Applying for Citizenship 2024

[Naxput]

My GF was asylum seeker and got positive decision in more than 2 years. In those times, some people got decision just in a couple of months, since their case was straightforward (Uyghurs, Yemeni, North Koreans etc). We hired lawyer just to track and investigate what the heck is happening and why there is not any decision. She was always paranoid that Migri always tracks all her movements, behaviours etc. Lawyer told that the Migri doesn't check anything about application till it's her turn. When the case was picked up, the lawyer informed us. It took only a day to receive a positive decision. I feel many are paranoid and making assumptions that Migri checks the cases, and they are not supposed to move the stage etc. I am more than sure that in the beginning they categorize the cases and after that they never ever touch the application.

Hi, I sent you a private message. Could you please check it?

[browndude]

I also heard that Migri asks clarification from the applicant’s home country which is unreasonable and extremely weird

Being a citizen of Finland doesn’t relate you to your home country. You can have issues in your home country but it shouldn’t matter about your status in Finland. Migri should care about the applicant behaviour during the years he lived in Finland.
And as said a home country may not reply to a request from Migri at all.
In my case for example. I’m from Egypt and I haven’t been to Egypt since I moved to Finland in 2016 why would migri care what I have done in Egypt before 2016.

Personally, I do not find it weird nor unreasonable at all. Many nations do this. These checks are probably one reason that makes the Finnish passport so powerful-other countries trust the integrity of the process. It is a matter of security. For example, if the applicant is a criminal it makes sense to know this before allowing them to obtain citizenship.

[browndude]

I also heard that Migri asks clarification from the applicant’s home country which is unreasonable and extremely weird

Being a citizen of Finland doesn’t relate you to your home country. You can have issues in your home country but it shouldn’t matter about your status in Finland. Migri should care about the applicant behaviour during the years he lived in Finland.
And as said a home country may not reply to a request from Migri at all.
In my case for example. I’m from Egypt and I haven’t been to Egypt since I moved to Finland in 2016 why would migri care what I have done in Egypt before 2016.

It obviously matters. If a foreigner will become a permanent part of Finnish society and never be able to get deported, the least Migri must do is be sure the immigrant is not a criminal because no normal country wants that.
The thing is that these investigations should be done when people are applying for a first residence permit to already cut from the roots the chances of importing a criminal. By the time the person is applying for citizenship is too late.

In Finland, there are police, courts, and jails. If there is nothing like this, then I can agree with you. So there are alternatives option for departation. Here the most important thing is how Migri gives terrible experiences to the upcoming new citizens. Most have been living here for quite a long time and paying the tax. You will never forgot, how Migri treat you. After all, if Migri is unsure about the applicant, they can reject the application, and an applicant can apply again. I don't know if there are any countries where new citizens need to wait 2-3 years for citizenship. Some newcomers (students/spouses... etc.) get there disisson within 24 hours.

Actually long processing times are not uncommon when it comes to citizenship applications. In the US for example, the average time to get citizenship approval after application is close to a year. This probably means that some applicants might have to wait much longer like they do in Finland. And in Sweden, which has had looser rules for citizenship, it can also apparently take up to 2-3 years. e.g. below from Swedish Migrationsverket

"How long does it take to get a deci­sion?
For several years now, the Swedish Migration Agency has had long processing times for applications for citizenship. This is mainly due to the large number of applications that have been received in a short period of time – which can be linked to the large influx of refugees in 2015, when 163,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden, of which just over 95,000 were granted residence permits.

Of the citizenship applications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within 36 months. The remaining 25 per cent have had to wait longer than that. Of the notifications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within ten months. "

And regarding the courts and police in Finland, it is cheaper and easier for the state to deport someone than have them go through the local court system. The point here is that once the citizenship is granted, the laws in Finland (and in many liberal democracies) are such that the individual gets so many more legal rights that even if they are shown to have later participated e.g. in genocide, it is much harder to deal with than if the individual is not a citizen. So one of the biggest reasons for making the citizenship process so detailed is to avoid problems such as these.

