Trace Bates 2: Dating A Poor Persecuted Refugee with A Purpose?

[Smash!]

7 minutes ago, CarrotCake said:

But how long will that take? They can do a trip around Europe for a few weeks over the summer. Or does it really take months?

I just checked www.visajourney.com and for K1 (fiancé visa) from NOA1 (notification that the application has arrived to NOA2 (approval of the paperwork) it‘s about 354 days. After NOA2 the petition is transferred to the consulate where you have to schedule an interview. If approved you receive the visa.

For CR1 (spouse visa) the processing time from NOA1 to NOA2 is 301 days. 

Especially K1 used to be much faster than now.

[JDuggs]

I’ve never had any personal experience with immigration issues and they seem incredibly complex. So simply, is there any legal reason they can’t get married now? Someone also mentioned that Lydia’s brother is getting married soon, so I’m thinking that Trace and Lydia are also okay to marry.

[Idlewild]

@JDuggs, as @nelliebelle1197 explained above, they can get married but in order for her to apply for legal status she would have to go to Germany and apply via the embassy there and there is no guarantee it would be granted quickly, if at all. 

[JDuggs]

4 minutes ago, Idlewild said:

@JDuggs, as @nelliebelle1197 explained above, they can get married but in order for her to apply for legal status she would have to go to Germany and apply via the embassy there and there is no guarantee it would be granted quickly, if at all. 

But marriage doesn’t affect her legal status, so nothing really changes? She could be deported either way, but now she’d be separated from her husband?

[CanadianMamam]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26454988.amp

 

According to this article as of of 2014, the Romeike family has "indefinite deferred action" status. They weren't granted asylum but won't be deported either. The article says that could change but it seems to have been the case so far. 

 

 

[Smash!]

24 minutes ago, JDuggs said:

But marriage doesn’t affect her legal status, so nothing really changes? She could be deported either way, but now she’d be separated from her husband?

Marriage (or in the case of the K1 visa the intent to marry) to an US-citizen allows someone to file a visa to immigrate into the US.

 

11 minutes ago, CanadianMamam said:

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-26454988.amp

 

According to this article as of of 2014, the Romeike family has "indefinite deferred action" status. They weren't granted asylum but won't be deported either. The article says that could change but it seems to have been the case so far. 

From the article:

“Some US legal analysts say it is no surprise the asylum request was denied.

"Germany is a democratic country and it chooses to make attendance in schools mandatory. It offers many choices of school - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, private, public - every imaginable sort," Professor David Abraham, an expert on immigration and citizenship law at the University of Miami School of Law, told the BBC in November.

"What they can't call persecution is the obligation to attend school with other children. That's an important social value that the German legislature has adopted."

Following Tuesday's decision, Mr Abraham added that US immigration officials were focusing their attention on deporting criminals.

"Getting this family out of the United States is not a high priority," he said.

[…]

"As long as we can live at peace here we are happy," Mr Romeike said in a statement provided to the Associated Press news agency. "We have always been ready to go wherever the Lord would lead us."„

Well Mr. Romeike, the Lord wanted your children attend a government-approved school in Germany and you fled the country crying persecution.

[JDuggs]

3 minutes ago, Smash! said:

Marriage (or in the case of the K1 visa the intent to marry) to an US-citizen allows someone to file a visa to immigrate into the US.

 

Okay, I think I get it. There doesn’t seem to be an advantage to beginning this process before marriage. Or she may choose to take her chances and never try for legal status.

[nelliebelle1197]

3 hours ago, CarrotCake said:

But how long will that take? They can do a trip around Europe for a few weeks over the summer. Or does it really take months?

It could - it took several weeks - 8-10 - for my friend

[nelliebelle1197]

3 hours ago, JDuggs said:

Okay, I think I get it. There doesn’t seem to be an advantage to beginning this process before marriage. Or she may choose to take her chances and never try for legal status.

I wonder if getting married will impact her current status? She is no longer a child.

[Smash!]

21 minutes ago, nelliebelle1197 said:

I wonder if getting married will impact her current status? She is no longer a child.

They had a lawyer from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) when they sought asylum, I‘m sure she wouldn‘t get married if it put her legal status at risk. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Smash!

[Anna Bolinas]

They could always go on "90 Day Fiance." That wouldn't necessarily do anything to increase her chances of becoming a citizen, but it would give them the reality tv attention they likely crave.

[SorenaJ]

The Romeike family could literally just move across the border to Austria where homeschooling is legal. 

If they don't like it in Germany, they have 26 other countries that they can freely move to, 16 of which allow homeschooling. 

Nah, they are just being cry babies for the sake of it. 

[AussieKrissy]

8 hours ago, SorenaJ said:

The Romeike family could literally just move across the border to Austria where homeschooling is legal. 

If they don't like it in Germany, they have 26 other countries that they can freely move to, 16 of which allow homeschooling. 

Nah, they are just being cry babies for the sake of it. 

For those reasons alone if I was the USA government, they would have been on a plane back. 

[JDuggs]

Guess who has their own new YouTube channel? I think the only adult Bates siblings not consumed with social media are Tori, Michael and Zach (but Whitney has it covered).

 

[Smash!]

