Residence/Work Permit vs Schengen

[ptubell]

I'm an American currently in Finland. I understand the whole 90 days per 6 months deal with my schengen visa, however there's something I can't seem to get a straight answer on. I've gotten a job offer (for a very short amount of time, a month) and already applied for the work permit. When I applied for the work permit, the person at the police station handling my paperwork told me that even if my schengen days run out, as long as the paperwork is being processed, I can stay in Finland (even after the 90 days.) She said it's a different type of permission.

What I don't know is..
1. Am I still using up my schengen days at the same time? I've been in Finland over 90 days now, and my work permit is still being processed. I've gotten different answers every time I call the police station, some say I'm using them, some say I'm not.
2. If I am using them, what happens if my permit is denied? Do I have to leave the country that day? Or do I have x number of days to leave? Do I have to fly out? If I tried to travel by bus to Romania, would the Schengen border people give me a hassle about being over 90 days? I doubt they could read my finnish paperwork...
3. If my work permit is approved and I can start working (there's a possibility that my employer might extend my work for a short period of time) which means that my work might end before or after the 6 month mark. What happens then? If my work ends after the 6 month mark, am I automatically renewed for another 6 month period or do I have to leave schengen for a day and come back?

Any info would really help, official people seem to pass the buck around and say someone else would know.

Thanks!

[Upphew]

I'm an American currently in Finland. I understand the whole 90 days per 6 months deal with my schengen visa, however there's something I can't seem to get a straight answer on. I've gotten a job offer (for a very short amount of time, a month) and already applied for the work permit. When I applied for the work permit, the person at the police station handling my paperwork told me that even if my schengen days run out, as long as the paperwork is being processed, I can stay in Finland (even after the 90 days.) She said it's a different type of permission.

What I don't know is..
1. Am I still using up my schengen days at the same time? I've been in Finland over 90 days now, and my work permit is still being processed. I've gotten different answers every time I call the police station, some say I'm using them, some say I'm not.
2. If I am using them, what happens if my permit is denied? Do I have to leave the country that day? Or do I have x number of days to leave? Do I have to fly out? If I tried to travel by bus to Romania, would the Schengen border people give me a hassle about being over 90 days? I doubt they could read my finnish paperwork...
3. If my work permit is approved and I can start working (there's a possibility that my employer might extend my work for a short period of time) which means that my work might end before or after the 6 month mark. What happens then? If my work ends after the 6 month mark, am I automatically renewed for another 6 month period or do I have to leave schengen for a day and come back?

Any info would really help, official people seem to pass the buck around and say someone else would know.

Thanks!

Visa is for visiting up to three months, RP is for residing.

As you are from US, we have this thing called visa waiver, so no need for one for those short stays.

While you are here without visa or RP, then you "use" those visa waiver days. If you are already used all of them, then you can't travel in Schengen area without visa or valid RP, but you can stay here while the decision is pending. As a rule you should have applied in your home country, so there is already something not right in your application.

The RP is valid to a date, not x amount of days.

[rinso]

I've gotten a job offer (for a very short amount of time, a month) and already applied for the work permit.

Since work based residence permits are only given for job contracts for unlimited time (or at least longer than 2 years) I guess your application will be denied.

Whether or not the Finnish authorities include your RP waiting time in the Schengen time, the foreign border guards will not. Expect trouble when you try to pass into an other Schengen country.