Ægteskabudengrænser.dk

Background: I am in my 60s. A US citizen with opholdstillladelse until August this year. My wife is Danish. We have been married for four years. I have two Danish children ages 17 and 21 living in Denmark, but not with us. Their mother (my ex-Danish wife) lives out of the country. I have been in and out of Denmark since the early 1980s. Owned a business for 20 years that I sold a couple of years ago. At one time I had permanent residency. I have just started another small business here which is computer based. No income yet. REALLY just started it. I have a large bank account (in the US) that will keep me going for about 10 years in DK. I speak, understand and read Danish, but never have had much reason to write it, thus the English here.

Problem: My wife is an alcoholic and I can no longer tolerate living with her. My one child attends university here in DK. My other child, 17 years) goes to gymnasium about 60 km from where we live. He has moderate depression and ...here comes the real problem...I cannot leave him here and move back to the US. He wants to stay here. I would be happy to leave, but he needs my presence.

Question: If I leave my wife, is there much of a chance that I could be given residency permission for about another 2 years?

This is obviously not the forum to get an answer to my question. Can anyone recommend another place?

This is a forum with volunteers, who work for absolutely nothing - you may therefore have to be patient.

Your case falls into the grey area of 'maybe's'.

If you cannot hold out living on the same address as your wife the 2 more years, and choose to apply for a legal separation now, you will eventually be asked by the US (Foreigner's Service) whether there is any reason why they should not withdraw your residence permit. You may then show your son as a reason. Whether it would be sufficient is not to know.

A negative decision may be appealed. The process can be quite long, maybe it will last the necessary couple of years, if you use all possible appeal instances.

If you can hold out until you need to extend your present residence permit and get this, you may also stretch the process by initially just moving out and not apply for a legal separation just yet. At some point US will probably be notified about your change of address, and with luck your correspondence with them will last the necessary couple of years.

Thanks. Yes, I know it is volunteers running the show and you are doing a great service! Just wanted to know if I was in the right forum.

Your reply confuses me. Why should the US care where I am? I am living in Denmark. It is the Danish authorities I am concerned about.

mh wrote "US (Foreigner's Service)" meaning Udlændingestyrelsen, again meaning the danish imigration service. US is the standard shortening for the danish imigration service in this forum.