Any Advice and/or Help Appreciated

[nurse1967 287]

You don't need to worry about being at the embassy for the interview. They no longer allow American spouses to even come into the building. What you need to worry about how to overcome the whole secrecy issue. Believe me, I know someone who was petitioned by an American and they sent someone to the Egyptian fiance's parent's home to ask if they knew about the relationship. Ultimately you may get this visa but I doubt it will be quick OR painless.

[pushbrk 13,250]

Thanks the problem is after marrying I have to come back to my job and children. I will not be able to stay in Egypt until his interview. My ex husband the father of my kids would never allow it.

You certainly don't need to spend the 10 months or more between marriage and visa interview in Egypt but if you're planning a single trip for a couple weeks, that will make your chances of success pretty slim. The strongest evidence of a bona fide relationship is the evidence of time spent together in person. With red flags like yours, multiple visits for as long as you can arrange would be a good idea. Think in terms of several weeks total as a minimum with "months" being much better.

[NY_BX 397]

You don't need to worry about being at the embassy for the interview. They no longer allow American spouses to even come into the building. What you need to worry about how to overcome the whole secrecy issue. Believe me, I know someone who was petitioned by an American and they sent someone to the Egyptian fiance's parent's home to ask if they knew about the relationship. Ultimately you may get this visa but I doubt it will be quick OR painless.

Home visits may be part of AP, right?

Heather: everyone here has been very candid and honest with you. It doesn't need to get depressing. You just need to digest all this information and be proactive. That said, if you can't stay with your future husband at length; if you plan to only visit once between marriage and his interview, then I stand behind my previous advise to apply for K-1 and marry in the US.

Good luck.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Hey Heather keep your chin up. I know this process is depressing and challenging. Lets keep it real though, right?

Kim is correct that it is better if the family is involved and knows about the marriage. Betsy is right in that they don't allow US citizens into the interviews anymore so you don't have to worry about that. Pushbak is right in that the more visits and the longer they are the better your chances are. NY_BX is also right in that they do home visits all during various levels of the process though I haven't read about a home visit in Egypt in several years. The last home visit in Egypt that I read about was four years ago. That's not saying that it isn't still likely we just haven't read about a recent one on VJ.

Can you tell us what family from upper Egypt he's from? I've been studying the tribes and history of the area and any info you have would be great! If he's from upper Egypt he should know the family name and how they settled there. You should ask him about it. It's pretty interesting stuff to know about.

Edited April 22, 2012 by ॐ

[NY_BX 397]

Hey Heather keep your chin up. I know this process is depressing and challenging. Lets keep it real though, right?

Kim is correct that it is better if the family is involved and knows about the marriage. Betsy is right in that they don't allow US citizens into the interviews anymore so you don't have to worry about that. Pushbak is right in that the more visits and the longer they are the better your chances are. NY_BX is also right in that they do home visits all during various levels of the process though I haven't read about a home visit in Egypt in several years. The last home visit in Egypt that I read about was four years ago. That's not saying that it isn't still likely we just haven't read about a recent one on VJ.

Can you tell us what family from upper Egypt he's from? I've been studying the tribes and history of the area and any info you have would be great! If he's from upper Egypt he should know the family name and how they settled there. You should ask him about it. It's pretty interesting stuff to know about.

This is fantastic!

My now husband has heard of recent home visits. His friend that works in the embassy told him that they're scheduling home visits a little more than usual due to an incredible increase of visa petitions due to people trying to flee the country thanks to the revolution and other political changes. Actually, that's one of the reasons they're not allowing Americans in the embassy; very limited space.

I am curious about the tribe information. My husband is from Alexandria and if you've seen the pictures, he doesn't look like the typical Egyptian. In fact, on all my visits, on a daily basis, locals will speak to him in English thinking he's British. That's of course, once they overhear him speaking English to me.

Edited April 22, 2012 by NY_BX

[pushbrk 13,250]

Home visits may be part of AP, right?

Heather: everyone here has been very candid and honest with you. It doesn't need to get depressing. You just need to digest all this information and be proactive. That said, if you can't stay with your future husband at length; if you plan to only visit once between marriage and his interview, then I stand behind my previous advise to apply for K-1 and marry in the US.

Good luck.

Why do you think the couple would be better off taking the K1 route?

[And_Sam 44]

Heather, it's so nice to see you at this time of your relationship that you are ready to start the journey!

Don't worry about the orfi marriage, we did it too before we got married. It was more to show proof when we got stopped in the street because of being together while we were running around to get all the stuff needed to get married at the egyptian ministry.

You going over to see him a couple of times will help when you do finally apply for his visa. Just remember to keep taking pictures!!!

As far as the home visits, yes they still do them. When we were in the process for dh cr1 visa, they did a home visit to my husband's family 2 months before his scheduled interview at the US embassy. They talked to his mother (his father passed away a couple of years previously) and also his brother and sister. They even went to his neighbors asking questions too. My husband didn't tell me about it until I arrived to Cairo to attend the interview with him.

And he is from Luxor so they sent authorities all the way down there to follow up on.

You definitely need to work on getting on the good side of his mother and father. I completely understand about wanting to wait until he finishes college though. With him being the oldest son, it sounds like he will have to do his military tour before he is allowed to leave the country too. Will he do that before you get married? I know right now because of the lack of government structure there they are calling back many of the men back into the military. I have one friend whose husband has been here for 2 years and the military is STILL calling his parent's house looking for him. And this is with his parents telling them that he has immigrated to the US.

I've talked to my hubby about this because when he left to come here in April 2010, they had stamped his passport with a stamper saying he can be called back to the military until 2014. So guess who won't be traveling back to Egypt until then?? Or at least I surely hope not!!!

Anyways, just keep on asking the questions and you'll be ready when time comes!