Meeting S/O

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Okay... I have become increasingly worried ever since Kiya posted about their 221g... and also seeing that this is happening a LOT in Morocco.

I have not seen Jamal since February 2005... due to the fact of my mom's illness and then her death... then settling her estate, which has been quite a lengthy process... i am in the process of planning to be there when Jamal is called for his interview (Inshallah)... but just in case... do you think that I could write a letter to the Moroccan Embassy stating my reasons for not being able to go on a return trip to see him in Morocco? Yes... i have saved all of our emails, letters, cards, phone calls, etc... but I was wondering if maybe a letter could help also... just a thought... you guys have more experience than me... so I am relying on you for guidance... and help.

*hugs ya'll*

Blessings to all of ya!

Lynne

[Jenn! 918]

Dixie -

I think that is a very good idea. The more news I hear from Casa lately, the more I tend to agree with my husband's theory that the cases are adjudicated prior to the interview. Your fiance simply explaining at the interview the reasons for the length of time since your last visit might not be enough.

It is important that they have that information ASAP. Hopefully doing so will help you avoid being assigned to the dreaded female CO in Casa.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Dixie -

I think that is a very good idea. The more news I hear from Casa lately, the more I tend to agree with my husband's theory that the cases are adjudicated prior to the interview. Your fiance simply explaining at the interview the reasons for the length of time since your last visit might not be enough.

It is important that they have that information ASAP. Hopefully doing so will help you avoid being assigned to the dreaded female CO in Casa.

Jenn, then who should I send the letter to? Should it be a hand-written letter? (I think that is more PERSONAL - draws them in)... or a typed letter? I guess I could send an email... but not sure how good that would be...

And also... how should I address it? Please... any and all ideas are welcome!

[noura 0]

Hey Lynne,

I don't really know for sure, but I certainly don't think it would hurt for them to at least have a record of your reasons (even if they don't read it, surely it will go into some file - hopefully not the "circular one"). It can't hurt to let them know of your hardships to not be able to be together for such a length of time...

I say send it....

Noura

[Jenn! 918]

If it were me, I would send a typed letter to the consulate, attention the chief of the immigrant visa section. Be sure to provide all of the information they'll need to associate your letter with your fiance's case (i.e., NVC case number, DOB, A number, etc.). Ask them to take the issue into consideration and to place the letter in your fiance's file so that it is available for reference at his interview.

That's my take, but let's see what everone else thinks.

I'm not sure - do you think a letter would make it seem like they're trying to hard? As if they had a reason to be paranoid that the visa would be denied?

[Bosco 1]

Why not include the reasons for not visiting in some emails to Jamal that he brings to the interview as part of your overall proof? When you talk about missing him you can talk about the things that have come in the way of a return trip but as part of your conversation with Jamal, not in a letter addressed to the consulate. That way the information is there but it doesn't come across as trying to hard as Jenn mentioned.

They have given us the law that says you must have met within two years, so it would seem unfair if they held this against you being that you meet their requirements.

Rebecca

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Why not include the reasons for not visiting in some emails to Jamal that he brings to the interview as part of your overall proof? When you talk about missing him you can talk about the things that have come in the way of a return trip but as part of your conversation with Jamal, not in a letter addressed to the consulate. That way the information is there but it doesn't come across as trying to hard as Jenn mentioned.

They have given us the law that says you must have met within two years, so it would seem unfair if they held this against you being that you meet their requirements.

Rebecca

Excellent advice from Rebecca, as usual !

-MK

[tnh9479 1]

I would be real hesitant to send Casa anything. Who knows how it would be perceived by them? I like the idea of bringing it up to Jamal in an email or chat and having him print it off to bring to the interview with him. Then...if asked why you have not seen him in a while, he can produce it.

I really am so sorry that all of you are (justifiably) freaking out right now. Hicham and I were talking about it last night and it obviously isn't a change in policy (as we would be seeing it in other similar consulates). It seems someone in the consulate is on the warpath.

Wishing you all the best!

Twila

[jordanianprincess 0]

As much as I hate to say this, it must be said... Alot of this depends on the approving officer. Warpath is a great way to describe this. IF the person is having a bad day, they may just deny a person based on that. From what I can gather all you can do is send in the required documentation, make sure everything is ACCURATE, and pray pray pray.

I think its important to be realistic in these matters and we have seen people get denied for no good reason at all even though they have supplied all the paperwork. I think in a previous post I mentioned that i was previously marreid and went through an immigration interview for AOS with my spouse at that time.

When I went to the interview I brought everything with me just in case they asked for it. I didn't give them anything unless they asked for it, but I had it there. In any case, the officer approved the case within a couple of minutes. She then stamped his passport for proof and told us that we were lucky that we got to meet with her that day. When I asked why, she said that if we had met with an offier that was not as senior as she was that they would not be able to approve his case on the spot and give him the approval stamp.

I'm also worried that something may go wrong with my case...but all we can do is take it day by day, hope for the best and plan for the worst.

jordanianprincess

[Bosco 1]

I would be real hesitant to send Casa anything. Who knows how it would be perceived by them? I like the idea of bringing it up to Jamal in an email or chat and having him print it off to bring to the interview with him. Then...if asked why you have not seen him in a while, he can produce it.

I really am so sorry that all of you are (justifiably) freaking out right now. Hicham and I were talking about it last night and it obviously isn't a change in policy (as we would be seeing it in other similar consulates). It seems someone in the consulate is on the warpath.

Wishing you all the best!

