Advice sought by Newbie currently working in a Muslim country.

[TLCandLC 7]

Hi everyone,

My fiance is American and I am from Scotland in the UK. We are a same-sex couple. We are about to start our visa journey and are preparing the I-129f for our K-1 application. I would very much appreciate some advice. We spent three years travelling back and forth between the US and UK with long periods apart, like many others. We decided after three long years to work overseas so that we could save some money and be together. Our plan was to do this for two years and return home in June of this year.

We are currently working in a Muslim country where homosexuality is obviously illegal. I am hoping that someone on the board would be able to advise me of the following - will any problems arise during the process, when we divulge that we knowingly went to work in a country where our relationship was illegal? We chose our current country for financial reasons so that we can buy a home together in the US. We would like to start the process in the next month or so, so that when we return to our respective countries in June, the process time will be shorter. I plan on travelling back to the UK to complete the paperwork for the US embassy in London, when it arrives.

Any help for this Newbie would be gratefully received and very much appreciated.

LC

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Usually the USCIS will send your approved petition to the embassy nearest the residence listed when you apply...so it could end up in the Muslim country. There is a place to say which consulate, but I've known a few where that got overlooked. So that's a possible hiccup to resolve getting it transferred to London if it goes to your current country. . Could takes a month or two delay to get straightened out.

London will not question your sexual preference. They will most likely do more security checks after the interview (before issuing the visa) simply because you lived in a Muslim country. London does that for any applicant with links to known terrorist countries whether by birth there, close relatives there, or frequent visits. That could delay you some weeks to longer, depending on how quickly they can gather information on you. People call it AP...administrative processing or additional processing.

A lot of petitions are processing very quickly now, so it is possible you would need to be in London sooner than June (if your case file makes it there first go round). It won't be a one trip over thing to do in a day. There's shot records to get, a medical in London, and an interview on a separate trip. A return to your current country after your interview and AP checks could result in those having to be done over. Example of a London person who posted on here. He interviewed. They did not keep his passport on the day because they knew there would be AP checks. After some months they notified him AP was complete and he could send his passport in to get the visa put inside. When they received the passport, they saw entry stamps to the country that raised questions. So they had to do the AP checks again. I don't know what you had in mind, but once your case gets to London, I would suggest you go there for the duration.

The London specific part of the process is outlined here in the UK forum http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/474161-london-k1-a-complete-guide-do-not-post-questions-in-thread/

Each consulate does their part slightly differently, so you will want to learn London procedures.

[TLCandLC 7]

Thank you so much for your insight Nich-Nick. It might be better for us to wait a few months before filing.

[TLCandLC 7]

Although I should add that I will not he returning to my current country after the interview. The London information and link you posted for me are excellent resources. Thanks again.

[Boiler 45,520]

What Muslim country?

[TLCandLC 7]

United Arab Emirates

[Girl from Celebes 588]

United Arab Emirates

Indonesia is one of most populous Muslim countries yet the government isn't imposed the sharia law since we are more secular. Though the government does not recognized same sex-marriage but the US embassy in Jakarta does. There are a lot of Indonesian-American same-sex couples got approved.

Also bear in mind that K-1 visa means you both are get married in America and local culture in United Arab Emirates won't apply to you. If you were married in United Arab Emirates then the marriage should be illegal and void because the government forbid same-sex marriage according to the sharia law. The US government acknowledged marriage laws in those countries.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Girl from Celebes

[TLCandLC 7]

Thank you for the information. It is all really helpful. We discussed going somewhere else to marry and going down the direct consular filing route but the postal system here is extremely unreliable and we do not want to risk not receiving paperwork. We know that K-1 will mean separation again but I believe I can travel to the US on a visa waiver once the petition has been approved. We will file from the UAE and as soon as the paperwork arrives at my parents' in the UK, I will go home until I leave for the US - all going well.

Thank you for the information. It is all really helpful. We discussed going somewhere else to marry and going down the direct consular filing route but the postal system here is extremely unreliable and we do not want to risk not receiving paperwork. We know that K-1 will mean separation again but I believe I can travel to the US on a visa waiver once the petition has been approved. We will file from the UAE and as soon as the paperwork arrives at my parents' in the UK, I will go home until I leave for the US - all going well.