tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85618747753882756952024-03-21T15:12:11.924+09:00My Quest for Romanian CitizenshipMy mom and grandfather were born in Romania. They immigrated to the USA. My mom never renounced her Romanian citizenship. I started trying to get citizenship in 1999 and got my Romanian birth certificate in late 2010. In early 2014 the Romanian government revoked my Romanian birth certificate. I've decided enough is enough and have stopped trying to get Romanian citizenship.Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-80022354158821320962017-02-17T02:03:00.000+09:002017-03-21T02:07:48.253+09:00Cancellation of Romanian Birth CertificateThe final decision of the court regarding the cancellation of my <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2016/10/news-from-romania-about-correcting-my.html">problematic birth certificate</a> was reached. Now my lawyer is going to try to register it properly. Here's hoping I'll have citizenship by this summer.
Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-17321904775498758222016-10-12T21:46:00.000+09:002017-03-21T02:07:48.236+09:00News from Romania about Correcting My Birth CertificateAbout a month ago, I thought I should email my lawyer and see what was going on. It had been a long time since I heard from him. I never emailed him. Life got in the way and I figured, if something was meant to happen, then it would.
Today I got an email saying that after nearly a year, they finally got to my file and filed a court action. They didn't tell my lawyer about it though, so luckily he called them. They reached an agreement and hopefully within the next few months we will get a court decision in regards to my birth certificate and citizenship.
Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-62216328860694930542015-12-30T19:08:00.000+09:002017-03-21T02:07:48.249+09:00American Birth Certificate Sent to RomaniaI sent my American birth certificate to <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2015/09/trying-to-get-romanian-citizenship-again.html">my lawyer</a> in Romania to re-start the citizenship process. Here's hoping that 2016 will finally be the year it happens! 2016 will bring a lot of changes. I'll finally be moving in with my husband, starting a new job, and my daughter will start a new school. Lots of stress, but it'll be over soon. Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-26698225362147868812015-11-22T22:31:00.000+09:002017-09-11T09:38:15.424+09:00Signed the Mandates at the Romanian Embassy in SeoulI don't know what it is about Korea, but the embassies are amazing here! Years ago I had a <a href="http://theultimateperulist.blogspot.com/2012/01/surprisingly-pleasant-experience-at.html" target="_blank">great experience at the Peruvian Embassy in Seoul</a>. I've also had wonderful experiences at the Romanian Embassy in Seoul. <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/08/helpful-people-at-romanian-embassy-in.html">They've gone out of their way to be helpful</a> in my quest for citizenship.<br />
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This time was no exception. I went last week and they had the mandates (power of attorney) there since my lawyer had emailed them to the embassy. I was also told that <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2015/09/trying-to-get-romanian-citizenship-again.html">my lawyer</a> needed a certified copy of my passport. I filled out the forms to provide them with information such as my address in Korea, my home address, my personal data, and what I was asking them to do. They then just plugged that info into the mandate, had me double check it, and then it was signed and stamped.<br />
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I sent them to Romania and they should be arriving shortly.Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-1106818216470247072015-11-10T12:24:00.002+09:002017-09-11T09:38:23.495+09:00Mandates Will be Signed at the Romanian Embassy in SeoulI've been given the mandates (power of attorney) in both English and Romanian. I'll be going next week to sign them and then send them to my lawyer in Romania. Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-57299417931216306322015-09-29T11:55:00.000+09:002017-03-21T02:07:48.245+09:00Trying to Get Romanian Citizenship AgainIn early 2014 <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2014/02/theyve-cancelled-my-romanian-birth.html">I was told that I couldn't get Romanian citizenship by the embassy in Lima</a>. This was <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2014/07/tried-chicago-consulate-again.html">confirmed again in summer of 2014 by the consulate in Chicago</a>. <br />
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However, about a week ago I was put in contact with a lawyer named Ioan-Luca Vlad (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/ioan-luca-vlad/67/904/824?trk=pub-pbmap">Linked</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ioanluca.vlad">Facebook</a>) who has been working as an attorney with the Romanian Royal Family for 9 years. He also has a website called <a href="http://www.romaniandocuments.net/">Romanian Documents</a>. He has a lot of experience with difficult cases such as mine and was able to help the Royal Family get their Romanian documents even though they had none. <br />
