US permanent resident to marry EU citizen

[US-DK 2]

Hi. I'm a man (early 30's) from Denmark/Europe, who has fallen head over heals in love with a woman (late 20's) from Los Angeles who's a permanent resident. We have been together for about a year now whenever I have been able to travel to LA to see her. So far 4 times, and now I'm starting to get warnings when entering the country (which is understandable enough). We are getting her passport (Korean) renewed very soon, so she can come to Denmark and visit me, but what we would like even more, was a way for us to be together more than 3 months at the time. Marriage... we have talked about it, and this is something that we both really want, so that seems to be the next step. I'm not sure what is best though... getting married in Denmark, or in the US. We don't want her to loose her permanent residence status, so we're also trying to get the money for her to apply for her US Citizenship. She has been in the US since she was adopted as a baby, but her parents never applied for her citizenship, and they didn't tell her she wasn't a citizen until after she had already turned 18 (long and sad story). Anyway... can anyone please help us figure out which would be the best way for us to be together?

These are our options as I see them:

1. Get married in the US. I keep my Danish citizenship, we get her an US citizenship, and I become a permanent resident in the US?

2. We get married in Europe (Denmark is hard, but Sweden/Germany should be easier). We get her a US Citizenship, or maybe a Danish one? Still... we don't want her to loose her US Permanent Resident status, and that seems to be likely to happen if she spends to much time away from the US.

PS. We don't really care if we have to live in one place or the other for a while, we just want to be together. We do however care about her not loosing her Permanent Resident status, and I don't want to loose my Danish citizenship (which shouldn't be a problem).

[mrsfrisbey 6]

Hi. I'm a man (early 30's) from Denmark/Europe, who has fallen head over heals in love with a woman (late 20's) from Los Angeles who's a permanent resident. We have been together for about a year now whenever I have been able to travel to LA to see her. So far 4 times, and now I'm starting to get warnings when entering the country (which is understandable enough). We are getting her passport (Korean) renewed very soon, so she can come to Denmark and visit me, but what we would like even more, was a way for us to be together more than 3 months at the time. Marriage... we have talked about it, and this is something that we both really want, so that seems to be the next step. I'm not sure what is best though... getting married in Denmark, or in the US. We don't want her to loose her permanent residence status, so we're also trying to get the money for her to apply for her US Citizenship. She has been in the US since she was adopted as a baby, but her parents never applied for her citizenship, and they didn't tell her she wasn't a citizen until after she had already turned 18 (long and sad story). Anyway... can anyone please help us figure out which would be the best way for us to be together?

These are our options as I see them:

1. Get married in the US. I keep my Danish citizenship, we get her an US citizenship, and I become a permanent resident in the US?

2. We get married in Europe (Denmark is hard, but Sweden/Germany should be easier). We get her a US Citizenship, or maybe a Danish one? Still... we don't want her to loose her US Permanent Resident status, and that seems to be likely to happen if she spends to much time away from the US.

PS. We don't really care if we have to live in one place or the other for a while, we just want to be together. We do however care about her not loosing her Permanent Resident status, and I don't want to loose my Danish citizenship (which shouldn't be a problem).

it would be best to apply for her citizenship first, after she gets naturalized, apply for a fiancee visa; that's the best way, in my opinion. you can always apply for her danish citizenship later on, but if she has 2 citizenships now (you say that she still have her korean passport) she might need to revoke her korean citizenship. i am an italian citizen, i will apply for my husband's italian citizenship after 3 years of marriage.

[US-DK 2]

it would be best to apply for her citizenship first, after she gets naturalized, apply for a fiancee visa; that's the best way, in my opinion. you can always apply for her danish citizenship later on, but if she has 2 citizenships now (you say that she still have her korean passport) she might need to revoke her korean citizenship. i am an italian citizen, i will apply for my husband's italian citizenship after 3 years of marriage.

She currently has a Korean Citizenship, but has never been there since she was a baby and got adopted into the US. Unfortunately Denmark doesn't allow dual citizenship, but I think it should work with her having a US and me a Danish, and both of us permit to live in the other country. But she has no problem giving her Korean citizenship up for a US one. It's just the money it costs to apply that's holding us back on that.

[Ironman140 45]

Why could she not have 3 citizenships ?? Is there a limit

I will soon have dual ????

