How to obtain permanent residency in Germany: the experience of Kristina and Roman Bort?

Moving to Germany from Russia

Is it really possible to move from Russia to Germany and obtain permanent residency? In this article, we will talk about Kristina and Roman Bork, who just a month ago, along with their daughter Milana, realized their plan under the late resettlers program. They actively share their experience, including a detailed action plan and a list of necessary documents for participating in this program, on their blog.

“It all started when life in Novosibirsk stopped bringing joy,” Kristina confessed in an interview with a journalist. Preparatory activities began for them in January 2018, and they never thought it could take a full four years. The idea of changing their place of residence had even emerged earlier.

Reasons for moving

Everything has come to the point where living in Novosibirsk has started to weigh them down. The city has gradually lost its charm and vibrancy. Initially, the couple considered the possibility of moving to Krasnoyarsk, which is known for its many parks and green spaces. However, the residents of that city noted that the level of ecology there is unacceptable due to the polluted air.

In the end, after deep contemplation, they realized that they dreamed of having their own home, but not in Siberia – the winters there are too harsh. They began to think about southern countries, but this idea didn't pan out when Kristina came across information about a relocation program to Germany.

The history of Roman's ancestors

Roman is a descendant of Germans.His grandfather, who was born in the USSR, was a true German. His ancestors endured repression during the war and were forced to live in Siberia in a labor camp. Thanks to his grandfather Friedrich, they had a unique opportunity to move to Germany as late resettlers.

Even though Roman's father also had German roots, his birth certificate states "Russian." According to the program's requirements, to obtain the status, relatives must have reached the age of 16 by June 1941.

Fears and anxieties

When their friends and acquaintances ask if they are not afraid to leave everything they have, Kristina always answers honestly: "Yes, it's scary." In Russia, they have family, friends, a familiar environment, and almost all their belongings left behind. They knew exactly who they could turn to for support in a difficult situation.

Considering all the pros and cons of their own move, they confront their fears and anxieties, which tend to intensify. However, as they begin to reflect on their life prospects both in their home country and in Germany, their anxiety starts to gradually fade away.

Prospects and new opportunities

Kristina knows many successful people in Russia.However, the feeling that she could succeed there seemed unattainable to her. Their approach to moving is based on the intention to find better living conditions, which certainly played a key role in their decision-making.

Moving to Germany for them is not just a change of location, but a pursuit of a new life in a different cultural environment that opens up new horizons and opportunities, which also played a significant role in their decision.

Diversity of opinions about the future

The variety of opinions about the future, as you can imagine, is very broad. In Duisburg lives my distant relative, whom I have known since childhood. When our family decided to initiate the moving process, I decided to call her. I was surprised when she started to discourage me from it: there are many refugees in the city, the situation has become tense, and tax funds are largely going to support them. After such a conversation, I was a bit worried. But then, a few days later, she got in touch with me again. She noted that if you manage to find a good job, the quality of your life will be significantly higher!

Discussion of the return program

Now let's discuss the repatriation program. We'll examine the main aspects and key points of this initiative. The first step is the submission of an application on behalf of a descendant who was born before January 1, 1993. Individuals born after this date can relocate if they have a direct ancestor who is a recognized resettler. It is important that this relative was at least 16 years old by June 1941 and confirmed their permanent residence in the territory of the USSR from May 8, 1945, or, if the resettlement was forced, from March 31, 1952.

Documents and requirements

In the equivalent documents, the applicant must indicate the word.“German”in the "nationality" field. This can be challenging, as there is a lack of documents in Russia where one can clearly indicate their ethnic affiliation. Additionally, one must have language proficiency at a level not lower thanB1.

Change of nationality

Changing nationality and gathering all the necessary documents for submission toBVA— this is the first and main condition for participating in this program. That is, for example, in your marriage certificate, the field for "nationality" must also be filled in.“German”Let's take a closer look at this.

• First, you need to contact the registry office at your place of registration with a request to change your nationality.
• After the review, you will receive an official denial, which you will need to take to court to file a lawsuit.
• It's best to come to the first meeting with a witness, for example, your grandfather who has German roots.
• At the second meeting, we finally managed to get a positive decision on the nationality change case.
• With this decision, we were able to contact the registry office again to obtain an updated marriage certificate and our child's birth certificate.