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I do have lots of roadblocks. I have had 3 legal names in the US (maiden, marriage, marriage) and 2 legal names in Peru (maiden, marriage) and documents from 3 countries (USA, Peru, Korea). I also found out that <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2011/02/moms-citizen.html">the document issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs</a> that I thought said my mom still has citizenship simply says she was a citizen when she left Romania. <br />
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If everything goes well I should be able to get a new Romanian birth certificate (with a valid CNP), get my mom a CNP, and get a document saying I'm Romanian. If I'm lucky I might get a Romanian passport. We're not exactly sure how things will go due to all the names I have had and documents from all these countries, but we will see how it goes. In addition, the Romanian Embassy here in Seoul will not let me give Ioan-Luca power of attorney (even though <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/power-of-attorney-for-marriage-cert-and.html">they let me give it to my ex</a>) since I don't speak Romanian. We are trying to find a work-around but that just further complicates things.<br />
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I'm very excited about all this and hope things go well. Even if things don't work out I can honestly said I exhausted all possibilities trying to get citizenship. Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-65160614370406148212015-07-22T12:11:00.000+09:002015-10-18T12:13:20.019+09:00Took All My Romanian Documents Back to My Parents' HouseSince in early 2014 <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2014/02/theyve-cancelled-my-romanian-birth.html">I was told that I couldn't get Romanian citizenship by the embassy in Lima</a> and this was <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2014/07/tried-chicago-consulate-again.html">confirmed again in summer of 2014 by the consulate in Chicago</a>, I decided to take my huge folder back to my parents' house in the USA and leave it there. I've have mixed feelings about all this, but I've been given closure so it's ok. Sharon (naturegirl321)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17943832489087637725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-44463163053196809622014-07-29T07:16:00.000+09:002015-10-18T11:42:35.403+09:00Tried the Chicago consulate againI figure I had to try. I started there years ago and wanted to know if anything had changed. I've written about all the troubles I had with the <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/search/label/Chicago%20consulate">Chicago consulate</a> before. As luck would have it, the same consul who was there in 2005 was there then. There were lots of people waiting when we got there. We handed over all our info and they said they'd get back to me 20 minutes later.<br />
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A little over an hour and a half later they said that in order for me to get my CNP and my passport, my mother would first need her CNP, to register her marriage with Romania, and to get a temporary passport. She could either travel to Romania and do it herself or get a lawyer. I asked how long it would take if she went and they said, it's easy, maybe two weeks. I don't see that happening. Since my mom doesn't speak enough Romanian to deal with legalities, we're looking for another lawyer. Hopefully someone can help us out.<br />
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On the positive side, it was a lively place to be. There were about 6 people waiting when we go there. All of them easily switching between English and Romanian. One couple was complaining about the long wait, another complaining about the wrong information the consulate had given them about American citizenship. Later on a family of Roma came in. Their dresses were beautiful and their kids' hair was a pretty reddish brown. The kids weren't wearing shoes. My daughter was jealous. They weren't speaking Romanian at all. It's nice to see diversity.<br />
<br />
The person we spoke to was very nice. He asked if I wanted to speak in Romanian or English. I said English. He wasn't condescending at all. <br />
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All in all, it feels good to get closure. If I can make this work, great. If not, no one can say I didn't try. From the USA, to Peru, to Romania, to Korea I've definitely tried. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-24003896980370260102014-02-19T10:27:00.001+09:002015-10-18T11:51:04.910+09:00They've Revoked My Romanian Birth Certificate and I'm Giving Up for GoodAs you probably remember <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/news-from-romanian-embassy-in-peru.html">my docs were submitted to the Embassy of Romania in Peru at the end of October 2013</a>. I was told it would be 3-4 weeks. So at the end of November, <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/11/news-about-my-cnp.html">they asked for a link between my maiden name and married name</a> and said it would be a little while longer. But their hands were tied, it was up to Bucharest to do what they had to do.<br />
