Trying to stay with my Finnish partner across borders while battling chronic illness and a complicated past.

[jameskimber]

I could really use some advice and support. My partner and I both have long COVID with POTS, and I had been staying with her in Finland (her home country) on my Japanese passport under the 90/180 Schengen stay. We were planning to get married so I could apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties and stay while it was processing.

The issue is that I’m a dual US and Japanese citizen (birthright, under 22 years old to pick one), and I have a complicated and traumatic history from when I was 16. I was falsely accused of sexual assault due to a situation involving my ex’s abusive mother who was coercing her and wanted revenge on me. It’s a long story, but my ex had run away from home, and the fallout led to me being charged. My parents couldn’t afford to go to trial, and my lawyer strongly pushed a plea deal (an Alford plea) saying it was the safest route, which resulted in an adjudication for a gross misdemeanor. I’ve tried to move on and rebuild since, but I’m scared of how this might affect immigration if it ever came up.

We weren’t sure how to approach the Finnish marriage and residence permit process — whether to apply only with my Japanese passport (which I used to enter), not mention my US citizenship at all, or try to declare both and risk them doing a deeper background check. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and I left Finland so I wouldn’t overstay and risk a Schengen ban. I’m now in Bosnia with her,
but it’s been incredibly hard. I’m in a severe POTS flare and don’t feel safe or supported medically here. I went 48+ hours without sleep recently and hit a breaking point.

I can’t lose my partner again. We already did long-distance for over a year and I’m terrified of going through that again. I just want to be with her and feel stable.

My questions:

• Where could I stay safely (and accessibly) outside the Schengen zone while waiting to re-enter Finland?

• Would it be too risky to try marrying and applying for the spouse residence permit in Finland while only declaring my Japanese side?

• Is there any hope that the Finnish immigration system wouldn’t dig into sealed juvenile US records if I declare US citizenship? Am I supposed to even report it on a residence permit application considering a juvenile charge is an adjudication, not a conviction?

I’m honestly just lost and scared, trying to navigate all this while being chronically ill. If anyone has been through something similar — legal, medical, or cross-border relationship-wise — I would deeply appreciate any advice or encouragement.

Thank you.

[actualbunnyvolunteer]

You can always get married and apply for the spouse RP in Finland, but be honest about your dual citizenships.

There is no way they could dig into sealed juvenile records, these juvenile records are sealed for a reason. If they only ask about a conviction, then just answer honestly that you don’t have one.

While waiting for your RP, after you are married to a Finnish citizen apply for a home municipality at DVV immediately so you can get access to public healthcare, and also apply for a KELA card for medicine reimbursement.

[betelgeuse]

There is no way they could dig into sealed juvenile records, these juvenile records are sealed for a reason. If they only ask about a conviction, then just answer honestly that you don’t have one.

The Finnish wording of the question could also be translated as "Has a sentence ever been imposed on you by a court". The question of disclosure is hard for a non immigration lawyer to evaluate.

[suomentytto]

1. Where to stay outside Schengen while waiting to re-enter Finland:
Some non-Schengen countries that are relatively friendly, safe, and accessible from Finland include:
• Bosnia (where you are now), Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia — many travelers use these for visa runs.
• Georgia (90–365 day stays depending on passport), very welcoming to foreigners and has decent medical access in bigger cities like Tbilisi.
• Turkey (90 days in a 180-day period), with more established healthcare infrastructure.

You might also consider Malaysia or Japan as temporary bases if you need better medical care and less visa hassle (especially with your Japanese passport).

2. Marrying and applying for the permit in Finland using only your Japanese passport:
This has been done by others — it’s not illegal to only present one nationality for immigration purposes. Since you entered on your Japanese passport, you could continue using it for the residence permit application. Finland doesn’t require you to declare other nationalities unless explicitly asked, and many dual nationals keep it simple for exactly this reason.

That said, once you’re a resident and in deeper bureaucratic processes (like permanent residency or citizenship), other nationalities or past issues could potentially come up. But initially, it’s possible to apply as a Japanese citizen only.

3. Your juvenile legal record and the US side:
In most cases, juvenile adjudications (especially sealed records or Alford pleas) aren’t considered convictions, and Finnish immigration is known to be more focused on current safety/security risks than punishing past missteps — especially from a minor.

You’re generally not required to report sealed or juvenile records unless specifically asked about any past charges or adjudications. Read the application questions very carefully — if it asks about convictions only, an adjudication might not apply. If it asks about any legal trouble, you might need to disclose — but you can also attach a personal statement with context, showing it was a juvenile plea under duress, with no repeat offenses.

I strongly recommend speaking to a Finnish immigration lawyer or specialist, especially one with experience in family-based permits. They can clarify how strict the background check is and how to approach your application.

[Auringon_kukka]

I could really use some advice and support. My partner and I both have long COVID with POTS, and I had been staying with her in Finland (her home country) on my Japanese passport under the 90/180 Schengen stay. We were planning to get married so I could apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties and stay while it was processing.