Submission of documents to BVA

Now the entire package of updated documents needs to be sent toBVAThe Federal Office (Bundesverwaltungsamt) is located in Cologne. You can send the documents directly yourself or use the consulate. The fastest way is to send them from Germany through a trusted person, whether it's a friend, relative, or lawyer.

After receiving the documents inBVAYour request receives a unique number, and a curator is assigned to oversee your case. This approach helps to organize the process and make it more manageable. To achieve a positive outcome in this system, time and patience will be required, but by meeting all the requirements, your chances of successfully achieving your goals significantly increase.

Collection of documents for BVA

The documents must be prepared in accordance with certain standards, and there is a clear procedure that needs to be followed. What specific papers are required for submission to the BVA? First of all, an identification document of the person who was 16 years old at the time of 1941 will be needed.

We have attached our grandfather's birth certificate, which was reissued, so we included copies of both the old (poorly readable) and the new certificate in the documents. We will also need archival extracts, certificates of repression based on nationality, as well as documents confirming rehabilitation issued in the 1990s. In our case, we provided certificates of repression and rehabilitation, and we did not encounter any difficulties in obtaining them, as all the necessary papers were with our grandfather.

Preparation of personal documents

The next step will be to gather documents that verify the identity of the applicant, their spouse, and children. This section will require not only birth certificates but also passports. Additionally, the following will be needed:

• military ID
• work book
• documents of education.

In Germany, even the school certificate is taken into account, so it should also be included in the documentation, along with the higher education diploma or the secondary vocational education diploma. A marriage certificate is also required; in our case, it was reissued due to a change of nationality.

Certificate of absence of criminal record

It is also necessary to take care of the certificate of no criminal record, which is required for permanent residence in Germany. Be sure to have an up-to-date document confirming the absence of a criminal record with you. We have added an application form to this package.

You can find the form for the "Antrag" on the official BVA website. It's important to remember that the Antrag must be filled out in German, and it's best to entrust this task to a professional who is well-versed in the language.

Obtaining citizenship and a passport

In this context, the partner, whether husband or wife, receives German citizenship and a passport simultaneously with the main applicant. If this condition is not met, the spouse can take advantage of the family reunification program, acting as a foreign citizen under § 8.

Conditions for relocation

To enter the country, the applicant's relatives must demonstrate basic knowledge of the German language at the A1 level. This implies having a certificate with a minimum score of 60 points. Children under 18 years oldare being releasedFrom this language test, adults aged 60 and over must score at least 52 points. After confirming their training, they are issued a certificate of passing the test, which is sent to the BVA.

Personal experience of learning German

I have been connected to the study of the German language throughout my life, starting from my early school years. In our family, the German language and German culture have always been valued. My grandfather, who served in the army as a colonel, had a significant influence on our perception of Germany.

Family history

Due to military service, my family lived in Germany for a long time, in one of the army towns, and my father was born there. My grandmother, who was a teacher of Russian language and literature, also returned to Russia to teach me German.

The influence of the home environment

In our house, the flag of the GDR was flying, and the shelves were filled with numerous German-Russian dictionaries. So, I probably never faced difficulties in learning the language, as my grandmother always supported me.

• She helped me with my homework.
• We worked together on translating texts, comfortably settled on her bed among countless books and dictionaries.

However, over time my language skills began to fade, and I had to start learning from scratch.

Success in passing the exam

In October 2019, I successfully passed the A2 level language exam at the Goethe-Institut. This exam covered four main areas:

• reading
• listening (hören)
• letter
• conversation (speak)

My friend Roma also took the language test at the German center at NGTU and was able to succeed in it.

Entry permit

The entry permit, known as Aufnahmebescheid, is often referred to as a "call." In fact, it is a positive decision regarding the acceptance of a late resettler into Germany. This permit is indefinite and provides assurance that at any time, the applicant and their family can move to the country.

Obtaining a visa

Based on this permit (AB), the migrants obtain a visa at the consulate, which allows them to cross the border into Germany. Family members listed in the application receive a document called Einbeziehungsbescheid (EB).

Required documents for a national visa

In order for late settlers to enter the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, they need to obtain a national visa (visa D), which allows for a long-term stay of more than 90 days. Key documents required for obtaining a national visa include:

• birth certificates (or adoption certificates)
• documents of marriage registration (with apostille)
• internal passport (with a note of deregistration from the permanent place of residence)
• foreign passport
• certificate of criminal record or lack thereof

The process of obtaining a visa for Germany

Obtaining a visa to enter Germany involves considering many aspects. First and foremost, an important requirement is having health insurance that is valid for one year and covers a full 90 days.