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<a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/11/more-docs-required-for-my-cnp.html">I thought that I'd hear something by January</a>. I just received a long email from the embassy quoting laws, which are just letters and numbers to me. The long and short of it is that they've cancelled my birth certificate, so now I have nothing. They've cited that article 40 alin (2) of Law no. 119/1996 wasn't respected when I got my birth certificate (since the consul of Peru gave me my birth certificate, I completely blame him for not respecting the laws). According to article 57 of law no. 119/1996 and article 127 about civil status documents approved by government decision no. 64/2011 they've decided to revoke my birth certificate. <br />
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My mom still has a piece of paper from the Ministry of Internal Affairs <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2011/02/moms-citizen.html">stating that she's Romanian</a>, however, the Chicago consulate has refused to register her marriage stating that she needs a passport and refuses to give her a passport stating that she needs to have her marriage registered. And let's not even get started with the fact that she has no CNP because they didn't exist when she was born.<br />
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I've been trying to get Romanian citizenship for years and years now. I've run into brick walls and kept going, but I think this is the straw that broke the camel's back. It's time to say this is enough and move on. For some reason it's simply not meant to be.<br />
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Ironically, this Saturday I received an email from someone who came across this blog and he wrote this, "<piffantonov yahoo.com="">May I ask you why you want to learn a useless language and get a useless citizenship from a f***ed up country like Romania ...I don't know what to do next in order to get out of this cursed place as soon as possible."</piffantonov><br />
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<piffantonov yahoo.com="">In some ways that sums up how I feel right now. Romanians have been leaving Romania in droves now that they're in the EU. How they got into the EU I don't know, though from talking to Romanians it seems to be a well-known secret that they outright lied about various issues in order to get in. The Romanian government sure has a <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2011/12/government-offices-in-romania.html">long, long way to go to reach EU standards</a>. The low salaries, high cost of living, and rampant bribery all add to the problem. Everyone in my family was asking me, "But Sharon, WHY do you want to become a Romanian citizenship?" <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/why-im-still-trying-to-get-romanian.html">There are many reasons why I want to get Romanian citizenship</a>. However, I'm starting to see more and more problems with how the country is run. </piffantonov><br />
<br />
<piffantonov yahoo.com="">I'm trying to get in, while many Romanians want out. Enough is enough, if you want to move on you simply have to move on. </piffantonov>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-19900643865290390882014-02-07T10:25:00.000+09:002014-07-29T07:54:53.647+09:00My work plans for RomaniaIf things fall into place and I do get my Romanian passport I'd probably move to Romania so that my daughter and I could learn Romania and we could get EU residency. <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2004/11/quick-summary-of-dates.html">It's been about 14 years since I started trying to get citizenship</a>, but I think I'm really close this time!<br />
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Moving anywhere scares me. Personally I'd rather move to another country than move back home to the US because I left in January 2002. I've never really lived there as an adult and had to deal with rent, insurance, or a job. So better the devil you know than the devil you don't, which is why I'd probably stay abroad.<br />
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I'll be honest, education in Korea isn't that good. My daughter speaks Korean and her daycare is absolutely fantastic! But I wouldn't stick her in a Korean school where memorisation and quantity are more important than quality and the ability to think outside the box. Job security isn't very good here either. You usually sign yearly contracts and many places will get rid of you after 1, 3, or 5 years simply because they don't want to pay more into the pension scheme. Or because they can get rid of you, so they do.<br />
