Moving from Germany - Shipping Items

[Tierpolizistin 0]

I was not quite sure where to pose this question, but I feel I will find better answers in here than I have had by contacting the US Customs and Government officials who are clueless as to what I am talking about. 

 

I am actually the petitioner. My fiancé (now husband) and I went through the K1 process for him. Before we had our interview and got the K1 approved, he had contacted various shipping companies to inquire about having his household goods shipped from Germany to Arizona. He was given a quote and advised that as soon as his K1 was approved to call them back and they would come out to pick the boxes up. (just household items of his like books, linens, kitchen items, tools, decorations etc). As soon as we left the Consulate after the Visa got approved, he called the company and advised that we were approved and he would get the Visa in the main within a week, so he scheduled for them to come to pick the boxes up. I was not in Germany anymore when they came out to pick the boxes up, or I would have raised a fuss with them and prevented this from happening..but they saw the K1 Visa and told him "oh no, we can't ship these boxes on only a K1 since it is only good for 90 days. We are going to take your stuff and put it in storage that you pay for in Bremerhaven and call us when you get the Adjustment of Status." This is, of course extortion. 

 

So now they are telling him this is not their rules, but that the US will only allow them to ship his boxes when he has his new status. We are going through the step of filing for AOS and work authorization for him now...but that can be a while. 

 

Does anyone have experience with this? Or know who to contact to get this resolved? Now that he and I are married, can we submit to them the marriage certificate, or, once we file for AOS can we submit the receipt to them showing we filed? I am just trying to find out if there is anything we can do to get his stuff shipped. His work authorization will come through sooner than the AOS, and he has many tools in those boxes that he needs for his work (he is an Engineer). 

 

And one other question - later this year we are planning to marry in Germany, and I know that Germany will allow that as they will accept our US marriage as legal. But my husband was advised he would have to submit our marriage certificate to Germany to register our marriage there, but he is not sure to where it goes...possibly to his local Standesamt? Does anyone have any insight into that as well?

 

Thank you in advance! 

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Have you contacted the Frankfurt consulate (U.S. Citizen Services line) to tell them that German nationals are "enforcing" what they think is U.S. immigration law, without any authority to do so?  Have you contacted the police in Bremerhaven?  Have you contacted your U.S. Congressman?  You need to put the fear of consequences into those rats.

[Tierpolizistin 0]

I doubt any US government official is going to care on a matter like this. And police in Germany certainly won't care either. I think this is a matter of Bremerhaven not knowing what they are doing. I can not get ahold of anyone at US Customer to confirm this or advise what to do, but I figured that someone in here who went through this process had to have gone through this same thing and shipped their things here and might be able to advise exact;y what they did and needed. I just want my husband to have his stuff (well, our stuff) and not pay unnecessary storage fees. I don't know if we just simply need to submit our marriage certificate to them to show we have fulfilled the K1 requirement, or they perhaps need the AOS receipt from USCIS once we have it? 

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Importantly, if you "play their game," they'll continue what they're doing, and others will suffer.  They have zero right to your official documents.  Contact your Congressman's immigration liaison for intercession.

[smallgirlbigworld 46]

On 09/01/2017 at 10:20 AM, Tierpolizistin said:

I doubt any US government official is going to care on a matter like this. And police in Germany certainly won't care either. I think this is a matter of Bremerhaven not knowing what they are doing. I can not get ahold of anyone at US Customer to confirm this or advise what to do, but I figured that someone in here who went through this process had to have gone through this same thing and shipped their things here and might be able to advise exact;y what they did and needed. I just want my husband to have his stuff (well, our stuff) and not pay unnecessary storage fees. I don't know if we just simply need to submit our marriage certificate to them to show we have fulfilled the K1 requirement, or they perhaps need the AOS receipt from USCIS once we have it? 

I just came across your thread and maybe I can give you a little assistance. I have worked for a moving company back in Germany and while I didn't workt he commercial/private area I could give you a phone number or E-Mail to a girl I worked with who is still working private shipments from Germany to USA. She should be able to tell you what is needed in order to get your husbands stuff shipped overseas and if whatever moving company you are using is telling the truth. Private message me and maybe I can help you on this subject. 

 

As per the registering with the local standesamt. I inquired the consul in houston about changing my name once my greencard received and the lady there send me some forms that need to be filled out in order to get your name changed in the german system and also to get the marriage registered. I can also forward you those documents.

[Tierpolizistin 0]

Danke!!! Das ist sehr  hilfsbereit  und ich schätze es!!! Ich werde dir eine Nachricht schicken! VIelen, vielen dank!!! 

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Glad that the help seemed to be valuable, but please use only English outside the regional forums.  (If you must use a foreign language, provide an English translation for everyone's benefit.)