[mrsfrisbey 6]

She currently has a Korean Citizenship, but has never been there since she was a baby and got adopted into the US. Unfortunately Denmark doesn't allow dual citizenship, but I think it should work with her having a US and me a Danish, and both of us permit to live in the other country. But she has no problem giving her Korean citizenship up for a US one. It's just the money it costs to apply that's holding us back on that.

apply for her citizenship first, maybe you could help her with it? after she gets her US passport, she can visit you and both of you can decide where to permanently live; or to apply for a fiancee visa, but that's the best for now is for her to get naturalized.

[mrsfrisbey 6]

Why could she not have 3 citizenships ?? Is there a limit

I will soon have dual ????

some countries doesn't allow. yes, you can have dual citizenship - some countries don't allow though. i think one of them is japan, but then again i don't know what rules they have. i have cousins that are japanese citizens, and will be asked if they want to keep it when they turn 18 (they're in another country now, mom's not japanese)

[Ironman140 45]

some countries doesn't allow. yes, you can have dual citizenship - some countries don't allow though. i think one of them is japan, but then again i don't know what rules they have. i have cousins that are japanese citizens, and will be asked if they want to keep it when they turn 18 (they're in another country now, mom's not japanese)

Thanks I just want to make .

sure giving something up like that is a big move. I would not unless absolutely nessariry

[mrsfrisbey 6]

Thanks I just want to make .

sure giving something up like that is a big move. I would not unless absolutely nessariry

i agree, i wouldn't want to lose my italian citizenship either.

[Ironman140 45]

I know the US frowns on it but doesn't" force you to give one up.. Only that you use US passport when entering the country

[mrsfrisbey 6]

I know the US frowns on it but doesn't" force you to give one up.. Only that you use US passport when entering the country

that is very true.

that shouldn't be an issue if both countries are allies.

[US-DK 2]

Well it's not a problem in our situation since Denmark doesn't allow it

[US-DK 2]

apply for her citizenship first, maybe you could help her with it? after she gets her US passport, she can visit you and both of you can decide where to permanently live; or to apply for a fiancee visa, but that's the best for now is for her to get naturalized.

Yeah I'm trying to get the money together for it. It's $680 which isn't that easy to come by these days. It's been expensive traveling to the US the last year, so money is unfortunately something that's holding us back right now.

[mrsfrisbey 6]

Yeah I'm trying to get the money together for it. It's $680 which isn't that easy to come by these days. It's been expensive traveling to the US the last year, so money is unfortunately something that's holding us back right now.

sorry to hear that, i agree. it would be better not to see each other first anytime soon and do that first, sacrifice for now, it will be all worth it. :thumbs:tell her not to do any shopping, out of town trips, things that you can avoid to save up.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

There are several issues here.

First, your girlfriend entered the US as a baby but her parents did not tell her that she's not a US citizen? Just to be 100% sure that you don't get the surprise of a lifetime: did you ever see her Green Card? Do you know for sure that she's a lawful permanent resident, and if so, since when?

Second, Denmark does not allow dual citizenship, so once your girlfriend becomes a Danish citizen, she would not be longer a Korean and not be longer a US citizen. The same applies to you.

[US-DK 2]

There are several issues here.

First, your girlfriend entered the US as a baby but her parents did not tell her that she's not a US citizen? Just to be 100% sure that you don't get the surprise of a lifetime: did you ever see her Green Card? Do you know for sure that she's a lawful permanent resident, and if so, since when?

Second, Denmark does not allow dual citizenship, so once your girlfriend becomes a Danish citizen, she would not be longer a Korean and not be longer a US citizen. The same applies to you.

Yeah it's kinda a messed up situation. Her adoptive parents were just awful people to say the least. But yeah I saw her greencard. She just got a replacement about a week ago, so now she's applying for a Korean passport, since that's only $55. I'm not sure exactly when she became a permanent resident, but I know for a fact that she is, and has been it for a long long time.

Yes as stated above I know that Denmark doesn't allow dual citizenship, which is why I wrote that I would imagine that I would just keep my Danish one, and we would get her a US one, and then each get permanent residency in each others countries.

sorry to hear that, i agree. it would be better not to see each other first anytime soon and do that first, sacrifice for now, it will be all worth it. :thumbs:tell her not to do any shopping, out of town trips, things that you can avoid to save up.

lol yeah she is already working as much as she can to make as much money as possible, and I'm saving all that I can staying with my parents for now etc.

Edited April 15, 2011 by US-DK