Questions about Getting Married

[visaqueries 111]

My fiance and I are beginning the talk about how we will get married in the United States. I am Christian. He is Muslim. To satisfy the requirements of Egypt and his religion, he wants to get married at the Egyptian Embassy. I know nothing about how that works at all. Of course, I went to the Egyptian Embassy site on the Internet to look at information about marriage (it was in Arabic, so I forwarded it to him--the google translator was terrible). The information I gleaned from our conversations is we'll have to take a lot more passport photos, he'll get a copy of the contract, I'll get a copy of the contract, one will stay at the Embassy, and one will be sent to Cairo. It would then take 6-8 weeks for processing in Egypt.

We will be marrying as soon as he arrives, and we'd like to apply for Advanced Parole and AOS as soon as possible. These are the questions he generated:

1. Do we have to wait for the 6-8 weeks for the official document to arrive from Egypt--certifying our marriage--before we can apply for AP and AOS or will they give us an official paper sooner than that, so we can file for AP and AOS immediately after the ceremony?

2. Is a certificate of marriage from an Embassy recognized by the US as an official and acceptable marriage?

3. My question: How do you go about trying to set up a wedding at the Embassy??? We'll have receptions and celebrations with my family, but he wants to make sure the marriage is recognized in Egypt and with his faith.

Quite honestly, I feel at a loss on how to figure out the protocol. I have been reading several posts about related topics, and one thing mentioned is the Egyptian Consulates/Embassies do not have very good English speakers, and many will request to speak directly to my fiance because he is the male. I'd like to call, but I don't know if there is a specific location I should call (do I call the Embassy in DC or should I contact the consulate in Chicago?).

Do any of you have experience with this topic at all?

[together4evr 360]

If you have a marriage ceremony in egypt then your fiance petition will be garbage and you will have to start all over with a spouse visa.

If a Christian gets married to a Muslim in Egypt then you sign the marriage document that states you are agreeing to marry under Islamic law.

You have alot of studying to do.

Make sure you do not get married in Egypt if you do not agree with the contract

Make sure you do not get married in Egypt and try to come to USA with a fiance visa-that can cause a lifetime ban for lying

My marriage took 6 days from start to finish of registering and it took alot of running to different buildings in different towns. I had to have a translator present at the actual marriage day to explain it all to me. It was a terrible experience. There was no celebration. It was dirty buildings. No party. Alot of waiting and alot of noisy people screaming in the buildings. If you are looking for a beautiful white wedding then Egypt is not where you want to get married. Stay strong and bring your fiance here and get married. He will not suffer if he does not get married in Egypt under Islamic rules. The men probably just want to protect their offspring when you get pregnant and make sure his kids are raised Muslim

Also know that you can add to the marriage contract that you retain the rights to go to school whenever you want. That you can divorce without his consent...and many other things

Good Luck

[together4evr 360]

edit

Edited February 2, 2013 by togetherforever13

[Cathi 5,744]

I agree with the previous poster, you need to do some serious studying about the visa process and marriage to a Muslim as a Christian. Have you even met your fiance in real life? You cannot get married and apply for a fiance visa if you are married, it's fraud. In the eyes of the US the moment you sign the marriage contract you are married. If you want to marry in Egypt you must file an I-130 for cr1 visa. I am a Christian, married to a Muslim, married in Jordan, and our marriage was exactly like the previous poster spoke of, lots of running around to have documents stamped in dirty, old buildings with noisy, slow, not so nice people, forever waiting in long lines. It actually took my husband and I almost 3 weeks to have all the paperwork finished, and we were very organized and well prepared. Only to be married in a courtroom filled with a bunch of people smoking, talking in a language I didn't understand, just to sign a piece of paper. Make sure you know what the marriage contract says before you sign it. It is the party after the wedding where the celebration with family happens. The US embassy does not perform weddings, ever. Study the guides at the top of the page, discuss the options with your fiance, do some research, lots and lots of research. Good luck.

