Married and didnt live together

[SL & TB 9]

My wife is a US Citizen who's currently in US. I live in Pakistan and we have applied for CR1 Visa. My wife is Pakistani as well, if that matters. Our case is at Islamabad Embassy, Pakistan.

 

I will give some history about our case. We met online and after a couple years of knowing each other, we decided to get married. In June of 2018, we had our Nikkah(Islamic marriage) but we didnt start living together yet. It's an official marriage and we had a marriage certificate made as well and had a small ceremony with family only (we took pictures and videos). We didnt start living together yet because I had still a year left in bachelors degree and she had to finish her degree back in the US as well. So using the marriage certificate, we applied for CR1 Visa a couple months after the Nikkah. She left Pakistan about a month after the Nikkah ceremony.

Now at the end of 2019, we finished our degrees and decided to start living together until I get my Visa. So we got a marriage ceremony(its for when the bride leaves her maternal home and lives with her husband) done and started living together. The case was still at NVC at the time that we started living together. The case left NVC in March 2020 and I had an interview in April which got cancelled due to Covid-19. She was here with me for a total of 7 months until June 2020.

 

We went on honeymoon, took pictures there and we would take random selfies at home as well. I'm adding these details to show that we have evidence of months of living together.  We have all these pictures as well as pictures and videos from both ceremonies(the initial Nikkah ceremony and the later living together ceremony). Other than that, we have conversations from when we first started talking to each other in 2016 all the way till now. We mainly talked on whatsapp and sometimes on facebook, some of the earlier whatsapp conversations may be lost but we still have facebook conversations from 2016 and 2017. And a huge amount of whatsapp conversations from 2018 to now(almost daily calls in the whatsapp call log as well). She has a couple of times sent me money through remittance services, evidence of which I have in my email or her email.

 

My question now is, will this be a problem at the interview? That the marriage we submitted for our case initially wasnt the one where we lived together(I suppose it could be interpreted as an engagement. But this is a thing people in pakistan do sometimes. They get Nikkah done instead of engagement and then get the full marriage done later when both the parties are ready to start living togther) . And that we started living together much later. Or do you think the amount of evidence that we have will be enough for it to not be an issue. What else would we need to do in order to solidify the case more so that it doesnt get rejected and doesnt take more time after the interview?

 

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by SL & TB

[Dashinka 24,513]

I don’t think this will have any impact.  Many long distance spouses live separately, then circumstances change and they change their living arrangements.

 

Good Luck!

[Babu Frik 1,162]

Totally normal, I would say the majority haven't lived together, only visits/vacations together.

[SL & TB 9]

1 hour ago, Dashinka said:

I don’t think this will have any impact.  Many long distance spouses live separately, then circumstances change and they change their living arrangements.

 

Good Luck!

Thank you

 

17 minutes ago, Babu Frik said:

Totally normal, I would say the majority haven't lived together, only visits/vacations together.

 

That's a relief. But I should clarify that when we initially applied for the Visa in 2018, we didnt live together a single day, went on a couple of dates only and she left a month after the ceremony (she stayed at her family's in her own village in Pakistan the whole time she was here). Is that still fine?

[Kuchiki 170]

8 minutes ago, SL & TB said:

Thank you

 

 

That's a relief. But I should clarify that when we initially applied for the Visa in 2018, we didnt live together a single day, went on a couple of dates only and she left a month after the ceremony (she stayed at her family's in her own village in Pakistan the whole time she was here). Is that still fine?

It is totally fine. Just be honest at the time of interview in case the interviewer asks all this which I highly doubt they would ask. The proofs you have are sufficient. 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

10 minutes ago, SL & TB said:

Thank you

 

 

That's a relief. But I should clarify that when we initially applied for the Visa in 2018, we didnt live together a single day, went on a couple of dates only and she left a month after the ceremony (she stayed at her family's in her own village in Pakistan the whole time she was here). Is that still fine?

You need to have been married in order to submit the CR1. It doesn't matter if you lived together or not most don't due to International distance..

As long as you were married when you submitted the CR1 you don't have an issue 

[Ahmed&Freda 628]

2 hours ago, SL & TB said:

My wife is a US Citizen who's currently in US. I live in Pakistan and we have applied for CR1 Visa. My wife is Pakistani as well, if that matters. Our case is at Islamabad Embassy, Pakistan.

 

I will give some history about our case. We met online and after a couple years of knowing each other, we decided to get married. In June of 2018, we had our Nikkah(Islamic marriage) but we didnt start living together yet. It's an official marriage and we had a marriage certificate made as well and had a small ceremony with family only (we took pictures and videos). We didnt start living together yet because I had still a year left in bachelors degree and she had to finish her degree back in the US as well. So using the marriage certificate, we applied for CR1 Visa a couple months after the Nikkah. She left Pakistan about a month after the Nikkah ceremony.

Now at the end of 2019, we finished our degrees and decided to start living together until I get my Visa. So we got a marriage ceremony(its for when the bride leaves her maternal home and lives with her husband) done and started living together. The case was still at NVC at the time that we started living together. The case left NVC in March 2020 and I had an interview in April which got cancelled due to Covid-19. She was here with me for a total of 7 months until June 2020.

 

We went on honeymoon, took pictures there and we would take random selfies at home as well. I'm adding these details to show that we have evidence of months of living together.  We have all these pictures as well as pictures and videos from both ceremonies(the initial Nikkah ceremony and the later living together ceremony). Other than that, we have conversations from when we first started talking to each other in 2016 all the way till now. We mainly talked on whatsapp and sometimes on facebook, some of the earlier whatsapp conversations may be lost but we still have facebook conversations from 2016 and 2017. And a huge amount of whatsapp conversations from 2018 to now(almost daily calls in the whatsapp call log as well). She has a couple of times sent me money through remittance services, evidence of which I have in my email or her email.

