American moving to Finland

Nightstorm2516 · Post by **Nightstorm2516** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 2:27 pm

Hi all, new to this forum. I am a white american that got married to a lovely Finnish woman last year. We have been on and off on where to live, America or Finland. After much talking about it, it looks like i'm packing up and heading to Karis (or karjaa?) We already went on the Finnish immigration site and looked at what we needed to do for me to apply, but I didn't want my research into this matter stop there, so I came here, to get from people that who probably has already had done this move or experience and get some tips on what I should prepare for, so excuse me if I am rambling a lot.

I read that a lot of these immigration services are time consuming, and in my case, applying for family ties, could take up to 9 months. However, I was wondering if I could somehow speed up this process by giving them a lot of information about me and my wife before-hand, not just the paperwork they ask us to fill out. Example, my wife does vlogs about her trips here in America, and maybe give them the links to see those vlogs and other sources of materials outside the scope of what they are asking, to show them that we are genuine and perhaps, that will speed things up for us?

I live in Texas, and thought perhaps she would be better here in the states, but as things are with our current government, we decided it would be safer in Finland. Plus, we could always move back if we really wanted to. I plan on studying software engineering once I get there so I can get us a nice house outside the city area. I lived in a city all my life, and after visiting Finland's countryside, I really miss it.

So anyways, we got married in September 2015, and I already went to the Embassy, and got married with the certificate and all. What type of response should I expect after giving in all the paperwork, and would it be wise to give extra information? Or would that be pushing it?

**Sponsor:**

sky2 · Post by **sky2** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 4:33 pm

Hi white american,

Migri officers are quite bored of their lives but I still doubt if they'd be interested to see your wife's vlogs. Just submit the required documents and it should be okay, if they would need additional information, they'd ask you submit it.

And by the way, do you americans usually have to introduce yourself with your skin color? Just curious to know.

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 4:39 pm

Yeah, this skin colour thing is strange.

If you apply outside of Finland, resident permits usually take less time. It shouldn't take that long, 9 months.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:03 pm

Don't give more information than asked for. To much info confuses and you might end up on the "difficult cases" pile, which means more delays.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:43 pm

Nightstorm2516 wrote: I am a white american that got married to a lovely Finnish woman last year.

Oh, was she white too?

Stay at home, no need for people here who feel the need to state their "colour". If your wife thinks in the same way, take her to the states too

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:49 pm

How does studying sw engineering guarantee a nice house outside the city?

Have you ever been to Karis?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 7:06 pm

Just fill the application form and give the required attachments. Based on what you wrote, you shouldn't have a difficulty in getting the permit, but there is a risk that the waiting time will be long - but maybe not; it is probably good thing if you move in and apply in a small city (Karjaa/Karis). Have some reasonable plan what to do while waiting for the permit.

Rosamunda wrote:How does studying sw engineering guarantee a nice house outside the city?

A reasonable question.

but as things are with our current government

I am not at all sure I know what you meant, but

A) We don't have 'obamacare'. We have 'sanderscare'.
B) Firearms ownership, while fairly common, is considerably more restricted than there. More restrictions in the future are almost certain.
C) The number of Middle Eastern/North African assylum seekers that have got here this autumn and winter would correspond to close to 2 million in US (scaled by population). None of them have been pre-screened at all.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 8:06 pm

It took me a few minutes to decide whether this was a joke post or not.
I like how OP started with "I'm white", like he's saying "Hey, don't worry. I'm one of you!"

Then the thing with the current American administration where the biggest criticism is that it's "socialist", then thinking about coming to Finland.

Anyway, I'll second the other comments. Don't give more information than what you're asked to provide. Too much information means more time is needed to process your application, which is the exact opposite of what you want. The Migri website has everything you need; you won't get "secret tips" from random online forums.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 8:40 pm

Karis is not a small city. It's a very very small town. The drive into Helsinki is a good 90 minutes outside of rush hours. I guess most of the municipal admin was moved to Ekenas when the towns merged to form Raseborg.

You kind of need Swedish to live there but Finnish to find a job. Double whammy.

Nightstorm2516 · Post by **Nightstorm2516** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:27 am

Wow, so much hate for just saying I was white. I saw other posters say their ethnicity and just added my own, now all of a sudden i'm deemed some sort of racist?