[visaqueries 111]

I'm sorry my first post was not very clear. My fiance and I want to be married in the United States of America. He would like to be married in the Egyptian Embassy, which is also in the United States.

Yes, we've met. I have visited him 3 times in Egypt, and on one of those trips we also traveled to Turkey together. We do not want to marry in Egypt at all. My questions are regarding getting married at the Egyptian Embassy or an Egyptian Consulate--all of which are in the US. I'm not sure if that is possible or even how to do that. He tells me it is possible, so I just want some information on where to start figuring out how to make that happen.

[sandinista! 1,816]

I'm sorry my first post was not very clear. My fiance and I want to be married in the United States of America. He would like to be married in the Egyptian Embassy, which is also in the United States.

Yes, we've met. I have visited him 3 times in Egypt, and on one of those trips we also traveled to Turkey together. We do not want to marry in Egypt at all. My questions are regarding getting married at the Egyptian Embassy or an Egyptian Consulate--all of which are in the US. I'm not sure if that is possible or even how to do that. He tells me it is possible, so I just want some information on where to start figuring out how to make that happen.

It's not you, it's them. Your original post was clear as day.

"My fiance and I are beginning the talk about how we will get married in the United States"

I don't know how it gets more clear than that, but oh well.

Edited February 3, 2013 by sandinista!

[sandinista! 1,816]

" We will be marrying as soon as he arrives."

Really, people.

[together4evr 360]

I stand corrected. I am sorry I misunderstood your posr. I have never heard of marrying at the embassy after a k1 arrives. And a american marriage can be recognized in egypt. What is hia true intention od needing this certificate which takes alot of time, jumping through more unfamiliar hoopa...esp when he car marry you the american normal way?. I hope if someone actually agreed tp this and performed this, that they actually respod. I need insight of the true intent of this special certificate.

He is marrying an american in america..his family will,not be here anyhow. Tell him you need the simple, easily understood, standard marriage license. Not one that needs translations and more money, alot of time and energy

[visaqueries 111]

Both of us agreed to not be married by our religious leaders (pastors, imam--or sheikh, I can't remember which is correct in this situation). He told me there is someone in the consulate or embassy who performs marriages who is not a religious figure, but it is someone who can perform marriages in an official capacity. This person is also easily recognized and accepted in Egypt. I guess like a judge at the courthouse.

I am about as knowledgeable about how he explains it to me as he is about how things go in the US. I promised to explore it, so we'd have more information when deciding what to do. If it isn't allowed or possible, I'll be able to report that too. Being married is a huge compromise. So, if we can get married in a way that will make both of us feel satisfied, I'm okay with that. At this point, it's just trying to see who else has encountered anything like this.

The only thing I've discovered so far is the Egyptian Consulate that supports my state is in Houston and not Chicago. Since several posts I've read reported that the people at the consulates have a hard time with their English or request to speak to the male, I was hoping someone here would be able to give me an education.

[sweetlymystic 19]

why cant you and him do the islamic ceremony at a Mosque?? This is what my fiance would like to do when he comes to America.You still apply for marriage license ,like usual...then call your local mosque about setting appointment to have the islamic ceremony.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Why make the process harder than it already is?

Why risk the K-1 with a marriage that might not met the requirement to marry in the US?

Immigration is not Burger King - you can't have it your way.

Welcome to America where Christians and Muslims get marry all the time. They don't all need to marry at a foreign embassy.

Embassies are considered foreign soil. That's why the Chinese can't arrest a Chinese person who seeks sanctuary in a foreign embassy.

Is all this worth the risk and expense?

You state that he wants to marry at the Egyptian Embassy to meet the requirements of Egypt and his religion. Where in the Koran does it say that he must marry at the Egyptian Embassy? It will also be a news to all those Egyptian K-1 holders that did not marry at the Egyptian Embassy that their marriages are invalid because it does not meet the requirements set by Egypt.

