xxalibi_xx wrote:...And stay there?
I'm an Australian citizen and I would love to live in Finland.
I want to teach English abroad, but I have no idea if I can do this in Finland or how I would do it. Is it possible to stay and eventually become a permanent resident after a working holiday? Are there any other ways to do this?
I have thought about going over there to study at university but I don't know Finnish (working on this though), and I don't have the funds to do this.
Advice?

G'day mate. Was initially thinking of the same thing a few years back. Worked out after months of asking and learning about proper ways to be able to stay, that this would be impossible. If you look around and use the 'search' feature of the forums here you'll see that many people who ask the same question eventually find out that it is too hard and that it is not worth the stress.
1. The Working Holiday Visa is sort of expensive....
2. The amount you are allowed to work is not consistent enough for any employer to want to hire you. So unless you get a confirmed, signed job offer written in blood BEFORE coming to Finland, you have little to no chance.
3. You can't speak any of the language which means you'll be unable to work 90% of jobs.
Add all those together with numerous other issues that you will face, eg. You don't get any health care here (except for reciprocal health from Medicare but that's very, very little) and you don't really have any 'rights'. It's not a good idea mate, not in my humble opinion.
Without any qualifications, and a masters degree is minimum entry here, you have very little chance of being able to do anything like that. I taught in a school here for about 8 months on a BA but that was only because the principal of the school I was teaching at really liked me and my scores were extremely high. And also of course because she could rightfully pay me less to teach the same curriculum as a masters graduate.
If you want to stay, come here as a tourist for a few months. Find a beautiful lass to marry and then opt to stay. That is your best absolute bet ever, but I am quite against marrying for convenience, though it wouldn't really be that if you found someone that you fell in love with and the feeling was mutual. It depends on what your priorities are yeah? You have to have a proper relationship and obviously love the person you are with to be able to have a shot at getting anywhere near their homeland and if that is your primary concern then there is something wrong with you. I myself have been boomeranging back and forth between Finland and Australia the last 3 years.. my wife's family calls me 'bumerangi poika' now.
Working holiday visas are great
if you have a confirmed job before entering the country. Finding one is the difficult step and then it doesn't get any easier when you get here. You have no idea what you are in for, no offence intended.
I wish you the best of luck, you will really need it if you want to take this position.
Also, a WHV is not a stepping stone to getting a residency permit, you are expected to leave after your WHV has expired and you are expected to not be coming back within the allowance time because you just spent time in Finland.
Choose your options wisely, I think you'll realise quite quickly that you don't have many options even though you are Australian. I found it very unfair that while we are part of the Commonwealth and we have many of the same rights as the UK, that they get 'free' entry to the EU whilst we get !"#¤% all.
xxalibi_xx wrote:I have thought about going over there to study at university but I don't know Finnish (working on this though), and I don't have the funds to do this.
So you have no qualifications and no money. Do you really expect to be able to work at a Best & Less or a Harvey Norman comparable place in Finland and be able to @#$% pretty Finnish women, get drunk with other expats and get by happily without a single qualification, money and on minimum wage?
My friend, I think you've been watching too many movies.
gfunho wrote:If you are Australian, in your 20s, clueless and you marry a finnish woman and rant a lot in the forums 'then you might have a chance that Finland let you stay

I wonder who you could be talking about
Pursuivant wrote:Then when you stay, you can live in a posh house in a posh neighbourhood and you cower under your bed worrying of the divebombing seagulls splatting eggs on your roof.
