found there were so many wonderful resources on YouTube for interviewing, customer service skills, English development/accent, etc. You name it, it's there. He worked VERY hard when he got here to not only get a job but also to be good at it. He filled notebooks with notes and studied for hours while I was at work. He spent weeks filling out applications online and that's pretty much what everyone does these days. I was helping him with this too so we could get more done. Initially we looked for a job close to where we live so that he could walk or ride a bike to but they just weren't hiring around here and so once we expanded our search a bit, he found a job pretty quickly. It's minimum wage and it bugs him but that's why he's going to school too. We share a car and that has been a challenge so you might think about how that will work for you guys. Ultimately when our lease is up we're going to move to make that easier.

I think it's a balance between maintaining his identity and also merging into this new society. It's a challenge but with love and with patience he's got a great chance to thrive. Just keep talking and definitely listen and help him to feel secure to not only be here but to step out a bit on his own, as he is ready. Oh and keeping calling cards and setting up PC chats with family at home does wonders for my husband too and we've already discussed when to go back and visit and also are hoping to convince his mom to come out here for a visit. Basically I never want him to feel like he's isolated himself from his family and will never see them again. I hope that he decides to become a teacher so we can spend more time in Morocco in the summers but he's still thinking on that. Regardless, having that planned into your life will likely ease the separation anxiety he will likely feel.

Don't stress out about this but be ready for it in one way or another. Also, enjoy the stage you are at as you go through this process. You will be reunited soon and don't go overboard trying to plan for everything (which you just can't do). If anything, I am typing this so that if any of it resonates in the future you can so, oh yeah, it's not just us. Take it one day at a time and love every minute of it. The ups and downs are what makes roller coasters exciting and they are what make us appreciate our blessings each and every day. Just be happy together and take care of each other.

First of all my heart goes out to you and I'm so sorry for what you are both going through. I sincerely hope you can figure it out. You know how you don't think you would be happy in Morocco? That's got to be how he's feeling. So to help him, can you try putting yourself in his shoes? Maybe you already have. I remember when I was there for only a couple of months I was so terribly homesick and couldn't wait to get back. I know my husband goes through the same thing but the difference is that when he goes back it will only be a visit. I cannot imagine how that feels and am so grateful that I don't have to but it gives me a lot of patience for him and in the back of my mind I know that perhaps someday he may say to me you know I just can't live here anymore. I hope that day never comes but I married a man from another country that is so different so I know I have to be fair to him. I have thought a lot about what it would take for me to be happy there and so I am ready if that day comes. For me it's about having a teaching job in an American school and being able to get home regularly. Then it would be making sure he'd have the same patience with me. Is this something you can think about? I also know a couple where the wife is American and the husband is British and every few years they live in each country. This way neither of them feels like they are NEVER going home and that might be something that contributes to the depression too. I am not a professional, obviously, but am just offering ideas.

In terms of the communication, there are online translators and Microsoft Word also does translations. If you have a family member that speaks French it's a lot easier because the translation from Arabic is more difficult. I have used this in the past to talk to my in laws when I was visiting in Morocco and my husband was getting his medical exam in Casablanca. Good luck to you and I hope you are both able to work this out.

Hi All,

Someone recently asked me a question about the diversity lottery, and I didn't necessarily know the correct answer, so posting on here hoping she will get the info she needs.

If a MENA person applied for the diversity lottery in the past, will the consulate have a record of it? Will it impact the interview? Anyone know when it was computerized and how long the consulate will have records of it? Should a person going into a tough MENA consulate interview be worried about having applied for diversity lottery in the past?

A little more subjective question - is the diversity lottery such a common activity in MENA countries that it's reasonable a fiance forgot to mention it to his spouse? (according to the person who asked me, it was 5+ years ago).

Thanks

As others have said, it is my understanding that it is fairly common. My husband signed up at least once before we knew each other and he had a very smooth interview experience in Casablanca and it was not mentioned. Due to other threads about this in the past we weren't very concerned about it being an issue, either. The questions they kept asking him over and over (at the various stages of the paperwork process within the embassy...not by the same person) were #1 Have you ever been married before? and #2 Do you have any family in the US?

Maybe after some time your mother may change her mind. Right now things are unsettled and new... with more time to think it over you never know what you have in store.

That's what I was thinking too.

