Moving to Finland without any job offer

[Arvonen]

Hello everyone,

I'm still new with this forum, read through most of the topic and it's really helpful. I hope somebody could help me out with my thoughts.
I'm Malaysian citizenship with Finnish boyfriend. Currently living in Melbourne for almost 5 years now. We've been together almost 2 years and so far we both just flew every 3-4 months meeting each other (Turku-Melbourne). I decide to give up my job here at plan to move to Finland whenever i get job offer (I've been applying since past 2 months, no luck so far--but i will keep trying ) as my boyfriend still study there.

I plan to move to Finland whenever my contract with company that I'm currently working end next year. My thought if i couldn't get any job offer within this period, I will move to Turku and will try to get a job from there. Because I'm from Malaysia, which is free-visa country, allow me to stay for 90 days for tourism purpose. I plan to use that time to attend Finnish class and mean while looking for job (if i'm lucky enough to get within 90 days).

My concern are:
1- is there any Residence Permit that i could apply without any job offer/ self employed /study?
2- if i could get a job within my tourist-visa period, do i have to get out from the country and apply for Residence Permit?
3- if any above method does not apply with my situation, can my bf sponsor me to stay there until i finally can apply for my own residence permit? He only student and working part-time.

Really hope somebody could help me.
Thank you so much guys~

[interleukin]

You should start off by reading everything you can find on the Migri website http://migri.fi/frontpage

There's the "family member of Finnish citizen/resident" residence permit, you could see if you would be eligible for that.

[rinso]

Theoretical there are several options.
In practice it will be very difficult.
Although you know each other you' not have been living together for more than 2 years. So for a residence permit based on family ties you need to marry first.
Looking for a job during your 90 day period is possible, finding one is highly unlikely.
You can try to secure a place at a university, but you have pass the selection and than show enough money to be able to live here.

Maybe the best option is a working holiday visa, but I don't know if you're electable for that.

[Adrian42]

Maybe the best option is a working holiday visa, but I don't know if you're electable for that.

That requires citizenship of Australia or New Zealand.

[Adrian42]

1- is there any Residence Permit that i could apply without any job offer/ self employed /study?

Marry your boyfriend, and then apply for a Residence Permit based on family ties.

Another option is a study Residence Permit:
If you get accepted at university and can show € 6000 in your own bank account you get a 1 year Residence Permit. As long as your studies progress as expected and you still have € 6000 in your own bank account you will get each year a 1 year extension.
Note that enrolment for the fall semester is right now and ending soon.

3- if any above method does not apply with my situation, can my bf sponsor me to stay there until i finally can apply for my own residence permit? He only student and working part-time.

Not really, unless you marry him.

Let's start with the main question:
On what basis do you want to get a Residence Permit in the end?

And what education and job do you have?

Due to the fu*kup by the people in Southern Europe the economy in Finland is currently not in a good shape, with news of layoffs in Finland nearly daily.

Except for IT, prerequisite for most jobs in Finland is anyway that you speak Finnish fluently. You cannot realistically achieve that before 2014.

Also note that usually you cannot get a work Residence Permit if there are EU citizens who could do the job.

If you are 100% determined that coming to Finland and being with your boyfriend is what you want, then marry him during the 90 visa free days and you will get your Residence Permit. Expect that it could take you 1-2 years until you will find your first job.

Also consider the option of your boyfriend moving to Australia instead. Either for continuing his studies or a semester abroad, or for working after his studies. That avoids the language problem when searching for a job (he likely speaks good English). And assuming he is not older than 30, it is also very easy for him to get a 1 year Working Holiday visa for Australia (unless he got that one already before).

[Flossy1978]

Jesus... are you crazy?

STAY IN AUSTRALIA! Wait for the boyfriend to finish his studies and have him move to Australia.

Seriously. The life for the both of you would be so much better and so much easier there than here.

[Pursuivant]

Add to that, you also have paid silly money for the Australian RP. Now you go, they will say "goodbye" and all that is for nothing.

[Adrian42]

Add to that, you also have paid silly money for the Australian RP. Now you go, they will say "goodbye" and all that is for nothing.

Plane tickets in a long-distance relationship between Finland and Australia are also not cheap.

And a Finnish Residence Permit for her is likely cheaper than an Australian visa for him.

But that doesn't address the main problem of her perspective in Finland. Marriage and then biting through the problem in the first years is an option, but not an easy one.

