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Post by davidoffronhill on Jul 28, 2014 6:46:58 GMT 1
Ok....so...U.S. citizen...and I am ready for my move to Croatia...to be with my lady... First...I have read and re-read...a thousand times...the requirements for temporary stay...which is what I plan to get... We are planning to use 'reunification of family member' under the status of 'registered civil partnership'...due to the fact that we do not plan to get married any time soon... This will be my 3rd time in Croatia...and I have enough experience of my own 'in-country'...and always help if needed from my girlfriend and her family... I have all of the needed documents...and will have proof of sufficient funds (what is sufficient?...because no-one ever knows?)....by the time 60 days have passed on my passport... Also...if not...then my girlfriends family could vouch for me... Either way...the funds will be there...although I did not know before-hand that one had to have the full amount in the bank at once...or is this true? Also...I plan to send the request for my FBI history summary (background check) from Croatia...while there...which...is possible...according to: zagreb.usembassy.gov/service/other/entry.html
I have all of the other documents stated to be required...
So.....please.....can anyone let me know if I am missing something? This should go fairly easy...although I am expecting a lot of 'anxiety' in waiting...and having to go from place to place to do it all...
ahh...one last thing....I have no idea how to get the apostille stamps on my documents...or have them translated...but my thought was that they would point me in the right direction...
Simply....if anyone has any advice for us....we would appreciate it...
Thanks in advance... |
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Post by Carol on Jul 28, 2014 7:00:15 GMT 1
apostile stamps are done in the UK by the British Government at their Legalisation Department. They are not something which the Croats can help you with.
What they say is this document is something we recognise and it is valid. Obviously you would not expect a foreign power to authenticate another's documents. I suggest you google your own state's government agencies with the words apostile and legalisation. An alternative is to get the documents notarized, but first you need to find out whether Croatia would accept your home state's notaries.
Once apostiled (or notarized), take the documents to Croatia and get them translated by a court interpreter. You do it aftewards because they also translate the apostile. It takes a couple of days but is relatively inexpensive and easily accessed. Your girlfriend's family can organise this part for you as it is easily the most trivial of all the things that need done (i.e. infinitely easier than persuading a bureaucrat to get around to looking at your application and issue the relevant stamp).
Good luck.
By the way, I hope you do not mind me asking but the way you write (with all the dots), is that how US children are taught to write at school?
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Post by Carol on Jul 28, 2014 7:18:14 GMT 1
Since you asked for advice, I forgot to add, that classifying yourselves as family may be pushing it as far as the Croatian authorities are concerned. So the family reunification visa may not be as easy to obtain as you may think.
It is not impossible, but it is not the sort of thing that just gets accepted following a simple declaration the way in might be in the US or UK. My impression of the Croatian bureaucrats is they like documentary evidence of everything. I am trying to think of anything they ever just took my word for and I can't.
So, for example, when we said that our two children were brothers, it meant nothing to the people who saw them daily, This despite the fact that they were pre-school age, looked alike, had the same surname (as each other and my husband and I) and lived with us at our address. They were both under five years of age, so if they had not both been our children, it would be unlikely that they would both be living with us without their real parents looking for them. However, when I put the passports away and produced the birth certificates instead, then they were deemed to be brothers.
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Post by davidoffronhill on Jul 28, 2014 7:46:53 GMT 1
That is simply the way in which I write quickly...and no...it is not taught this way in U.S. schools... I should have provided the link to the EU definition of 'civil partnership', and I was assuming that Croatia is now following it. europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/family/couple/registered-partners/index_en.htmSo, in that regard, it is equivalent to marriage, as stated. Which would, in turn, legally give the status of 'family'. Unless they are lieing in their statement, in which case, someone should report this to the EU authorities, so that it may be corrected on the website. All of my documents are 'notarized' in the U.S, except for the 'FBI history summary', which I have not sent for yet. However, the fact that they state that I can send for it, from Croatia, tells me that it must be possible for it to be notarized there. One thing is for sure, and that is, they should provide more details to those wishing to follow their procedures. |
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Post by davidoffronhill on Jul 28, 2014 8:03:24 GMT 1
It does state that the differences in this field, between EU countries are huge, but I see no reason why this would be different in Croatia, as they are not listed as an EU country which does not recognize it.
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Post by Ribaric on Jul 28, 2014 8:08:06 GMT 1
I went the route of family reunification in exactly the way you propose for yourself, albeit five or six years ago. There are, or were, a few strange requirements but it is quite feasible and probably no more complicated than other routes to obtain permission to stay. There's a long thread on here somewhere which I wrote at the time to diary my experiences, I'll try to find it.
When Carol says "court" translator, you do know what this means, yes?
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Post by davidoffronhill on Jul 28, 2014 8:19:00 GMT 1
Thanks!!  If you could find the thread, I would love to read it.
I am assuming a 'court translator' is simply an individual authorized to translate these, although I am sure I will be in for a surprise in some way.
I have often wondered if it is easier to hire an attorney? |
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Post by Carol on Jul 28, 2014 11:25:25 GMT 1
Easier, but it won't make much difference as long as you can take a Croatian speaker along with you.
