A friend got hitched this AM... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

iwrock · #1 01-30-2013, 04:19 PM

(this is a feel-good kinda story, so thought I would share)

A very good friend of mine decided last night at 10PM that him and his GF of 3 years would finally tie the knot.

His GF has been here for a few months on a visa, which is set to expire in the next month. Having been dating for a few years, they decided it was stupid/expensive for him to fly to Germany to visit for 2 months, and for her to fly out here to visit for 6 months at a time. Earlier this week, she finally made the decision to leave Germany, and gain citizenship here in the US. It was pretty difficult, but she decided she had more/different/better opportunities here than she did in Germany.

Had to take a few steps back and then it hit me - people really still do come to the US in search of a new/better life! It never really clicked to me before today. Even with all of the political BS and crime going on, people still come here in search of a better life.

Anyways - just sharing. I'll post a picture of my friend and his wife later on today.

BenzDieselTuner · #2 01-30-2013, 04:58 PM

i'm going through the long paperwork project of doing the exact opposite.....my father and most of my family is from Germany, and i have better opportunities awaiting me there.....my father failed to file some paper many years ago when i was 14, and now its a circus to officially get citizenship and a passport, as a dual citizen.....nothing that throwing money at it wont solve......damm lawyers !!

kerry · #3 01-30-2013, 05:04 PM

Not sure getting hitched will expedite that resident visa. She needs to check on that. She may end up having to go back to Germany to apply for one. Have known some people in a situation like that.

layback40 · #4 01-30-2013, 07:36 PM

Justin,
Keep your eyes open for a good looking bridesmaid !!

suginami · #5 01-30-2013, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenzDieselTuner

i'm going through the long paperwork project of doing the exact opposite.....my father and most of my family is from Germany, and i have better opportunities awaiting me there.....my father failed to file some paper many years ago when i was 14, and now its a circus to officially get citizenship and a passport, as a dual citizen.....nothing that throwing money at it wont solve......damm lawyers !!

If your grandparents were citizens of one of the countries in the European Union, you are entitled to citizenship. It is how many Cubans are getting citizenship to Spain if their grandparents were born there.

spdrun · #6 01-30-2013, 07:45 PM

^^^

Actually, depends on the individual country's law -- there's no such thing as EU citizenship, only citizenship in an EU state which conveys certain rights in other member states under the Schengen treaty.

Poland, for example, recognizes citizenship via line of descent regardless of dual citizenship. (Unless dual citizenship was acquired before 1950.)

On the other hand, in Slovakia, if the grandparents took foreign citizenship at any time, they renounced their Czechoslovak citizenship since dual citizenship isn't recognized. Meaning that citizenship won't convey to the grandchild.

Germany also changed their law for children born outside of Germany after 2000 -- they need to be registered with the embassy before a certain age for citizenship to convey.

rs899 · #7 01-30-2013, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Not sure getting hitched will expedite that resident visa.

This was certainly true 15 years ago, when my wife and I did the deal with a fiancee visa. It may have changed now -don't know.

suginami · #8 01-30-2013, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

^^^

Actually, depends on the individual country's law -- there's no such thing as EU citizenship, only citizenship in an EU state which conveys certain rights in other member states under the Schengen treaty.

Poland, for example, recognizes citizenship via line of descent regardless of dual citizenship. (Unless dual citizenship was acquired before 1950.)

On the other hand, in Slovakia, if the grandparents took foreign citizenship at any time, they renounced their Czechoslovak citizenship since dual citizenship isn't recognized. Meaning that citizenship won't convey to the grandchild.

Germany also changed their law for children born outside of Germany after 2000 -- they need to be registered with the embassy before a certain age for citizenship to convey.

Thanks for the information. I had read that information about Spain in a newspaper article about how Cubans are using it as a way to flee Cuba by obtaining Spanish citizenship if their grandparents had migrated to Cuba......I assumed it was true of all countries in the EEU.

My wife registered our kids with the Japanese embassy in Los Angeles when they were born so that they have dual citizenship. It is a great benefit to them when they visit Japan, as it entitles them to attend public school and enroll in the national Japan health care system for coverage. Japan doesn't allow dual citizenship past the age of 18, when they'll be forced to choose one or the other.

suginami · #9 01-30-2013, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Not sure getting hitched will expedite that resident visa. She needs to check on that. She may end up having to go back to Germany to apply for one. Have known some people in a situation like that.

I think Kerry's right. I'd make sure your friend consults an immigration attorney. It can be a nightmare. The immigration system is based on intent. If your friend comes to this country on any visa other than a fiance visa, and immigration finds out that she is marrying an American, she can be deported. It happened to someone I know.

BenzDieselTuner · #10 01-30-2013, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

If your grandparents were citizens of one of the countries in the European Union, you are entitled to citizenship. It is how many Cubans are getting citizenship to Spain if their grandparents were born there.

actually they have many many excuses.......unless of course i was russian or muslim etc......i wasnt born between the proper years, papers werent filed punctually, mother was american and not married to my father......they have tried every excuse in the book......its the multi-kulti mentality.....they allow foreigners to run rampant, while legitimate persons such as myself get the runaround.....

the attorney will file the paper with the judge, he will stamp it and end of discussion.....i am my father's son, no question whatsoever....

lousy stinking ripoff !!

spdrun · #11 01-30-2013, 08:21 PM

Did you initially file in Germany itself or with a German consulate in the US, out of curiosity? With Polish citizenship, seems the first approach works better/faster than the latter.

kerry · #12 01-30-2013, 08:25 PM

Our daughter's a triple--US, UK (EU) and Canada. Very useful.

BenzDieselTuner · #13 01-30-2013, 08:26 PM

that was the first runaround......each office not wanting to take responsibility......one says go to one in florida, they say you have to do papers at the foreigners office in Nürnberg, where my father is from, they say go to florida......finally someone in charge at the consulate was reached, and i have to go to the family court in Nürnberg to get it done......just some paper from florida getting stamped, proving i am my father's son........too bad im not some foreigner, then i would already have free apartment, free food, free spending money, free health care, more free money if i start making children.....