[Indian_Dude]

It obviously matters. If a foreigner will become a permanent part of Finnish society and never be able to get deported, the least Migri must do is be sure the immigrant is not a criminal because no normal country wants that.
The thing is that these investigations should be done when people are applying for a first residence permit to already cut from the roots the chances of importing a criminal. By the time the person is applying for citizenship is too late.

In Finland, there are police, courts, and jails. If there is nothing like this, then I can agree with you. So there are alternatives option for departation. Here the most important thing is how Migri gives terrible experiences to the upcoming new citizens. Most have been living here for quite a long time and paying the tax. You will never forgot, how Migri treat you. After all, if Migri is unsure about the applicant, they can reject the application, and an applicant can apply again. I don't know if there are any countries where new citizens need to wait 2-3 years for citizenship. Some newcomers (students/spouses... etc.) get there disisson within 24 hours.

Actually long processing times are not uncommon when it comes to citizenship applications. In the US for example, the average time to get citizenship approval after application is close to a year. This probably means that some applicants might have to wait much longer like they do in Finland. And in Sweden, which has had looser rules for citizenship, it can also apparently take up to 2-3 years. e.g. below from Swedish Migrationsverket

"How long does it take to get a deci­sion?
For several years now, the Swedish Migration Agency has had long processing times for applications for citizenship. This is mainly due to the large number of applications that have been received in a short period of time – which can be linked to the large influx of refugees in 2015, when 163,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden, of which just over 95,000 were granted residence permits.

Of the citizenship applications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within 36 months. The remaining 25 per cent have had to wait longer than that. Of the notifications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within ten months. "

And regarding the courts and police in Finland, it is cheaper and easier for the state to deport someone than have them go through the local court system. The point here is that once the citizenship is granted, the laws in Finland (and in many liberal democracies) are such that the individual gets so many more legal rights that even if they are shown to have later participated e.g. in genocide, it is much harder to deal with than if the individual is not a citizen. So one of the biggest reasons for making the citizenship process so detailed is to avoid problems such as these.

Regardless of citizenship, everyone in Finland is equal, especially when you have the PR. So, I do not buy your point. The second thing is that it is not about the waiting time; it's about 2-3 years, and you need to wait without knowing why you need to wait. If you are a refugee and wait for three years, I do not find anything to complain about. But if you are not a refugee, have not been committing any crime, have a good travel record, have a decent job, and are not from a blocked country .... you need to wait three years without any explanation from Migri that sucks

[betelgeuse]

Regardless of citizenship, everyone in Finland is equal, especially when you have the PR. So, I do not buy your point. The second thing is that it is not about the waiting time; it's about 2-3 years, and you need to wait without knowing why you need to wait. If you are a refugee and wait for three years, I do not find anything to complain about. But if you are not a refugee, have not been committing any crime, have a good travel record, have a decent job, and are not from a blocked country .... you need to wait three years without any explanation from Migri that sucks

You can’t claim that everyone is equal and then that it’s ok for refugees to have longer processing times. PR is not a blanket protection from deportation. If you commit serious enough crimes you will be deported.

[browndude]

In Finland, there are police, courts, and jails. If there is nothing like this, then I can agree with you. So there are alternatives option for departation. Here the most important thing is how Migri gives terrible experiences to the upcoming new citizens. Most have been living here for quite a long time and paying the tax. You will never forgot, how Migri treat you. After all, if Migri is unsure about the applicant, they can reject the application, and an applicant can apply again. I don't know if there are any countries where new citizens need to wait 2-3 years for citizenship. Some newcomers (students/spouses... etc.) get there disisson within 24 hours.

Actually long processing times are not uncommon when it comes to citizenship applications. In the US for example, the average time to get citizenship approval after application is close to a year. This probably means that some applicants might have to wait much longer like they do in Finland. And in Sweden, which has had looser rules for citizenship, it can also apparently take up to 2-3 years. e.g. below from Swedish Migrationsverket

"How long does it take to get a deci­sion?
For several years now, the Swedish Migration Agency has had long processing times for applications for citizenship. This is mainly due to the large number of applications that have been received in a short period of time – which can be linked to the large influx of refugees in 2015, when 163,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden, of which just over 95,000 were granted residence permits.

