European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                That spouse ticket to ride into . Can be elusive americans who marry foreign nationals overseas have no guarantees their new spouses will be Able to legally enter the United states. The Happy couple can probably travel Back to the big pm together but not until the spouse gains the approval of Uncle Sam in the form of a visa. Getting that official Benediction can be time consuming and a bit complicated costs Money and for applicants in Germany requires a visit to the american consulate in Frankfurt. There Are two parts to the application process and the paper work must be letter perfect according to Jeff Coleman chief of Legal services for the greater Bremerhaven military Community. Gumc includes the 2nd army divin nearby Karlstedt an inactivating unit that had Many soldiers married to local nationals he said. Because a single paper work error can cause an application to be rejected requiring the applicant to make another 400-mile trip to the consulate and pay a new application fee Coleman and another military attorney got themselves trained on the process by consular officials. They then set up a local screening program so applications from their Community Are perfect before they Are submitted Coleman said. He noted that so far they have a perfect acceptance record. There Are two parts to the application process each involving Money and photographs. The second part requires the applicant to visit the consulate. A part one establishes the connection of the people and their marriage eligibility a he said. Quot part two they decide if they want your wife to enter the United  service members should see their Legal services offices or consular officials for details advice and required forms. The first step involves submitting a petition to the immigration and naturalization service along with a biography of both the applicant and his or her spouse photographs of both people birth certificates marriage certificate divorce decrees from previous marriages and $75 for each person applying. There Are specific official forms for some Fri this information. Coleman stresses they must be Complete and accurate. A they charge $75 just to look at the form a he said. A if its sent Back you have to Send another $75 to  when the first part has been approved the Soldier and spouse submit the second and that requires More documents Money and photographs. It also includes a face to face interview and a physical exam. The required documents include the applicants passport birth certificate police reports from each country the applicant has lived in for More than six months since he or she was 16 years old and evidence of support upon arrival in the United states. Police reports Are Quick to obtain in Germany Coleman said but from some countries it can take months. This is where some soldiers learn the real Deal about their newly dearly beloved. Sometimes various secrets like past marriages arrests and convictions pop up in these reports to the suprise and wonder of the Soldier. Serious criminal records will cause an application to be rejected Coleman said. For example a for any drug offence Over 100 Grams of a controlled substance they will never Ever Ever emigrate to the United states a he said. Of course we re talking criminal convictions of Normal folks Here not criminal activity by deposed dictators on the Lam from their own countries evidence of financial support is not a problem for folks married to soldiers being transferred to another duty station. A copy of the Soldier s orders is sufficient proof of employment Coleman said. Its More difficult when the Soldier is getting out of the military. Then the Soldier must provide proof of a Job or an offer of a Job on a company a Letterhead stationary or proof of $10, xxx in liquid assets like a checking or savings account Bonds or similar asset easily convertible to Cash or an affidavit of support. A there is a form they have to Send Back to some body in the states usually the parents a Coleman said. The person signing the form agrees to support the applicant for up to three years if necessary. A a it a filled out and signed by the parents and notarized a he said. A they must also prove they have the financial ability to do it which Means providing their last years tax return w-2 form or Bank statements. And if the wife Ever walks into a welfare office during that three years she will be sent out of the  there is also a $200 application fee for the second Slage of the application in addition to a 165-Mark $100 charge for a physical exam for adult applicants in Germany. Soldiers being transferred to another base in the states will be reimbursed for All fees but the physical exam charge. The consulate will not accept physical exam results from any doctors but its own so there is no Way around this charge. The background checks evidence of support and interviews Are taken seriously at the consulate he said. A they Are incredibly suspicious. The attitude is they Are trying to keep people out. They Are not Down there to grease the skids so foreign nationals can enter the  Coleman warns anyone who thinks this process is too time consuming expensive or annoying to Deal with it anyway. Getting cute with . Immigration policy is a bad idea. And sliding into the . On a tourist passport even though married to an american and with every intent of a taking care of it later is a bad move. A now she a illegally in the  because she is there under false pretences a he said. Quot not Good unless she plans on being an illegal alien. As soon As she tries to do anything with the army they re going to ask for her resident alien  if she a reported she a liable to be busted he said. A she will be deported. The ins Guys arrest her and hold her until they arrange a flight Back which is charged to the Soldier and she will be banned from returning to the . For five years. This has already happened during this draw Down. Not Here in Karlstedt but people from a unit Down South. A if they make it through the interview and physical four Days later the visa is ready. The visa she gets is for a the purpose of travel to the United states for the purpose of seeking resident alien  that visa from the Frankfurt consulate is Good for 120  on arrival in the states another application must be made for resident alien status. If the couple has been married less than two years when the non resident enters the ., the resident alien status expires on their second wedding anniversary he said. A if they Are divorced before two years or done to convince the ins they have an ongoing marriage the foreign National is Back on the plane a he said. This is to discourage marriage for Money arrangements. He emphasises that soldiers must take the process seriously Complete the paperwork correctly and not wait until the last minute. Delays and paperwork errors cause More problems for applicants than anything he said. A Coleman Story one Soldier  seem to get the applications filled out correctly and his departure Date was rapidly approaching. The soldiers battalion commander called the couple into his office turned to the woman and said a a May am your husband is going to America in three weeks and you Are not. And its because he can to get this paperwork filled in  it was letter perfect within two Days. Coleman also noted that the consular officials Are not sympathetic to last minute visa requests. A a they be been Adamant that if people wait until the last minute and try to Jam it through that its not going to  if their departure Date is near service members in love with a local National done to have to Rush out and get married because their main squeeze can apply Tor a Fiance visa Coleman said. Its simpler and easier to get and can be issued from consulates other than Frankfurt. The Fiancee visa allows a foreign National into the United states for the express purpose of marrying an american within 90 Days. Ken Clauson Page 6 a sunday May 10, 1992