ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaSunday
Beef ribs are awesome. My slow-cooker 'recipe':

Tomato sauce
Brown Sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Red Onion

Chop the red onion finely. Mix the tomato sauce, vinegar, & sugar & spices to taste. You're looking for something sweet and tangy, so start with the tomato sauce as a base and add the vinegar and sugar slowly until you get the consistency you want. You can also add cloves or nutmeg if you want to.

Pour mixture over:
Beef ribs

Put them in a slow cooker on low. Come back later. Eat.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-21 17:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaNew MENA addition
He looks as though he's pondering the universe. What a cutie! Congrats!
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-19 21:24:00
Middle East and North AfricaAnyone have a fiance or fiancee from Tunisia
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Oct 27 2007, 04:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Oct 27 2007, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Okay.

First things first.

It is not going to do you any good to pretend he wasn't in Italy for the time you lived there; aside from lying on an official form, it's going to make it impossible to talk about your relationship.. Don't even think about that.

Next:

Get the police certificate and the court records if you can. Not every crime makes you inadmissible. The 'standard' is 'crime indicating moral turpitude', and it's *roughly* the intuitive distinction we have between a felony and a misdemeanor, but the devil is in the details. (The U.S. is harsher on drug crimes than we would naturally think, and more lenient that we might think on certain regulatory crimes.)

You need to know what he was originally charged with, whether there was a plea, of what specific charge he was convicted, and what the maximum sentence could have been, as well as how he was actually penalized.

Then you need to consult with a lawyer, because immigration boards' advice are only as good as the number of members who have direct personal experience with it. Immigrate2us.net is another board that has more people dealing with these kinds of problems.

If your fiance turns out to be inadmissible, then you'll have the option of filing a waiver where you argue that relocating to Tunisia to be with him would constitute an extreme hardship to you. You'll submit that, and then some time later they'll approve or deny the waiver.


Yup.

The thing is that they're caught in a catch-22, IMO. Requesting the police certificate now while he's still in Italy will alert the police to his illegal presence, and he could be deported. If instead, he goes back to Tunisia before he requests the certificate, he could find out that what's on the certificate will complicate the whole process, and it's possible that he could be denied a waiver, in which case he'd be "stuck" in Tunisia.

The bottom line is that if you guys want to go through with this, he will have to go back to Tunisia at some point. Might as well be now.


Does one have to be legally present in a country to visit the consulate there? A number of people have reported that 'being illegal in one country has not matter to the US one bit', but it's unclear whether that was after or during a period of undocumented stay.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-27 17:28:00
Middle East and North AfricaAnyone have a fiance or fiancee from Tunisia
Okay.

First things first.

It is not going to do you any good to pretend he wasn't in Italy for the time you lived there; aside from lying on an official form, it's going to make it impossible to talk about your relationship.. Don't even think about that.

Next:

Get the police certificate and the court records if you can. Not every crime makes you inadmissible. The 'standard' is 'crime indicating moral turpitude', and it's *roughly* the intuitive distinction we have between a felony and a misdemeanor, but the devil is in the details. (The U.S. is harsher on drug crimes than we would naturally think, and more lenient that we might think on certain regulatory crimes.)

You need to know what he was originally charged with, whether there was a plea, of what specific charge he was convicted, and what the maximum sentence could have been, as well as how he was actually penalized.

Then you need to consult with a lawyer, because immigration boards' advice are only as good as the number of members who have direct personal experience with it. Immigrate2us.net is another board that has more people dealing with these kinds of problems.

If your fiance turns out to be inadmissible, then you'll have the option of filing a waiver where you argue that relocating to Tunisia to be with him would constitute an extreme hardship to you. You'll submit that, and then some time later they'll approve or deny the waiver.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-27 15:30:00
Middle East and North AfricaCasablanca interview refusal worksheet
QUOTE (desert_fox @ Oct 29 2007, 08:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I thought this was a forum to give facts. You guys may not want to recognize the truth, but you know that is the truth.

go ahead and tell her something that will not help her...but she needs to know what she is getting involved with trying to fight this. Im sure she is sincere, but the Consulate sure wont believe his sincerity.

get me banned for telling the way it is, that you guys wont talk about??


