Lose German Citizenship

[karin_brenig 18]

I didn't say that every BBG application gets approved. I stated that most likely more than 90% get approved.

I hear you, but the entire discussion about BBG is a rather mute point here. It doesn't matter whether 90% of BBG applications get approved, or maybe 90% of those thinking about applying for BBG never get their act together far enough to even have their application submitted to Köln. I'm not good at speculating.

This forum is about US immigration, not German immigration.

You were never a German citizen, so you don't need a BBG.

I already got my BBG and hold dual citizenship USA/Germany now, and I'm currently focussing more on my future than on the past international ordeal of bureaucratic nightmares on two continents that everybody in this forum has to go through, one way or another.

The person who started this thread got his BBG approved with our help, he's probably going to be sworn in as a US citizen soon.

[nwctzn 55]

This forum is about US immigration, not German immigration.

Yes, I know, but thanks for reminding

You were never a German citizen, so you don't need a BBG.

Yes, I am aware of that as well; although I was born and raised in Germany and lived there for 15 years, I was never a German

My brother, his wife, and his kids are German citizens though and I feel sad that they will most likely need to go through this BBG process.

I already got my BBG and hold dual citizenship USA/Germany now, and I'm currently focussing more on my future than on the past international ordeal of bureaucratic nightmares on two continents that everybody in this forum has to go through, one way or another.

The person who started this thread got his BBG approved with our help, he's probably going to be sworn in as a US citizen soon.

Glad that everything worked out for you and thanks for all your help on this forum. Having gone through the BBG process though I sincerely hope that you change your mind about the BBG at some point and support multi-citizenship for all German citizens without the need of the BBG.

Tschuess...

Edited February 29, 2012 by nwctzn

[Ruffie 22]

I am not German, but I was born in Germany to non-German parents. I lived there for 15 years and was a minor when my parents re-located. After leaving Germany, I had to put up with many meaningless procedures even to visit my relatives in Germany or doing an internship there. So it feels really meaningless if you cannot even visit your country of birth without a visa. As I indicated in an earlier post, I got a 5-day visa just to attend my relative's wedding in Germany, my country of birth. So this is one of the main reason for my frustration with German immigration law.

German citizenship (by birth) is acquired solely through "jus sanguinis" (the law of the bloodline) versus "jus soli" (the law of the soil). Simply being born on German soil therefore doesn't make anybody a citizen and honestly, I'm glad it's that way. Maybe the U. S. should consider changing that part of its law, too... "Anchor babies", anyone?

[nwctzn 55]

German citizenship (by birth) is acquired solely through "jus sanguinis" (the law of the bloodline) versus "jus soli" (the law of the soil). Simply being born on German soil therefore doesn't make anybody a citizen and honestly, I'm glad it's that way. Maybe the U. S. should consider changing that part of its law, too... "Anchor babies", anyone?

Well, German immigration law has been somewhat reformed in the year 2000 or 2001 so that children (born in Germany) of permanent residents of Germany at least get German citizenship at birth, but the kids have to decide at the age of 18 if they want to keep their German citizenship or the citizenship of their parents. I welcome this change since in my case I would have chosen German citizenship since I was fully integrated into German society and considered German as my native language.

So this is really not a clear cut thing and hence, reason for a lot of heated discussions both in the US and in Germany.

Edited March 1, 2012 by nwctzn

[soch 2]

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUAL IN HAND! Can not stress how greatful we are to all that helpped us in this processss...

Now we have a trip to Germany planned in June, does he need his american passort to travel or can we save the expense for now and still travel in and out with his German pass? hmmmm

Best of luck to all!

[HuffyTheSlayer 22]

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUAL IN HAND! Can not stress how greatful we are to all that helpped us in this processss...

Now we have a trip to Germany planned in June, does he need his american passort to travel or can we save the expense for now and still travel in and out with his German pass? hmmmm

Best of luck to all!

US Citizens are legally required to enter and exit the US with a US Passport. So your spouse will need to get a US passport.

[nwctzn 55]

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUAL IN HAND! Can not stress how greatful we are to all that helpped us in this processss...

Now we have a trip to Germany planned in June, does he need his american passort to travel or can we save the expense for now and still travel in and out with his German pass? hmmmm

Best of luck to all!

He needs a US passport. Order it ASAP after the oath ceremony.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUAL IN HAND! Can not stress how greatful we are to all that helpped us in this processss...

Now we have a trip to Germany planned in June, does he need his american passort to travel or can we save the expense for now and still travel in and out with his German pass? hmmmm

Best of luck to all!

And another problem the human brain can solve easily!

United States citizen approaches U.S. border patrol agent, who is a federal law enforcement agent, and misrepresents himself by pretending to be a foreign national on a vacation as part of the visa waiver program. Whatcha think . . . is that okay?

Keep one very important thing in mind: within the first 2 years after the naturalization, all it takes is the signature of a single I.O. do undo the naturalization. Only after 2 years a signature of a federal judge is needed!

[karin_brenig 18]

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUAL IN HAND! Can not stress how greatful we are to all that helpped us in this processss...

Now we have a trip to Germany planned in June, does he need his american passort to travel or can we save the expense for now and still travel in and out with his German pass? hmmmm

Best of luck to all!

Hey, congratulations!