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Being not married to a Korean means that things are harder for me. I don't have a Korean husband to rely on and some jobs only hire those married to Korean. Expats make it hard for us as well. I get told that if I don't like it I should go home. Yet these same people complain about their mother-in-laws, but according to them, it's ok that they complain since they're married to a Korean.<br />
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Another thing is that I'll never fit in here in Korea. Even if I'm fluent in Korean, I will always look different. My daughter already gets special treatment, sweets on the subway, and can get away with a lot. I don't think that's good.<br />
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So as it stands I'm contemplating either moving to China, the Middle East, or Romania. Of those places, Romania is the place where I could actually blend in. Not only would I be Romanian by blood, so I'd also look Romanian. But I would also have citizenship, thus giving me the right to live, work, and study there. In addition, the school system seems much better than Asia. In the Middle East, my daughter would have to go to an international school, which are horrendously expensive. One of the reasons for living abroad is for her to learn languages and I don't see any sense paying $20-$25k usd for an American school when they're free back home. No matter where we go, I'd like to hire a tutor for her to keep up her Korean and for her to learn a couple more languages as well. <br />
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Jobs are an issue. I can live decently and still save in Korea. In China I might be able to save more since the cost of living is lower. In the Middle East you can save, but as a teacher I'd be pretty low on the ladder amongst the oil expats. In Romania I could probably make about $1500 usd a month teaching at a bilingual school. I'm not sure if I could get into international schools even though I have taught at that level. To be honest, having taught at an international school, my experience wasn't the best so I don't know if I'd go back to one. Teachers at my school were not treated well at all and the parents ran the school. Teachers were treated like household help and the parents seemed to know everything even though they weren't teachers by trade. There was also a lot of useless paperwork and focus on unimportant things like perfect handwriting and underlining titles twice with a ruler. Not an environment I want to be in.<br />
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$1500 usd a month isn't much in Bucharest when you consider that to rent a place you'd probably need about 400 euro, about $600 usd. Working more than one job would help and luckily I've been doing that for a while now. I could teach private lessons, but having done that I don't think I'd like to do that. One or two, maybe, but not too many because you lose a lot of travel time.<br />
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I became a childbirth educator earlier this year and I must say I really, really enjoy the work. I like teaching highly motivated people and as an English teacher I don't run into people like that too often. More often than not they're in the class because it's a required class. I'm hoping to continue teaching childbirth classes no matter where I go. I enjoy organising info, helping people out, and giving them the tools they need to get the birth they want. I also have lots of useful info on my website (Tender Embrace Birthing) such as <a href="http://www.tenderembracebirthing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">doulas, breastfeeding counselors, hospitals, and clinics in Korea</a> that people can access. So while this is a very long winded post, I hope it gives a bit more info about what I'd do if I went to Romania. <br />
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<br />Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-91668275652947454312014-01-22T12:51:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.838+09:00No News is Starting to Get AnnoyingAs you probably remember <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/news-from-romanian-embassy-in-peru.html">my docs were submitted to the Embassy of Romania in Peru at the end of October 2013</a>. I was told it would be 3-4 weeks. So at the end of November, <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/11/news-about-my-cnp.html">they asked for a link between my maiden name and married name</a> and said it would be a little while longer. But their hands were tied, it was up to Bucharest to do what they had to do.<br />
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<a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/11/more-docs-required-for-my-cnp.html">I thought that I'd hear something by January</a>. But alas, there's still no news. It's extremely frustrating. The embassy says that they've emailed Romania, but that's no enough. If the current method they're using isn't working, they should try another method.<br />
