# Canadian/German Couple: Which Visa?



## athenaum (Aug 22, 2013)

Hello,

I am a Canadian citizen who studied in Belgium for the past 4 years. Now I want to move to Berlin with my German girlfriend, learn the language and study music at the International Music Academy. 

My problem is that I don't know what residence permit I'm eligible for. My studies won't help. If possible, I would like to avoid a trip to the German Consul in Toronto, avoid a large visa application fee. Maybe, by virtue of relationship, a residence permit for longer than 1 year? 

That sounds ambitious, but in Belgium my girlfriend and I are eligible for a family-reunion permit because we have been a couple for 2 years, and lived together for 1 year. However, we would need to stay in Belgium for another 6 months (and our apartment contract expires soon) in order to fulfil the conditions. Does any such residence permit exist in Germany? I'm not ready for marriage  

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

As a Canadian you do not need to apply for visas from outside Germany. You come to Berlin, you have 90 days on the Schengen tourist thing (or who knows, maybe longer based on whatever status you have in Belgium). Before 90 days is over you go to the Ausländerbehörde (pretty much the first German word you need to learn, alas) and apply for whatever sort of residence permit you want.

I'm not sure why you think your studies won't help. Can you not apply for a student visa as either a language student or a music student? You would need to provide proof that you can support yourself somehow, in which case a German partner might be useful.

I doubt the cohabitation arrangement would carry forward to Germany, and I don't think anything similar exists here. Maybe you just have to suck it up and get married - you wouldn't be the first person who's had to do it early for a green card.


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## The_Okie (Jul 31, 2013)

Germany also recognizes life partnerships if the word marriage somehow scares you two, but you'll have to make it official by bringing birth certificates and all that stuff. 

As Nononymous said, you won't need a visa for the first 3 months in Germany as the US, Canada, Australia, etc. are part of their version of the US's Visa Waiver Program. You can even apply in Germany for a residence permit after coming here. You only have to register your home address here before you can proceed with an application, but that's quite simple and only takes but half an hour at your local town hall in their Bürgerbüro. 

Not sure how the life partnership rules go - probably aren't much different to married couples' rules, but when you're married to a German citizen you'll get a residence permit for 3 years and it comes automatically with a work permit.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

The_Okie said:


> Germany also recognizes life partnerships if the word marriage somehow scares you two, but you'll have to make it official by bringing birth certificates and all that stuff.
> 
> As Nononymous said, you won't need a visa for the first 3 months in Germany as the US, Canada, Australia, etc. are part of their version of the US's Visa Waiver Program. You can even apply in Germany for a residence permit after coming here. You only have to register your home address here before you can proceed with an application, but that's quite simple and only takes but half an hour at your local town hall in their Bürgerbüro.
> 
> Not sure how the life partnership rules go - probably aren't much different to married couples' rules, but when you're married to a German citizen you'll get a residence permit for 3 years and it comes automatically with a work permit.


Life partnership - do you mean Lebenspartnerschaft? That is the German term for same sex marriage, so unless the OP is in a same sex partnership and has registered that partnership in a way that would require a divorce to part ways, their cohabitation will be irrelevant for visa-purposes.


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## The_Okie (Jul 31, 2013)

Well there was a couple (woman from Georgia and the man was German) who united under a life partnership here which was the reason we had to put our wedding date a bit further down the calendar as they had reserved the slot we had wanted.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

The_Okie said:


> Well there was a couple (woman from Georgia and the man was German) who united under a life partnership here which was the reason we had to put our wedding date a bit further down the calendar as they had reserved the slot we had wanted.


Do you mean they married at a Standesamt? That is not Lebenspartnerschaft.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

I don't think being a Lebensabschnittgefährte/in qualifies one for an Aufenhalsternaubnis...


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## The_Okie (Jul 31, 2013)

No he mentioned they were wanting a Lebenspartnerschaft, but they had reserved the local building we were using for our wedding for their ceremony. Either way, I guess I misunderstood what he was talking about....perhaps it was two women, I don't know anymore. I assumed it would be similar to the life partnerships that heterosexuals can choose in France for a residence permit. Seems I assumed wrong!


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

The_Okie said:


> No he mentioned they were wanting a Lebenspartnerschaft, but they had reserved the local building we were using for our wedding for their ceremony. Either way, I guess I misunderstood what he was talking about....perhaps it was two women, I don't know anymore. I assumed it would be similar to the life partnerships that heterosexuals can choose in France for a residence permit. Seems I assumed wrong!


I am afraid that under German law there is no middle ground between being married and being unmarried and visa nationals definitely have to be married in order to be granted a residence permit on the grounds of a personal relationship.


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