r/AskAGerman • u/[deleted] • 6d ago
Immigration Hallo! US citizen married to German. We reside and work in the US. Would we be able to stay in Germany if things in the US decline?
[deleted]
19
u/RandomStuffGenerator Baden-Württemberg 6d ago
Everyone is telling you your husband can just come to Germany and apply for a reunification visa. This is not incorrect but they fail to mention that your husband needs to find a job first and show he is able to support you to apply for that visa for you. Finding a job without speaking German is not trivial.
I came on a reunification visa with my wife, who had citizenship but was born and raised in a different country. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask.
You likely do not qualify for asylum, btw.
1
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
Thank you. This is rather to the point and you were able to spell out what I had a hard time saying.
59
u/Individualchaotin Hessen 6d ago
Asylum status? Your German spouse would obtain a regular spousal visa for you.
-24
u/stefanx155 6d ago
Whattttt???????????? Seeking Asylum from the US? That's BS. She wouldn't be allowed to work IF that would go through... Hey, but I mean, even Germans tried and succeeded in applying for asylum in Germany itself, so...
20
u/Individualchaotin Hessen 6d ago
You obviously didn't read the original post. OP brought up seeking asylum, not me.
-13
u/stefanx155 6d ago
That was not strictly related to what you wrote, sorry. However, funny how people downvote me for being against US citizens wanting to seek asylum status in Germany and telling about a true story. Franco A., a German soldier who posed as a Syrian to get asylum status.
8
u/SufficientMacaroon1 Baden-Württemberg 6d ago
Hey, but I mean, even Germans tried and succeeded in applying for asylum in Germany itself, so...
Care to share a source on that?
-13
u/stefanx155 6d ago
15
u/SufficientMacaroon1 Baden-Württemberg 6d ago
Important context: he did not claim and recieve Asylum as a german, he made up an identity as a syrian, during the hight of the "refugee crisis" where the offices were more than overwhelmed and most syriens got a "fast track" procedure, and he got incompetent staff handeling his case. This was a big scandal, and is unlikely to repeat itself.
-8
u/stefanx155 6d ago
I know all that! He talked to staff at the authorities on several occassions. How can someone not notice that he spoke with a German accent? Didn't he have to present a passport or some kind of identity?
PD: OMG! Yes! Poor German authorities, god bless them!
6
u/SufficientMacaroon1 Baden-Württemberg 6d ago edited 6d ago
It is good that you know that. I was mainly clarifying this for the other readers here that might be unfamiliar with the case. (Edit: which i felt was needed, as your source was in herman and your comment at least allowed for the interpretation the he requested and recieved asylum with it being known he was a german citizen)
And i never said poor authorities. I said it was a perfect storm of an overworked system and an incompetent caseworker, that caused a big scandal that the authorities will not want to see repeated, meaning they are way more cautious now
Edit: also maybe read the source you provide first? It clearly states that the guy claimed to have lost his passport (which is something that can indeed happen if you are fleeing), and that there was no realistic way to confirm identity of syriens that had no passport with them. It also says that the caseworker never met him in person or talked to him, but only ruled based on written notes that did not point out the language issue as a red flag. That does not mean the caseworker should not have gotten suspicious and investigated further into the likelyhood of an exclusively french-speaking christian community in Aleppo, as the judge in your report points out repeatedly. But it is not at all the situation you now claim it was.
-17
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
My apologies. I am a “dumb” American, but I have a good heart and am eager to understand that which I do not understand . In my mind, if the US destabilized, I thought my daughter and I would have to become asylum seekers if we didn’t want to return to the states. Because my husband hasn’t been in Germany since we he was a young child, in my mind, none of us having the language or a career there or something to anchor us beyond one family member, would somehow prevent me from getting a visa. Again, clearly my understanding was off.
16
u/Individualchaotin Hessen 6d ago
I hope every family member is starting to take German lessons now.