[Sami-Is-Boss]

I would echo the advice that your boyfriend moves to Australia, for the simple reason that he's more likely to get a job in Aus than you are in Finland. I think it would be pretty unreasonable for him to expect you to move to Finland in these circumstances. Good luck

[Arvonen]

[quote="Adrian42"]Let's start with the main question:
On what basis do you want to get a Residence Permit in the end?

My plan to work and living at finland till my bf finally finish his study and we'll figure out from there. Back to your previous question, I do not plan to continue my study anymore as I think it's not relevance.

[quote="Adrian42"]And what education and job do you have?

I graduated in Master Degree of civil engineering from RMIT University Australia. Currently i'm working as consultant. and also doing part time job as a project assistant with builder on weekend. -- Do you think it's gonna be hard for me to get that kind of job at Turku? I understand will be hard for me as I can't speak any finish language at all. But, I wouldn't mind to start from bottom again and build my carrier. My concern only 'way' to get a 'visa/permit' that allow me to live at Finland in legal way. I'm sorry but I disagree with marriage option. Do u have any better option that might help? He lived with me on our 1st year when he's on holiday working visa back 2 years ago.

thank you for your opinion. Really appreciate that

[Arvonen]

Add to that, you also have paid silly money for the Australian RP. Now you go, they will say "goodbye" and all that is for nothing.

Plane tickets in a long-distance relationship between Finland and Australia are also not cheap.

And a Finnish Residence Permit for her is likely cheaper than an Australian visa for him.

But that doesn't address the main problem of her perspective in Finland. Marriage and then biting through the problem in the first years is an option, but not an easy one.

To Pursuivant: I didn't say good bye to my PR as i always can return in the future as residence returned. Don't really feel bad with 8K to get the PR from Australia as my company paid for it.

Agree with Adrian, it gonna costs more to sponsor my BF to live here before he can even get a job. and the paperwork just to let him in is crazy. Australian immigration is the worst ever on the planet.
I did read through the forum how hard to get a job for non-finish speaking at Finland. I just have to believe in my ability and luck to get a job. It might take longer than i thought. But, still it would be much easier if I'm at finland compare to job hunting from here. What do u say?

thanks guys

[Upphew]

My concern only 'way' to get a 'visa/permit' that allow me to live at Finland in legal way. I'm sorry but I disagree with marriage option.

Visa is for visiting, up to three months. Residence permit is for residing.

See http://www.migri.fi/frontpage
Working, studying, family member (remigration, other grounds). Pick one.

[cors187]

I did read through the forum how hard to get a job for non-finish speaking at Finland. I just have to believe in my ability and luck to get a job. It might take longer than i thought. But, still it would be much easier if I'm at finland compare to job hunting from here. What do u say?

thanks guys

5 years in Aus.
You know as well as I do then that in Australia if a worker is useless it wont take long before the dream is just a dream.
Not the case here.
If you can find someone here and this points to my last comment, if this person lacks what you have then look out Europe.So maybe corporate isn't your thing here.
Middle management,feet in the mud and through the office kind of deal.
Entrepreneurial companies need highly skilled operators who work within a budget.
Melbourne builders/construction is a good place to get a real good mind set.Tough place, im sure you will surprise a few FINS.

[cors187]

But, still it would be much easier if I'm at finland compare to job hunting from here. What do u say?

Fins are kind of weird,its true, so its hard to tell how you are received.What works in other countries , will get you the look of displeased amazement here.

[Adrian42]

I graduated in Master Degree of civil engineering from RMIT University Australia. Currently i'm working as consultant. and also doing part time job as a project assistant with builder on weekend. -- Do you think it's gonna be hard for me to get that kind of job at Turku? I understand will be hard for me as I can't speak any finish language at all. But, I wouldn't mind to start from bottom again and build my carrier.

How would the chances be for you to get a job in Australia if you wouldn't speak any English at all?

Perhaps you will be lucky, but be prepared that it could as well happen that you sit 1-2 years at home learning Finnish and looking through job offers before you'll get your first job.

My concern only 'way' to get a 'visa/permit' that allow me to live at Finland in legal way. I'm sorry but I disagree with marriage option. Do u have any better option that might help? He lived with me on our 1st year when he's on holiday working visa back 2 years ago.

http://migri.fi/frontpage lists the options you have.

A Residence Permit based on employment requires a job - see above.

A Residence Permit for a self-employed person is hardest to get, you'd first need (prospective) customers before you would have any chance for that one.

Whether you like it or not, the best option I see for you is the marriage option.

The only realistic alternative (without a job or a husband) would be if you would find some English language (PhD?) studies at a Finnish university that fits into your career plan and get accepted for that.