Huge bureaucracy in Finnish Immigration System:(

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schubi
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:55 pm
Location: Helsinki

Post by schubi » Mon Feb 02, 2004 3:04 pm

I have to disagree with many of the statements before. In my experience, the UVI is quite flexible on the passport issue, especially if your employer supports you. I usually use the letter below. Try it, it works!


******************************

KIIREHTIMISPYYNTÖ


(Name and social security number) anoo (permit type, e.g. "pysyvää") oleskelulupaa Suomessa. Oleskeluluvan käsittely ja päätösprosessi tietojemme mukaan voi viedä kuukaudenkin. Johtuen hänen toimenkuvastaan (job function), hän joutuu matkustamaan useasti ja näin ollen tarvitsee passiaan jatkuvasti. Näin toivommekin hänen osaltaan, ettei hänen tarvitse jättää passiaan poliisille pitkäksi aikaa ja toivomme kunnioittavimmin, että hän saa pysyvän oleskeluluvan kohtuullisessa ajassa.

Helsingissä (date)


Kunnioittavasti,

.......... OYJ


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Tom and Jerry

Post by Tom and Jerry » Mon Feb 02, 2004 3:33 pm

No, that doesn't fit in the EU of today. It is connected with your employer and with the job function. As soon as a non-EU citizen has a visa for Finland, he can travel freely to other countries without the burden of additional requests to the Finnish government.

The whole storage of the passports is not even mentioned in the Finnish law on foreigners (ulkomaalaislaki).
In addition the UVI has this practice of sitting on heapes of passports for the past twenty years, so there is structurally something wrong there.

schubi
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:55 pm
Location: Helsinki

Post by schubi » Mon Feb 02, 2004 5:07 pm

yes, there is structurally something wrong....

yes, it's doesn't fit value and legal framework of today's EU (as many other things...)...

.... but NO, UVI is not inflexible if you need your passport, as long as you show them a good reason.

For my part, i rather go with a practical solution to get my passport back, than trying to initiate a change/adaption of the legal framework - which certainly takes longer than the resident permit application, especially in the EU of today :cry:
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Tom and Jerry

Post by Tom and Jerry » Mon Feb 02, 2004 5:42 pm

That's the best way for one person. It's the fastest.


However, this is about more than one person . Also many Finns are wondering about this practice. One month ago there were several articles in HS about the practices of the UVI. It was accused of treating foreigners as a national risk (turvallisuusriski). Several people suggested to shift the UVI from the ministry of internal affairs to another, so that the automatic link between UVI and police would brake.

The link between foreigners and national risk is in an old law:

Suomessa maahanmuutto koko itsenäisyyden alkuvuosikymmenet koettiin uhkana. Niinpä vuoden 1938 ulkomaalaisasetuksessa (AsK 1938/433) passintarkastus siirrettiin 'normaalilta' poliisilta valtiolliselle poliisille. Täten sinetöitiin käsitys siitä, että ulkomaalainen on potentiaalinen turvallisuusriski (Kuosma 1984, 163-165; Fredman et al. 1989, 55: kts Lepola 2000, 40-41). Yleensäkin ulkomaalaisasiat nähtiin tämän jälkeen pelkästään poliisille kuuluvina järjestysasioina. Vasta vuoden 1983 ulkomaalaislaissa alkoi Lepolan mukaan ilmentyä ulkomaalaisten oikeusturvaa painottava näkökulma (vrt. Lepola 2000, 43).

Suomessa ei siis niinkään 'askarreltu' maahanmuuttokysymysten parissa ennen toista maailmansotaa. Sen sijaan suomalaiset väestöpolitiikan harrastajat käyttivät huomattavasti aikaa todistaakseen, että suomalaiset eivät mongoleja (vrt. Mattila 1998; Söderling 1999).

Tom and Jerry

Post by Tom and Jerry » Mon Feb 02, 2004 6:14 pm

Ok, this was a fast decision from the UVI. Finland just got a whole winning football team.


"The Directorate of Immigration has granted residence permits to 10 young footballers from Sierra Leone. The players arrived last August but failed to leave the country after a football tournament. "

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aRabbit
Posts: 220
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2003 5:32 pm
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Post by aRabbit » Tue Feb 03, 2004 5:26 pm

Interesting to go through the discussion here! I am experiencing some complications here too. I submitted my application on last Nov. (for one year permit) It didn't come to my mind that my passport is gonna expire this July until couple weeks ago. :shock: Stupid me..yeah ...Anyway, I had to call to UVI on this issue. The person handling my application was helpful. Actually he already noticed my passport validality and sent me a letter saying that they can only issue permit until July, and asking if i wanna do anything about my passport. So we agreed on phone i would get my passport back through the police station and extend the passport on my own. And of course I have to return it after i have extended it.
He said that the application process will just continue.

Now i am extending my passport. Hoping no extra problems will come in the way.
Ps. I got the letter about "receiving my application" few weeks after I applied. So it wasn't that bad. I heard from a girl who submitted the application last Sep. that UVI told her they don't know how long it will take... people who gave the appli last July are still waiting... :cry:

So the waiting time is really miserable, i am on the list too :x
Don't get too anxious there, but who wouldn't? Decision should be known soon then you/anyone can make plans or whatever
Reality is when you stop believing, it will not vanish.


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