Of the citizenship applications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within 36 months. The remaining 25 per cent have had to wait longer than that. Of the notifications that have been decided in the past month, 75 per cent have received a decision within ten months. "

And regarding the courts and police in Finland, it is cheaper and easier for the state to deport someone than have them go through the local court system. The point here is that once the citizenship is granted, the laws in Finland (and in many liberal democracies) are such that the individual gets so many more legal rights that even if they are shown to have later participated e.g. in genocide, it is much harder to deal with than if the individual is not a citizen. So one of the biggest reasons for making the citizenship process so detailed is to avoid problems such as these.

Regardless of citizenship, everyone in Finland is equal, especially when you have the PR. So, I do not buy your point. The second thing is that it is not about the waiting time; it's about 2-3 years, and you need to wait without knowing why you need to wait. If you are a refugee and wait for three years, I do not find anything to complain about. But if you are not a refugee, have not been committing any crime, have a good travel record, have a decent job, and are not from a blocked country .... you need to wait three years without any explanation from Migri that sucks

You don't have to buy my point . I am not contesting the fact that it sucks big time to have to wait 3 years without any obvious reason. In my epxerience, there are major differences in rights as well as responsiblities in PR vs. citizenship. Citizenship give you many advantages but it also comes with major responsibilities-e.g. asevelvolisuus etc.. Most of the differences don't affect the average immigrant.

[Indian_Dude]

Regardless of citizenship, everyone in Finland is equal, especially when you have the PR. So, I do not buy your point. The second thing is that it is not about the waiting time; it's about 2-3 years, and you need to wait without knowing why you need to wait. If you are a refugee and wait for three years, I do not find anything to complain about. But if you are not a refugee, have not been committing any crime, have a good travel record, have a decent job, and are not from a blocked country .... you need to wait three years without any explanation from Migri that sucks

You can’t claim that everyone is equal and then that it’s ok for refugees to have longer processing times. PR is not a blanket protection from deportation. If you commit serious enough crimes you will be deported.

You missed the point. If the law/rules said refugees need more time, then I have nothing to say. If non-citizens commit crimes, they need to be deported; I also have nothing to say. Because If you are in Finland, you must follow these Finnish laws. Laws are written on black and white paper, and we all know about them. When we apply for citizenship, we know about it. So, I am not saying anything against the laws. I am saying that we are all the same under this Finnish law. This means that two refugee applicants will be treated the same way. Two non-refugee applicants will be treated in the same way. I hope you got my point.
The problem is that Migri has many hidden rules that have not been published publicly. Example about the black-listed countries list. It does not exist on their website anymore. Another one is if you are an entrepreneur, they will put you on a different long waiting list. They follow these rules without telling the public. It is not ok.

[xfromy]

I also heard that Migri asks clarification from the applicant’s home country which is unreasonable and extremely weird

Being a citizen of Finland doesn’t relate you to your home country. You can have issues in your home country but it shouldn’t matter about your status in Finland. Migri should care about the applicant behaviour during the years he lived in Finland.
And as said a home country may not reply to a request from Migri at all.
In my case for example. I’m from Egypt and I haven’t been to Egypt since I moved to Finland in 2016 why would migri care what I have done in Egypt before 2016.

It obviously matters. If a foreigner will become a permanent part of Finnish society and never be able to get deported, the least Migri must do is be sure the immigrant is not a criminal because no normal country wants that.
The thing is that these investigations should be done when people are applying for a first residence permit to already cut from the roots the chances of importing a criminal. By the time the person is applying for citizenship is too late.

That would also not solve the problem as people tends to visit their home country in between and thus it is important to have up to date criminal records. What I think would make more sense is to ask them to upload police clearance certificate from their home country or other countries they have lived long while submitting the application itself.This would reduce migri's time to contact foreign authorities for criminal history of each and every applicant.
And yes, to say why should migri care what I had done outside Finland is also an illogical statement. Not only Finland, many other countries ask you to provide criminal history of each country you have lived after turning 16 or 18.

[Indian_Dude]

I've been waiting for a decision for almost a year now and I dislike Migri's inefficiency as much as everyone else here, but some people in this forum are absurdly entitled! Some act like becoming a citizen of another country is basically their God-given right because they paid money for an application to Migri... Others act like they deserve more speed because they're not refugees, or are constantly victimizing themselves and creating/spreading theories that Migri is just on a personal mission to make them suffer.