Running off your mouth is not the same thing as being all tough and speaking the truth. Sometimes you can just be running your mouth.


A number of women here had fiances who were issued 221g's and managed to get it turned around before it left Casablanca and then were approved with no problem. Good thing they didn't take your alleged advice, mmm?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-29 22:18:00
Middle East and North AfricaHelp !!!!
QUOTE (pride @ Nov 4 2007, 07:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
oh guys, thank you very much for the information. there was a friend of mine who told me to say the truth in the inerview and avoid to lie, therefore, in case they ask me about her current job , i think i'll simply say " she recently got laid off". besides, the point that "mybackpages" has said is true, my wife should be the primary sponsor and because of her insufficient income we alreay got an other co -sponsor for her and we submited her forms and information to the nvc a while ago. i think since we already had a co-sponsor , we shouldn't worry very much. what do u think ? thanks alot


If you already have a co-sponsor that makes enough, you should be in good shape. If they ask you about what your wife does for a living, answer truthfully: she's a [whatever], she just got laid off and is seeking new employment. If she gets a job by your interview, she should send you the updated I-864, but with a co-sponsor, you should be fine.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-04 08:18:00
Middle East and North AfricaAaaaand it's Friday
I agree with you when you make sense. Ain't my fault it don't happen all that often, bro. wink.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-04 10:48:00
Middle East and North AfricaAaaaand it's Friday
Gotta agree with charles. Maybe it sounds nice to call it 'tough love', but that implies 'love', which usually implies 'knowing the person well', let alone 'knowing the person well enough not to confuse them with someone with a different internet handle.'

I don't have a problem with expressing outrage or shock, but it ain't for Jean's benefit and pretending it is so doesn't make the sow's ear into a silk purse. If her real-life friends and family can't convince her, you're going to do it in a short nasty post? This is not a Very Special Episode of Visa Journey.

That said, someone expressing outrage over an abuser getting a greencard (and serving as Stereotype Confirmation Example #1 for whenever Oprah comes to call) is only equivalent to physical abuse if you have no idea what abuse means.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-04 10:36:00
Middle East and North AfricaAaaaand it's Friday
QUOTE (doodlebug @ Nov 2 2007, 09:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So let me understand this more clearly.........USCIS doesn't check to see if someone has been in jail or committed a crime before they issue a greencard?

So meanwhile there are people, who have never committed any crimes, waiting months upon months for their greencard, and yet someone who has done jailtime has it ordered and soon will have it in hand.

amrsnowangel is right. This system is seriously screwed up. wacko.gif


Yeah, it's because without the interview, the file is pretty much 'frozen' at the time of filing.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-02 11:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
QUOTE (the sparrow @ Nov 1 2007, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sarah and hicham @ Nov 1 2007, 03:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's the problem- we have no idea exactly which entity is causing delays.


And we should. It's total BS that those who are still in AR/AP are still in the dark with no end in sight and DOS is no help whatsoever.

I mean...come on. At your job, you're expected to have something to show for the time you spend at your desk. For those on AP the end result most of the time is the same--you get the visa. If you're not going to get the visa you know that up front at the interview (right? Someone correct me if I'm wrong). Was there anyone on VJ who has sat in AR/AP for months only to be denied in the end? I don't think so. So why were they left waiting 2 months to a year? And why don't some wait at all? (BTW, when I called DOS during time we were in post processing, they told us we were in AR...so I think the two terms definitely are interchangeable.)

Note that what I said above does not apply to those who actually got the paper with the 221G checked. It only applies to those who had the interview, were told something and not given a paper at all like many in Cairo who were told they would be contacted in x weeks/months and hear nothing.

Most customer service reps at real companies would be fired if they treated us the way DOS phone operators do--I had one woman answer the phone with her mouth full who just started interrupting me and not listening and all the rest. Give me a break, what the hell are we paying such high fees for for such poor service?


Not that I want to defend USCIS, but I hardly think the problem is that people in Cairo could be working faster but they're sitting around playing tiddlywinks. They have other things to do besides 'process' AP/AR, like all the extra countries' visas who go through Cairo these days. At a consulate like Montreal, where there is practically no risk of fraud, it is taking six months to *schedule* an interview just out of sheer volume. When people go in to interview, there are many people there. It's not like they're just sitting around.

