# Marriage in Germany?



## Finally_in_EU (Sep 4, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I (sincerely) appreciated the past great responses to my 'a US citizen-but without a home Country' situation. I was actually born in France but not of EU parents, and I learned long ago I have no immediate 'right' to return to France/Europe.

In short: my Schengen Visa is almost expired due to a work-permit neglect/mistake by the local Foreigner Supervisor & the Employer/Company in Germany (clearly not my mistake). Legally, I'm supposed to leave the 'Schengen States' for 180 days, -then return as a 'tourist' again.

I thought of an interesting question: What if I got married in Italy to either a local there or someone from a nearby EU? Country -but if 'after' my Schengen Visa expires? Does anyone know if that also somehow qualifies me for permanent residency [anywhere] (after-the-fact) & so I can legally re-enter the Schengen States again without thousands of €'s of penalties?

* What if I did leave the Schengen States for 180 days but there was no Border Officer to stamp my passport in [that] new Country (how would I prove I left the Schengen States)? *

If I ever had to legally leave the 'Schengen States' for 180 days, I'd be curious where people (in my increasingly common political situation) are most easily traveling to, to spend that 180 days (and to somehow live very cheaply & support themselves there during that time with any kind of available {legal?} work {ie: teaching english, grocery-store work, lower-pay factory work, cleaning work if necessary, etc.j{I've never been able to find a job in my profession in the colder-climate EU})?

Is it possible that Canary Is., or Liechtenstein, or Andorra, or one of the eastern EU Countries, or Nordic Countries are one of those viable (non-schengen?) places? Sorry to sound so naive but I really need advice - it's certainly not my fault I don't have a 'home country' to go home to.

*What about other nearby livable Countries?* Any ideas anyone?

Sadly, due to the recent work-permit mistake at the moment I cannot afford the Immigration Attorney, but, in the past I read some really good advice from regular people like us here in these forums on similar subjects and so I hope to hear more. I would appreciate anyone's thoughtful advice -as I would do for anyone. Thanks everyone!


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## ExpatInBerlin (Sep 10, 2011)

Forgive me saying this but for someone who sounds like they are in a desperate situation, you have not done much research have you?

Shengen Zone is 27 countries, it excludes Ireland and the UK. Also, your visa is for 90 days. After that 90 days is up, you must exit the Shengen zone for another 90days... NOT exit for 180 days as you say in your post.

This means from the moment you arrive, the clock starts ticking. For 90days, you can come and go to the Shengen Zone freely. From day 91 thru to 180, you cannot be anywhere within Shengen without approval (you can get approval but you need to ask in advance).

If you have no other choice, go to the UK or Ireland and see if they accept you - if they do, you can stay there for 90days (that is their normal visa i believe). They might want to see how you can fund your stay (everyone, including EU gets stopped entering the UK).

My non-EU friends have a piece of paper that was inserted into their passport when they arrived. It states arrival/expected departure dates. If you loose it or don't have it, they will find you in the computer. All Shengen states are tied electronically, so enter Shengen in Germany and leave from Czech Republic? No problem, they'll find you. Because they know your arrival date, they know that you should leave no later than 90days later.

When you say that its not your fault that you do not have a home country... that is stretching the truth is it not? You say above that you have an American passport, true? If not, claim refugee status! Though I am also at a loss on how you can be born in France but not be entitled to a passport... 

You do not need an immigration lawyer - If its important to you, google your way out of this, go to an Immigration office like every other non-EU person does and bring a native speaker with you to help. You might very well get an extended permit to stay/live. Do this before your current permit expires. Extending an existing permit is not the same as extending an expired permit. If your permit has expired, it cannot be extended - instead, you apply for a new one.

By the way, you also reference returning as a "tourist again" and reference something "the Employer/Company in Germany". One has nothing to do with the other. If you are a tourist, you should not be working. If you have a work permit, then your employer can sort out the paperwork. If you are working illegally, expect them to ask you questions on how you can afford to live here for so long without work...

Your post makes poor sense (references to being a US citizen, no home country, work/employer and being a tourist, born in France but not applicable for a passport) so I would make sure you get your story right as i think you are being very conservative with the truth.


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## Finally_in_EU (Sep 4, 2011)

Hello (and thank you for your reply) - PLEASE read the interjected answers to your questions below {...in brackets}

Forgive me saying this but for someone who sounds like they are in a desperate situation, you have not done much research have you?

{...Actually I have done reasonable research, obviously, because I've already been legally in the EU for a year now with no problems so far, ...until our local Foreigner Supervisor made that critical Work-Permit mistake (no fault of mine)}. I'm just seeking responses from good people here to help keep me here in the EU.}

Shengen Zone is 27 countries, it excludes Ireland and the UK. Also, your visa is for 90 days. After that 90 days is up, you must exit the Shengen zone for another 90days... NOT exit for 180 days as you say in your post.

{... Well, most people believe that number is 180 days, 90 days sounds better, but the fact remains it is still longer than a healthy human can go without eating/sleeping ;o} {But in worst case scenario _where_ can one go most easily, and what if there's no Border Officer at [that] new Country's border to stamp my Passport (to prove I 'left' the Schengen states? -without a validated Train ticket?}

This means from the moment you arrive, the clock starts ticking. For 90days, you can come and go to the Shengen Zone freely. From day 91 thru to 180, you cannot beanywhere within Shengen without approval (you can get approval but you need to ask in advance).

