USC going to K-1 Interview in Casablanca Embassy?

[Noura_914 47]

Hi, I did search and could not find a direct answer to this in the Moroccan portal and I know it varies per embassy so here I am posing the question directly in hopes of getting a direct answer. (I apologize in advance if this was posted previously, I guess my skills on this site are limited considering it took me like 20 minutes to figure out where to even post this question or how to do it!)

Here it goes:

I am still waiting for my NOA2, however, I also fully intend on being with my fiancé for his birthday and for Eid al-Fitr at the end of July/early August whether it be here in NY or there in Casablanca. I have not purchased a ticket as of yet because we have no idea what USCIS is up to or what our actual timeline is. I know that I have enough time for 2 weeks away from work. I originally wanted to go next month for a week, and then in July for a week.

Ok, now lets hypothetically say that we get our NOA2 and he gets his interview. Can I go there that week and go with him to the interview for support? Honestly, I would like to go anyway because my son has time off from school, and I from work (in April,) but it'd be great if we could go there when he has his interview and possibly all come home together...(wishful thinking, I know, but hey, anything is possible) Does the embassy in CASABLANCA allow this? I know that it varies from embassy to embassy, so my question is being asked to people who have knowledge of this in CASABLANCA, MOROCCO.

I really don't want to spend like $3500 on airline tickets for my son and I in April (or even worse) purchase tickets for July and then he's here in May and I'm stuck with 2 non-refundable tickets to Casablanca for July. On the other hand, tickets get more and more expensive as it gets closer to Ramadan and those prices are just going to continue to soar so the earlier you buy the better. I digress...

any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

[dwheels76 5,469]

Hi, I did search and could not find a direct answer to this in the Moroccan portal and I know it varies per embassy so here I am posing the question directly in hopes of getting a direct answer. (I apologize in advance if this was posted previously, I guess my skills on this site are limited considering it took me like 20 minutes to figure out where to even post this question or how to do it!)

Here it goes:

I am still waiting for my NOA2, however, I also fully intend on being with my fiancé for his birthday and for Eid al-Fitr at the end of July/early August whether it be here in NY or there in Casablanca. I have not purchased a ticket as of yet because we have no idea what USCIS is up to or what our actual timeline is. I know that I have enough time for 2 weeks away from work. I originally wanted to go next month for a week, and then in July for a week.

Ok, now lets hypothetically say that we get our NOA2 and he gets his interview. Can I go there that week and go with him to the interview for support? Honestly, I would like to go anyway because my son has time off from school, and I from work (in April,) but it'd be great if we could go there when he has his interview and possibly all come home together...(wishful thinking, I know, but hey, anything is possible) Does the embassy in CASABLANCA allow this? I know that it varies from embassy to embassy, so my question is being asked to people who have knowledge of this in CASABLANCA, MOROCCO.

I really don't want to spend like $3500 on airline tickets for my son and I in April (or even worse) purchase tickets for July and then he's here in May and I'm stuck with 2 non-refundable tickets to Casablanca for July. On the other hand, tickets get more and more expensive as it gets closer to Ramadan and those prices are just going to continue to soar so the earlier you buy the better. I digress...

any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Here's the link to your countries portal.

Can fiance(e)/spouse attend the interview? No

[Peace.... 281]

Yeah unfortunately you will have to wait outside or at the local coffee house just a walk away. Good luck

[Noura_914 47]

Here's the link to your countries portal.

Can fiance(e)/spouse attend the interview? No

Thanks...I see that but the page hasn't been updated in about a year and from what I read on other embassy's pages (and common knowledge) staff changes fairly regularly and it's up to whomever is in charge...I guess I was hoping someone who has been there recently had direct, first hand and recent knowledge. I guess I'm just going to go with 'no' because it seems like the safer and less expensive of the two options.

Yeah unfortunately you will have to wait outside or at the local coffee house just a walk away. Good luck

thank you

[Possiblymaybe 371]

In general, the petitioners are not allowed to attend the interviews in Casablanca. I have only heard of one VJ member who was waiting outside, and the CO asked to interview her.

For what it's worth, I say make the travel plans you want to make. This whole immigration fiasco is a huge guessing game, and you'll never really be able to accurately predict when his interview will be, or if he will have to wait in AP, or when the visa be issued. If you buy tickets for July, you can still go even if his visa is approved before then. An approved visa has a validity of 6 months.

[Noura_914 47]

In general, the petitioners are not allowed to attend the interviews in Casablanca. I have only heard of one VJ member who was waiting outside, and the CO asked to interview her.

For what it's worth, I say make the travel plans you want to make. This whole immigration fiasco is a huge guessing game, and you'll never really be able to accurately predict when his interview will be, or if he will have to wait in AP, or when the visa be issued. If you buy tickets for July, you can still go even if his visa is approved before then. An approved visa has a validity of 6 months.

