USA to Finland: Apply for Residence here or there?

TopDog · Post by **TopDog** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:30 am

Good thing I don't live in a trailer then but I know where you can find one

**Sponsor:**

Rahela-Hanna · Post by **Rahela-Hanna** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:37 am

Hank W. wrote:You are an *American* - wannabe-status does not count honey.

I was explaining one dude he is not "black" in Finland. (its a racial slurreserved for the gypsies anyway). He is 1. American (by passport) 2. English-speaking (by first language) and if anyone asked his color, creed* or or race in a form that would be 2 years mandatory jail.

*ok they ask it if you are "normal" lutheran or"orthodox" or "anything else" for tax purposes...

(BTW if you were in that big velvet dress thats definitely only Finnish roma thing)

Hey, of course I'm an American, and I'm not a wannabe, by any means. I just like to sort of fit in with my surroundings, is all, even though I know that's not too important at all in Finland. Okay?

Trust me. I know who I really am, and I'm perfectly at ease with it. Also, of course the "big velvet dress", as you so prettily put it, is only a Finnish Roma kind of thing. But at the moment, I'm wearing dark green-plaid pajama bottoms, a lighter green shirt, and a bit of a sweater.

I don't think, really, that I'll ever dress typically "Roma" when I move back to Finland, anyway. So please believe me when I say that I would never want to be a wannabe, because I fully realize just how stupid and horrible that sounds...sorry if I just offended or pissed off anybody around here.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:18 am

Rahela-Hanna wrote: I just like to sort of fit in with my surroundings, is all, even though I know that's not too important at all in Finland.

I suppose you've never lived in a very small Finnish village

In the big city it is not that important, no. Theres an urban threshold.

But at the moment, I'm wearing dark green-plaid pajama bottoms, a lighter green shirt, and a bit of a sweater.

Heck, if I'd post here what I wanted I'd probably be arrested so I won't.

sorry if I just offended or pissed off anybody around here.

Damn, thats another trait you need to drop. You ever see me apologizing for offending someone?

I'm glad if I offended anybody - Give us an offer on our best selection of offence. This is a offence blowout! We got white offence, black offence, spanish offence, we got hot offence, cold offence, we got silk offence, velvet offence, naugahyde offence, we even got horse offence, dog offence, chicken offence. Come on. You want offence? Attention, offence seekers! Take advantage of our penny offence sale. lf you buy one piece of offence at the regular price... you'll get another piece of offence of equal or lesser value for only a penny. Try and beat offence for a penny!

Megstertex · Post by **Megstertex** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:05 am

um..you're the only Finn I've heard of that doesn't have a problem trying to offend people. Any gloomy, possibly offensive remarks I've heard from any Finns are directed towards the weather, or their own country. They go out of their way not to offend, disagree, or contradict, even if it means eating everything on their plate when it's spicy food they may be allergic to. They are pretty formal about rules and etiquette that I have noticed unless we are talking about petulant children under the age of 18 or mean petty old bitties over the age of 60 that have slipped on the ice one too many times. Offensive language, if any, is very passive, and indirect. Nothing overt. Isn't there a saying that if there is a fly in a Finn's soup at a restaurant, they would rather eat the soup around the swimming fly rather than complain about it or ask for a new bowl of soup sans fly? Just what I've observed in my short time here. I find the Swedish Finns to be more open and direct, and A LOT of FUN.

Megstertex · Post by **Megstertex** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:14 am

BTW, regarding original post--every Finnish government office/official will tell you a different story regarding best way to obtain residence permit. If you think it would help to start process there, go right ahead. But, it helps if you can "harass" the office on your status two times a week or so. If you neglect to do so and trust in the system, which is backed up at the moment, your status will sit untouched in the circular bin, or even be lost.