Remember that you need to attach 3x4 size photos to your application: one of them should be glued to the form, and you should take the second one with you when submitting the documents.

Filling out the application

The application form needs to be filled out in German; this can be done either through the online service of the Consulate General or by downloading the document.

Document collection

It is important to gather all the documents in their original form and make one copy of each. Usually, notarization of the copies is not required, and translation of the documents from Russian is also not necessary.

It is important to remember that all applicants must be present when submitting a visa application, so when scheduling an appointment, be sure to provide information about each person who will be submitting documents.

Personal experience interacting with the migration service

From my personal experience with German immigration services, I can say that this process can be quite complicated. I started correspondence with Frau Knobloch to find out what stage our case is at.

It's surprising, but the process isn't moving as quickly as I would like. I only sent the first email inquiring about the status three months after I submitted the complete set of documents.

In my letter, I politely reminded about our matter and inquired whether our documents had reached the recipient. The response came quite quickly, but unfortunately, it did not bring any significant progress:“Don’t worry, your case is still under review. Please wait.”

The response I received did not contain any specific timelines, which led me to believe that a month would be more than enough to process our request.

Next steps

On December 1, 2021, I wrote to Frau Knobloch again. This time my letter was more emotional: I described our family, whom we miss very much, and expressed a sincere desire to reunite. I also emphasized my eagerness to integrate into German society as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, this time the response turned out to be just as cold:“I already replied to you a month ago!”

Obtaining a visa for entry

Despite all the difficulties, just three days after my second request, we finally received the visa. Perhaps my appeal touched something in the heart of the lady after all.

Cover letter

An equally important aspect of the application process is drafting a cover letter. It not only demonstrates your respect for the receiving party but can also reduce the number of questions from the BVA. This letter should include:

• to tell in detail about my story in the program;
• describe the current situation of your family;
• Mention if you have relatives who have already moved to Germany through the resettlement program for late migrants or in another way.

Each cover letter should also include a list of all documents. If you are resending previously issued documents, be sure to explain the reason for the resending.

Processing additional requests

When submitting additional requests, don't forget to include a cover letter, which is best started with phrases“Dear…”and to finish"With kind regards".

Patience and attention to detail

This process requires patience and attention to detail; however, only perseverance and precision in the details can lead to the desired success in obtaining a visa. Pay special attention to every little thing, as they are of utmost importance in this matter.

Conclusion

In summary, I can say that moving to Germany through the program for late resettlers is truly an achievable dream for many, especially for those with German roots. The story of Kristina and Roman Bork is a vivid example of this. Their journey began in Novosibirsk, where they decided that staying in their hometown would become difficult and unbearable for them. Change is always associated with risks and fears, especially when it comes to moving to another country where the language and cultural traditions may differ.

Despite the fears and doubts brought on by uncertainty, the decisive steps turned out to be right and well-considered. The premature move became possible due to the realization that they, as a family, had a unique opportunity to create a new life in another country, where the prospects for growth and the future seemed more promising.

It's important to remember

Moving under the late resettlers program requires detailed preparation and knowledge, but every step taken by your family will lead to your safety and comfort in the new place. Participating in this program is just the first step towards a full life in Germany, but it can already serve as a successful start in itself.

An important point is the proper preparation of the necessary documents and understanding the process — for example, changing nationality in Russian documents, which, as I understand, can be quite complicated and troublesome. However, as the experiences of Kristina and Roman show, even the most convoluted processes can be successfully navigated if one maintains patience and persistence.

The advantages of a new beginning

Now that they are in Germany, they are eagerly looking forward to new opportunities, an improved quality of life, and education for their daughter Milana. Changes, although challenging, can open up new horizons. No matter how difficult the circumstances may seem, it is important to remember that steps taken to improve the quality of life are always justified.

Main findings

• Moving to Germanypossible and feasible.
• Requireddetailed preparationdocuments.
• Changing nationality in documents can be complicated, butpatience and persistenceThey will help.
• New opportunities are waiting ahead, andevery new beginning— it's a chance to change life for the better.

Thus, moving to Germany from Russia and obtaining permanent residency is a possible and achievable task. If you have the desire and readiness for change, then perhaps your new journey is already waiting ahead. We all await change, and if you are ready to take a risk for a better future, new opportunities and prospects lie ahead. Every new beginning is a chance to change your life for the better.