Rosamunda wrote:Karis is not a small city. It's a very very small town. The drive into Helsinki is a good 90 minutes outside of rush hours. I guess most of the municipal admin was moved to Ekenas when the towns merged to form Raseborg.

You kind of need Swedish to live there but Finnish to find a job. Double whammy.

Yeah, I know. My wife lives there and we usually took the train back and forth to Helsinki, and we got married Ekenas. I 'heard' getting a job was easier if you was a computer programmer since its in English anyway. So I think I will be fine. I might have to learn more finnish, but otherwise as long as I can code very well, I don't think it will be a hinderance. I know a little bit of swedish, but it doesn't sound very helpful for the job market though, just for social events.

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:22 pm

Nightstorm2516 wrote:now all of a sudden i'm deemed some sort of racist?

Absolutely nobody said or implied you're a racist. I found it funny and hilarious, but not racist at all.

Nightstorm2516 wrote:I 'heard' getting a job was easier if you was a computer programmer since its in English anyway. So I think I will be fine. I might have to learn more finnish, but otherwise as long as I can code very well, I don't think it will be a hinderance.

This is not true.

leisl · Post by **leisl** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 12:27 pm

I really liked that he thought he could be special and be faster than everyone else. Remember that guy that came in once last year asking if there was a special service for Americans to get their permits expedited. Deja vu. But I guess it's not rude on purpose. We Finns just find it funny. You know, everyone has to get in the queue and gets treated the same here. You will have to learn patience. Complaining about the wait won't help you. Finns will just look at your complaint with disinterest and wait for you to finish talking.

Nightstorm2516 wrote:I 'heard' getting a job was easier if you was a computer programmer since its in English anyway. So I think I will be fine. I might have to learn more finnish, but otherwise as long as I can code very well, I don't think it will be a hinderance.

You heard wrong. There is nothing easy with what you plan. We have too many people who can write code. And not enough workplaces where people speak English. And they are shrinking. Everything is moving to India and Estonia.

I am sure you are nice. But you are blue-eyed. There will be a rude awakening. Maybe in the second year of your university course. When you realise you still can't talk. And you are bored living in Nowheremäki. And your wife is tired of being poor.

Move to Seattle. Or Canada. Or the UK. Anywhere that you can both speak the language and both get jobs. Finland is a dumb choice for you.

Oombongo · Post by **Oombongo** » Sun Jan 10, 2016 11:45 pm

Where is Hank when you need him? This thread could have used his advice

Overall, moving to Finland is a bad, bad and bad idea in you cases. As poster above me mentioned that coding jobs are mostly outsourced. If you are an expert in computer security or got skillz of architect level then it might work in international companies. Other options require fluent Finnish as the documentation will be in finnish, and customer will be in "puhumme suomea" mode. Then living in nowheremäki with less prospects of job will be fairly depressing. On top of that your wife's circle will be asking question like "whatcha he doin?". Sooner or later, she will give up to social pressure, and who will be the target of her frustration or rage? Yep, you got it right. Things will go to nasty end with divorce and infidelity as bonus. Yep, use the power of search function Luke.

Try Canada. You should've much problems with their points system, and Canada is more or less like Finland. Bonus is mountains, English language, and Canadians of course

Oho · Post by **Oho** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:43 am

leisl wrote:I really liked that he thought he could be special and be faster than everyone else. Remember that guy that came in once last year asking if there was a special service for Americans to get their permits expedited.

Well at least he bothered to ask unlike the some 32 thousand arrivals last year many of whom also seem to think they are automatically entitled to immediate asylum, full access to welfare, and a flat in Helsinki preferably near nightclubs and lash out as soon as their bubble is burst......

Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Mon Jan 11, 2016 1:13 pm

Oho wrote:Well at least he bothered to ask unlike the some 32 thousand arrivals last year many of whom also seem to think they are automatically entitled to immediate asylum, full access to welfare, and a flat in Helsinki preferably near nightclubs and lash out as soon as their bubble is burst......

Perfect logic.
Every time there's a criticism to anything X, just pick the worst thing Y in that category and say "Well, at least X is not Y". As you can see, that's the mark of an intelligent answer by an intelligent person.

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