Permit types (A vs B vs Intimate Relationship)

[toamber2]

Hi everyone,

Sorry if this has been covered on here before. I tried to use the "search" feature but I kept getting an error that said to try to search later. Forgive me the length of this post, but I want to include any info that might be useful.

I'm American, and I am currently working in Germany on an initial 2 year work permit, with one year left on it and the option to extend. My boyfriend is Finnish and lives in Finland. My boyfriend and I have not lived together yet, so we don't meet the 2 year cohabitation requirement. We want to live together in his home in Finland, so I'm trying to figure out the best/fastest way to make this happen. I want to eventually become a Finnish citizen, and it seems that time spent in Finland on a Type B residence permit won't contribute to the 5 year requirement.

I have a Masters degree from a top university in the US, but I'm also studying now for an additional degree (post-bacc) in a different field (Software Development).

What are the qualifying and disqualifying factors for a Type A residence permit? Will the fact that my highest degree is in a different field prevent me from getting a residence permit based on a job contract for a software developer job? Is it better to apply for a residence permit based on Intimate Relationship?

I was reading up on the refusals of applications based on spousal sponsorship, and it seems that it's not exactly cut and dry. Apparently when the woman is older than the man it's more likely to get denied, but a older Finnish man bringing over a very young Thai girl has zero difficulty. I'm significantly older than my boyfriend but I'm absolutely head over heels for him. This makes me wonder if I'd have better success applying as a skilled worker, rather than based on our relationship.

Does anyone have any related experience or advice? What would be the best option for me to pursue?

[heretostay]

Do you have a job offer in Finland? That seems to be the first hurdle you need to overcome to get a work based permit. Without that an intimate relationship permit is your only option unless you get married.

[betelgeuse]

I want to eventually become a Finnish citizen, and it seems that time spent in Finland on a Type B residence permit won't contribute to the 5 year requirement.

"If you had a temporary residence permit (a B permit) before you got a continuous residence permit, a half of the time you lived in Finland with a temporary residence permit is included in your period of residence. "

https://migri.fi/en/how-to-calculate-th ... -residence

[toamber2]

Do you have a job offer in Finland? That seems to be the first hurdle you need to overcome to get a work based permit. Without that an intimate relationship permit is your only option unless you get married.

No, not yet. I'll be in Finland for 3 months (August through end of October) to job search. I think being able to physically come in for an interview might be helpful. I can also try and network while I'm there. I know it's very hard to find work in Finland if you are foreign.

[toamber2]

I want to eventually become a Finnish citizen, and it seems that time spent in Finland on a Type B residence permit won't contribute to the 5 year requirement.

"If you had a temporary residence permit (a B permit) before you got a continuous residence permit, a half of the time you lived in Finland with a temporary residence permit is included in your period of residence. "

https://migri.fi/en/how-to-calculate-th ... -residence

Oh, thank you! I had that totally misunderstood then.