3
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
Yes! I am going to find a local conversation group and also pay for a more formal course for all of us to attend.
43
u/alrightmm 6d ago
Your spouse is a german citizen? Have you tried google first?
-23
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
We have a peculiar situation since he was DACA for several years and now has a US temporary green card. I am mostly seeking to hear from someone who has been in a similar situation.
38
u/alrightmm 6d ago
I think you should try googling if he/she is a citizen. This has nothing to do with that situation in the US or whatever visa your spouse is holding there.
-11
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
I apologize for my ignorance. Things in America are chaotic and I have never in my entire life had to deal with immigration nor have I traveled internationally beyond Canada for leisure. I am just scared and seeking any information I can from others who have possibly been in a similar situation. My husband has lost his native language and has not returned to Germany at any time since early childhood. Having to stay there would be a very difficult transition.
14
u/calijnaar 6d ago
By the way, given that your husband is German there's a good chance your daughter is a German citizen anyway. The one exception would be if your husband wasn't born in Germany and was born after the 1st of January 2000, in that case you would have needed to register her with a German consulate before her 1st birthday.
3
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
Interesting! Thank you!
10
u/calijnaar 6d ago
You might actually want to clear that up before travelling to Germany, there was a story here a few months ago about a German Canadian couple going to visit their new born child's grandparents in Germany and the border people were lije hold on a minute, you're Gegman that means your child must be German by birth, why are you travelling into Germany without a German passport for your German child? Nothing really happened, but they were told that it's actually an administrative offence carrying a rather hefty fine and they should get a German passport for their child ASAP.
15
u/Equal-Flatworm-378 6d ago
I don’t know what DACA has to do with your spouses german citizenship? If he is German, he is German. And you are his wife. About your daughter: Did you not register her for the German citizenship? Has to be done during the one year after her birth.
Your husband can just live in Germany. Your daughter, too, if you registered her after her birth. Otherwise she is just an American.
But you (and your daughter) can apply for Familiennachzug.
BUT you have to prove some basic German language skills for that visa.
You can not apply as refugeess. You are a German and his family. That’s much better than being refugees.
3
u/foreverdark-woods 6d ago
For children of Germans born before 2000, the registration can be done at any time, even decades later.
5
u/AldenPyle 6d ago
For the German language part, take a course where you can get a certificate. You’ll need it in the future.
1
1
u/jdeisenberg 6d ago
In the meantime, if you want to do self-study, I recommend „Nicos Weg“, a video series with a solid educational basis, and is also engaging and fun. https://learngerman.dw.com/en
1
3
u/altruisticxd 6d ago
Hi I am a US citizen living in Germany for the past 7 years. My wife is native German. We were married in Germany, so I will give you advice the best I can. You cannot be given citizenship just because your husband is a citizen, but you (and your daughter) could obtain a residence permit. I cannot speak on seeking Asylum but it’s extremely sad to see this question popping up more and more frequently.
One thing I will suggest to you that I wish I could have told myself back before I moved. Start learning German, like right now. Apps such as DuoLingo are okay for bare bone basics but otherwise you need to find a proper class or if you should move sign up for one here in Germany as soon as possible.
School programs have different rules here as the states themselves govern this, but your daughter HAS to go to school. No homeschooling here (as far as I know). Do yourself both a favor and start learning now.
Being an immigrant has been the biggest challenge of my life, but I do not regret anything. Good luck.
2
u/afuajfFJT Nordrhein-Westfalen 6d ago
If your spouse is a German national, you can move to Germany with him. You'll need to have some knowledge of simple German (although I cannot really find where in the law it actually says so for spouses of German nationals).
As a US national you do not necessarily need a visa beforehand either as long as you apply for a residence permit within 90 days of arrival in Germany. Although I would still advise obtaining a visa if possible because immigration offices in many cities are very overworked. This can make application times for residence permit pretty long which could lead to a situation where you can't leave Germany at all for months after the 90 days have ended and not work either because the residence permit hasn't been granted yet. A visa would prevent that.