That's true...I spoke with USCIS and they said "you will definitely have an answer by April 19." <--This is taken with a grain of salt though, because I work for the government and I know how things get prolonged past their initial times of completion.

However, I didn't consider the 6 month validity of the visa...maybe I will go ahead and purchase for July...ughhh it's really irritating without having any sort of idea. Thanks for the help.

[myjourneytoo 49]

If I remember correctly from reading the reviews, there was one case where the wife/ fiancé was present at the interview. (The husband was asked and he mentioned his wife/ fiancé was outside waiting and they called her in.) you can read the reviews and find out the specifics.

Go to portals, consulate reviews

Don’t get any ticked until visa is in hand. The price does go up in the high season, you just need to look for good deals. It looks like you are set to go for eid, so plan on that and if the approval comes early all is well.

Hope this helps, best of luck.

[Noura_914 47]

If I remember correctly from reading the reviews, there was one case where the wife/ fiancé was present at the interview. (The husband was asked and he mentioned his wife/ fiancé was outside waiting and they called her in.) you can read the reviews and find out the specifics.

Go to portals, consulate reviews

Don’t get any ticked until visa is in hand. The price does go up in the high season, you just need to look for good deals. It looks like you are set to go for eid, so plan on that and if the approval comes early all is well.

Hope this helps, best of luck.

thanks, I wasn't referring to purchasing a ticket for him (the foreign fiancé) but for my son and i to travel TO my foreign fiancé for a visit in Morocco But yes, I think I'll purchase for July...and maybe pass on April...not sure yet. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

[Possiblymaybe 371]

Even after you receive your NOA2, there is still more waiting to be done. The file gets shipped to NVC and then it gets sent to Morocco. This can easily take a month. It takes a little bit of time for the Embassy to log the information into their system and contact your fiance to let him know the next steps. Things may have changed a bit, but last year they were giving interview notices about a month prior to interview date. With all of this in mind, if I were in your shoes, I would just plan on him spending Ramadan with his family before immigrating.

[myjourneytoo 49]

Here is the review I mentione.

Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa

My husband and I arrived early on October 30th. I waited in the cafe next to the consulate. He went over just before 8:00am. He was the 4th person to be called.
After a 15 minute interview, he was asked to have a seat and she would call him back.
After 20 minutes, he was called and sent to room 7 and close the door. When the officer came, she told him to forget about the first questioning and they will start fresh. The questions he was asked were:
- How did we meet?
- Who started the interaction?
- How many times did we speak?
- He was asked about my family and friends
- questioned about my ex-fiance and why it didn't work out
- When we decided to marry?
- Who attended our marriage?
- How many times I visited?
He answered and informed them I was there waiting next door.
- He was asked then to bring me over...

He came and got me from the cafe, and I was then told to go into room 7 as well.
The questions they asked me:
- How did we meet?
- How often we spoke?
- Did he have interaction with my friends and family?
- Inquired about my ex-fiance and asked how I knew my husband wasn't a scammer as well?
- How/why he was educated so well?
- if I had come just for the interview?
- a few other things I can't remember....

I was so nervous, and really rambled on quite a bit. I answered everything I could and even had a brain-fart on one of the questions. I had the officer laughing quite a bit. We recommend answering truthfully and with much detail.

The interview was on a Wednesday and they said to pick-up the visa that Friday. We went to pick it up, only to be told it wasn't ready and they would call us when he should come pick it up. About 5 minutes after leaving, they called and said to pick it up on Monday. He went back on that Monday and the visa was issued.

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience, despite being nerve-wracking. Husband says he saw the pink ticket in his passport when he came in to the room to be interviewed, so we do believe they had decided before they spoke to us. Either way, he is here in the states with me now, thank God!

Edit: The woman we interviewed with was a dark haired American woman, and she was very nice. I made her laugh a few times. I was nervous and was clutching the phone receiver for dear life (LOL). My husband says there were many students from Libya that were interviewing (they all had the Asian woman) and all were getting denials.


(updated on December 12, 2013)

[waitishard 2]

in my first interview my wife was with me but she waited me out in the cafe and when officer asked me of how many times my wife visited me i told him 2 times and told him that she is out waiting for me in the cafe front the consulate, he asked me to go to the cafe and bring her to the consulate and that was after he interview me for 45min, after i bring my wife to the consulate he asked me to leave and wait her in the cafe then the officer interview my wife too, and start scare her that ill leave her when i be in US and the only reason marry her is just for visa bla bla.. but after he seen her strong about our love he left her and he go with his friend to have lunch. for her be with me it doesn't help to have visa. and she was with me in my second and 3rd interview too and each time i told the officer that she is out waiting for me. for me i think if you be with your fiancee in interview time its not going to help may be the officer will ask to interview you too and that not happen alot but the problem if he interview you and your fiancee and both of you give different answers for him that will be problem. and that doesn't happen for me cus both of us give same answers but still end up with second interview after 10 days of the first one and still send my papers back to uscis. hamdolillah i got my visa and im in US now with my wife.