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My husband's been contacting them every week and I just emailed them, suggesting that they actually call Romania and ask. It's been 3 months now. Granted there were holidays and all that, but still, it's a long time. Too long, 3 weeks have stretched to 3 months, which could easily stretch to 3 years. I hope something gets done fast. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-29944333612873344842014-01-06T12:18:00.000+09:002014-01-06T12:18:20.848+09:00Poll Results: What brought you to Romania?Here are the poll results for the 2013 poll. <br />
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Love: 0% with 0 votes<br />
Work: 0% with 0 votes<br />
Studies: 0% with 0 votes <br />
<b>Other: 100% with 3 votes</b><br />
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Be sure to vote in the 2014 poll which is, "What's your monthly salary?"<b> </b><br />
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-57713440306620544212013-11-30T23:26:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.781+09:00More docs required for my CNPI mentioned that <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/power-of-attorney-for-marriage-cert-and.html">I had sent all my docs</a> to my husband in Peru and given him POA to try to get my CNP and register our marriage. In <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/news-from-romanian-embassy-in-peru.html">late October he went to the embassy</a> and they said that first I needed a CNP. Earlier this week <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/11/news-about-my-cnp.html">they asked for a copy of our marriage cert</a> to show a link between my maiden name and my married name. Now they want a "constancia" which is like a record of proof showing how <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2010/02/got-my-romanian-birth-cert.html">I got my Romanian birth certificate</a>. <br />
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I don't understand it. I didn't think that I'd have to prove how I had gotten something. If I have my birth cert, which the embassy has recognised as true and valid, I shouldn't have to go back a step and show the documents I showed in the first place when I got it.<br />
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But I do have to show a constancia proving my claim to citizenship, which is <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2011/02/moms-citizen.html">the letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs stating that my mom's a citizen</a>. <br />
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They haven't given a time frame this time. I'm guessing that since St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, and Orthodox Christmas are coming up in December and January I probably won't hear anything until the end of January. <br />
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<br />Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-9190565268516744262013-11-27T12:13:00.002+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.843+09:00News about my CNPIt's officially been 4 weeks since <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/news-from-romanian-embassy-in-peru.html">my docs were presented at the Romanian embassy in Lima</a>. We were told that it would take 3-4 weeks for them to find out about my CNP. My husband called and it seems they have a dilemma about my name. They're not sure whether to use my maiden name or my married name.<br />
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I honestly don't mind which name they use as long as I can get my CNP. They've asked for a scan of my marriage certificate, which my husband is going to email to them. I thought that he had <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/power-of-attorney-for-marriage-cert-and.html">already shown them our marriage certificate</a>, but I guess they just glanced at it or didn't make a copy or he didn't give them a copy. I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm glad he called when he did or else we'd be waiting even longer. <br />
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He thought about sending other documents, such as my license or degrees, but I don't think that would help since none of my documents have been apostillised and all it would prove is the name I had and the name I have now. <br />
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They need to see a link between my maiden name and my married name. I did what they do in Peru when they get married. I kept my maiden name, then added "de" and then my husband's first name. Here's an example with both a woman with one last names and a woman with two last names. <br />
<ul>
<li>Mary Smith gets married to John Doe Black. In Peru she'd then change her name to either Mary Smith de Doe.</li>
<li>Mary Smith Jones gets married to John Doe Black. In Peru she'd then change her name to either Mary Smith Jones de Doe.</li>
</ul>
I only had one last name, so my married name is like the first example. So my husband is going to email them a scan of our marriage certificate along with my old passport with my maiden name. I hope that we get the answer soon so that I can apply for my Romanian marriage certificate this year since the fee might go up next year. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-7592680875542434292013-10-30T23:37:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.803+09:00News from the Romanian Embassy in PeruAs I mentioned before, <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2013/10/power-of-attorney-for-marriage-cert-and.html">I sent all the documents to Peru</a> so that my husband could apply for my CNP and register our marriage. My husband went to the embassy. He had just told them that he wanted to register our marriage since I was told he could do both at the same time.<br />