Twila

Twila,

I think there actually may be a change in policy specifically for Morocco. They may have been told to reduce the number of visas being issued and given the green light to ignore their guidelines. The number of fiance/marriage visas coming out of Morocco has sky rocketed. I am sure all embassies have seen an increase with the amount of online dating, but I think Morocco is probably disproprotionately higher. I think most of us have heard from our spouses how some men are looking for marriage as a way out, and any look in a cyber cafe in Morocco is pretty telling. It follows that as the numbers increase, the consulate will crack down. I think fewer and fewer people will have the 2-5 minute interviews like many of our husbands had.

Abderrafie told me a year ago that he thought things would soon get tougher at the consulate. He said a similar thing had happened with the French Embassy and student visas. People realized they were very easy to get, more and more people starting applying, and many only went there to work and not to study. After a few years of increasing numbers of student visas being issued, they finally cracked down and it became really tough.

Rebecca

[kerewin21 2]

Tough is one thing, but it seems like people are just having their applications summarily sent back to the US, even though they have all the proof that is asked for and then some.

I agree with you about many Moroccans seeing marrying a foreigner as a way out, and you definitely see lots of people chatting with foreigners at the cybercafes. But it seems like they're applying some kind of new standard completely indiscriminately. I wish there were some obvious common thread in all the recent people who have had problems, but there doesn't seem to be one.

I don't know if a letter would help. They almost never respond to emails, and I don't really have faith that a letter would even be looked at, much less make it to the right place. Maybe you could draft a letter that your fiance can bring with him in case the CO brings up the question? Or that he can just take it upon himself to present at the interview. That seems to be more likely to be seen than a letter send blindly to the consulate.

Sharon

[honeyblonde 0]

It's too late now since you already sent in your I129F, but I added a supplement page to ours because my last husband was also Moroccan. I was worried they would think I was just marrying Moroccan men to bring them here or something, so I explained that Mustapha and I were divorced because he apparently didn't understand before marriage that I couldn't and wouldn't have any more children, and I apparently didn't realize before marriage just how bad he wanted to have children. I went on to explain that Abdel and I have discussed the issue in depth and that he is ok with not having children.

I wrote about 3 typed paragraphs telling them how much Abdel means to me and how much we have in common - what we love about each other. There is something on the form that says you can add addiitional info like that if you feel like it is important, so I figured what the heck.

I think it helped, but who knows.

[Dixie_Peach 1]

i think that all of the replies are very sound... and very good ideas...

Rebecca,

Jamal and I actually have talked about why I have not had an opportunity to go back to Morocco... in detail within our emails and our chats...

Also, the attorney had me to give some details in the letter of intent about how we have worked together by talking... and his support... to get us through his dad's death... and my mom's death... so maybe we are covered....

all i know for sure is that seeing more k1's receive 221g from Morocco has totally set me off kilter...

I have been keeping up with kiya's thread... and also getting some good information from you guys and others that i have emailed within VJ...

Thank God that I do have this forum to come to for support...

I want you guys to know that I am here for you too... and that I appreciate how you have stepped up to show support for me. I wish you all... US all... the very best... and I am praying for each and every one of us to be with our loved ones soon...

God bless you all!

And please... if there are any other thoughts and ideas... don't hesitate to post them... I am constantly reading the boards...

*hugs ya'll*

Blessings,

Lynne

[myfellah 0]

Lynne, I would think if it would make you feel better, to include an email to Jamal explaining why you haven't been able to return to Morocco. I really don't think this should be an issue or will be an issue. The requirment of meeting at least once in the last two years is what the fiance visa is based on. I went to Morocco only once. I made my one and only trip to Morocco in 10/04 and filed our petition 11/04. Abdou had his interview in 5/05 with just us meeting once. They asked him how we met and how many times we I had been to Morocco but he aswered truthfully and it met the requirement. I do wish you and Jamal all the best of luck. I would be very anxious myself (and I was during our journey) too but pray you'll do just fine.

Doreen

[Bosco 1]

i think that all of the replies are very sound... and very good ideas...

Rebecca,

Jamal and I actually have talked about why I have not had an opportunity to go back to Morocco... in detail within our emails and our chats...

Also, the attorney had me to give some details in the letter of intent about how we have worked together by talking... and his support... to get us through his dad's death... and my mom's death... so maybe we are covered....

all i know for sure is that seeing more k1's receive 221g from Morocco has totally set me off kilter...

I have been keeping up with kiya's thread... and also getting some good information from you guys and others that i have emailed within VJ...

Thank God that I do have this forum to come to for support...

I want you guys to know that I am here for you too... and that I appreciate how you have stepped up to show support for me. I wish you all... US all... the very best... and I am praying for each and every one of us to be with our loved ones soon...

God bless you all!

And please... if there are any other thoughts and ideas... don't hesitate to post them... I am constantly reading the boards...

*hugs ya'll*

Blessings,

Lynne

Lynne,

With all the great information that can be found on these forums, they can also make you crazy.

Try to keep in mind that there were visas being returned long before Kiya. Several of the women had their petitions returned last year - it has just been brought to the forefront and people have a place to discuss it now. I think in the past, people just sort of disappeared because they had no one to share what they were going through with. So while it seems new, it isn't new, and while it seems increasing, the amount of petitions have also increased so it only follows that the amount of petitions being sent back would increase as well (and the approvals have also increased).

There doesn't seem to be any concrete pattern to how/why they return petitions, so I think all you can do is prepare the best case possible. Worrying about it will only add to the stress of an already stressful process.

So do what you can do on your end and then try to turn it over to your faith.

Rebecca