New here. Is it a good period for immigration?

[konstantina]

Hello,

I'm new here and i have to start by apologizing about my ''medium'' english.
Me and my boyfriend are 25years old and we are studying at Greece. Here the Technological Institutes (where we study) are on strike due to the lack of staff/teachers and the many layoffs and the future is black and vague and we afraid that the school will close! So if we'll finish our studies, we want to come at Finland and live there permanent.
We love Finland and we like a lot their language, i know that it's very difficult language but we have the willing to start learn the language before come there.

I would like to ask some thinks, some days before i saw this article http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/busine ... overnment/ and i'm afraid of the eco nomic crisis.
At Greece we live black days with no work and future with the crisis.
It's very sad to want to work at your 25y.o. and finally can't do it! I want to work , but i can't here!
I would like to tell me is we can come there at Finland (while we have learn some finnish to can talk with other people) and find a job, whatever job!!(legitimate job of course). Is it very difficult with some finnish and some english to find a job? Does the future there be good or bad about economy and job opportunities?
Of course we will start to learn there the language at school, and we will start from here to learn (by online courses) before come there.

I would like to ask something else, is it difficult to find furnishing apartment at finland without moving every 2-3 months? I say it because i search about Sweden and at sweden the houses is big problem, because you have to move again and again until to rent house from "1st hand".

I hope at least someone to answer at my queries, and at least someone understand my english

I want to say sorry if i post it twice :/

[rinso]

No it is not a good time.
Finland also experience the effects of the financial crises.
For a foreigner without fluent Finnish it will be very very hard to find a job.
On top of that, Finland is expensive.
You're probably better of jobless in Greece than jobless in Finland.

[konstantina]

hm.. so bad!
I never thought that Finland would have economic crisis.. :/
It doesn't matter maybe we will go at Sweden because it was our 2nd destination.. but we will think about finland again because we want it a lot.
maybe if we learn finnish we can find a job at least as cleaners.

[betelgeuse]

I wouldn't move here and then try to find a job. I would search online first and try to see what can be scheduled that way. If you can land interviews / potential jobs, then you can take a holiday here to see if you can close the deal. The price level in Greece should be generally much cheaper so your money will last longer that way. As said this might not be easy so good luck.

[betelgeuse]

You would need a monthly public transport card (100 euro for Helsinki, 150 for the Metropolitan area) or pay 2,2 euro / 4,5 euro per ticket. The prices I mention are for non-residents. Residents pay less.

Non residents can also get a travel card and the single journey prices are the same as for residents. The correct prices for non residents are (but if he was coming here, he would be a resident) 91,70 euro, 143,20e, 1,90e and 3,47e

http://www.hsl.fi/liput-ja-hinnat/matkakortti

You can't get a residence permit (and permanent SSN) with a part time or limited time job.

Assuming OP studies in Greece because he's Greek, he does not need a residence permit (EU citizenship).

You cannot have a bank account without a Social Security Number, and you don't get an SSN until you register. No bank account means no possibility to do any online payments.
You must pay 7 euro per bank transaction if you go to the desk, instead of paying online.

Due to SEPA you can just continue a Greek account and pay from there until a Finnish account can be opened with online access.

You may end up paying 35% taxes from an already small salary, because you're a non resident. It's 60% if you don't go to the tax office in time.

35% is only if a you spend part time of the year in Finland (rajoitetusti verovelvollinen) which is not the goal of OP. It will never happen that you will actually pay 60% if you don't get a tax card. It just means you have to wait until December next year for the tax authority to pay you back.

You are eligible for health-care with your passport. The prices are decent (14 euro / visit at local health care center).

You should have a European Health Insurance (you should be able to get on from Greece assuming that's where you currently have social security) card too.

[Upphew]

Assuming OP studies in Greece because he's Greek, he does not need a residence permit (EU citizenship).

Only for 3 months. From the 4th month on, we do. Get your facts straight before you tell people they don't need something.

Residence Permit != registration of right of residence or whatever it was...

Also: if you use your bank account from another country, there are surcharges for every transaction. The amount varies, but sometimes the cost is too much (as a percentage) of the bill you are trying to pay.

Not in SEPA.
http://www.nordea.com/Our+services/Inte ... 69132.html

[Ankan]

Seriously Sweden is not either a good option. There are no jobs, mostly they require swedish for the "simplest" jobs, and there are already tons of people applying for those jobs and who already speaks swedish. Shortage of housing, especially when 2000 asylym seekers are coming to Sweden every week of right now.

You can always ask at the discussion board of http://www.thelocal.se, but you will get the same answers as you get here. There is no country of magic wonder in Europe right now, every country has its difficulties, and it will not get easier if you do not speak the language, do not have a job in before hand and do not have any clue of the culture of the country. Just be realistic and you will save you and your boyfriend from a lot of troubles.