{...Yes, thank you, and I have asked for that extension in advance from the same Foreigner Supervisor who made the critical mistake on my (still available) Work-Permit. I was asked by their office to turn in another Visa extension Application -and get any other 'Job Letter' asap (but with no guarantees that I'll remain legally unless my next Job Letter is approved for a different/new Work-Permit}

If you have no other choice, go to the UK or Ireland and see if they accept you - if they do, you can stay there for 90days (that is their normal visa i believe). They might want to see how you can fund your stay (everyone, including EU gets stopped entering the UK).

{...What about entering UK via Train, or Boat? Does all of EU still get stopped via Train in UK? I have repeatedly learned that UK, Canada, Australia, NZ alike have finally adopted potentially inhuman 'new American style' illegal Laws which, for example; forbids someone entering their Country only because they had a DUI over 20 years ago in America. 3 years ago I hoped to get into Canada but when I was in line at Canadian Immigration an old lady right in front of me was refused entry ONLY because of her 'DUI' in America way back in the 1970's(!) Yes, she was forbidden from going to her Granddaughter's Funeral (she only cried and pleaded for a 2-day temporary Visa but the Canadian Immigration Officers were VERY 'Cold' to her!) Anyhow, many of us in the Canadian Immigration line directly/very closely overheard this dialogue in great detail, surprise & sheer disappointment -and I understand the 'UK', especially, is sometimes worse than Canada-. So I simply exited that Canadian Immigration line, and instead spent the next 2 depressing years in Latin America (where I was always threatened & told I was too 'white' to belong there...) before a Human Rights advocate finally rescued me and flew me to EU with agreed limited support. I have been in the EU with the greatest genuine Gratitude for a year now. It is so civilized here in EU compared to what became of the once-great US.}

When you say that its not your fault that you do not have a home country... that is stretching the truth is it not? You say above that you have an American passport, true? If not, claim refugee status! Though I am also at a loss on how you can be born in France but not be entitled to a passport... 

{...There is _much_ you are not aware of, and my increasingly common US political situation is way 'off-topic' for this forum; but I'll try to enlighten you in vague summary: I have a perfectly valid US Passport with no restrictions whatsoever -but I was technically 'refused entry' into my own 'home' Country (the US) when I tried to temporarily re-enter 2 years ago only to sort/get some of my belongings (but at the US Border I was, instead, VERY traumatically abused, falsely/wrongfully imprisoned with _NO_ Human Rights, US Border Officers stole/lost my only clothes/luggage, etc. -but, I was kind, polite, respectful & quiet during the entire time until the end of the traumatic ordeal when they conveniently 'lost' my only clothes/luggage. After I was 'released' from US Border Officer's 'Custody' at the Airport a few days later, and after they Coldly refused to take any complain regarding their carelessly losing my luggage -my only clothes (Criminal Obstruction of Justice on their part) -I returned very, very traumatized, extremely dirty, & reasonably 'livid' right back to the same 3rd-World Country where I had been living illegally for the past year -but this time with no clothes except for what I was wearing for several days at the US Airport(!) **I Officially complained about this (& _countless_ other related abuses not mentioned here) to US Congress, the ACLU, Amnesty International, and a State Governor, etc., to no avail yet.**} 
{...In the EU an Asylum request from an American will be laughed at and eventually denied particularly due to the current Special-Interest ties between BDR & US Militär. Yes I was born in France but of American parents -but since France joined the EU many older French Immigration Laws were superseded by newer EU Laws.} {So with all due respect to you, your exceptional patience, and your good advice -there's so much more to these relatively unknown, but increasingly common, US problems which are better left undiscussed in (this) forum. I would _love_ to say more -but except for VERY educated people (like my past Business Law professor, International Human Rights professionals, Doctors, US Civil Rights attorneys, etc.) -most other people have a hard time believing me anyway -until it happens to them. But why did I permanently give up my well-earned upper middle-class semi-professional career, VERY important obligations, Retirement, etc., to live like a Refugee at 40+ years of age? I believe that in other 15 years much of Europe will finally start to learn the truth of what I am referring to about the US},{But I don't have that long to wait, I MUST be productive again now, somewhere where I have 'Rights', and I dream of finally raising a small family safely away from the criminally operated/out-of-control US, before I am too old. I'm not getting any younger now.}

You do not need an immigration lawyer - If its important to you, google your way out of this, go to an Immigration office like every other non-EU person does and bring a native speaker with you to help. You might very well get an extended permit to stay/live. Do this before your current permit expires. Extending an existing permit is not the same as extending an expired permit. If your permit has expired, it cannot be extended - instead, you apply for a new one.

{yes, you are correct -I had already done this -THANK YOU for that thoughtful, good advice too!}

By the way, you also reference returning as a "tourist again" and reference something "the Employer/Company in Germany". One has nothing to do with the other. If you are a tourist, you should not be working. If you have a work permit, then your employer can sort out the paperwork. If you are working illegally, expect them to ask you questions on how you can afford to live here for so long without work...

{...yes, again, I believe you are correct, but it seems that 'tourist' & 'job-seeker' are now in one category -and as a result a US citizen does not need a 'round-trip ticket' to enter Germany because she/he has the privilege of a tourist to also be a job-seeker and apply for residency, -well I know this information is accurate for Germany anyway} {I would greatly appreciate any further, & kind replies/advice -as I would do for others.}

Thanks, sincerely, for your patience!

Best to all!


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