There's no way around it in that this is going to be a difficult adjustment and it is going to take some time...a lot of time. Don't feel guilty for the way you feel because it is real and normal. I think what you are doing in that you are enjoying every minute you can is the most you can do. Your mom is making her own choices-and I am NOT criticizing. I am just saying that we each have to choose our own path. In those times when you feel bad if you can focus on what you DO have, it might help. You are able to see your family again and someday she may choose to join you but either way you will always be free to spend time together. There are great phone plans and phone cards over here so you can talk often and you can always do computer chats to see each other.

I met a woman on my flight to Morocco last year and she was sharing with me how she cried and cried when she first left Morocco and was so sad to leave. Now she can't imagine not living in the States. As many others have said here, time will make it easier but what you are going through and feeling is so normal. Share how you are feeling with those close to you but don't let it consume you. You have some wonderful things happening in your life so be sure to enjoy it so you don't look back and wish you had.

HUGS!

Congratulations!!! That's wonderful news! Will you go to Morocco to travel with him? Do you have plans yet for when he arrives? This is exciting!

I thought I'd pass on one more thing...when you do get to the point that you're going to book a flight, if you need a connecting flight out of New York be sure to put several hours between flights. That airport is HUGE!!! We think it's bigger than my husband's home town. Also, prepare your fiance for the possibility of having to stay overnight. Every time I've flown out of Casablanca there's been a delay with the flight which has resulted in an extra night's stay. The year we got married I got stuck in Amsterdam because the flight out of Casa was something like 3 hours delayed and then last year when my husband and I traveled together our original flight was canceled and we were bumped to a later flight which resulted again in a missed connection. Just be aware so it doesn't stress you out or surprise you. I don't think it happens each and every time, obviously, but that was just my luck! But if you're not going to fly with him be sure he's got a way to call you just in case. Also, I'd suggest flying into New York or another domestic city and not connecting anywhere international so that he's at least in the United States, should a delay happen.

Good luck!!

hey everyone!

it's me again.

i would like to hear about the experience your MENA fiance/spouse had at the airport upon arrival in the US. how will Abdelhay's (my fiance) experience upon arrival be different than mine, as a US citizen? i know he needs to bring his vaccination sheet...will he be given a small interview?

all that being said, how much time will he need to go through customs?? 3 hours? 5 hours? i don't want him to feel stressed out or rushed!

any personal tips, ideas or stories are welcomed.

Jessica

I came through JFK with my husband and it was easy. Actually the most difficult part was that the airline didn't have the customs forms we all have to fill out in English and then neither did the airport. We had a Korean form and our entire flight was crowded over the large English example on the wall so we could figure out what information to fill into the blanks. Now it's a hilarious story but then we were more than annoyed. LOL! Anyway, we were lucky because we were the only flight in the lines so it went quickly. We went through the line for permanent residents and they did the fingerprints, picture, and then they stamped our passports and asked us to go to a room, where my husband waited his turn. They asked my husband a couple of questions. It was all pretty routine and we went to get our luggage and then it was welcome to New York! It took less than an hour but I believe it all depends on how many flights are arriving at the same time because that will determine how long the lines are and therefore how long you have to wait.

It was my understanding that the visitor's visa was very difficult to get in Morocco. Kenza, is that what you are applying for? I'm just thinking it would be nice if some of my husband's family could visit at some point...especially his mom when we start our family.

That would be a family immigration visa.

Ah, ok! So what is the form you file for a family visit? What are the things they look for and what would be a basis for denial?

Hi Kenza,

I think it just depends on the availability of an interview - when we submitted the application (last June) we scheduled an interview for around two weeks later, and the visa was ready the day after the interview. So if all goes well the process can go really quick.

Good luck.

Does it really go that quickly? I thought it took years to process based on the stats on USCIS??

Interview scheduled for march 28! So excited! I will send hubby all his stuff this week! Thanks for the advice Vanessa

You are most welcome and congratulations! Something to note, if your hubby does need to bring extra documentation post-interview, he will be asked to come back to the window later in the afternoon, I believe around 1:30pm. Just let him know it's going to be a long day and to plan accordingly. They only take the documents after a certain time and are very strict about this.

How many of you sent out chats at any time during your process, whether with the initial packet or at the interview?