If you've got some cash, the way I did it, maybe not the wisest way, but the hold onto your balls way, was just move over here, get an employee sponsorship/work permit application underway, which SHOULD take 2 months. After being here three months and no permit ready in site, just go to Estonia or somewhere not officially EU, come back, it resets the clock of three month grace period. I got my residence permit after 4 months, based on sponsored employment, and family ties; NOT bad considering permanent residents in US seeking naturalization/citizenship the process is up to a year or more. Expect a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, so just be patient, they want to make sure that they are dotting their i's and crossing their t's. EU status I believe takes 5 years living in Finland, and currently, I've heard speaking fluently Swedish or Finnish---which leads me to method #2 of obtaining residence. A student visa, which, I don't know diddley squat about.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:34 am

Megstertex wrote:Offensive language, if any, is very passive, and indirect.

You just lack the nuances.

Though I think Finns excersize the "responsible freedom of speech" these days more than before. I mean you never know if some funny foreigner is going to burn your outhouse just because of something you said. The other thing is "meeting with strangers" Finns are, as you put it, quite formal. After you 'break the ice' then you can get on a very personal level. Finnish-Swedes maybe break the ice a bit faster, don't know. But I've heard this "avoid confrontation" now a few times from different people, which is interesting. Though in Finland if you go irritate some random people you traditionally are asking for a fight.

Nothing overt.

In the good old days at a logging camp came a man with a new contraption, a chain saw. He could make double a quota alone so everyone was jealous. So at night, the guys slipped up and dulled the chain. In the morning, the new man didn't say a thing but started to file the chain. he then showed up at the workplace usually at noon with the cook bringing the coffee. After a week the guys went to confess:
- Sorry, we were really childish, but howcome you didn't say anything for a week?
- Why should I say anything you didn't say anything I pissed into your coffee all week?

Isn't there a saying that if there is a fly in a Finn's soup at a restaurant, they would rather eat the soup around the swimming fly rather than complain about it or ask for a new bowl of soup sans fly?

Ah, but you know:
- waiter, there is a fly in my vegetable soup!
- sorry, I have to charge you extra for the meat

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:37 am

Megstertex wrote: After being here three months and no permit ready in site, just go to Estonia or somewhere not officially EU, come back, it resets the clock of three month grace period.

Errr... apart from Estonia being an EU country for real, like; you cannot re-enter Schengen within 180 days after your 90 day grace has gone. So if you go to Russia you need to stay there for 6 months for the clock to reset.

Megstertex · Post by **Megstertex** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:43 am

I know Estonia has joined EU, but for some reason, they stamp your passport and have customs and passport control there still until they transition 100% to EU status. Not familiar with legislation on this, just know this is what they told me at police station in Malmi when stamping my passport with work permit, and that for officials here in Fin, they reset my grace period after going to Estonia. Weird....

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 9:57 am

Schengen got nothing to do with EU itself, Norway for example is in the Schengen. You need a passport to go to the UK or Ireland for example. Well, as I can get back and forth with my ID card to Estonia these days I don't know about how mutilated 3rd world passports get anyhow.

Megstertex · Post by **Megstertex** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:20 am

"All the politicians shake their asses, making for the back door," I don't think the politicians know their politics. Much less their civil servants, or passport control. It's always a breeze going through the airport here in the 8 months I've been here, w or w/o any status.

Not sure what 3rd world you are referring to, pardner. That term can be applied to more than a place and can be fairly intangible out of context. Unless you are referring to the Tex part of my screenname. :wink:

I thought of a few other examples of what could be considered "offensive" behavior here, but I find them more amusing and endearing traits than offensive--guess that's why they slipped my mind.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:25 am

Oh, like wearing your shoes inside?

Megstertex · Post by **Megstertex** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:01 am

that among copious other things. Just don't say that to a man with an unregistered double barrel shotgun mounted in his truck.

Without quirks like that, I figure a place could just be boring.

Every place has it's old skool ways about it. (sauna and dip in a lake once a month for some Finns is their personal hygeine regimen)

Mark I. · Post by **Mark I.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:21 am

Megstertex wrote: Every place has it's old skool ways about it. (sauna and dip in a lake once a month for some Finns is their personal hygeine regimen)

Nah, we wash up only for x-mas and midsummer. And 1.st of May we turn our underware inside out.

Mark I. · Post by **Mark I.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 11:56 am

Finnish underware = raappahousut.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 12:42 pm

That is called "sexy lingerie"

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