ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaAny ladies going to Cairo
I am in the first steps of this long but happy journey! My Sameh wants so badly to come here and "speak with my father" about our intentions before we marry in Cairo. He has an interview date for a visitor's visa on 7/25/11, but I don't know how good his odds of getting it are. :( I know getting a visitor's visa is like panning for gold. But he is determined to try, and it means so much to him to be able to come speak with my dad, so he is going to give it a try. The plan was for me to come visit in Cairo for 2-3 weeks this summer, but the problem we are running into are that his mom is very conservative, and so staying with them while we are unmarried is not an option. Does anyone know of a good, safe, and importantly inexpensive place for a single American woman to stay for 2-3 weeks in Cairo? (hotel, hostel, rental, etc?) I would loooove to join a group to talk! We will marry in Cairo in September, and after I come back to the USA and graduate in December, then take boards, etc, I want to come with my kids and stay in Cairo until his spousal visa is approved. (Figure I'll relocate in late Jan/early Feb) Just wish September wasn't so far away!
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-05-29 20:05:00
Middle East and North AfricaMonthly Thread July 2011
Happy Friday to everyone! :D Watching Cairo with held breath today. I am supposed to leave for Egypt on July 15 to officially celebrate our engagement with my Sameh and his family, but now am worried about if I will be able to go at all! Hopefully today's planned demonstrations in Tahrir will remain peaceful and it will not be an issue to our plans, inshaa allah! We have waited long enough for time together, and plane tickets are too expensive to be lost like that!!!! :blink: A bit cooler yesterday in Arkansas, and they say today will be as well! It's sad when we consider mid to upper 90's a "cool down", but it sure beats 100's with all the humidity we have! Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend!!!
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-07-08 02:54:00
Middle East and North AfricaWondering what is our best option......
He does want to go back to Egypt, and soon. I can't wait to move there. I have completely fallen in love with Cairo. :) I don't even begin to know where to start as far as finding work there, though. Everyone tells me I need to arrange that beforehand so my salary is better and in USD. Where would I start? I am a critical care/ cardiac nurse BTW.



I don't think he wants to be a us citizen. They want to go back to egypt, their home country. I think that's smart, there is a lot of good an educated man/woman can do over there.


He does want to go back to Egypt, and soon. I can't wait to move there. I have completely fallen in love with Cairo. :) I don't even begin to know where to start as far as finding work there, though. Everyone tells me I need to arrange that beforehand so my salary is better and in USD. Where would I start? I am a critical care/ cardiac nurse BTW.



I don't think he wants to be a us citizen. They want to go back to egypt, their home country. I think that's smart, there is a lot of good an educated man/woman can do over there.


Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-09-16 03:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaWondering what is our best option......
Salaam Everyone! Just wanted to throw a question out to get some opinions. My fiance lives in Egypt. He has been saving money and planning for years to travel overseas to finish his Masters Degree, even before we met. He had his choices (now that he is finally ready to pay for it all!) narrowed down to France, UK, or USA. Because I am here in the US, he would really like to just come study here to make it easier on all parties involved. He would be here about 2 or maybe 3 years, then we plan to relocate permanently back to Cairo. Do we even need to bother with all the K1 or CR1 mess (because it IS a mess! I have been watching so many people in their long and frustrating journeys!) since he doesn't need/want a green card? Is just doing a student visa his best bet? Also, does the fact that he is engaged to a USC blow his chances of getting a student visa anyways? What do y'all think about the situation?
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-09-13 20:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNot sure which is best?

Here's my personal opinion (I am a 29 yr old born and raised in Maryland).. Not trying to tell you what to do, just some things to think about.

If you haven't met face-to-fact yet, I would not plan a wedding yet (unless there is some cultural/religious reason you haven't met). I think there is so much more you learn about a person by being in their physical presence as opposed to phone/video conversations. I did online dating for a while, and every time I was amazed at the perception in my head vs. reality. Not that this is always bad, or that you won't still want to marry him, but I think it is worth waiting to see if that chemistry (including emotional, mental) is still there. Perhaps meet him in person, then revisit the decision of K-1 vs CR-1?