So add to that a need to wait on a namecheck (which might 'hold' the process until that information comes back), the extra processing required, home visits (surely they have to visit, write a up a report, evaluate it), plus whatever time the package spends in transit, and you could have people working 12 hour days and it still taking that long.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-02 08:26:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Nov 1 2007, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I think that the visa fees should vary by consulate. (do they already? unsure.gif ) Just jack those up to whatever level necessary to get things done more efficiently. One of the reasons stated for sending petitions back in Casablanca so often is lack of funding to do proper "investigation". If that's true, I think people would be willing to shell out a bit more when paying the visa fee at the interview if that meant that fewer petitions would be sent back.


It's $100 worldwide, as far as I know. One would wonder, though, if it would be possible to change it, and if tying it to country of origin might not be ethically tricky. The other worry is where is the delay? The department of state? USCIS? FBI? What does AP/AR specifically entail?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-01 14:42:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
QUOTE (mybackpages @ Nov 1 2007, 02:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I agree reform is needed across the board. How manyof you are for increasing taxes or cutting other expenses to fund the consulates properly? How many Americans do you think are willing to do this for a system that they see no benefit for themselves?

Do you really want consulates acting the same across the board? Most americans like a decentralized political system?

There are just a lot of factors involved here that need to be addressed and only then will we see the much reform happen.


This is a good point. Suppose you get all the exposure: what specific things do you want to have happen? What do you say when Oprah's security expert says that they're not delaying, but it does take that long to sort out Usama ibn Labib from Osama bin Laden? (And points to couples that get through quickly as evidence that they're not biased, and then horror stories to show why they're doing their job.)

You'll look more reasonable if you can say 'we need X amount of funding, and the benefit isn't just to my husband, but to [blah blah blah security blah blah] so the average American can be sure that their borders are protected.'
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-01 14:05:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Oct 31 2007, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Some might perceive not being all torn up about not having your SO here as just not caring as much, i.e. not as deep of a connection, etc. It's all the way you look at things, and I don't think that trying to humiliate people for missing their SO via calling codependency is what this site is for.


You're exactly right. Everyone deals with separation in their own way. It got harder for us to be apart the longer we were together, but we also talked much less on the phone, too. I'm sure some people would have thought of that as a red flag, but god, what would we talk about for two or three hours a day?

I really should send this article to my mom. I have a feeling, that as kind a woman as she is, her reaction will be 'No wonder it took C. so long to get his visa, look at all the people they have to sort through!' I fear that the sum total of the article is to just enlarge the stereotype from guys-marrying-Russian-brides to women-being-duped-by-poor-young-men. I guess it's progress of a sort, but it would take 100 more of these articles and a lot more ####### being slung.

QUOTE (amrssnowangel @ Oct 31 2007, 04:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (LisaD @ Oct 31 2007, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I read part of that thread on the Egypt site, and the only thing I can say I agree with is the sentiment that it makes us look weak and codependent for our partners to get here. Like 'omG! how can I eat when he's not here!'

Yes, the waiting is awful....yes, the disparity in wait times between family based petitions and work petitions is upsetting.....but that needs to be highlighted in a non-OTT way.



Easy for YOU to say...you filed after I did by a month and chances are you will get your noa2 long before me. CSC is working mid June already..Im being told I will have to wait probably past my 6 month mark BY USCIS. So before making comments about how "desperate" you dont want to seem...wait as long as US Wendy did...or many other from months LONG before yours STILL waiting for noa2's or visas to be issued. I wont lie...Im desperate to have my man here because I love him and want my life with him. In no way does desperate to have him here equal codependence. And no matter WHAT we say...even if the beneficiaries were ALL Irish in that article with NO age difference, the reaction would be the SAME. I KNOW..I married an Irishman and my sister in law swore it was for greencard. Doesn't matter what is said or how the reactions will ALWAYS be the same. Because they are not living here when we find them.