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He said that the counsel (a woman) was very nice and helpful. She said that it was very strange that I was able to get a Romanian birth certificate in Peru because you're supposed to get it where you were born (for me that would be the USA), <b>however</b>, she also said that it was a true, original birth certificate and the stamps and seals were legit. <br />
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So they're not really sure what to do now.<br />
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They had my husband pay $50 to apply for the CNP, but they could reject my application due to the issue above. Anyways, the long and short of it is that in about 3-4 weeks we should find out if they accept or reject the application.<br />
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They said that first we have to apply for the CNP and then we have to register the marriage. We're not sure how long it will take to register our marriage. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.<br />
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Fingers crossed!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-41242504931481234712013-10-16T16:09:00.001+09:002015-10-18T12:01:06.575+09:00Power of Attorney for Marriage Cert and CNPI've given my husband power of attorney to register my marriage and get my CNP at the same time. The Romanian embassy in Seoul says that it can be done and it should be easy. Time varies from one embassy/consulate to the other, but in Korea it only takes 24 hours to register your marriage. I'm assuming Peru is similar since there aren't a lot of Romanians there.<br />
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The CNP is a totally different issue. I'm guessing that will probably take 3-6 months since I was born before CNPs were given to embassies/consulates. For children born in the 22st century it's much faster and easier to get them CNPs than for people like me.<br />
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<b>Registering my marriage in Peru requires a number of items and documents. Here's what I'll be sending later this week.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Anexa 1 (you can get it at <a href="http://www.oficial.ro/" target="_blank">www.oficial.ro</a>) and it says that I want to register my marriage.</li>
<li>Anexa 8 (you can get it at <a href="http://www.oficial.ro/" target="_blank">www.oficial.ro</a>) and it says that there's no legal issues with me registering my marriage (i.e. not already married to someone else)</li>
<li>Power of attorney given to me by the Romanian embassy in Seoul that says my husband can apply for my CNP and register our marriage.</li>
<li>Our original Peruvian marriage certificate and translation (done by an official translator in Romania, <a href="http://www.proz.com/translator/1050845" target="_blank">Roxana Cazacu</a>) </li>
<li>My husband's original Peruvian birth certification and translation (done by an official translator in Romania, <a href="http://www.proz.com/translator/1050845" target="_blank">Roxana Cazacu</a>) </li>
<li>My Romanian birth certificate (without the CNP)</li>
<li>My American passport (because I don't have my Romanian one...yet!)</li>
</ul>
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<b>More requirements and info.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I'm also required to send my Romanian passport (which I don't have) and write my CNP (which I also don't have). Let's hope that this won't be a problem. The embassy here in Seoul contacted Bucharest and they said that the ONLY place that can register my marriage is the Romanian embassy in Peru. Hopefully they'll agree and not pass the buck and say that it can't be done or that it has to be done in Romania. I guess one thing that I have going for me is that my Romanian birth certificate was issued by them. </li>
<li>The fee to register a marriage in Peru at the Romanian embassy is $286 and the CNP is free! </li>
<li>I guess I'll find out in a couple of weeks if I'm successful!</li>
</ul>
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-15814105077187638812013-10-01T12:33:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.727+09:00Why I'm Still Trying to Get Romanian CitizenshipLast year I wrote a couple of reasons that explained <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2012/01/faq-do-you-still-want-to-be-romanian.html">why I still want to get Romanian citizenship</a>. Here are the four reasons I wrote about in January 2012. <br />
<ol>
<li>First, I honestly feel that it's owed to our family. I think it would be a form of retribution and vindication for what was done. </li>
<li>Second, we've been at it so long, it would be horrible to give up now.</li>
