religious ceremony

[AMHISHABIBATI 0]

Hi everyone! Me and my fiance were planning on trying for the fiance visa to come here. Our plan is for me to go there to tunisia, to meet his family and spend some time together, and then return and start the process. While still in tunisia, his family was planning on throwing us a wedding party and i was wondering about if we could have the religious marriage performed while there? I had read that marriages had to be civil to prove for immigration, but as we are both muslim, we would like to marry in the islamic way and not to keen on the ideas of doing it in the masjids in my area. If we did the religious wedding there, in tunisia while i was there, would i not be able to do the fiance visa which is much faster, or is this one of those double edged swords? (no you can't marry in religious way for immigration, butttttttt if you do, we will consider you married for the purpose of denying you the fiance visa). I would do the civil ceremony that is needed here when he arrives. But for our religious reasons we both want the islamic wedding. Does anyone have any insight on this?

[Anh map 2,098]

You will find a lot of discussion about this topic here on VJ.

My sense is that it depends on what constitutes a bona fide / legally recognized marriage in the culture where the beneficiary has their interview. Is the religious ceremony considered legally binding in Tunisia?

You should do some reading in the MENA regional forum here on VJ. I would think this topic has been discussed there.

[Kenza 1]

Like in Morocco, an Islamic Marriage IS a civil marriage. Only in non-Muslim countries is there a difference.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hi everyone! Me and my fiance were planning on trying for the fiance visa to come here. Our plan is for me to go there to tunisia, to meet his family and spend some time together, and then return and start the process. While still in tunisia, his family was planning on throwing us a wedding party and i was wondering about if we could have the religious marriage performed while there? I had read that marriages had to be civil to prove for immigration, but as we are both muslim, we would like to marry in the islamic way and not to keen on the ideas of doing it in the masjids in my area. If we did the religious wedding there, in tunisia while i was there, would i not be able to do the fiance visa which is much faster, or is this one of those double edged swords? (no you can't marry in religious way for immigration, butttttttt if you do, we will consider you married for the purpose of denying you the fiance visa). I would do the civil ceremony that is needed here when he arrives. But for our religious reasons we both want the islamic wedding. Does anyone have any insight on this?

Be very careful. Several countries do not "officially" recognize "religious" ceremonies, but the USA DOES! Some countries have a "separation of church and state" which says the state does not recognize ANY church (religious) proceedings. My wife's country of Ukraine is a good example. OUR method of separation of church and state is not to "give preference" which means the state (government) recognizes ALL church (religious) proceedings.

Be very, very careful. If what you participate in is a marriage ceremony, the government of the USA WILL recognize it and consider you married.

[AMHISHABIBATI 0]

Like in Morocco, an Islamic Marriage IS a civil marriage. Only in non-Muslim countries is there a difference.

Thanks, it is probally the same then since, tunisia and morocco are so close and it is an islamic country.