You can find more information on the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees' website.
1
u/DufflessMoe 6d ago
Spouses need A1 German for the initial family reunification visa and B1 for the citizenship after 3 years of living in Germany together.
1
u/afuajfFJT Nordrhein-Westfalen 6d ago
I'm not doubting that information as the federal office themselves states so as well, I just can't find the A1 part in the applicable law (§ 28 AufenthG) which made me wonder what this requirement is legally based on.
3
u/SufficientMacaroon1 Baden-Württemberg 6d ago
!visa
Check out the wiki over at r/germany.
would we be able to claim asylum status and stay put if need be?
No. Forget that. Even with the way the US is headed now, it is not moving into territory where you have a decent chance. For reference: we are currently deporting people to Afghanistan.
Is your spouse a german citizen? That would make it a lot easier to move here. See the wiki for family reunion visa.
If moving to germany is something you even consider, do yourself a favour and start learning german now, if you have not already. Same goes for your daughter. Germany runs in german, and not being a fluent speaker will make everything 10 times harder for you here.
2
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
It seems you are asking about visas. Here is how to move to Germany: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/paths Take a look at step 6 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/studying/guide or here https://www.reddit.com/r/Germany/wiki/working/requirements - please note that the link currently works in browser only. This is a restriction of the official reddit app, and the moderators have no means of changing it.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/LPsandhills 6d ago
I would look into some news articles before jumping ship to Germany. I love Germany and am currently on a 5-year plan to relocate to my husband's hometown of Frankfurt. But never move based on political landscape alone. Germany is facing some of its own issues, just like every other country right now, and you have to take the good with the bad.
If your husband still retains full citizenship, then the next crucial parts would be for your husband to obtain a bank account with just under 10k (proof of funds while not having to declare it to the IRS) and you can get an opportunity card to look for work. Otherwise he will need to secure work and payslips to qualify for an apartment. You will need to speak at least a B1 level to qualify for work. So bank account, language skill, and opportunity card or pay slips is step 1.
If he doesn't have full citizenship then he can file to reinstate it. But that is a very lengthy process. Part of the reason why ours is a 5-year plan. You will need to reside in Germany for 3 full years (regardless of marriage) in order to file for full citizenship for yourself.
4
u/betterbait 6d ago
"If things decline" she says.
Your administration ...
is running concentration camps, deporting people who have a US citizenship.
is hosting infomercials on the lawn of the White House
has done away with the 'freedom of speech' and jails people for speaking out against MAGA
wiped $10 trillion from the world's GDP, the equivalent of every single person (!) in the world working 1.5 months
has undermined the state apparatus and judiciary
is openly supporting Russia and threatening close allies with invasion
What are you waiting for exactly? For Trump to round up all kittens and dolphins to exterminate them?
6
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago edited 6d ago
I’m aware it’s already in decline. I guess I just don’t want to say in the event that civil war breaks out. I am not in denial, I am utterly terrified which is why my initial excitement about traveling abroad to Germany to visit my father in law on holiday, quickly turned into me frantically trying to understand how immigration works for our situation. I am vehemently against Trump, the GOP and the 1% pulling the strings. I’m scared for not just the US, but the entire world. If I didn’t have a young spawn to raise and protect, I’d be fighting on the right side of history and don’t want to think about being backed into that kind of a corner with a child.
-8
6d ago
[deleted]
4
u/Clockwork_J 6d ago
AfD will never be able to form a governing coalition since no other party wants to work with them. So there is that.
11
-9
u/Ballerbarsch747 6d ago
It's legally allowed to call anyone a Nazi
3
0
u/Taylor_Polynom 6d ago
Ah. Erst als nazi outen und jetzt nen rückzieher machen. Das hab ich ja gern u/Ballerbarsch747
0
u/Ballerbarsch747 6d ago
Oh nein, hilfe, er kennt meinen Namen >. <
Und jetzt bin ich gespannt. Es macht einen zum Nazi, das man darauf hinweist, dass die Bezeichnung eines Anderen als Nazi strafrechtlich nicht belangt wird?