For what it's worth, the slow down is for everyone, not just the CSC; they had to pull people to work on I-765s (law says they have 90 days from filing) that were massively filed at the end of July.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-31 16:49:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
QUOTE (Jason-Sasha @ Oct 30 2007, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I don't feel there is anything wrong with petitioners and beneficiaries speaking out for the cause. And I applaud U.S. Wendy for doing this. The article could have been worded a little differently, but all in all it was ok. I think so many people who read the article got the wrong idea. Perhaps her case wasn't the best case for for rounding up sympathy, but at least she did something about it instead of sitting around moping. People look at her case and just think she is being used for a greencard. Their ages are very different, the beneficiary is a man, etc. we all understand that she is suffering and can relate to her plight. I wish it were one of us that wrote that article and not the reprter that actually did. Hell, they should have allowed Wendy to write it! I can't understand why any members of VJ would feel ashamed or embarrassed. You should be thankful that someone is making an effort to get action.


I think she did a very brave thing, and more like this could be encouraged, but people have to realize that it's not just some easily dismissible fifteen-year-olds. It's adults, with the vote, who read the story and thought 'wow this woman is being used for a greencard by a terrorist.' I don't know if my mother's seen the article, but I'd be willing to bet that if she did, she wouldn't even recognize it as the process that her son-in-law went through. The comments ARE important; that's how people who read the article reacted.

This probably doesn't get better on Oprah. Political movements have to be as savvy as politicians. You know why Rosa Parks became famous for not giving up her seat? Because the civil rights people were smart enough to realize that the woman who had gotten tossed off before her, a younger woman (can't remember her name, she may have been a single mom) wouldn't look nearly as sympathetic as an older pious woman. They wanted someone whose motivations and character couldn't be attacked.

You want sympathetic, get allousa's story (got drama, a sick mom, a cute baby, a long wait for someone already legally here once.) Find someone educated and articulate and a couple that looks as 'normal' as possible, maybe someone who lived together a long time overseas. I think it's great to organize, but reactions like the commenters' are going to be the norm, not the exception.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-31 09:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaEgypt AP list....
I'd be very, VERY wary of going on any show or news program where you didn't have complete creative control over what is said. You think your stories are great and of true love, and they are. But they might not look like that. And if you thought an unsympathetic blogger was no fun, it's a lot worse if your exposure to America is you, sitting there, and Oprah leaning in and asking how you're so sure you're in love when you've only met in person once, when his English skills are weak, and as her staff has researched, so many of these marriages (and you can bet she'll have percentages) end in fraud or abuse for the American spouse.

And then a nice counterpoint from a security type who explains how often they find in their searches that the guy has a wife, or has been playing the field looking for an American, any American. You know, for balance.

I am not sure this would end with America welcoming your story and your love but with a lot of people wondering why we don't make the visa process even tighter. You might be better off starting your own public blog, where it's your voice.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-10-20 09:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs this all worth it?
OP, I don't know how to put this nicely, but you seem to be heading for a train wreck. You cheat on your husband with your internet boyfriend which causes the breakup of your marriage (whether you were unhappy or not, cheating's the proximate cause); you cheat on your boyfriend with someone closer because you're lonely and he's far away; and you're wondering how to get through the rest of the wait even though you're not 100% sure.

Is this all worth it? In this case, probably not. Which is more likely? Osiris gets here, he's everything you wanted, you have no financial or marital arguments ever, and no one is ever jealous or tempted to cheat.... or he gets here, it turns out it was 99% a fantasy and now you're on VJ asking whether the I-864 is really binding or just pretend binding.

