stop me if you've heard this one before

[sjwhidden]

salutations,

1) I came to Canada in may 2002 to finnish my studies & to hang out with my terminally ill father.
2) I fell in love with a young feller at school (lets call him rodney)
3) Father died in may 2003
4) got knocked up
5) graduated with the BFA (as did rodney) august 2003
6) have been spending remainder of time sorting out the estate & eating for two
7) we now have plane tickets that say we're to arrive in helsinki nov. 22

9) i'm trying now to figure out how to get my fella a work/residence permit or visa and a job.
10) and a place to live or a way to pay for a place to live if All Goes Wrong
11)i'm a Finnish/Canadian, i read write and speak finnish.

so;
how do i get my feller all the things he needs to become an upstanding employed forgeiner?
is all hope lost for maternity benifits? i would have come sooner, but circumstances have been genuinely uncooperative
i've spent all my free time bombarding every finnish gallery, museum, archive and paint-by-number-enthusiasts with my CV but they might not want to hire someone who's a walking baby bomb..

Any Advice and Information would be useful. Especially heart warming tales of heedless inpulsive emigration and What Not To Do.

Thank You!
sjw

[Hank W.]

You haven't been to the Finnish Embassy asking about "what to do"?
(OK, I know, they're more interested in organizing their cocatil parties than helping out people.)

There is a slight need of a reality check regarding money and landing on a tourist visa, as work/residence permits generally need to be applied in the country of residence (Canada) - which takes 1-6 months - after which buying plane tickets might come in the agenda next. Well, you can apply for a residence permit here - but depending where you live and how clogged the system is, it might take the 1-6 months during which time one cannot work etc. so the money can be a little tight. Especially if you don't fulfill the residence requirements and have "dropped out" of the Finnish KELA coverage.

Suggestion is you either get married in Canada, or get the paperwork showing that you have "lived under the same roof" for the magical 2 years limit as explaining things required for a spousal residence permit can be slightly awkward otherwise.

For maternity benefits (congrats btw) - I gather you are still within the Finnish KELA coverage under the residence rule?

http://193.209.217.5/in/internet/englis ... 01091511EH

But read the "small print"
To qualify for parenthood allowance, you must have lived in Finland for 180 days before the date on which your child is due to be born.

180 days = 6 months.

OK, residence then:
http://www.uvi.fi (Directorate of Immigration)
Residence permit for Finland on the basis of family ties
Finnish: http://www.uvi.fi/pdf/olelupaperheside_su.pdf
English: http://www.uvi.fi/pdf/olelupaperheside_eng.pdf

Note: You may only apply for a permit for a close
relative if he or she is living outside Finland when the
application is made. You may not apply for a residence
permit for a person who has already arrived in Finland,
with or without a visa.

So the person needs to apply the residence permit themselves:
Finnish: http://www.uvi.fi/pdf/olelupaperheside_su.pdf
English: http://www.uvi.fi/pdf/olelupa_eng.pdf

Coming here "just like that" might get you running through the hoops of bureaucracy, so before getting a nervous breakdown remember to read your Kafka and think positive.

I am sure things will work out and I wish you the best of luck.

[sayx]

You will get kela right and any other benefits right away since your Finnish, my common-law-wife did. I would suggest that you say you are single to all the offices here as your common-law-husband is still in Canada, you will be put to the top of every list for housing and so forth. As he’s still in Canada and before you arrive in Finland he can apply for A5 status since you two are common-law (two years) if not you’re going to have to wait for the baby to arrive first and he can apply on the babies Finnish nationality. But I bet he will not wish not to miss the birth. So traveling will be involved then. But if the baby was born in Canada then you will cut the travel out and you will not loss any right to benefits for you or your baby. Then he can apply in Canada come to Finland wait as you hound the visa office everyday (say looks like he has a job offer). Then as said before transfer it to Tallinn.

[Hank W.]

Well, the thing is if she has "lost the benefits" or not. They are very picky on that these days. Like if she is a resident someplace and just "temporarily abroad" or if she is registered as "moved abroad".

However Dave (sayx that is) I think your approach on "being single" to the housing office etc. is very sensible if she decides to come here first before the hubby when it comes to survival within the bureaucracy, as single mothers do get special treatment.

Just this Nov22 date is a bit... hrm... *close*. So decisions being made need to be quick.

BTW How about then if you want to register the child later on for a Canadian passport later on? Not complicated?

[sayx]

not at all both my boys are not known in Canada yet and we can do it any time with no problems untill they turn 18 then the laws change. and to give then citizenship in canada is asimple form and about 60$

Dave

[sjwhidden]

the feller is coming to finland the same time as me, which essesntially means come with a mint or get hitched before you come.

we called the consulate, which was no help, and then the embassy which is sending is "the paperwork". the woman i talked to said nov. 22 would be fine, maybe not for maternal benifits, but i knew that pesky 180 rule and couldn't leave any sooner. i have been e-mailing and faxing kela since i found out i was pregnant to try and find out if i am still covered. they just keep replying that "if i am part of the social security system then i am covered". #@$!? but the kela and i never did seem to get along, is there some english to finnish to kela dictionary that i'm not aware of?

thanks for the realistic prognosis. up until a few days ago we were going to get married, but the burocratic pressure has given us cold feet (it's unromantic i guess. -but it sounds as though i'll have to swallow my romantic sensibilities and get married, come with enought to cover 1-6 months or forget about coming.). would being married eliminate all these problems, or would there still be a burocratic paperi sota (paper war) to contend with?

[Hank W.]

Of course you get a bureaucratic red tape, but having a paper saying you are married will atleast not hinder the process.

About being covered or not, KELA is notorious for not knowing their own rules. They don't even have a Finnish-Finnish dictionary for it. Their operating principle is "if there is any way there is a theoretcal possibility of denying a benefit due to technicalities we shall do it".