You guys need to chill. Live your lives, don't commit crimes, make sure you have at least applied for permanent residency too (for a bigger peace of mind and awnae of stability)... And eventually you'll get a citizenship decision.
This coming from someone who applied in June 2023 and thought would get a decision in 6 months... Already going to 12 months in 2 weeks.

"Getting citizenship is not right."
"Getting citizenship is a privilege"
We all know about it.
Getting a invitation for luch in my home is not your rights, it is your privilege. But when you arrive my home and if I serve you that lunch in the next day morning, then it sucks.
It is not your God-given right, but still it sucks.

[mamutti]

I've been waiting for a decision for almost a year now and I dislike Migri's inefficiency as much as everyone else here, but some people in this forum are absurdly entitled! Some act like becoming a citizen of another country is basically their God-given right because they paid money for an application to Migri... Others act like they deserve more speed because they're not refugees, or are constantly victimizing themselves and creating/spreading theories that Migri is just on a personal mission to make them suffer.

You guys need to chill. Live your lives, don't commit crimes, make sure you have at least applied for permanent residency too (for a bigger peace of mind and awnae of stability)... And eventually you'll get a citizenship decision.
This coming from someone who applied in June 2023 and thought would get a decision in 6 months... Already going to 12 months in 2 weeks.

"Getting citizenship is not right."
"Getting citizenship is a privilege"
We all know about it.
Getting a invitation for luch in my home is not your rights, it is your privilege. But when you arrive my home and if I serve you that lunch in the next day morning, then it sucks.
It is not your God-given right, but still it sucks.

As a public organization, Migri had to follow the Administrative law which stipulates that decision should be served without unreasonable delay

[riku2]

Getting a invitation for lunch in my home is not your rights, it is your privilege. But when you arrive my home and if I serve you that lunch in the next day morning, then it sucks.

If you really want to annoy the waiting guest, you announce that you have introduced automated lunches, but it does not apply to people who have been sitting around waiting. New people arrive and get their lunch served in three minutes but the waiting guests should sit back and wait patiently for their lunch to arrive perhaps the next morning.

[Auringon_kukka]

Getting a invitation for lunch in my home is not your rights, it is your privilege. But when you arrive my home and if I serve you that lunch in the next day morning, then it sucks.

If you really want to annoy the waiting guest, you announce that you have introduced automated lunches, but it does not apply to people who have been sitting around waiting. New people arrive and get their lunch served in three minutes but the waiting guests should sit back and wait patiently for their lunch to arrive perhaps the next morning.

[Indian_Dude]

Getting a invitation for lunch in my home is not your rights, it is your privilege. But when you arrive my home and if I serve you that lunch in the next day morning, then it sucks.

If you really want to annoy the waiting guest, you announce that you have introduced automated lunches, but it does not apply to people who have been sitting around waiting. New people arrive and get their lunch served in three minutes but the waiting guests should sit back and wait patiently for their lunch to arrive perhaps the next morning.

Well, said. Just one suggestion/ request for you guyes, please raise your voice in the social platfrom example in the facebook page of the Migri (https://www.facebook.com/Maahanmuuttovir). At least share your reaction there. I think in this way we can get policy maker/ Migri’scBig boss’s attention.

[kriffer]

Well, today it finally happened!
Some stats:
- moved to Finland in 2017 as an entrepreneur, having Russian citizenship and Finnish RP
- applied in mid of June 2022
- moved to stage 2 on April 17th 2024
- On April 15th 2024 got a positive decision. (The queue number was about 1200)

So it overall took exactly 23 months!

Good luck and patience to all who are waiting!

[jonathan_09]

Well, today it finally happened!
Some stats:
- moved to Finland in 2017 as an entrepreneur, having Russian citizenship and Finnish RP
- applied in mid of June 2022
- moved to stage 2 on April 17th 2024
- On April 15th 2024 got a positive decision. (The queue number was about 1200)

So it overall took exactly 23 months!

Good luck and patience to all who are waiting!

Congratulations br