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AnnAli

Katb El Ketab

By AnnAli in K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures

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Kastrs Experienced

Kastrs   723

Posted
Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Pakistan
 Timeline
Posted

We did the katb el ketab November 28, 2015. The K-1 application was submitted March 2016. So, we went in to this with the thought that we were not legally married, based on the definition of a legal marriage provided on the U.S. Embassy at Cairo website.

We fully disclosed our "situation" at the time of the petition. It has never been a secret! The "marriage contract" and its translation were sent with our petition. An RFE was issued, asking us to prove that this is not a legal/valid marriage in Egypt. A reply was sent with a civil status document (dated just days prior to reply) from the Ministry of Interior, showing the beneficiary as "single". It also included a reminder of the steps deemed necessary for a legal marriage per the embassy's website and emails that we attempted to go through these steps with no success. We were "approved" a week later.

We honest-to-God thought we were doing everything right and would have never wasted our time on a K-1 if there was any indication that we should have gone another route. I am so confused as to why we have made it this far and why we were not denied and re-directed.

The final decision is at the discretion of the embassy, and although your marriage may not be "legal" it is definitly culturally accepted, which is how the embassy will judge your K1 application

I have seen countless threads where people have thought what you did is ok, only to be denied at the interview, since you are still a few months out from interview, do not waste more time waiting to see what happens, just file a new petition for a marriage based visa

The most appropriate step at this point is to get a fully legal marriage and file for a CR1

Spoiler

 

Married December 19, 2014

I-130 Petition sent January 14, 2015
NOA1 date January 20, 2015 (NSC)

NOA2 date May 28, 2015 :dance::dance::dance:

Mailed to NVC June 4, 2015

NVC Received June 10, 2015

NVC Case Number Assigned June 23, 2015

NVC AoS Invoice via Mail June 24, 2015

NVC Selected Agent Over Phone June 30, 2015 (Unable to logon to CEAC)

NVC IV Invoice via email received July 1, 2015

NVC AoS/IV Package Mailed July 2, 2015

NVC AoS & IV Fee Paid Online (CEAC is working) July 6. 2015

NVC Document Scan Date July 6, 2015

NCV AoS & IV Fee marked as paid in CEAC July, 7 2015

NVC DS 260 Completed July 8, 2015

NVC CC July 30, 2015 (24 days after scan date, about 2 months post NOA2)

Interview Scheduled on August 26, 2015

Interview P4 Email Received August 27, 2015

Medical in Islamabad September 2, 2015

Interview Date September 22, 2015 CANCELLED (Embassy is Over scheduled) :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Interview Scheduled on September 10, 2015

Interview Date October 14, 2015 APPROVED

Visa Issued October 16, 2015, 9 months start to finish

POE JFK October 26, 2015

GC in Hand Jan 8, 2016

RoC I-751 NOA1 August 31, 2017 (Vermont Service Center)

Biometrics October 2, 2017

I551 Stamp in Passport August 2, 2018

18 Month Extension Letter August 3, 2018

Applied for Naturalization N-400 Online July 30, 2018

Biometrics August 23, 2018

10 year GC is in production September 17, 2018

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THUNDERLAND Explorer

THUNDERLAND   2

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Egypt
 Timeline
Posted

thing's are different in Egypt.

what they did is called Orfi marriage. it's not legal in Egypt until you take it to the courthouse .

i've passed over a review of some one's interview on here last year, and the couples told the CO that they did the orfi ,so they can be halal together,and they got approved.

they still have a chance .

andy78 Enthusiast

andy78   178

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted (edited)
On the other hand, this is all contradicted on the Embassy (Egypt) website:
"The only legal marriage for foreigners in Egypt is a civil ceremony performed at the local marriage court, which is in accordance with Islamic practice. Persons wishing a religious ceremony may arrange for one separately, but it is the civil ceremony that establishes the legal marriage."

The sentence above appears to apply to foreigners in Egypt, not Egyptian citizens. Also, it talks about recognition of marriage by the Egyptian government (for foreigners), not how USCIS recognizes a marriage. So, the purpose of it appears to be to explain to US Citizens living in Egypt how marriage works in Egypt, not to explain marriage in relation to immigrating to the US. In any case, a religious ceremony is still treated as marriage by USCIS.

Also, isn't the only way to terminate "katb el ketab" is through a divorce? Meaning that it is legal marriage.

Edited by andy78
THUNDERLAND Explorer

THUNDERLAND   2

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Egypt
 Timeline
Posted

The sentence above appears to apply to foreigners in Egypt, not Egyptian citizens. Also, it talks about recognition of marriage by the Egyptian government (for foreigners), not how USCIS recognizes a marriage. In any case, a religious ceremony is still treated as marriage by USCIS.

Also, isn't the only way to terminate "katb el ketab" is through a divorce? Meaning that it is legal marriage.

The USCIS didnt recognize it as marriage ,and approved their case.

Terminating katb el ketab can be done through oral divorce ,since its already not a legal marriage,so won't be the divorce.

squareleg Enthusiast

squareleg   69

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted

If it is legal under sharia law then it is legal for USCIS. Do you have court documentation to prove one way or other?


thing's are different in Egypt.

what they did is called Orfi marriage. it's not legal in Egypt until you take it to the courthouse .

i've passed over a review of some one's interview on here last year, and the couples told the CO that they did the orfi ,so they can be halal together,and they got approved.

they still have a chance .

You mean "can be together". What is halal? Isn't that meat?

  • 2 weeks later...
shorouq123 Explorer

shorouq123   20

Posted
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
 Timeline
Posted

A decision has been made as to how to move forward. Thanks to everyone for their input and/or opinions.

make sure you let us know how it goes :)

iuV9m4.png

ROC journey!

2018-10-09   Filed ROC 1-751

2018-10-17   E-notification - RECEIVED

2018-11-13   NOA1- RECEIVED

2019-06-22   Biometrics letter - RECEIVED

2019-07-01   Biometrics appointment

2019-08-02   RFE

2019-08-23   RFE response was received

2019-09-04   Status changed to Card Being Produced!

 

Last signature update: 2019-09-05.

Unidentified Mentor

Unidentified   2,930

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Sweden
 Timeline
Posted

If it is legal under sharia law then it is legal for USCIS. Do you have court documentation to prove one way or other?

You mean "can be together". What is halal? Isn't that meat?

No it is not meat. It means that something is lawful, permitted or allowed.





  • 1 month later...
 
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