If you are not sure, for your own sake, wait.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-17 12:37:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs this all worth it?
Also, look. I know that it's hard when there's a break-up, and the ex, instead of growing warts and gaining 100 pounds and then turning into dust and blowing away in the wind, moves on and finds happiness, but that is NOT a reason to find someone to prove to yourself and the world that you've moved on, too. Or at least not a reason to bother with immigration. wink.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-16 19:14:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs this all worth it?
I don't know your whole situation, but I can tell you that if you're not over one person, it's never good to try to use someone else to fill the gap. And that goes double when immigration is involved; read some of the break-up stories. Fixing it after a rushed or unfortunate decision is about twenty times as hard with someone's green card and I-864 on the line.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-16 19:11:00
Middle East and North Africapast relationships?
QUOTE (sereia @ Nov 15 2007, 03:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
were any of you honest about your past relationships/experiences with others before you met your SO? obviously those of you who have children had to be. wink.gif was your husband upset about it/judge you/created a problem between you over it? i was honest with my husband about my past (now i think stupid me) and he can't seem to get over it. every once in a while he will bring it up and tell me how much it affects him inside. i can't take it anymore!!!!!! my past is my past. why should it have anything to do with our marriage? it doesn't mean i love him any less because i had a few boyfriends before. i'm at a loss here... blush.gif i know moroccans don't typically date like americans do. why can't he accept me for who i am (and who i was) help!


He might not understand it at all. I heard a guy give a talk who described his first time seeing American women after growing up somewhere very different culturally, and he explained it was a huge cognitive dissonance problem. Like, he knew that the sparky young woman in a tank top and jeans making eye contact wasn't a #######, just a college student, but every prejudice or expectation he had was screaming at him that she was. He likened it to how an American man would react in a culture where women went topless. Part of the guy would know that it wasn't sexual, and part of him would be going 'omg, boobies boobies boobies', and he'd likely be acting weird around women because he just wouldn't know what to do.

I don't know what your past is (and I don't really care), but he doesn't have the language or the concepts to understand American dating. The only thing that's going to help now is talking about it. Is he imagining some crazy orgy like a Britney Spears video? Is he worried that you're secretly harboring feelings for an ex? Is it a sex thing? Is it that you have male friends now? Is it not really bothering him at all, but a reliable way to win an argument? I don't know what the right solution is for you, but you first have to figure out what the problem is.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-16 11:03:00
Middle East and North AfricaSharing updates on VJ
QUOTE (mona_jamie @ Nov 28 2007, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (wahrania @ Nov 28 2007, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
There are people on here , even in MENA who have divorced whose timelines are still up...


Divorce wouldn't necessarily invalidate a timeline, but maybe a timeline option could be added for "process terminated (or a less ominous-sounding word) by petitioner/beneficiary" for cases where that applies. That way, that particular timeline could be left out when the stats are compiled, so the dates would be accurate, but the member wouldn't have to discuss anything too personal unless they chose to ("terminated" could cover anything from a broken engagement to the couple deciding to relocate to another country). That could always be written in the comments, but having a checkbox or field for it might make it easier to exclude that timeline from the statistics. Unless I'm missing something, there's currently no way to close out a timeline "gracefully" without a definitive outcome at USCIS or DOS.


This might be a good idea generally. A lot of people disappear after NOA2!!!! Sometimes, I'm sure, it's just not participating any more, which is fine. But there is no way to say 'process terminated', and that could be a useful picture to have when evaluating the timelines.

I've found the timelines useful mostly for very basic planning. Every case is different, but it's nice to know, e.g., that Vancouver schedules interviews about a month-six weeks after receiving the packet and that Montreal takes half a year, or e.g., when a receipt should arrive.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-30 10:16:00
Middle East and North Africatax returns
QUOTE (wrestgirl @ Nov 30 2007, 11:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Does anyone know if they will except a tax return receipt as opposed to a copy of the return? The copy takes 60 days and costs about $80.


Not sure about your consulate, but we ordered the free tax transcripts from the IRS and that's taken us through the visa and the green card with no questions.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-11-30 23:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhere Boys Grow Up to be Jihadis
What I thought was interesting was just not the poverty, but that being surrounded by poverty (even if your family was doing very well) seemed to be a cause.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-01 14:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhere Boys Grow Up to be Jihadis
The article centers on the origins of the plotters of the Spanish train bombings, but spends a remarkable and commendable amount of time interviewing friends and family back in Tetouan, Morocco, painting a complex portrait.