 

My question now is, will this be a problem at the interview? That the marriage we submitted for our case initially wasnt the one where we lived together(I suppose it could be interpreted as an engagement. But this is a thing people in pakistan do sometimes. They get Nikkah done instead of engagement and then get the full marriage done later when both the parties are ready to start living togther) . And that we started living together much later. Or do you think the amount of evidence that we have will be enough for it to not be an issue. What else would we need to do in order to solidify the case more so that it doesnt get rejected and doesnt take more time after the interview?

 

 

 

 

It's important that the Rukhsati is complete before the interview as they may ask for that.  I'm not sure if having it after the petition was filed has any impact but be prepared to show proof that it happened in case they ask.  Otherwise living apart is no issue most people here are living apart during the process.  Living together (even if just for a period) is great proof of a bonafide relationship.

 

Good luck!

Edited July 29, 2020 by Ahmed&Freda

[SL & TB 9]

 

3 hours ago, Ahmed&Freda said:

 

 

It's important that the Rukhsati is complete before the interview as they may ask for that.  I'm not sure if having it after the petition was filed has any impact but be prepared to show proof that it happened in case they ask.  Otherwise living apart is no issue most people here are living apart during the process.  Living together (even if just for a period) is great proof of a bonafide relationship.

 

Good luck!

Thank you!

 

I'm planning on printing the pictures of the wedding, honeymoon and some selfies during our time together to take with me to the interview. Should I also print the call logs and chat screenshots Or do I just put them in a USB drive ? I dont exactly know the procedure at the interview. I wanna make sure that the AP takes as little time as possible and things go smoothly. Also, how would I show them wedding videos in case they ask for it?

[Ahmed&Freda 628]

6 minutes ago, SL & TB said:

 

Thank you!

 

I'm planning on printing the pictures of the wedding, honeymoon and some selfies during our time together to take with me to the interview. Should I also print the call logs and chat screenshots Or do I just put them in a USB drive ? I dont exactly know the procedure at the interview. I wanna make sure that the AP takes as little time as possible and things go smoothly. Also, how would I show them wedding videos in case they ask for it?

No videos or thumb drive they won't look at those.

 

Organize your photos by event.  They may not even look at the photos at the interview but you will want to have them in case they do.  

 

 

[SL & TB 9]

19 minutes ago, Ahmed&Freda said:

No videos or thumb drive they won't look at those.

 

Organize your photos by event.  They may not even look at the photos at the interview but you will want to have them in case they do.  

 

 

Thank you

[retheem 566]

8 hours ago, SL & TB said:

My wife is a US Citizen who's currently in US. I live in Pakistan and we have applied for CR1 Visa. My wife is Pakistani as well, if that matters. Our case is at Islamabad Embassy, Pakistan.

 

I will give some history about our case. We met online and after a couple years of knowing each other, we decided to get married. In June of 2018, we had our Nikkah(Islamic marriage) but we didnt start living together yet. It's an official marriage and we had a marriage certificate made as well and had a small ceremony with family only (we took pictures and videos). We didnt start living together yet because I had still a year left in bachelors degree and she had to finish her degree back in the US as well. So using the marriage certificate, we applied for CR1 Visa a couple months after the Nikkah. She left Pakistan about a month after the Nikkah ceremony.

Now at the end of 2019, we finished our degrees and decided to start living together until I get my Visa. So we got a marriage ceremony(its for when the bride leaves her maternal home and lives with her husband) done and started living together. The case was still at NVC at the time that we started living together. The case left NVC in March 2020 and I had an interview in April which got cancelled due to Covid-19. She was here with me for a total of 7 months until June 2020.

 

We went on honeymoon, took pictures there and we would take random selfies at home as well. I'm adding these details to show that we have evidence of months of living together.  We have all these pictures as well as pictures and videos from both ceremonies(the initial Nikkah ceremony and the later living together ceremony). Other than that, we have conversations from when we first started talking to each other in 2016 all the way till now. We mainly talked on whatsapp and sometimes on facebook, some of the earlier whatsapp conversations may be lost but we still have facebook conversations from 2016 and 2017. And a huge amount of whatsapp conversations from 2018 to now(almost daily calls in the whatsapp call log as well). She has a couple of times sent me money through remittance services, evidence of which I have in my email or her email.

 

My question now is, will this be a problem at the interview? That the marriage we submitted for our case initially wasnt the one where we lived together(I suppose it could be interpreted as an engagement. But this is a thing people in pakistan do sometimes. They get Nikkah done instead of engagement and then get the full marriage done later when both the parties are ready to start living togther) . And that we started living together much later. Or do you think the amount of evidence that we have will be enough for it to not be an issue. What else would we need to do in order to solidify the case more so that it doesnt get rejected and doesnt take more time after the interview?

 

 

But 97% of the couples have never ever lived together. Yours is a normal case so don't stress. Gather all your evidence. You will be fine

[biaobiao 40]

You have been married for more than 2 years. Organize your photos nicely. Provide affidavits for back up. Chats and call logs (just in case). Just prepare what you can. It seems your marriage is genuine. Correct me if I am wrong but by the time you will be interviewed it will be for IR visa already. 

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[pushbrk 12,898]

You've got good advice so far, but note that until you attend the interview you haven't actually applied for a visa yet.  What happened in 2018 is that your wife filed a petition in your behalf.  That starts a visa process.  At NVC, you started a visa application process, but until you complete the requirements for the visa, including the medical, vaccinations and interview, you have not yet applied for a visa.