He is trying to get a visitor visa before we file anything so we can do just that, but trying to get those for a single Middle Eastern man under 35 is like panning for gold. Maybe we will get lucky and it will be approved ..... We will find out in about 3 1/2 weeks. He really wants to come and ask my dad for permission to marry me first, so I think his effort is sweet. I don't mind going to Egypt to see him, but it is not really practical unless we want to marry when I get there. It is VERY frowned upon for unmarried women to stay with the fiancee and his family! His mom is worried about what kind of family the neighbors/friends/other family members will think they are if this is allowed. It would be sooooo much easier if he can visit here first! (Even then, for religious reasons, he will stay with my parents or other married family members. We will not be alone together until after we are married.)

Have you done the exact calculations on this? Your assets minus your debts divided by 5 can be used to supplement the income. For the K-1 app, it is 100% of the poverty level (google the 2011 values for this), for the AOS step, it is 125%. Do you have any family who would be willing to joint sponsor?

As long as the interview is after December 10, which it will be, I will be working full time again and can submit current check stubs for the interview showing a very good income.

I know this is a big deal. What about doing a non-legally binding ceremony and reception before he moves to the States? Would the family appreciate this, or think it is pointless?

Unless it is a full Islamic marriage with nikah, his family will know it is just for show and doesn't count. He himself is adamant that we have this so nothing is "haram", forbidden. He wants to do everything right so that God blesses our marriage.

Hope this helps. I don't expect you to substitute my opinions for your own, just want to help you with your thought process. :)


Thanks so much for the advice! It is always helpful to have a different perspective.
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-05-28 11:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNot sure which is best?

Hi, Welcome to VJ!
I feel like if I had it to do over I should have married my fiance while I was in Egypt..BUT We went the K1 route and our Interview is soon. Also if your older than your fiance I would say for you to marry him there cuz that seems to be a major problem with consulars at the embassy. This process takes months and is very stressful and all here will agree to that.
The best of luck to you :)



Thank you so much for your input! I am older than him by 2 years, so I don't think it is "older" enough to matter much. I just want to do whichever will be easiest to get him here with me where he belongs while keeping his mom happy by not doing anything that would be considered "haram". I am trying very hard to be patient, but I know things have been in upheaval over there this year, so I am frustrated by the lengthy delays. It is not practical for me to drop everything and move to Cairo until after December 10th (graduation!!! Yay!!) so I am stuck here while my heart beats in Cairo! :( And I am not sure if an American nurse would have any luck getting a job in Cairo, anyways. Maybe I will just be learning patience the hard way, but my sweet, stubborn Egyptian man is worth the wait. Good luck to you and yours!!!
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-05-28 11:31:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresNot sure which is best?
Hello to everyone! I am new to this forum, and so glad to find it! I have a question for those of you with more information and experience than myself. I am an Arkansas born and bred American girl, and my fiance lives in Cairo, Egypt. I want to bring him to the US, but am unsure which option is faster and easier of the two: bring him here on a K1 Fiance Visa or marry him while on my visit to see him in July and apply for him as a spouse. I have two main concerns in which of these to pick. 1. We have not known each other for a very long time (months, not years) and this will be our first face-to-face trip together, so I don't want to give them an excuse to say our marriage is a "sham". 2. I am a LPN and have been for 7 years, with a good steady income, but this year (since 3/11 and until 12/10/11) I have gone from full-time to "as needed" (PRN or pool in hospital-speak) employment because I am finishing my RN degree. I can show sufficient income on last year's taxes, as well as sufficient deposits and cash-flow in my bank account, but will not have a steady income by paycheck stubs until after I graduate December 10th of this year. I am concerned about qualifying on the Affidavit of Support, which I understand is higher for a spouse. However, I really would like to marry while we are in Egypt so his family can be there as I have been married before and he has not, so his family really wants to be there. What is my best option here? Thanks for any input!!
Sameh'sHabibiFemaleEgypt2011-05-27 21:16:00