9 hours ago, SorenaJ said:

The Romeike family could literally just move across the border to Austria where homeschooling is legal. 

If they don't like it in Germany, they have 26 other countries that they can freely move to, 16 of which allow homeschooling. 

Nah, they are just being cry babies for the sake of it. 

This is why I‘m wondering if they wanted to relocate to the US and seeking asylum was the easiest way. Their views are considered very extreme here and probably they wanted to live in a place where the surroundings are more accepting of their lifestyle.

[GreenBeans]

4 hours ago, Smash! said:

This is why I‘m wondering if they wanted to relocate to the US and seeking asylum was the easiest way. Their views are considered very extreme here and probably they wanted to live in a place where the surroundings are more accepting of their lifestyle.

Yes, other European countries may permit home schooling, but I doubt you’d find the kind of fundamental Christianity you find in certain parts of the US, at least not as widely socially accepted and not as much proclaimed by governmental authorities.

[Italiangirl]

8 hours ago, Smash! said:

This is why I‘m wondering if they wanted to relocate to the US and seeking asylum was the easiest way. Their views are considered very extreme here and probably they wanted to live in a place where the surroundings are more accepting of their lifestyle.

This has always be my idea of the situation, they wanted to relocate to the US, but didn't want to apply for a working Visa or make all the documents that from my understanding can be a pain to fill, so they claim they wanted to homeschool knowing that in Germany Is not allowed and then flew to the US claiming persecution so that they would be grateful the asylum and all without working or having to fill papers. Unfortunatly (from their PoV) they weren't granted the refugee status so now they are just there hoping no one will ever ask them anything 

[just_ordinary]

5 hours ago, GreenBeans said:

Yes, other European countries may permit home schooling, but I doubt you’d find the kind of fundamental Christianity you find in certain parts of the US, at least not as widely socially accepted and not as much proclaimed by governmental authorities.

Exactly. In most countries they would still be very much outsiders even in religious based homeschooling communities and would find it hard to feel accepted in the wider society. We also talk about general social constructs that are the norm like patient doctor confidentiality, mandatory regular medical check ups for till they reach adulthood, access contraception without the parents knowledge, mandatory registration, …. many of our societies are generally build to avoid this kind of seclusion while reaping in the perks. And the ones that are more conservative often enough are leaning more catholic so obviously not the right kind of Christians.

[Smash!]

I‘ve known two families growing up that were in what we call free churches, meaning they didn‘t belong to the state-funded catholic or protestant churches. Being in a free church was and still is considered more extreme, and that‘s what we thought of them considering their faith.

Both families didn‘t drink alcohol, their lives revolved around their church community and their children married very young, because no sex was allowed before marriage. Still they went to the normal government approved schools with all of us, their families socialized with the other families to the point of friendships. I think it is because here faith and religion is considered something private. There is a reason church and government are separated. 

This is probably the issue in many of the Republican-led States and districts. On paper there is still the separation between church and government, but in reality the lines are (very) blurred.

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Smash!

[HereticHick]

On 3/31/2022 at 9:38 PM, fluffernutter said:

Sounds like a disease one would need a prescription for. 🤣

Ask your doctor if Traclydia is right for you.

 

I predicted that with the UP TV $$ gone we'd see fewer destination proposals with the parents in tow. So here we are on a hotel rooftop in Knoxville!

[noseybutt]

On 4/2/2022 at 4:07 PM, Smash! said:

They had a lawyer from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) when they sought asylum, I‘m sure she wouldn‘t get married if it put her legal status at risk. 

I remember this and it felt like a total political stunt. As others have said, the family had good options much closer to home. But HSLDA had big plans to move into the international arena.

From my point of view, it was offensive. Asylum is granted based on membership in a persecuted group such as religion, political beliefs, race, nationality, or "particular social group."

HSLDA argued that Christian homeschoolers were a "particular social group." While, say, a family fleeing cartel violence would not be. 

[samurai_sarah]

6 hours ago, noseybutt said:

I remember this and it felt like a total political stunt. As others have said, the family had good options much closer to home. But HSLDA had big plans to move into the international arena.

From my point of view, it was offensive. Asylum is granted based on membership in a persecuted group such as religion, political beliefs, race, nationality, or "particular social group."

HSLDA argued that Christian homeschoolers were a "particular social group." While, say, a family fleeing cartel violence would not be. 

I agree: It was a stunt. The Romeikes were never persecution for being Christian. The majority of Germans are Christians of one flavour or another, after all. They faced prosecution for breaking a law that has nothing to do with their faith.

[artdecades]

Lydia, that is not a cake. It’s a watermelon covered in fruit 

[hollyfeller]

15 minutes ago, artdecades said:

Lydia, that is not a cake. It’s a watermelon covered in fruit 

Wasn't it Demi Lovato who was only allowed (or only allowed herself) to have a watermelon birthday cake when she was in the depths of her eating disorder?

[CaptainFunderpants]

19 hours ago, artdecades said:

Lydia, that is not a cake. It’s a watermelon covered in fruit 

Disagree. It is 100% a cake and a beautiful one at that. My mom used to make stuff like this for class parties in elementary school and they were always a hit.

Now with the price of fruit? That's easily a $50 cake with no labor cost included.