Adult Child of Finnish Heritage

SusanK · Post by **SusanK** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:37 pm

Good Morning All,

I have spent a handful of hours researching the forums here and the Migri website and I am really hoping I can get confirmation/clarification on what I have found.

I was born in the USA in 1979. Both parents are Finnish citizens, as is my sister. My parents and sister were all born in Finland and moved to the USA before I was born. The following family members of mine are living and still reside in Finland - maternal grandmother, paternal uncle, maternal uncle and maternal & paternal cousins.

As I understand it because I didn't visit Finland between the ages of 18-22 or visited for a total of 4 months I have lost my chances of citizenship. Is that an accurate statement? Or is there hope I can apply for dual citizenship at the age of 32? The information I gathered is that I would have to apply by declaration which would mean I would need to live there for 5-6 years prior to applying for citizenship. Am I overlooking anything? I'm not completely clear on if I can attempt to get citizenship?

One of the forums I read over commented about having BLOOD TIES. My blood ties are 100% Finnish and I speak the language fluently, I just can't write or read it very well.

I have saved the following application 15301_kan_9_en that I downloaded from the Migri site to inquire what the Population Information System has on me, if anything. Before I send anything in I would love any kind of feedback or guidance anyone is willing to provide.

Love n light,
Susan K.

**Sponsor:**

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:32 pm

Hi, Susan,

For several years there was a legal "window" for declaration of Finnish citizenship, but that window closed a few years ago, although it appears that you could easily have qualified for Finnish citizenship at that time. However, rumor has it that the window could open again, for people in just your situation, and, instead of asking us here at Finland Forum, your best bet could be to make contact with Finnish government officials, in that regard. Apparently the "political" situation is sympathetic toward reuniting authentic Finns with their homeland, and there just may be some legal provisions in that regard, but that is where you need to be in contact with Finnish government officials.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:56 pm

That declaration was for people whom grandparents were finnish and whom parents may have been finnish citizens if dual nationality were allowed etc.

There is still http://www.migri.fi/finnish_citizenship ... sh_citizen what may apply on susan, depending if her parents were citizens of finland in 1979. I dont know what kind of laws there were in 1979 so were she born as finnish citizen? Of course she lost it immediately after being registered as american because finland didnt allow dual nationality then.

Thats something i would check but check what finnish registry thinks about you first, its only 34e

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:52 pm

tuulen wrote:...but that is where you need to be in contact with Finnish government officials.

Where in Finland are your parents from? (Shhh, do not say that here!) A government office could tell you what the law now is, but contacting a government representative, especially one who represents your parent's homeland, or homelands, wherever, could not only tell you of the current law, but could also help to promote your future citizenship.

SusanK · Post by **SusanK** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:59 pm

tuulen wrote:
tuulen wrote:...but that is where you need to be in contact with Finnish government officials.
Where in Finland are your parents from? (Shhh, do not say that here!) A government office could tell you what the law now is, but contacting a government representative, especially one who represents your parent's homeland, or homelands, wherever, could not only tell you of the current law, but could also help to promote your future citizenship.

First, thank you to all who have replied, there is still hope that what I feel in my heart can be on paper also. So thank you for your time, I'm humbled by your generosity and sincerity to assist me.

I do have a question about contacting a government representative. Is there a specific way to go about that or is that just by filling out the form I already have and sending it in for the 34 euros? Thank you again!!! <3

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:56 pm

Well, it also depends if your parents made any kind of official notice of your birth back in 1979, informed the embassy and so forth. If they didn't the registry isn't exactly clarvoyant.

tuulen · Post by **tuulen** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:41 am

SusanK wrote:I do have a question about contacting a government representative. Is there a specific way to go about that or is that just by filling out the form I already have and sending it in for the 34 euros?

If you contact a government office, then you will be told what the law says, and that is all you will be told. However, if you contact a government representative, preferably one who represents the village or town where your parents came from, then you could learn what the law says AND possibly more. There MAY be an alternative, or maybe not, but yours is a special situation, where you need to be in contact with a government representative, and not just a government office. Even if there is no alternative at this time, your contact with a government representative could help to influence that representative, to discuss the matter with other representatives, where perhaps they could then legally create an alternative. Again, there is political sympathy in your favor, and your contact with a government representative could only amplify that sympathy.

Who could that government representative be? Aha! Now you have some homework to do! (Hint: the Finnish government representative of your parents' home village or town) ;-)

CH · Post by CH » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:19 pm

tuulen wrote:Who could that government representative be? Aha! Now you have some homework to do! (Hint: the Finnish government representative of your parents' home village or town)

And exactly who would the "Finnish government representatives" of a "town or village" be, and if these mythical creatures were found, what on earth would they know about the issue? Seriously?

Note, that Tuulen is not from Finland, as far as I have understood he is from the US.

Talk to the Finnish embassy in your country. They have probably the best experience on what would be the next step for you.

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:53 pm

And exactly who would the "Finnish government representatives" of a "town or village" be,

They´re called Maistratti. They have a website at http://www.maistraatti.fi They have telephones and email addresses.
They can tell the OP what is in the computers about her (should be something if she´s ever been registered). Seems like a good start.

jahasjahas · Post by **jahasjahas** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:56 pm

I (mostly) have to agree with CH.

tuulen: did you mean that she should contact a parliament member from her parents' home town? Finland doesn't really have a culture of "I'll contact my representative about this matter" like the US seems to have. (And I don't know whether "my parents used to live here" would make them your representative in the US either.) Immigration issues belong to the Administration Committee (hallintovaliokunta) in the Parliament, though I'm not sure whether writing a letter to Jussi Halla-aho would really help...

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:31 pm

jahasjahas wrote: Immigration issues belong to the Administration Committee (hallintovaliokunta) in the Parliament, though I'm not sure whether writing a letter to Jussi Halla-aho would really help...

We have separation of powers and Halla-aho is in political part so he cant directly affect on executive part so of course it wont help.
If you try to claim he dont support that she would get citizenship then i would like some explanations from you.

jahasjahas · Post by **jahasjahas** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:46 pm

onkko wrote:We have separation of powers and Halla-aho is in political part so he cant directly affect on executive part so of course it wont help.

I thought tuulen meant that talking to politicians would make them enact another law for reclaiming a lost citizenship.

If you try to claim he dont support that she would get citizenship then i would like some explanations from you.

I didn't mean to offend you or Halla-aho

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:01 pm

Yes, Onkko has the lada all fueled up to drive you to Vaalimaa

CH · Post by CH » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:04 pm

interleukin wrote:
And exactly who would the "Finnish government representatives" of a "town or village" be,
They´re called Maistratti. They have a website at http://www.maistraatti.fi They have telephones and email addresses.
They can tell the OP what is in the computers about her (should be something if she´s ever been registered). Seems like a good start.

Yes, but a Maistraatti is not a "Finnish government representative in a town or village", it's a register office (and yes, that would be the place to ask about any certificate about parents' birthplace, citizenship, marriage, death etc etc etc that the OP may need). And you don't need to go to the one in your parent's town or village, any will do (well, you wouldn't find one in every city anyway). But... how would it help the OP unless she knows what information she needs to ask for? I don't think they will respond to any "send me all and everything", they want to know what certificate she wants and for what purpose so they know what to send. I would still say that the best starting point would be to contact the Finnish Embassy, I would bet she would not be the first one asking about this.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:13 pm

Oh FFS, the local village is tied to a Maistraatti. Helsinki takes "hold" of all those that bugger off to foreign counties. Back in the good old days it would have been the church that "kept the books". It still does some aspects, but is now subordinate to the originally "not in church" väestörekisteri

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