http://www.nytimes.c...amp;oref=slogin
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-01 11:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaContinuation: Sharing updates
It's got to be someone's personal decision. But I do think that sharing news, even when it's bad, should be encouraged, both for the helpful information (like Kiya and chi) people can provide to others in the same boat, and in some cases to serve as a warning. I think there's a lot of pain that could be prevented if the 'Effects of Major Changes on Immigration Benefits' section were required reading.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-01 13:44:00
Middle East and North Africaweird conversation overheard
wahrania, I wouldn't recommend generalizing about an entire culture from one story in Algeria and one in Israel.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-06 13:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaNOA2 APPROVED!!
QUOTE (amrssnowangel @ Dec 6 2007, 03:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 6 2007, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sarah and hicham @ Dec 6 2007, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (a1angied @ Dec 6 2007, 09:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am very happy for your approval and next step in this process. You are right it is in God's hands and His will be done. I am a firm believer that everything happens in this world by God's will so my best guidence for you is to keep your faith strong and know that whatever or how long is all up to God. Speculating only causes stress so pray as that is all that you can do. Ask God to guide you and follow His guidence. God Speed!


If someone gets denied their visa, does that mean God is giving them a sign that it wasn't meant to be, or is it a test of their patience and strength to be together?


It means that God is just as confused by all the paperwork as we are. wink.gif



God doesn't get confused.


God's saying, look, I gave them ten commandments & they generated the whole U.S. code. wink.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-06 15:56:00
Middle East and North AfricaNOA2 APPROVED!!
QUOTE (sarah and hicham @ Dec 6 2007, 12:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (a1angied @ Dec 6 2007, 09:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I am very happy for your approval and next step in this process. You are right it is in God's hands and His will be done. I am a firm believer that everything happens in this world by God's will so my best guidence for you is to keep your faith strong and know that whatever or how long is all up to God. Speculating only causes stress so pray as that is all that you can do. Ask God to guide you and follow His guidence. God Speed!


If someone gets denied their visa, does that mean God is giving them a sign that it wasn't meant to be, or is it a test of their patience and strength to be together?


It means that God is just as confused by all the paperwork as we are. wink.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-06 14:54:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
I moved this one back to MENA on vaguely quarantine-motivated grounds.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-08 18:45:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
You do realize that you haven't actually proven she isn't from Algeria, right?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-08 00:33:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
El Barah, which is on youtube, sounds like it's a good candidate for the singer's song about being young. At least people keep setting it to nostalgia slide shows.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 23:28:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
QUOTE (charlesandnessa @ Dec 7 2007, 03:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Pattu Rani @ Dec 7 2007, 02:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 7 2007, 02:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Dec 7 2007, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 7 2007, 02:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Good lord, the brand of Algerian cigarettes that starts with an 'R' is Rym, isn't it?


Congratulations! Your algerian passport will be mailed to your residence within the week.


Awesome.

(It was actually a bit of a ###### to find. Had to find a report on smoking in Algeria, note the name of the domestic manufacturer, look up their site in French, and select 'produits.')


Very impressive. As a reference librarian, I tip my hat to you. good.gif

i'll second that, some darn good research good.gif


Why thank you. devil.gif
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 15:42:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Dec 7 2007, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Caladan @ Dec 7 2007, 02:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Good lord, the brand of Algerian cigarettes that starts with an 'R' is Rym, isn't it?


Congratulations! Your algerian passport will be mailed to your residence within the week.


Awesome.

(It was actually a bit of a ###### to find. Had to find a report on smoking in Algeria, note the name of the domestic manufacturer, look up their site in French, and select 'produits.')
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 14:28:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
Good lord, the brand of Algerian cigarettes that starts with an 'R' is Rym, isn't it?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 14:22:00
Middle East and North AfricaHaha
QUOTE (julianna @ Dec 7 2007, 12:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Since we're already off-topic, I was just wondering--can someone not make two identities and be online with them at the same time? Or does the site block that some how? I'm on a site that blocks that kind of thing to prevent trolling, etc, so I was curious if this was like that as well.


It would be easy enough to do. Two browsers, one fed through a proxy, two accounts. But more likely that it's separate people.

I'm sort of liking the prove you're Algerian test by asking questions easily found on google.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-07 13:52:00
Middle East and North AfricaWHEN WILL THE MADNESS END
QUOTE (wife_of_mahmoud @ Dec 12 2007, 03:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (moody @ Dec 12 2007, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Beautiful pics, MK! A couple of those look very much like Alexandria.