[betelgeuse]

Non residents can also get a travel card and the single journey prices are the same as for residents. The correct prices for non residents are (but if he was coming here, he would be a resident) 91,70 euro, 143,20e, 1,90e and 3,47e

A single ticket (valid only for Helsinki) from the machine or on your mobile phone, costs 2,2 euro. On the bus, it costs 2,8 euro.

Why would OP be paying single tickets from the machines or buses instead of getting a travel card that is not tied to a person? Everyone can buy those for five euros.

Assuming OP studies in Greece because he's Greek, he does not need a residence permit (EU citizenship).

Only for 3 months. From the 4th month on, we do. Get your facts straight before you tell people they don't need something.

My source is chapter 10 of the Aliens Act. What is yours?

http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset ... 040301.pdf

35% is only if a you spend part time of the year in Finland (rajoitetusti verovelvollinen) which is not the goal of OP. It will never happen that you will actually pay 60% if you don't get a tax card. It just means you have to wait until December next year for the tax authority to pay you back.

It will never happen? Seriously?! There was a forum post only last week saying it happened already. And yes, I was given a 35% tax card. Telling someone "you will get the money back next year, if you are still here" doesn't help them survive the current month. They need to know what they are facing.

Can you post a link? Sure someone can be withheld 60%. The term you used was paying taxes != withholding. So do you fall under the rules explained here?

http://www.vero.fi/fi-FI/Syventavat_ver ... uus(14341)

Unfortunately I could not find vero providing an English version of that page. I didn't mention in my last post that you can have your tax card adjusted any time of the year. If you are withheld 60% in January, you can start paying a lower late to adjust by the end of the year. Getting money back next year is the worst case scenario.

Again, speaking from experience: nobody asked me for a European Health Insurance. Instead, they asked for my passport. Sure, if you have it, it can't hurt. But you only *need* your passport.

That's interesting to hear. Having a EU passport should not be enough. For example a Greek having residence in the United States is not entitled to use public health care here although he would have an EU passport.

Also: if you use your bank account from another country, there are surcharges for every transaction. The amount varies, but sometimes the cost is too much (as a percentage) of the bill you are trying to pay.

Only if you bank account charges surcharges for domestic transactions too.

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/payments/sepa/

[rinso]

The good parts:
And they like Greek people, for some reason I can't figure out.

The village school has to be closed because there is no money.
A lot of money went into the bail out of Greece.
Although there is no 1 on 1 relation, the locals still make that connection and become less welcoming for economic refugees from the Mediterranean.
Also:
http://yle.fi/uutiset/hs_tougher_attitu ... ts/6842841

[rinso]

Yes, I thought so too. But then, after 1+ year, I have witnessed exactly the opposite: people telling me how much they like Greece, that they want to support the Greek people, asking me what can they do to help etc. It has been overwhelming.

We have different experiences it seems. It is what I hear when the locals talk with each other.

P.S. For the sake of accuracy: the bail out money goes to the banks, not to the real economy / the people. But that's politics and I'll refrain from going further into it.

Yes. But it doesn't matter where it ends up but where it comes from. For the locals it means their services are cut.

[Rick1]

Yes, I thought so too. But then, after 1+ year, I have witnessed exactly the opposite: people telling me how much they like Greece, that they want to support the Greek people, asking me what can they do to help etc. It has been overwhelming.

We have different experiences it seems. It is what I hear when the locals talk with each other.

P.S. For the sake of accuracy: the bail out money goes to the banks, not to the real economy / the people. But that's politics and I'll refrain from going further into it.

Yes. But it doesn't matter where it ends up but where it comes from. For the locals it means their services are cut.

Well as long as EU-friendly (money easily giving away)parties are still sitting, it is not that bad yet. Mr.Stubb and friends are doing a good job.

[betelgeuse]

Personal experience and if that is not enough, you can read about it in the Police website:

https://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf ... endocument

That page says: "issue certificates of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit and certificates of permanent right of residence". The term legislation uses is registration of right of residence so their terminology on that landing page is a little confusing. Applying for a residence permit and registering right of residence are two different procedures with different rules and rights. It's better explained if you browse the category you linked to the EU section:

https://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf ... endocument

Can you post a link?

https://www.finlandforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=79967

The first answer on that page gives the same information that I already provided. In that case you will not be taxed at 60% and if you are active you will not have to wait until next year.

Only if you bank account charges surcharges for domestic transactions too.

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/payments/sepa/

Greek banks charge for everything. The High Court finds their surcharges are illegal (after years of litigation with consumer associations) and then they replace the illegal surcharges with new ones.

That's annoying. Still SEPA means that either the Finnish banks or cheaper than your existing bank so you save money by starting to use them (even if over a counter) or then you can just continue paying the surcharges to your Greek bank.