[Noura_914 47]

in my first interview my wife was with me but she waited me out in the cafe and when officer asked me of how many times my wife visited me i told him 2 times and told him that she is out waiting for me in the cafe front the consulate, he asked me to go to the cafe and bring her to the consulate and that was after he interview me for 45min, after i bring my wife to the consulate he asked me to leave and wait her in the cafe then the officer interview my wife too, and start scare her that ill leave her when i be in US and the only reason marry her is just for visa bla bla.. but after he seen her strong about our love he left her and he go with his friend to have lunch. for her be with me it doesn't help to have visa. and she was with me in my second and 3rd interview too and each time i told the officer that she is out waiting for me. for me i think if you be with your fiancee in interview time its not going to help may be the officer will ask to interview you too and that not happen alot but the problem if he interview you and your fiancee and both of you give different answers for him that will be problem. and that doesn't happen for me cus both of us give same answers but still end up with second interview after 10 days of the first one and still send my papers back to uscis. hamdolillah i got my visa and im in US now with my wife.

alhamdullilah thats good you and your wife are together now. You were interviewed 3 times for the K1? How much time was between each interview?

i wouldn't be going to 'help' I was thinking more along the lines of being there at the same time and possibly coming home together because that would be fantastic to actually travel with him back to the US and be together every step of the way - this is our journey together...thats the way I see it and I want to be by his side. I'm not particularly concerned about being interrogated.. I mean interviewed because we've been together a couple of years and planning my 4th trip there now inshaAllah. He knows me like the back of his hand, as I know him and we have absolutely nothing to hide. I do agree that it can be perceived as me trying to 'pull one over' on them, but I'm just going to let the cards fall where they may. I'm going to try to go on with our lives as they are now, I'm not thinking about when he may or may not be here, just plan our trips and keep going back and forth until we can finally be together (wherever that may be.) To be honest, the more I read about Moroccan interviews and the Casablanca Embassy in general, the more nervous I get. I'm trying to stop reading because it gives me such horrible anxiety. Its incredibly unfortunate that so many people (regardless of nationality) ruins it for the rest of us who are in honest and loving relationships. Keep us in your prayers/duas.

[Possiblymaybe 371]

Noura, read the review and be aware of the types of situations that can occur, but don't let them freak you out. A lot of the older reviews are really scary, but the embassy staff has changed since then and things seem much easier now. I could never upload my review where I'm supposed to, but here's a link to the post:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/437317-casablanca-consulate-review-k1-interview/#entry6663085

Best of luck!

[Noura_914 47]

Thank you Jenafid - it really is truly scary. I've read all of those reviews and even thinking about it now I get literally sick to my stomach. I almost didn't even want to go down this road because of the anxiety I knew that would surely ensue (and did) just dealing with the Moroccan embassy. My fiance had applied for a tourist visa and the woman was so rude to him and basically told him to do it the 'right way' and get a k1 because she accused him of wanting to come here and apply for AOS once arriving which wallahi was not our intention. I had wanted him to come and meet my family and see how he liked it here before we went through the incredibly painful and STRESSFUL process of a K1 and also to spend more time together, to get to know each other more, but no, i had to go there all these times and ended up bringing my son. We had a great time, and him and my fiance were amazing together, they skype often and my fiance always inquires about his day and his grades and exams and friends and whatever...he is very involved despite the thousands of miles and hours between us but when they were physically together it was an immediate and very natural bond. it kills us that this process is taking so long and the expense of travelling back and forth is killing me. I am very nervous for the embassy, which I think is a natural reaction given given their incredibly horrible reputation. At this point, I don't care if its approved or denied, I just want to get an answer and either plan our lives elsewhere or bring him here to build upon the life my son and i have started here in NY but for now...all we can do is wait

[Happytobe 164]

I'm the poster that was there in October. It just happened that the interview got scheduled for when I was there, and I was very nervous. But I do think it was good to be there for my husband as well as having the opportunity to be called in and interviewed. Since I had, unfortunately, applied for my ex (who was a classic scammer), the CO was happy I was there to ask the questions she had for me to make certain I really knew my husband. Since you've read the all the reviews, you know many years ago it was scary, and the poster that had 3 interviews was intense as well, but there are others in the recent past that having the petitioner in morocco was a good thing more frequently than not. I do agree with others that it would be great to spend some time with him and his family during Ramadan and Eid. Someday I will experience that. Take care!