Edited February 3, 2013 by aaron2020

[visaqueries 111]

This is an abbreviated version of our conversation about marriage (the first time we discussed it):

Fiance: Baby, when I come to America to be married, I can't be married in your church.

Me: Okay, but I can't be married in a mosque either. What should we do?

Fiance: Well, we could go to the Egyptian Embassy (consulate). They have people there who could perform the marriage. It wouldn't be religious, but it would satisfy my requirements as a Muslim.

Me: Well, we can look into seeing how that would work.

From my perspective, we are both trying to respect the needs/desires of the other. I know we could go to the courthouse to be married, but I promised I'd look into this. If it is the same thing as being married in a courthouse, then I'm okay with it.

I suppose I will contact the Egyptian consulate in Houston or the Egyptian Embassy in DC to find out the particulars of if and how this works. I just hope their English is not as bad as I've read about in these forums .

[aaron2020 11,651]

This is an abbreviated version of our conversation about marriage (the first time we discussed it):

Fiance: Baby, when I come to America to be married, I can't be married in your church.

Me: Okay, but I can't be married in a mosque either. What should we do?

Fiance: Well, we could go to the Egyptian Embassy (consulate). They have people there who could perform the marriage. It wouldn't be religious, but it would satisfy my requirements as a Muslim.

Me: Well, we can look into seeing how that would work.

From my perspective, we are both trying to respect the needs/desires of the other. I know we could go to the courthouse to be married, but I promised I'd look into this. If it is the same thing as being married in a courthouse, then I'm okay with it.

I suppose I will contact the Egyptian consulate in Houston or the Egyptian Embassy in DC to find out the particulars of if and how this works. I just hope their English is not as bad as I've read about in these forums .

So you're going to rely on the advice of an Egyptian official on US immigration laws?

I hope it ends better for you than the guy who took advice from a hotel manager in Juarez.

Edited February 3, 2013 by aaron2020

[dailypattern 0]

So you're going to rely on the advice of an Egyptian official on US immigration laws?

I hope it ends better for you than the guy who took advice from a hotel manager in Juarez.

I read that post too

[visaqueries 111]

No, I have a lot of time on my hands right now to start investigating what will and won't work. That is all I'm trying to do is gather information, so we can make an educated decision. Here is my research strategy:

1. Find out if what my fiance is asking about is possible. I will contact the Egyptian Embassy/Egyptian Consulate to determine if what my fiance is saying is actually valid--that we can get married in and Egyptian Consulate/Embassy. I have read that as long as the marriage is done following the requirements of the US, it would be considered a valid marriage in the US. I believe the Consulate/Embassy might even provide the appropriate paperwork that I would need to file with the state where I will be married.

2. After I find out if it is indeed possible for a wedding to take place, I will figure out who I need to contact in the United States to verify that the wedding would indeed be valid. I imagine I have to register my marriage license in the state where I'm married for it to be valid (I've never been married before, but I'm sure I can find out who to call to find out how to file my marriage documents). I can't even apply for AOS from a K-1 if my marriage isn't recognized. So, say my marriage at the Consulate/Embassy isn't recognized. I then have the rest of my 90 days on the K-1 visa to rectify that situation by getting married at a courthouse.

3. Once I determine what is accurate infomation, as well as a feasible plan, I will report my findings to my fiance. At that point we will decide how and where we will marry. We will leave the when up to the American Consulate in Cairo.

As for the man in Juarez, he had a lot of issues I don't have. I have a valid passport (which isn't really applicable in this case). I am applying for a K-1 Visa and waiting for the entire process to be complete before I try to get my foreign fiance into the country (We are not trying to get my fiance inside the borders of the USA by obtaining a shopping visa). My fiance has not received any kind of ban, and I don't think that if we decided to marry at a Consulate/Embassy inside the borders of the United States, where he will legally be allowed to be, he will receive a 5 year ban (I don't believe marrying at a Consulate/Embassy constitutes breaking any laws in the US).

All I'm asking of this forum is, "Does anyone have any experience with this kind of situation?" Gathering research...not trying to do anything more than that.