Moving to Finland in November

ICanClimbThat · Post by **ICanClimbThat** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:08 am

I know there are many threads with people asking very specific questions about immigrating to Finland. And normally the first piece of advice they get is to search the archives for similar questions. So I have already searched the archive and come up with nothing (not that it isn’t there I just didn’t find it)

My situation is as follows:
In November I will be moving to Finland to marry and live with my fiancée Helena. WE met online through mutual friends about a year and a half ago. After several visit of both of us traveling back and forth, we decided earlier this year to get married. I am not a student. Not working for any company that could vouch for me there. And plan to be unemployed for some time after I move there.

My questions are as follows:

Is there any reason to try to get a visa(tourist, student, or otherwise) of any kind? If so which? If not what are the particulars I need to be aware of that may bite me from behind? I’ve been made aware of some new immigration laws passed by the EU that may affect us. With the new law on immigrants, do I need a separate visa (apart from the 3 month tourist visa) of any kind while waiting for the residency permit after getting married?

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:52 am

Well,

In the "good old days" if you just landed here, got married, and applied for residence on the basis of marriage, you had to go do it 'biblically' i.e. each back into their own country.

However the law changed recently, and now it is you are allowed to apply in Finland. (I think there was a recent thread of someone getting the crap from the local police in not accepting the application, so applying in the boondox is always a novelty.)

Once you are married you'll automagically get an A5, which makes you at par with other Finnish unemployeds what comes to employability (you do not need any special permits after that). However as you are from a third-world country (as in non-EU) you will get integration allowance and let on courses to learn how to read & write Finnish, use electricity etc., so they are quite useful sometimes.

lalc · Post by **lalc** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:14 am

Hank W. wrote: from a third-world country (as in non-EU)

ha ha

you will get integration allowance and let on courses to learn how to read & write Finnish, use electricity etc., so they are quite useful sometimes.

I guess even Swedes, Italians get this integration allowance... Its for all immigrants. isnt it?

PeterF · Post by **PeterF** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:21 am

lalc wrote:
I guess even Swedes, Italians get this integration allowance... Its for all emmigrants. isnt it?

No the dont they are in the EU...by the way emimigrants are leaving here immigrants are coming here...

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:39 am

i have to contradict: i am eligible as non-alien (EU, brit, living in Germany for the past 7 years) to E303 - unemployment benefit at the rates from germany here for three months (i.e. german benefit here - the rates are higher!) and then to integration allowance here - it's apparently something like 400 euronen per week???

they'll happily pay it to me while i go to uni and do my finnish courses, as that's about the only thing missing from my CV....and stopping me getting work here in savo...

Bret

TrishPaakkonen · Post by **TrishPaakkonen** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:31 pm

Integration allowance????

Can someone please tell me exactly how the integration allowance works?
I was told 2 weeks ago that because my husband makes more than 2,100 euros a month., gross NOT net pay, that I am ineligible for any funding.

luddite · Post by **luddite** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:38 pm

Its means tested. Your partners income is taken into account. If in the eyes of Kela he makes enough money to support you, then you wont get it.

link

I used to get it until I started full time study. Then you are not eligible for it anymore.

PS I doubt its €400's a week BTW more like €40

I got a reduced amount due to my girlfriends earnings for a couple of months in 2002 and it was about €200's a month IIRC.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:01 am

TrishPaakkonen wrote:that because my husband makes more than 2,100 euros a month., gross NOT net pay, that I am ineligible for any funding.

So now you know what is "rich" by definition of KELA

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