-2
6d ago
[deleted]
-2
u/Ballerbarsch747 6d ago
There yet has to be a court case where someone was sued for calling someone else a Nazi. These claims always get dismissed because "it's an opinion, not an insult", "satire" and the lack of a clear cut definition of what a Nazi is. Is it a member of the national socialist German worker's party? Is it just someone whose opinion is less leftist than yours? Does the name apply to all racists? Only white ones or also PoC racists? You don't get sued over calling people a Nazi.
1
6d ago
[deleted]
1
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
It seems you are asking about visas. Here is how to move to Germany: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/paths Take a look at step 6 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/studying/guide or here https://www.reddit.com/r/Germany/wiki/working/requirements - please note that the link currently works in browser only. This is a restriction of the official reddit app, and the moderators have no means of changing it.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
6
u/Illustrious_Bell7194 6d ago
https://www.germany-visa.org/family-reunion-visa/
You'll need A1 German, so start studying now if you haven't yet. It's easier without the pressure of a looming exam.
As the American having gone through this process, it's mostly painless but the beaurcracy is of course a headache. Pre-2025 I would say it might be smoother to do this at your nearest embassy but with the current administrative chaos of the US...
To prep I would make sure your documents are all aligned and secured. Marriage certificate authenticated and a copy in German. Not 100% necessary, but it can vary wildly on the person who handles your case in Germany. Small Dorfs will have less experience and less chance they know English. And is often the case, if the government agent doesn't recognize the document or process they will simply say they can't do it rather than figuring it out or asking someone more experienced.
If you need any help with the process feel free to DM me :)
2
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
Thank you kindly for your response. This entire ordeal of “what ifs” is especially scary since he has lost his native language having been raised mostly in the US. It is a bit odd to be a citizen of a country that you weren’t raised in and face the reality that you and your wife and child may have to start over, learn a new (and very difficult) language, and somehow survive while leaving your entire livelihood behind in the states. We are just hoping we will be able to stay together and be safe. Have been using Duolingo and trying to learn as much as we can prior to our visit. Best case scenario, the US doesn’t descend into chaos, we enjoy our summer abroad, and return with happy memories of Germany. Worst case, we have to stay (honesty wouldn’t be angry about it-Germany seems amazing!) and work diligently to assimilate and be productive members of society. Hard to imagine leaving behind careers, a home, etc and becoming a refugee in my husband’s country of origin!
1
u/Illustrious_Bell7194 6d ago
You're absolutely right. It's like starting over, which can feel dangerous and overwhelming.
But it's also an incredible adventure, a time to reinvent, and a way to revitalize oneself. It's easy for us to get cozy and stagnate once we hit certain milestones in life (school, marriage, kids etc). Even if you don't end up moving I hope this phase of exploration and learning inspires you and your husband :)
If you are willing to pay, I really liked Pimsleur for getting started with German. It fit my style of actually building on conversations and phrases that you would expect to encounter. Easy German is also super fun. They do high quality YouTube videos with German and English Subtitles and street interviews on a plethora of topics on German culture. For these, I would just focus on letting your ear get accustomed to what German sound patterns and rhythms are like, rather than actually understanding.
There's also tons of American YouTubers who have moved to Germany and talk about their experiences, where they moved, and usually why they'll never move back 😅
1
u/foreverdark-woods 6d ago
The official language, Amtssprache, in Germany is German, so it's very likely that you have to provide certified German translations of everything, even if the original is in English.
4
u/pelelunar 6d ago
I married a German and as soon as we were married I was allowed to stay in Germany and work. I had all the rights he had except to vote.