Your husband needs a US passport. When travelling to Germany he needs to take both his US and German passports.

Here's how this works

Flight from USA to Germany

Check-in at the airport in the USA: show US passport.

Leaving the US: show US passport

Entering Germany after you pick up your luggage: show German passport

Flight from Germany to the USA

Check-in at the airport in Germany: show US passport (only if they specifically ask to see it: also show German passport)

Leaving the public area of the German airport: show German passport

Going through airport security and gate to your flight: show US passport

Entering the USA: show US passport (only if they ask why there is no stamp in your passport say "because I also hold a German passport")

Edited March 31, 2012 by karin_brenig

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hey, congratulations!

Your husband needs a US passport. When travelling to Germany he needs to take both his US and German passports.

Here's how this works

Flight from USA to Germany

Check-in at the airport in the USA: show US passport and German passport to show no visa is needed

Leaving the US: show US passport

Entering Germany after you pick up your luggage: show German passport

Flight from Germany to the USA

Check-in at the airport in Germany: show US passport (only if they specifically ask to see it: also show German passport)

Leaving the public area of the German airport: show German passport

Going through airport security and gate to your flight: show US passport

Entering the USA: show US passport (only if they ask why there is no stamp in your passport say "because I also hold a German passport")

Please see correction in red above. This happened to me when returning to Australia. I used my UK passport to leave the US 'cause I arrived on it and was told I needed to get the I-94 removed and show my "exit" or something but my name was called over the loud-speaker to return to the counter. I returned and was told I need to show proof of a visa to show I'm eligible to enter Australia. I showed my Aussie passport and was told I'm supposed to show that when travelling to Australia.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Please see correction in red above. This happened to me when returning to Australia. I used my UK passport to leave the US 'cause I arrived on it and was told I needed to get the I-94 removed and show my "exit" or something but my name was called over the loud-speaker to return to the counter. I returned and was told I need to show proof of a visa to show I'm eligible to enter Australia. I showed my Aussie passport and was told I'm supposed to show that when travelling to Australia.

Don't think I ever caught you making a mistake, 'Nessi, but here you did, which proves that you are human after all . . .

An American don't need no smellin' visa to visit Germany, thanks to the VWP.

Good job, Karin.

Now enter two entirely different names to the game to make it more exciting . . .

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Don't think I ever caught you making a mistake, 'Nessi, but here you did, which proves that you are human after all . . .

An American don't need no smellin' visa to visit Germany, thanks to the VWP.

Good job, Karin.

Now enter two entirely different names to the game to make it more exciting . . .

Neither does the UK for Aus (VWP type deal) but maybe the airlines screwed up? It's entirely possible Alright I'll concede you know more than I about US/German (one would certainly hope!!)

[karin_brenig 18]

Don't think I ever caught you making a mistake, 'Nessi, but here you did, which proves that you are human after all . . .

An American don't need no smellin' visa to visit Germany, thanks to the VWP.

Good job, Karin.

Now enter two entirely different names to the game to make it more exciting . . .

I can do without the "excitement" of different names

I never even changed my last name when I got married to any of my two husbands.

My Name is easy to pronounce in most countries that I woudl ever want to live in or travel to, has no Umlaut in it either, works fine for me, isn't too common to get me confused with the millions of other Jane Smiths - so I'll keep it.

One minor caveat here in the USA though: I have to constantly tell people to, please, don't "e"liminate my "i".

Most of these "offenders" then look at me funny, until I explain to them that my first name really does have an "i" in there - which belongs in there and serves a purpose

[karin_brenig 18]

Neither does the UK for Aus (VWP type deal) but maybe the airlines screwed up? It's entirely possible Alright I'll concede you know more than I about US/German (one would certainly hope!!)

let me add one last note to the final step (when coming home to the USA and being asked about the lack of stamps in your US passport):

make very certain, that you DO NOT say anything that could be interpreted as claiming to be "not a US citizen".

DO NOT say something like ".....because I am German"

DO NOT say something like ".....because I am a dual US and German citizen"

ONLY claim holding a German passport by saying "....because I hold a German passport".

This is extremely important especially for the first two years of your newly acquired US citizenship,

because during those first two years your US citizenship could be revoked on the spot by an IO.

After the first two years are over, it takes a federal judge to revoke your US citizenship - and the offense would have to be major.

[Maad 0]

let me add one last note to the final step (when coming home to the USA and being asked about the lack of stamps in your US passport):

make very certain, that you DO NOT say anything that could be interpreted as claiming to be "not a US citizen".

DO NOT say something like ".....because I am German"

DO NOT say something like ".....because I am a dual US and German citizen"

ONLY claim holding a German passport by saying "....because I hold a German passport".

This is extremely important especially for the first two years of your newly acquired US citizenship,

because during those first two years your US citizenship could be revoked on the spot by an IO.

After the first two years are over, it takes a federal judge to revoke your US citizenship - and the offense would have to be major.

hmmmm... could you please point to the law stating that?

I have same issue when traveling to EU... my old passport does the trick no matter where I go...often without even opening it kinda nice...

And other thing is, if you opt for Fast Entry with CBP you will be dealing with no waiting lines in the airports and no human checking your stamps... just machine

IMO the best spent $100 ... just land, debark and go... in ORD usually takes me up to 15 minutes from the plain to the car. About 10 is walking from the gate