saturday 130 Algiers Embassy cr1 interview

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

That's great that you got a new date so soon !!!

Don't worry -- I'm sure everything will be fine. Algeria does not have a reputation for being a tough consulate. If all your paperwork's in order, I bet you'll have the visa in hand very soon !

-MK

Well from the sound of things I think that if he passes he will have his visa in 10 to 30 days. I am very hesitant to purchase a ticket to the USA until he actually has the visa in hand. After he has the visa in his hand, then I will feel comfortable buying a plane ticket here. I wonder how others have handled ticket purchasing. If He gets a paper ticket, I will have to get it here and then DHL it there. Out of Algeria, paper tickets are required. It wont work with electronic tickets out of Algeria.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Well from the sound of things I think that if he passes he will have his visa in 10 to 30 days. I am very hesitant to purchase a ticket to the USA until he actually has the visa in hand. After he has the visa in his hand, then I will feel comfortable buying a plane ticket here. I wonder how others have handled ticket purchasing. If He gets a paper ticket, I will have to get it here and then DHL it there. Out of Algeria, paper tickets are required. It wont work with electronic tickets out of Algeria.

I would definitely not book any travel before the visa is in hand -- it could cost you a lot to change the flight.

Can't he just go to a travel agent there in Algiers, and pay for the ticket by credit card ? It will probably be a bit cheaper than booking from the U.S., and they can give him paper tickets right on the spot.

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

Well from the sound of things I think that if he passes he will have his visa in 10 to 30 days. I am very hesitant to purchase a ticket to the USA until he actually has the visa in hand. After he has the visa in his hand, then I will feel comfortable buying a plane ticket here. I wonder how others have handled ticket purchasing. If He gets a paper ticket, I will have to get it here and then DHL it there. Out of Algeria, paper tickets are required. It wont work with electronic tickets out of Algeria.

I would definitely not book any travel before the visa is in hand -- it could cost you a lot to change the flight.

Can't he just go to a travel agent there in Algiers, and pay for the ticket by credit card ? It will probably be a bit cheaper than booking from the U.S., and they can give him paper tickets right on the spot.

The problem lies with credit cards... I couldnt even book a hotel online for the sheraton. They demanded they have the credit card in hand to book the tickets. Algeria is just STARTING to have credit card access but only in major hotels and airports and a few atms. It is not like Tunisia and Morocco where they are hard wired into the rest of the world with atms. I could use my credit card in person there but once I got there sometimes it would take 3 billing cycles to be billed and then most of the time they just did not take credit cards altogether. I had a friend with a check drawn on CHASE BANK from the usa and he went to Chase Bank in Hydra Algiers in the diplomatic zone and they refused to cash it. It was a google corporation check. They are just not tied into the world banking systems yet. I think alot of that has to do with the black decade of terrorism

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The problem lies with credit cards... I couldnt even book a hotel online for the sheraton. They demanded they have the credit card in hand to book the tickets. Algeria is just STARTING to have credit card access but only in major hotels and airports and a few atms. It is not like Tunisia and Morocco where they are hard wired into the rest of the world with atms. I could use my credit card in person there but once I got there sometimes it would take 3 billing cycles to be billed and then most of the time they just did not take credit cards altogether. I had a friend with a check drawn on CHASE BANK from the usa and he went to Chase Bank in Hydra Algiers in the diplomatic zone and they refused to cash it. It was a google corporation check. They are just not tied into the world banking systems yet. I think alot of that has to do with the black decade of terrorism

Does your husband have an ATM card ?

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

The problem lies with credit cards... I couldnt even book a hotel online for the sheraton. They demanded they have the credit card in hand to book the tickets. Algeria is just STARTING to have credit card access but only in major hotels and airports and a few atms. It is not like Tunisia and Morocco where they are hard wired into the rest of the world with atms. I could use my credit card in person there but once I got there sometimes it would take 3 billing cycles to be billed and then most of the time they just did not take credit cards altogether. I had a friend with a check drawn on CHASE BANK from the usa and he went to Chase Bank in Hydra Algiers in the diplomatic zone and they refused to cash it. It was a google corporation check. They are just not tied into the world banking systems yet. I think alot of that has to do with the black decade of terrorism

Does your husband have an ATM card ?

No he doesnt. the bank that issues his paycheck doesnt have one either. They do not even use computers at the bank I changed money at. The transactions are written down in books

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The problem lies with credit cards... I couldnt even book a hotel online for the sheraton. They demanded they have the credit card in hand to book the tickets. Algeria is just STARTING to have credit card access but only in major hotels and airports and a few atms. It is not like Tunisia and Morocco where they are hard wired into the rest of the world with atms. I could use my credit card in person there but once I got there sometimes it would take 3 billing cycles to be billed and then most of the time they just did not take credit cards altogether. I had a friend with a check drawn on CHASE BANK from the usa and he went to Chase Bank in Hydra Algiers in the diplomatic zone and they refused to cash it. It was a google corporation check. They are just not tied into the world banking systems yet. I think alot of that has to do with the black decade of terrorism

Does your husband have an ATM card ?

No he doesnt. the bank that issues his paycheck doesnt have one either. They do not even use computers at the bank I changed money at. The transactions are written down in books

You might think about just sending him an ATM card. He could go to a hotel or bank that accepts them in order to use it.

Or maybe it would be possible to send money via Western Union/Moneygram, or do a bank transfer directly from your bank to his bank.

Anyway, I am sure that some of our members who who have Algerian SOs will have specific experience in how to accomplish this in Algeria, and will have some more suggestions for you.

And I must say that I don't think the so-called "black decade of terrorism" has anything to do with the apparent scarcity of electronic banking in Algeria. You can find ATMs all over the West Bank (despite the way it is portrayed in the West.)