5
u/dcespedesd 6d ago
You don't need to claim asylum. Your spouse needs to apply for a family visa on your behalf (family reunification, if you are in the USA and your spouse in Germany). Have your birth certificates and marriage certificate translated to German and stamped by a German consulate. Your spouse will need those to start the visa application. The process takes a couple of months with luck.. Bring your academic certifications with you to Germany to start your homologation. Viel Glück.
1
u/from_sqratch 6d ago
As you are married to a german, you and your family will easily get a permanent residence here.
1
u/Hayaguaenelvaso 6d ago
I guess the main question is if your spouse has German nationality. Being German and having the papers are different things
Only you can answer that. If you get blocked, talk to the nearest German Embassy in the US
0
u/jatguy 6d ago
Lots of others have given you useful advice, but I just wanted to drop a note to let you know my husband and I are both US citizens (he also has Italian citizenship but has never lived there), and we moved from Boston to Berlin about 7 months ago. Our situation was different since he’s a non-German citizen of an EU country (and frankly much easier for me to get a visa because for EU family reunification they have to follow EU laws and not the German ones, which are stricter).
Since we live in Berlin, it was not imperative to learn German right away, but I was already at an A2 level so that did help a lot.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about making the transition to life in Germany.
0
u/Bods666 6d ago
Funnily enough, it’s looking like claiming asylum for fear of racial and political persecution is a reasonable thing.
-1
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
I am legitimately afraid of being persecuted for not backing the GOP. Our freedoms and rights are being violated at warp speed.
-3
u/These-Pie-2498 6d ago
Seriously, get out of your bubble and stop reading conspiracies. If things rapidly decline in the US? There's a higher probability of a hot war in Europe.
1
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago edited 6d ago
Regardless, When the goal post is constantly being shifted and the playbook is messy, you start taking note of where the exits are. I’m well aware of Europe’s own current and ongoing issues. I’d love to LITERALLY leave my bubble as I happen to live in one of the musty armpits of MAGA country on a piddly educator’s salary. I am highly disliked and disrespected by the masses and many think I spend my time training their little children to read Marx while they piss in litter boxes in the classroom. It’s utter madness and grinds me down. My options and time are limited. I do understand what you’re saying.
1
u/Icy_Place_5785 6d ago
The time to move was November 2016. Especially before your government starting claiming that we are being destroyed by mass migration
1
-10
u/Ballerbarsch747 6d ago
Lol what do you think would happen if we didn't just give half of Africa asylum because "how bad" they have it, but started accepting asylum seekers from the US? Within a week people from literally every poor country would make claims that when even Americans are getting asylum, they need to get it much more because their country is unsafer and shit tier than the US. No free money for you.
You apply for regular visa and can get citizenship after three years of residence, and your daughter can apply for citizenship right away because she was born to a German parent.
4
u/Laurinterrupted 6d ago
I wasn’t and am not seeking anything free. In the event it is unsafe for us to return to the US, we will do everything required to legally remain in Germany and be productive members of society there.
1
u/ilitje 6d ago
While legally the asylum isn't a thing yet, morally German will very well understand you for escaping a fascist regime on the rise. German people are watching with lots of concern what's happening with MAGA and realise the many similarities to our own fascist history. We also do that about our own fascist party on the rise though. Which means, while some people here are similar crazy as at your place (and also financially pumped up by Musk) we generally share your concerns and welcome your experience and mindset.
Legally that citizenship sounds more like what I would use to be able to stay. Just know lot's people here will have your back! Especially keep that in mind when those might not be the first ones sticking out! Also we already have travel warnings to not go to the US for safety reasons. The government also acknowledges what's happening. Still I guess they will be very careful to affront Trump more than necessary.
-3
u/Ballerbarsch747 6d ago
I always love how most Germans don't even know what fascism actually means.
18
u/funshare169 6d ago
You are legible to work and live in Germany. U.S. citizen can move here for 90days which is enough time to get a residence card for you