I am asking because of the other thread, "MSN Chats," which is currently discussing whether MSN chats are in the right format for the consulate. Most of the posters in that thread are petitioning in Egypt, and most of them are saying they did not ever send any chats. I've heard numerous times in Morocco that you "MUST" send loads and loads of chats because Casablanca expects it, but it also seems like a lot of the trouble people get into has to do with chat content being misconstrued or tripping the guy up at the interview. After hearing so much talk about chats, I was pretty surprised to see so many Egypt petitioners say they don't send them. Is that an Egypt thing, or do we have a silent majority here who went through Casa and elected not to rely on chats?

Thanks, and I hope everyone is doing well!

Nope, not a single one. We had them ready in case they asked but decided it was best not to offer them up. There had been a denial a couple of weeks before our interview and some had speculated that it may have been too much information in that particular case so we decided not to offer it up but just to have it on hand in case it was asked for. Now we petitioned for a CR1 so it may be different but my husband brought my old passport from the trip when we got married (I changed the name and got a new one after), my new passport (both showing stamps of my visits to Morocco), ticket stubs since I was there, about 50 pictures, and we had included 2 affidavits with the original petition. That was it. My husband said they kept asking him at each window he went to if he had family in the US or if he had been married before, both of which were no. He said the interviewer seemed to know all of the answers and was just verifying the truth and it went pretty quickly.

Well, it's a gosh darn miracle....called NVC this morning....same sh!t....here I am, writing out invites for my son's birthday party, and get a call from my hubby 10 minutes ago, ummmmm honey, just tried to sign into the portal, and I think it is SIF.....sure enough, it was. So I called NVC, and finally get the news....

SIF AND CASE CLOSED!! Interviews are being scheduled for March.....she said to call back by the third week of the month to see if we made march interview...you think we will make march?!?!?! Our family goal was for him to be here by my baby sister's wedding april 16....there might be a chance now!! :dance:

:goofy: :dance:

Trip was FABULOUS! So happy to be with my family there....we did get updated police and court records, but as you can see, they were not needed!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! That is awesome news!

By the way, take the police and court records with you to the interview. My husband's interview was scheduled pretty quickly after the SIF but it must have been busy at the embassy because it was almost 2 months later that we actually had the interview. By then the records we had sent NVC were expired and he had to go and get them again before they would issue his visa. If you have them that day and translated, it will save you a trip. Also, don't be surprised if you get an interview scheduled before the 3rd week of the month. I know that's what NVC says but they often work more quickly than that. You guys will be notified via email if you gave the NVC your email addresses.

Again, GREAT news!

Sandy, congratulations on the ROC!

Jeanne, congratulations to you on such wonderful news! That’s BIG!! I often think of you and how many times you’ve posted “Wael is studying…” in your posts whenever my husband hits the books. It’s so great all of Wael’s work is paying off! How did you handle the cold last week? Oh my gosh I was FREEZING! I will not complain quite as loudly about the heat this summer, I think.

We had a surprise on Thursday night when our car just ceased to function. I had to take Friday off work to deal with the car and find out that the engine was toast and we set out to get a new one. We actually found one yesterday and I was able to introduce my husband to the joys of car shopping and American car salesmen. He did say it was pretty similar there in Morocco. He LOVES the car though and it would have to be something great to make him not be totally bummed about a big car payment. LOL! We got a 2010 with just over 6,000 miles and so we’re pretty happy with it and it’s nice to have more reliable transportation. I’m also happy to not have to go back to the car dealership any time soon!

Have a great week everyone and may things settle down in Egypt and everyone’s family and friends be safe.

I was in shock...took me a bit to fully believe it & don't think I will fully believe until I see him with my own eyes...lol

Monica

LOL! We felt the same way last summer. They kept telling him to come back...three times. I had stayed at the family home while he went to pick up the visa so when he brought it home finally I stared and stared at it. It was a GREAT day! I can't wait to see pictures of your reunion! Get going on that paperwork, girl!!!

:dance: :dance:

Monica that is FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL, MARVELOUS news! We are sooooooo happy for you both and it's about time! Now tell me, how loud did you scream and how many times did you jump up and down?

msheesha - it took me a long time to find something that he found interesting enough to read. What I found he liked were books by Moroccan authors. He's read two books by Leila Lalami (The Secret Son and Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits), The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles (that one took a little more effort to get into). Right now he's reading A Life Full of Holes: A Novel Recorded and Translated by Paul Bowles by Driss ben Hamed Charhadi. Although they are in English I think he can relate to the places, some of the language and stories so it's easier to grasp.

