I'm german - wife is american! Want to move to the US! So many questions!?

[Mr. S 0]

First of all "Hello" everyone, I'm new to this forum (just registered) and I really hope to find a lot of answers here!

Ok, so here goes my story.

My wife and I met in Germany about five years ago - at the time she was living with her parents (US military stationed overseas) we were working together. I was hired as a "local national" but still working for the US government.

It's been over five years now and we've been married for three years.

We're both still working for the US government in Germany. However, we have decided to make a big change in our lives and move to the US.

I went through the residence permit (greencard) form not too long ago and there were a few things that concerned me.

First of all, there's a section where the sponsor (in this case my wife) has to provide her current US address where I supposedly will be living. How would that work while living overseas. She really doesn't have a US address besides the one's of her parents but she's not living there. The only US address we have is our military APO address for Germany.

Second confusion, in another section it asks for the income of the sponsor to verify that she can financially support me in the US. Here's the thing though - I currently make more than her over here. Specially that she's part time and I work full time, and she gets paid in USD and I get paid in EUR.

Also, if we're both trying to move to the US we would need to quit our jobs over here and apply for new ones in the states. I mean - if I do get my greencard approved we would obviously start applying for jobs while still in Germany so that by the time we would move to the states we could have some interview opportunities or maybe even a job since a lot of places conduct "phone"-interviews.

Another thing is that we would be staying with her father for the first few months until we get settled and find our own place.

That's why I'm really confused with those sections on the application.

If anybody has even more sections that might be a problem please mention them - I would really appreciate any kind of help and advice.

If you have any more questions about our situation to help determine what the best solution would be - feel free to ask!

Thank you in advance!!

S.

[Harsh_77 718]

I think yours is little unique situation in most cases the spouse is in US and they need to show that they have enough funds to take care of their wife/husband.

I think since both of you are already living in Germany and have been married for 3 years would make u guys eligible for the DCF process, which should be faster and quicker and you might have not this issue in DCF process.

[Boiler 45,940]

DCF Germany

Use her parents address

Ask her parents to co sponsor.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You apply for an IR-1 visa via Direct Consular Filing (DCF) in Frankfurt. It's the smoothest and most elegant way to do this and once approved, you'll enter the US as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) and get your Green Card in the mail a week or two later.

You use your wife's US address. He parents' address will work just fine for this purpose.

The income requirement is only 125% of the poverty level. Your wife would have to make about $18,212 per year (not exactly sure) in order to support a family of two. Her US tax return will be the basis for this. If her income isn't enough, she' ll need a co-sponsor.

This entire process is straight forward and you should not anticipate any problems.

[Mr. S 0]

well... it seems to me that pretty much everybody agrees on DCF!?

what exactly is that and where is it located?

@ JustBob, you said to apply for IR-1 Visa. Could you please explain a little more what that is exactly?

Also, you said 125% of the poverty level.

Right now my wife makes about 300-400 dollars every two weeks.

Maybe I should've added that we're about to become parents, so it would actually be three of us!

Here goes another question! What if she wouldn't be working at all since it would be me supporting us financially in Germany.

How would that work? would we need to use her dad as a co-sponsor?

thanks,

tha answers have been very interesting and helpful so far!

[Boiler 45,940]

You need a co sponsor, the child will most likely be a USC at birth.

[Little_My 464]

DCF stands for "Direct Consular Filing". What it means is that your process will be going to through the local US Consulate in the country you live in, in stead of thw US Service Center. There's a guide for the process here on Visajourney and you should look at the information on www.uscis.gov.

Your baby, since born to a USC mother, will be a US citizen regardless of whether he/she is born in Germany or in the US. For that, you can find more information on the US Department of State Website.

You will probably need a co-sponsor, since you will initially both be unemployed when you come to the US. I'm not familiar with DCF process, so you should just really familiarize yourself with the guides here and on USCIS site. Most of these questions should be addressed in those sources.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

***** Moving from K3 to DCF forum as K3 is dead as a visa and OP will most likely do the DCF process *****

[Mr. S 0]

Thanks for all the answers so far!!

so would I (we) still need to apply for an IR-1 visa?

What exactly is the difference between that one and the other forms?

But the I-130 and the I-864 are a MUST in my case! Right???

Honestly the few times I have called the Frankfurt embassy they've been pretty rude and not helpful at all..!!

everytime I ask them something they're like..."go on our website and read all the information there".

[Boiler 45,940]

What did you think of the guides here and the information provided on the Consulate web site?

DIY is not for everyone.

[Harsh_77 718]

well... it seems to me that pretty much everybody agrees on DCF!?

what exactly is that and where is it located?

@ JustBob, you said to apply for IR-1 Visa. Could you please explain a little more what that is exactly?

Also, you said 125% of the poverty level.

Right now my wife makes about 300-400 dollars every two weeks.

Maybe I should've added that we're about to become parents, so it would actually be three of us!

Here goes another question! What if she wouldn't be working at all since it would be me supporting us financially in Germany.

How would that work? would we need to use her dad as a co-sponsor?

thanks,

tha answers have been very interesting and helpful so far!

I am assuming things and you might want to check with consulate, since you 2 are married and are living togeather in Germany, and I am guesisng you are filing a joint income tax in Germany, that should take you guys above the pverty line.

[GirlWithAGerman 0]

Thanks for your question! I am thinking about moving to Germany for a few years and come back with my husband instead of waiting SOOOOO LONG for this K1 Visa. We will have to go through the same process! Please let me know if you find anything else of interest.

-CJ

[veronicavonn 7]

I am assuming things and you might want to check with consulate, since you 2 are married and are living togeather in Germany, and I am guesisng you are filing a joint income tax in Germany, that should take you guys above the pverty line.

RE: Tax Returns: The USC would need to file "Married filed Separately" as would the German Citizen, because they are married but the German Citizen is and has been working (I'm assuming from what I've read here) in Germany and has no ties to the US other than a USC spouse. In the spot where it asks for the German Citizen's SSN you could write "N/A" or "NRA" (non-resident alien.) That's how I've filed my taxes. But things are different from case to case. This is what I believe the OP can do solely based on what I've read here.

Thanks for your question! I am thinking about moving to Germany for a few years and come back with my husband instead of waiting SOOOOO LONG for this K1 Visa. We will have to go through the same process! Please let me know if you find anything else of interest.

-CJ

The process IS long. I'm not saying that you should put off the process, but if you've started it already, by all means, finish it. That paperwork that you've already done is not something that will be used when you do the DCF process.

On the other hand, if you go to (come to - as I am here) Germany, you will get a chance to see your spouse's culture, meet their family, and enjoy the things that they've enjoyed for the last XXX-amount of years. The process to legally live in Germany is somewhat easier, if you're already married. Some people are lucky (as I was), and some are not.

If moving to Germany is something you are seriously considering, I would recommend referring to this website as it has many invaluable resources: www.toytowngermany.com