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Post by Ribaric on Jul 29, 2014 11:21:33 GMT 1
I can't find the thread David but here's some more about the process... [1] You must prove you are able to marry (Not already married). [2] If divorced, you must prove it. (Notarised and apostilled from your own country). [3] You must declare you are living as man + wife. [4] Snoopy cops will ask your neighbours if you do. [5] There is always an interview. It's creepy. [6] You need all the usual health, wealth, criminal, birth etc documents. [7] You will get annual inspections to see if there is evidence you both live at the given address. Even creepier when they start looking for knickers and bras. Is a crazy situation where you must declare you intend to marry even if you don't. That costs £50 Then you must declare you are able to marry (£50) and your declaration gets pinned to the wall inside the Zagreb embassy for a month so that anyone who happens to be passing can "speak now or forever hold their peace". If either of you are divorced then that's another gut wrenching experience. Read more: visitcroatia.proboards.com/thread/8669/unmarried-partner-common-marriage-visa#ixzz38r5X3Zo1 |
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Post by Ribaric on Jul 29, 2014 11:24:00 GMT 1
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Post by davidoffronhill on Aug 16, 2014 1:18:32 GMT 1
Thanks Ribaric!! I have spoken to the consulate in U.S., and was informed that I have 180 days on the first 'permit', without problem. Only after that, do I have to have the 'FBI summary history report', and of course, will have all papers together and ready. I will keep this thread going, and up to date, as to how everything evolves. I apologize for the late reply, as we have been preparing many things, and there is very little time during each day it seems, to catch up with everything. So far, so good. |
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Post by cornellj on Aug 28, 2014 12:37:15 GMT 1
I am a little late here, but as a US citizen who recently got a family reunification visa, I thought I'd chime in. I'm not sure if this will help or cause you even more anxiety, though.  Back in December/January, when we were preparing our documents, a couple could claim a civil partnership after living together for three years or having a child together. We were at about 2.5 years (no kids), so we were told that we needed to prove our relationship. We compiled: Registration documentation (you should register at the same address as your girlfriend when you arrive) Previous visa documentation (this won't apply to you) Proof of financial responsibility Proof of our shared bank account (to help prove our relationship) Proof of my American health insurance Single status letter with apostille (proof that I'm not already married, provided by my local county clerk) My birth certificate with apostille (just in case – you do need it when you get married, but I don't think it's actually required for a partnership) Notarized statements regarding our relationship Any other required photos, application forms, copies of your passport, etc. This may sound like overkill, but it went over pretty much without a hitch. And it was pretty gratifying to see the MUP representative thumbing through our documentation in disbelief. I did have to return to the office once as there was a hiccup regarding my health insurance (apparently now foreigners MUST enroll in the national health program), but I was granted my five-year family reunification visa about a month and a half after we submitted the application. We didn't have to do an interview, and as far as I know, they didn't come to our apartment or pester our neighbors. My best word of advice is to be overprepared, because every MUP rep will tell you something different. Personally, I think it's far easier to collect documents while in the US, but I suppose you could do it from a distance if you have enough time. A couple of other notes: I would double check on the 180-day permit. To my knowledge, it's 90 days (within a 180-day period). Previously, I had submitted a background check from my home state, not the FBI, and that was sufficient. (Perhaps I just got lucky, though?) The apostilles need to be done in the US. Mine were done by the Office of the Secretary of the State in my home state, but I think there are other services available. As Carol said, you can then have the documents translated in Croatia. In the past, I successfully applied for visas myself, but this time we worked with a lawyer. Although I think it would have gone over well regardless, it was nice to have the help, especially in light of recently changing laws. If you would like a recommendation for a translator and/or lawyer, feel free to message me. Sretno! (And thanks to Ribaric and others who previously answered all my questions about family reunification.) |
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Post by swordfish on Aug 29, 2014 7:33:54 GMT 1
well done
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Post by 123456 on Sept 2, 2014 10:33:38 GMT 1
<<I would double check on the 180-day permit. To my knowledge, it's 90 days (within a 180-day period).>> I agree - maybe they meant your first residency permit would be for 6 months, which is usually the case. <<Previously, I had submitted a background check from my home state, not the FBI, and that was sufficient. (Perhaps I just got lucky, though?)>> This was the case for me as well, I never needed the FBI one - I just used a background check from my home state and had it apostilled and officially translated. <<The apostilles need to be done in the US. Mine were done by the Office of the Secretary of the State in my home state, but I think there are other services available. As Carol said, you can then have the documents translated in Croatia.>> Yes, this is all true. You must get the apostille done in the States, by the Office of the Secretary of the State in your home state. This also goes for the FBI one. Previous notes I have about the FBI background check and then getting an apostille are: Does the FBI provide apostilles*? (*An apostille is a certification that a document has been “legalized” or “authenticated” by the issuing agency through a process in which various seals are placed on the document.) The CJIS Division will authenticate all U.S. Department of Justice Order 556-73 fingerprint search results by placing the FBI seal and the signature of a division official on the results at the time of submission. Note: The FBI seal is no longer a raised seal. Documents authenticated by the FBI may then be sent to the U.S. Department of State by the requestor to obtain an apostille if necessary. Requests to authenticate previously processed results will not be accepted. Note: If a Channeler will be used and an authentication (apostille) is needed, please contact the Channeler to determine if this service is provided. www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/faqs The process: www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/submitting-an-identity-history-summary-request-to-the-fbi |
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If you could find the thread, I would love to read it.