My husband LOVES Paul Bowles! He recently picked up The Boy who Set the Fire. (That may not be the exact title, but it's close.)

Hi All,

I'm looking to hear about what others have done to improve your SO's language.

Our situation ~ husband has been here for several months, his English is good to me. I know what he's saying and/or trying to say. I'm used to his "accent" and pronunciation, and use of some French words (sparingly) when it's similar to the English word.

His work/office is with a couple of other people, and one of the guys speaks Italian, (which my husband also speaks). If my husband's ever in a pinch/taking longer to understand the English, the guy will talk Italian.

So, we'd really like to improve his conversational English and gain more confidence in his English comprehension.

Anyone take any of the university ESL classes? They're for adults who have a foundation but need vocabulary, conversation, professional situational help with English. Seem to be geared towards professors, doctors, graduate students, etc.

The other thought we had is using a family member who teaches ESL and having him work on conversational improvement.

What did others do whose spouses wanted to improve at this level?

Thanks

Believe it or not, there are a TON of resources on YouTube. When my husband first got here he was on it all the time. We have a headset that he could put on with a microphone so I'd just hear him practicing sounds and pronunciations. They also have a lot of videos on customer service, dealing with American customers, job interview skills, American life, etc. At each stage of his transition here he's been able to find a bunch of help there. We talk about it too. There are even a bunch of videos on American slang and sayings. I also ordered him a dictionary and a book with American idioms. My grandmother says she can understand him a lot better now and he's been here just over 6 months.

My husband said that one of the biggest problems he was having was that when he learned English in Morocco it was more of the British English flavor and that he was taught by Moroccans who didn't know the accent so pronunciation was a big issue for him. He's taking classes now too and has permission from his professors to record the class and then I type up his notes and we talk about it. The understanding/misunderstandings can go both ways. It's a process but he really is improving. For my end, I see how hard he is working on English and I think about how much I have to learn for Darija.

I hope this helps and best of luck!

Morning everyone and happy Monday! Beautiful day here! We are to reach 77 today. Temps are slowly

getting warmer. I really don't want to be in the 100+ again soon. Would love to stay like this for at least

a couple months.

Wael doesn't have classes today so it's a "let's do some shopping" day.

Thank you all for your congratulations to Wael! We now wait for a date and time for his oath....

then it's finally over! Sometimes it seems like we just went for our first interview....then sometimes

it seems like it's been years with this process!

Terrie, have you any more news of when your husband will return? Sure hope everything is going

well with him.

Vanessa, best of luck to your husband! What will he study and what University do you teach at?

Andrea, hope your legs will feel better. Just take care of yourself!

Have a great day everyone! Take care and be careful!

Jeanne, he is not yet sure what he is going to major in. We have him enrolled in general studies right now and is taking 3 classes so he can get used to college here. He went to university in Morocco but it's been a while and he is also working so we thought it best to start a little slower and he can pick up the pace later if he wants. He's thinking of becoming a teacher but I want him to be sure to explore all options. The teaching would be wonderful though because we could visit his family for extended times each year so it is a big plus on that side of things.

We had a very busy week and I am just tired! They really filled up my classes at my day job so I have all these new students to try to get caught up on 3 weeks' worth of work. Ugh! Hubby is at work tonight and so after I go pick him up I think we're going to have no problems falling asleep and don't plan on setting the alarm for tomorrow. It will be nice to have the day tomorrow just to spend some time together. Of course we'll both be at the computer with him studying and me teaching. LOL!

Everyone have a terrific weekend!

Happy Sunday! Jeanne congrats on the citizenship test. How exciting!!

We've had a pretty busy, but nice weekend. Yesterday we were at the school for a new student orientation for my husband. He starts this week and I think they did a very nice job in welcoming everyone and answering questions, etc. The unknown is a little unnerving so I am excited for him to get started. I know he'll be great. He's already started studying from his books!!

Today we went up to Cave Creek which is a very small little town just north of Phoenix. It's very touristy but we had fun with the old wagons, cacti, and just generally being around nice people. He said it reminded him a lot of Morocco and so I'm sure we'll head back over there again soon.

Now he's napping but if I do I'll never sleep tonight so I'm off to work on setting up my university class that I will be teaching starting Tuesday. Where has the time gone? At least I have one more day off!

Have a great evening everyone.