The issue is that I’m a dual US and Japanese citizen (birthright, under 22 years old to pick one), and I have a complicated and traumatic history from when I was 16. I was falsely accused of sexual assault due to a situation involving my ex’s abusive mother who was coercing her and wanted revenge on me. It’s a long story, but my ex had run away from home, and the fallout led to me being charged. My parents couldn’t afford to go to trial, and my lawyer strongly pushed a plea deal (an Alford plea) saying it was the safest route, which resulted in an adjudication for a gross misdemeanor. I’ve tried to move on and rebuild since, but I’m scared of how this might affect immigration if it ever came up.

We weren’t sure how to approach the Finnish marriage and residence permit process — whether to apply only with my Japanese passport (which I used to enter), not mention my US citizenship at all, or try to declare both and risk them doing a deeper background check. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and I left Finland so I wouldn’t overstay and risk a Schengen ban. I’m now in Bosnia with her,
but it’s been incredibly hard. I’m in a severe POTS flare and don’t feel safe or supported medically here. I went 48+ hours without sleep recently and hit a breaking point.

I can’t lose my partner again. We already did long-distance for over a year and I’m terrified of going through that again. I just want to be with her and feel stable.

My questions:

• Where could I stay safely (and accessibly) outside the Schengen zone while waiting to re-enter Finland?

• Would it be too risky to try marrying and applying for the spouse residence permit in Finland while only declaring my Japanese side?

• Is there any hope that the Finnish immigration system wouldn’t dig into sealed juvenile US records if I declare US citizenship? Am I supposed to even report it on a residence permit application considering a juvenile charge is an adjudication, not a conviction?

I’m honestly just lost and scared, trying to navigate all this while being chronically ill. If anyone has been through something similar — legal, medical, or cross-border relationship-wise — I would deeply appreciate any advice or encouragement.

Thank you.

My condolences for your tough situation. It's hard being in another country--foreign to both of you I assume--when you have serious health concerns and are unable to access the care you need. At least the two of you are together at this point.

I'm afraid I can't help with suggestions for places to stay outside the Schengen Area. Maybe others here can chime in. If you do come back to Finland, marry and apply for a residence permit, you will be confronted with the dual--and especially U.S.--citizenship issue when you open a bank account, for example. Banks here will ask what citizenship(s) you have, and they are especially interested in U.S. citizenship because of taxation implications. From what I understand, U.S. taxation is based on citizenship, not residency. Were you not to disclose your U.S. citizenship, there is a risk it could come back to bite you if, say, the U.S. were to get wind of your current place of residence and contact the authorities for clarification. Disclosing the information up front would alleviate any fear of that happening.

However, I understand your concerns about disclosing, given your history. I'm no legal expert, so I won't go there. I just wanted to let you know, as someone who has been in a long-distance relationship, that there are times when it is definitely not easy. Hang in there. Things will get better.

All the best to you and your partner!

[FinlandGirl]

The issue is that I’m a dual US and Japanese citizen (birthright, under 22 years old to pick one), and I have a complicated and traumatic history from when I was 16. I was falsely accused of sexual assault due to a situation involving my ex’s abusive mother who was coercing her and wanted revenge on me. It’s a long story, but my ex had run away from home, and the fallout led to me being charged. My parents couldn’t afford to go to trial, and my lawyer strongly pushed a plea deal (an Alford plea) saying it was the safest route, which resulted in an adjudication for a gross misdemeanor.

• Would it be too risky to try marrying and applying for the spouse residence permit in Finland while only declaring my Japanese side?

• Is there any hope that the Finnish immigration system wouldn’t dig into sealed juvenile US records if I declare US citizenship? Am I supposed to even report it on a residence permit application considering a juvenile charge is an adjudication, not a conviction?

Making false statements when applying for a Residence Permit can result in revocation of the Residence Permit when discovered later, and both are asked when you apply for a Residence Permit.

Everyone knows that being born in the US usually gives you citizenship, if the birthplace in your passport is in the US and you declare neither current nor former US citizenship in your application that's something Migri will likely ask about.

You already have experience what happens when things go bad with an ex, imagine in a few years a non-amicable divorce with questions like child custody where your then-ex (or her mother) tells Migri about your conviction.

If anyone has been through something similar — legal, medical, or cross-border relationship-wise — I would deeply appreciate any advice or encouragement.

After marriage your spouse and you will have an immediate legal right to live together in any EU country where your spouse does NOT have citizenship, without requiring a Residence Permit for either of you.

Marrying and living together with your spouse for more than 3 months in another EU country would give you the right to move to Finland as family member of an EU citizen without requiring a Residence Permit.

While there is a formal requirement for family members of EU citizens not to be "a danger to public order, security or public health", the form for for family members of EU citizens does not ask about convictions and barriers for refusal are much higher since this is a legal right associated with EU citizenship and not a Residence Permit granted at will by a national government.

Asking a Finnish lawyer specialized in immigration law is highly recommended in any case.

[FinlandGirl]

If they only ask about a conviction, then just answer honestly that you don’t have one.

The question on the English form is "Have you ever been convicted of an offence and sentenced to punishment?"

A conviction with a sentence of unconditional discharge with no punishment could be honestly answered with "no", but based on the description I would expect there was a punishment and wouldn't answer "no" unless a lawyer told that this is OK.