help please

[imegyptchun 1]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site and i'm looking for some help.

My situation is this: I am a U.S. citizen and i recently married my wife in Egypt August 10th (she is an egyptian citizen with no visa). We were islamically married, however, due to the violence the U.S. embassy was closed and we were not able to have the marriage officially accepted/recognized by the egyptian government and/or U.S. embassy.

I am now back in the states and am desperate to bring my wife here to the U.S. as i'm extremely worried about her safety because of the daily violence in Egypt.

I'm not sure of the quickest most efficient way to apply to bring her to the United States. i spoke with the State Department and they indicated the first step is to fill out the I-130 form. However, the person I spoke with said this takes a minimum of 6 months just to have it processed and that is only the first step! Additionally, i'm not even sure this is the right advice (i'm not sure the person realized that our marriage was not officially documented by the egyptian government).

Please if anyone knows the best way for me to bring her over I would really appreciate the advice.

Thanks in advance,

S.T.

[Darnell 8,478]

If I were in yer shoes, I'd have my wife find some way to get the official government document, then

all you need is a photocopy of that to file the I-130.

For example, she could scan it in there in Egypt, email it to - you print it out, provide translation (if needed) and file the I-130.

When you do file the I-130, submit a written letter also, requesting an expedite ..

Edited August 31, 2013 by Darnell

[imegyptchun 1]

thank you for the quick response! It sounds like a good avenue to take, but i'm not sure if she can do that without my presence? I think in my absence she has to have 2 male family members accompany her to "vouch" for the marriage's legitimacy?

Thanks for the advice, i'll look into this option.

S.T.

[Yassine Fatima 4]

you can apply for K1 visa (Fiance(e) Visa) then marry her again in the US . check this : http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

[imegyptchun 1]

thank you for your response,it looks like an excellent option. i will definately research this option

[Happytobe 164]

you can apply for K1 visa (Fiance(e) Visa) then marry her again in the US . check this : http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1guide

thank you for your response,it looks like an excellent option. i will definately research this option

The only problem with that is the US may say that they are "too married" to file the K-1, and not "married enough" to file the CR-1. You should contact the Egyptian Embassy to see if you can get the marriage certificate from them somehow. See what they say. There is one in DC, New York, and Houston. Take your pick. I have read they can be difficult to reach, but it's worth the effort.

Best of luck to you and your wife

[Darnell 8,478]

The only problem with that is the US may say that they are "too married" to file the K-1, and not "married enough" to file the CR-1. You should contact the Egyptian Embassy to see if you can get the marriage certificate from them somehow. See what they say. There is one in DC, New York, and Houston. Take your pick. I have read they can be difficult to reach, but it's worth the effort.

Best of luck to you and your wife

I echo this. The concept of being 'too married' to file the K-1 will bite the petitioner in the @ss. Hard. With a significant piece missing (that, of course, being time -as that determination is always made on interview day, not prior... )

thank you for the quick response! It sounds like a good avenue to take, but i'm not sure if she can do that without my presence? I think in my absence she has to have 2 male family members accompany her to "vouch" for the marriage's legitimacy?

Thanks for the advice, i'll look into this option.

S.T.

A Muallah signed off on it. Bring the Muallah and two male members of the family in to the gov office, and be done. Be prepared to pay monies for this. Give your wife about 1200 USD to handle the costs and bribes and honorariums... It'd be less, if the gov wasn't in such turmoil.

[imegyptchun 1]

thank you all for your suggestions. I have a lot of research to do. What are your thoughts on hiring an immigration lawyer, i'm not too keen on this as i'm sure it will be quite expensive, however, i'm afraid that i will make mistakes and delay this seemingly lengthy process even further. I'm really not quite sure where to even start yet.

[Happytobe 164]

thank you all for your suggestions. I have a lot of research to do. What are your thoughts on hiring an immigration lawyer, i'm not too keen on this as i'm sure it will be quite expensive, however, i'm afraid that i will make mistakes and delay this seemingly lengthy process even further. I'm really not quite sure where to even start yet.

I recommend starting with one of the Egyptian consulates/embassies and finding out if there is a way to register the wedding with you here and her there.... If they can assist you, then that takes a lot of troubles away. If you are unable to contact them, have your wife take the men and register the wedding that way, as Darnell Recommended. You need the marriage to be official. If you can get the official document, you can start the process on your own. A lawyer will not speed things up, in most cases and in some cases they do slow it down. Unless there is a waiver or criminal background... If you have any documentation of the nuptials, you could start the process with that and hopefully have the official document in time for the RFE or if it gets to the NVC.

This is a DIY site.... in many instances, the process can be handled on your own. Most lawyers just collect the needed info from you and have someone plug it in to the right spot on a form.... Now, it should be noted that if the date on the official document will be different from what you can show now... then wait for the official document, as they could reject the case if you file before things are official.

With all of that being said. I am not a lawyer. I don't play one on TV. Many lawyers will do free consultations. Put together a bunch of questions, set-up an appointments, and see what you're thinking then. But start with getting the marriage certified. Ask about it over in the MENA forum....how to do that with you here and her there.

Good luck!

[imegyptchun 1]

Thank you happytobe! I will definitely be calling the egyptian embassy this week to see what they advise.

Thank to everyone who responded to me, very much appreciated.

S.T

[Darnell 8,478]

thank you all for your suggestions. I have a lot of research to do. What are your thoughts on hiring an immigration lawyer, i'm not too keen on this as i'm sure it will be quite expensive, however, i'm afraid that i will make mistakes and delay this seemingly lengthy process even further. I'm really not quite sure where to even start yet.

Can you put 1200 USD in yer wife's hands? If so, and IMO, she'll use that to get the documents she needs. No lawyer required.

[imegyptchun 1]

Yes i can do that, wow 1200 for bribes is pretty pricey!!

[Darnell 8,478]

she'll use it for other stuff, as well - but ..

tell her to start with the Mullah/Imam. He can help her.

would you rather budget 1200 usd for bribes, or 6000 for an attorney?

Edited September 2, 2013 by Darnell

[imegyptchun 1]

good point.

[imegyptchun 1]

Hi everybody,

I have a few questions I hope that I can get some help with. i am in the process of filling out the I-130 and G-325a and i'm confused on a few things:

1) when filling out my wife's name and her family's information, I don't have enough room to write down their complete names (us Arabs tend to have very long names ), how should i proceed?

2)The g-325a requires my wife's signature, however, she is over in Egypt while i am in the U.S. If i fax/scan the form to her and have her sign it, will that be ok?

3)I need a passport type photo of her, and a copy of the document of her previous divorce. Again can she scan/fax me the divorce document and a photo of herself (will that work?)

Sorry if these are dumb questions, i just want to make sure everything is done properly so i don't have the application rejected due to improper information.

thank you all for your help

S.T.