<li>Third, I believe there's real potential for myself and my husband in Romania.</li>
<li>Fourth, it would give our daughter the chance to live, work, or study in Europe if she wanted to.</li>
</ol>
I have to admit that these reasons have changed a bit. I'm at the point that it would be easiest to give up. In <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2006/01/im-giving-up.html">January 2006</a> I decided to give up and in <a href="http://romaniancitizenship.blogspot.com/2012/04/changing-earths-rotation.html">April 2012</a> I also felt like it would be impossible to ever get Romanian citizenship. It seems like for every one step I take forward I'm pushed back ten steps. I do, however, believe that the people at the Romanian Embassy in Seoul want to see me succeed. That's half the battle, getting people on your side.<br />
<br />
I still believe in reasons 1 and 2. My mother's citizenship was re-instated back in the 1990s. Both her parents have passed away now and would not be able to see me get citizenship, something I believe our family is owed. However, it's never too late to say sorry and this act would make up for a lot of things.<br />
<br />
On to the 3rd reason. I do still believe that there is potential in Romania. I could teach English, <a href="http://www.tenderembracebirthing.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">educate expats about giving birth in Romania</a>, possibly even buy property and rent it out. The language shouldn't be too much of a struggle since I can already read a great deal and it's similar to Spanish.To be honest though, this is the weakest reason I have for continuing.<br />
<br />
Reason 4 is what is really urging me on. I think that if my mom had known what I know now, she might have gotten a Romanian passport, thus making it much easier for me. But, alas, internet wasn't available when she was growing up and misinformation abound. For example, she believed that she could only be an American citizen and couldn't hold dual nationality. I know that if I give up now, it'll be all but impossible for my daughter to become Romanian through my mother. (Though I suppose there's nothing stopping her from moving to Romania and getting it through marriage or residency.)<br />
<br />
<br />Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-28942007123909525472013-09-13T11:27:00.000+09:002015-09-22T00:36:01.898+09:00Registering My Marriage at the Romanian Embassy in PeruMy husband called the embassy in Lima the other day and they said that it should be no problem for me to register my marriage at the embassy despite the fact that I have no CNP nor a Romanian passport. They said one of us just has to fill out some forms. I have my doubts.<br />
<br />
Last time it was a Catch-22. In order to get a passport you need a CNP and to have registered your marriage. In order to register your marriage you need a CNP and a passport.<br />
<br />
They said they would email him the forms. Let's see what happens. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-7655212451776548772013-09-11T12:17:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.819+09:00The Romanian Embassy Called MeI'm happy to report that I just got a call from the Romanian Embassy the other day. It looks like it might be possible that I can actually get citizenship. There's the slight problem that I changed my name, so I have to register my Peruvian marriage cert. This can only be done in Peru unfortunately. Luckily, my husband is there now, though I hope the embassy in Lima will help him out and let him register my marriage. I simply can't afford to fly to Peru in order to get this done.<br />
<br />
I've also considered changing my name back to my maiden name. To be honest, I can't believe I changed it in the first place after all the problems my mom had with her name. I'm hoping that if I changed it back, then I wouldn't have to register my marriage.<br />
<br />
There's also the issue with my Romanian birth certificate and the lack of the CNP on it. I don't really know what happened when it was issued. I'm tempted to say that it was just issued so that I would go away and that it's just a piece of paper, nothing more.<br />
<br />
The good news is that my mom is <b>still </b>a citizen and we have the paper to prove it. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-60889955755763418342013-09-10T11:35:00.001+09:002015-09-22T00:36:01.957+09:00The Romanian Embassy Emailed MeMuch as I'd love to report that they're going to give me my passport right away, that's not the case. But they did email me, about two weeks after I went to visit them. I know that I've mentioned it before, but it's worth repeating, the Romanian Embassy in Seoul is amazing! Lovely people, very helpful, perfect English, and they don't ask why I don't speak Romanian. Yes, I know it's a bit embarrassing trying to get citizenship without speaking the language, but my arguments are:<br />
<ol>
<li>It's a birth right, just like babies don't speak when they become citizens.</li>
<li>I can actually read a pretty decent amount.</li>
<li>Since I know Spanish I know that if I went there to live I could pick up the language fairly quickly. </li>