It's an absolutely gorgeous city. So much of what we see of Lebanon in the news here is just bombed out buildings. I'm sure a lot of Americans have no idea of Beirut's incredible beauty, grace and charm.

Great pics, Jess !

LOL Caladan actually Beirut is STILL very much a hip hotspot.... even with the latest violence.


Yeah, just with slightly freaked out foreign university students.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-12 15:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaWHEN WILL THE MADNESS END
QUOTE (moody @ Dec 12 2007, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
From what I've seen and heard, Lebanon is beautiful esp. Beirut. I don't think it's any more dangerous than any other part of the Mid East. Bombings happen all over the Mid East. Keep in mind Beirut today is not the Beirut of the 70s/80s.


Before the recent round of violence, Beirut was even becoming known as a hip hotspot. It's like the region just needs a good 40 years without a war to get back on its feet...
CaladanMaleCanada2007-12-12 15:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaConverting to Islam

Arabic is NOT the original language of Islam. Islam was not a new religion when it was revealed to the Arabs. It has existed since Adam and Hawa, and has been delivered to every corner of the world in every language. The prayers of all of those people were accepted by God in every language, for each language is from Him and He understands them all. That is why there is no dictate from Allah to pray in Arabic.
...


I agree that it doesn't seem to be a requirement; my claim was only that many associate Arabic and Islam because the Quran is in Arabic. (Outside of the religion, like in a theology classroom, we wouldn't say that the religion started with Adam; for similar reasons, many don't speak of Abraham as being an early Christian. So amend my previous statement to 'the revelation of the Quran' instead of 'the founding of Islam.')

And if advice is given to a new American convert to learn it in Arabic, it's probably just due to the difficulty of accurate translation, and the lack of a large home-grown English-only community.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-01 10:29:00
Middle East and North AfricaConverting to Islam
Perhaps the 'requirement' to learn Arabic is due not to a belief that God only answers prayers in Arabic, but that since Arabic is the original language of the religion, it's best to read it in the original if you're coming from a tradition that isn't familiar with it (i.e., the U.S.) rather than sorting through translations. (And convenient, since the original language is still a living language.) Iran has millions of Muslims and a long tradition of having lots of Muslims, so it's not really surprising that they wouldn't be learning Arabic.

Are the conversion requirements really that low? No one should need to be a scholar, but how do you avoid ending up with lots of Muslims who don't know anything about Islam if they don't have classes first? Is there study required after conversion?
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-31 12:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaMarrying a Moroccan
To receive a fiancé visa, you have to be free to marry. You aren't free to marry if you're already married, even if the marriage is to the person you had been engaged to. So if you go in June and get married, you'll have to start over with a spousal visa.

The age difference will mostly likely be a red flag, and they'll ask you for additional proof that your relationship is legitimate, but couples have been approved with similarly large age gaps before.

Read up on the process here, and check on the ME/NA regional forums. Lots of women in similar situations, and they'll be able to offer advice and support.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-03-31 09:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaDenial and AP

I believe she did, that's why we were so sure things would go well.



The problem is that they don't always follow their own guidelines. They're not supposed to send it back, but that doesn't mean that they're not going to. I think main reason for adressing them up front would be to give yourself a solid reason to rebut the consulate's decision immediately. I don't know how the post-return process goes, so hopefully chiquita or kiya can address how to proceed when you can prove that USCIS was aware of all of the red flags when they approved the petition.


That's exactly it. It's a lot easier to argue that "the consulate overlooked this piece of evidence X when it made the decision to return the position" than it is to argue "the consulate didn't have access to this piece of evidence X that would have changed their decision." In the first you're arguing that with the evidence as presented, they made the wrong decision. In the second, you're arguing that their decision was right based on the evidence available but incomplete with respect to the total body of evidence possible.

Best of luck and prayers for the parties involved for a swift, favorable resolution. And a huge thanks and note of praise: so much of VJ is dedicated to bringing about a successful interview that it's hard to find out what to do when things go wrong unless people publicly brainstorm and get help. It's brave to do that, and any one who comes after owes you a debt of gratitude.
CaladanMaleCanada2007-04-04 14:38:00