</ol>
<br />
Anyways, they just asked me for my cell phone number, so hopefully they will call soon!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-4634623030817104522013-09-09T11:36:00.000+09:002013-09-10T11:41:58.225+09:00Some Sad News to ReportMy mom's mom died today. She was the one who went to live in Romania as a child and left with my mom and aunt to go to the US. She left my grandfather behind thinking she'd never see him again, luckily our family knew a senator who was able to work relentlessly and bring him to the US a couple years later. She will be missed greatly. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-19228613806314152492013-08-23T19:56:00.000+09:002015-11-21T22:27:27.274+09:00Helpful People at the Romanian Embassy in SeoulI had problems with the Romanian embassy's email. Their email is now embassy@romania.ollehoffice.net<br />
<br />
The man I spoke to on the phone was very nice and polite. He told me to send him copies of my documents and he would see what he could do. I sent him a scan of my Romanian birth cert, my mother's Romanian birth cert, and the letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs stating that my mother is Romanian. Neither my mother's nor my birth certificates have CNPs.<br />
<br />
I just went to the embassy today with my daughter. The woman I spoke to was so incredibly nice. Very polite and wonderful English. She also didn't tell me that I had to speak Romanian in order to get a passport (which is what people usually tell us, though since I'm applying to become Romanian due to birth rights it shouldn't matter. I'm not asking to be naturalised, I'm simply asking to get citizenship through my mother). She said that I need my CNP and that it usually takes 3 months. I told her that I'd been trying to get citizenship since 1999, so another three months isn't that much.<br />
<br />
She copied my Romanian birth cert and my mother's Romanian birth cert. As well as my mother's proof of citizenship from the Ministry of the Interior. She says she will contact Sector 1 in Bucharest. After I get my CNP I have to register my marriage and that can either be done in Peru or Romania, so it looks like I might be going back to Romania. After that then I can get my passport. I'm excited, but I know that I've been so close before so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. <br />
<br />
Fingers crossed it will work!
Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-22830231287136356842013-07-31T23:18:00.002+09:002015-09-25T09:59:44.996+09:00Romania Embassy in Seoul: Email's Not WorkingSeems they've changed emails. The one I have for them isn't working. It's romemb@kornet.com . I guess I'll have to wait until I get back to Korea to contact them. The same thing happened to the person I contacted, their email isn't working. Sigh. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-37933317149107709312013-07-12T05:32:00.000+09:002015-10-18T18:23:05.753+09:00Organising Documents Once AgainI'm in the US and got the folder of documents that my lawyer sent. I've organised everything and am hoping to go to the embassy in Seoul in August. One of my friends knows someone at the embassy and another one of my friends is Romanian. I'm hoping that somehow one (or both of them) will be able to help me out some way or another and I can finally get my CNP and my passport. <br />
<br />
I've got ...<br />
<ul>
<li>My American original birth cert (with my mom's name change so that it matches her US naturalisation record) as well as a translation with apostillisation. </li>
<li>My Romanian original birth cert.</li>
<li>An apostilised copy of my mom's new Romanian birth cert.</li>
<li>My mom's marriage cert (with my mom's name change so that it matches her US naturalisation record) as well as a translation with apostillisation. </li>
<li>An original letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs stating that my mom <b>is</b> a Romanian citizen. </li>
<li>My original Peruvian marriage cert as well as a translation with apostillisation. </li>
<li>Permission from my husband to register my marriage.</li>
<li>Permission from my husband to change my name. </li>
<li>My husband's original Peruvian birth cert as well as a translation with apostillisation.</li>
<li>An apostillised copy with translation of my husband's Peruvian passport.</li>
<li>My grandfather's original death cert as well as a translation with apostillisation. </li>
</ul>
Here's hoping it works!Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8561874775388275695.post-57567004326580483522013-07-03T11:45:00.000+09:002015-09-22T00:36:01.925+09:00It's Been a WhileI'm still not further closer to my quest than I was before. I've had a lot of things on my plate both personally and professionally. I'll be going back to visit my parents this summer and the Romanian documents are there waiting for me. I'm going to try again at the Romanian embassy in Seoul. I hope it works. As I mentioned before, the Seoul embassy has the nicest people I've come across so far since I've started trying to get citizenship. Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00052525872514292116noreply@blogger.com0