Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

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FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by FinlandGirl » Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:38 am

thesameister wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:37 am
I will be applying for the Intimate Relationship RP with my girlfriend of 2 years who is a Finn.

I have 2 very urgent questions I was hoping someone can help to answer but I cannot seem to find any answers on migri.fi :

1. The requirement for statements for means of support/ personal income that will also be at my disposal in Finland (1000 Euros/month for 12 months). So my question is, are savings counted? Or must it be so specifically income. I am not employed at the moment so I do not have income coming in but I have more than enough savings as required and I plan to look for work when I am in Finland.
Savings are the most common option.
Migri wrote: If your residence permit was granted to you on the basis of your dating relationship, your right to work is restricted.
In practice this usually means that you cannot work, which also removes the possibility of using work income as means of support.
thesameister wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:37 am
2. Bank statements. Is there a requirement as to how many months of bank statements I have to produce or just the latest ones will do?
Migri wrote: A written statement of your personal income that will also be at your disposal in Finland
- a certificate of deposit or a bank statement
thesameister wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:37 am
I'm flying into Finland in July and we will be applying for it when I am there because it seems that it may be faster
Migri wrote: Expected processing time 9–12 months
Exact times are hard to predict, be prepared that 1 year waiting to get a decision is not uncommon.



Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

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thesameister
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:21 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by thesameister » Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am

Thank you Betelgeuse and FinlandGirl for your insightful clarifications!

Yes, i'm aware of work restrictions with the residence permit on basis of intimate relationship but at the moment it actually seems that it is the only option for me to physically be with my girlfriend in Finland. I'm planning to make use of the time while waiting for the Intimate Relationship RP to be approved to be looking for a job. So hopefully I will be able to secure a visa either through Intimate Relationship or Employment visa with a company.

Ideally, I would have wanted to come in via an employment visa. But due to the pandemic, even though I have had interviews, companies seem to be having difficulties hiring from abroad. So I was really hoping that if I was in Finland already, I would have a better chance of securing a job.

I believe I have the foreign language skills and qualifications as well to be considered for a specialist or middle management role to companies interested to hire me. At the same time i'm also looking to work in the non-profit organisation sector.

I know it is a risk just moving into Finland with nothing secured. But i'm trying to be positive that I will find something.

To conclude, i'm wondering if you guys would have any thoughts about my plan, i'm open to listening to your opinions and would be really helpful if anyone can point out if I may have missed something.

Also, any suggestions in regards to job seeking opportunities would be highly appreciated as well. e.g. registering at local employment offices as a jobseeker, TE Offices, Eures etc.

Kiitos!

FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by FinlandGirl » Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:54 pm

thesameister wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am
Ideally, I would have wanted to come in via an employment visa. But due to the pandemic, even though I have had interviews, companies seem to be having difficulties hiring from abroad. So I was really hoping that if I was in Finland already, I would have a better chance of securing a job.
For non-specialist positions you might have to wait for 4 months for a decision on the residence permit after you got the job offer for getting a decision.
You are not allowed to start working before you got a positive decision, the decision will be negative if the employment office thinks there might be jobseekers available who could be hired instead of you.
This won't change when you are in Finland and the intimate relationship RP does not help.
thesameister wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am
I believe I have the foreign language skills and qualifications as well to be considered for a specialist or middle management role to companies interested to hire me. At the same time i'm also looking to work in the non-profit organisation sector.
This limited right to work will only start after you got the intimate relationship RP granted in mid-2022.

Even if you would have qualifications and experience in a middle management position where you are managing subordinate employees reporting to you in your home country, it is unlikely a company would give responsibility for employees to someone who has no experience with Finnish workplace laws and customs.

If you qualify as a specialist (university degree and job offered with above-average salary) and work in a field with demand for people without Finnish language skills (in practice this is IT), you should be able to find work within the 3 months validity of your visa and start working with a specialist RP right away.
thesameister wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am
I know it is a risk just moving into Finland with nothing secured. But i'm trying to be positive that I will find something.
Outside IT, jobs that do not require working in Finnish are rare and people who do have the right to work usually struggle finding a job until they are able to work in Finnish.
thesameister wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am
any thoughts about my plan, i'm open to listening to your opinions and would be really helpful if anyone can point out if I may have missed something.
Marry and apply for an RP on family ties.
This RP also takes a year, but when you will get it in a year you will have the right to work.
Use the year in Finland waiting for the RP to learn Finnish.
thesameister wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:35 am
Also, any suggestions in regards to job seeking opportunities would be highly appreciated as well. e.g. registering at local employment offices as a jobseeker, TE Offices, Eures etc.
You are not a jobseeker when you are not allowed to work.
Immigrant jobseekers are usually sent to a one year integration course to learn the Finnish language.

vincentsky
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:31 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by vincentsky » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:21 pm

I would like to add that unless TE has changed that, the maximum time they will help you with courses is 3 years, after that you're on your own.

FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by FinlandGirl » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:44 pm

vincentsky wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:21 pm
I would like to add that unless TE has changed that, the maximum time they will help you with courses is 3 years, after that you're on your own.
The 3 years is for having an integration plan drawn up, which usually includes a language course.
But TE (or the local governments participating in the current pilots) can help with training (including language courses) at any time.

Maria1995
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:58 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by Maria1995 » Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:14 am

Hi! I just wanted to ask if it is possible that my RP for an intimate relationship will be approved, even if my partner and i haven't meet yet due to covid. We are more than a year being in a relationship. Or they will only.grant it when there's a proof of picture together in person? Thank you

jbbfinland
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 7:03 pm

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by jbbfinland » Fri Feb 18, 2022 7:12 pm

Has anyone received this permit for more than one year? For example, if I had 24,000€ in my bank account (since 1000€ per month is required), would it be possible to get the permit for two years?

Another question:
I am only looking into this permit because there is a four-month gap between when my current permit expires and when I will have lived with my Finnish partner (fiancée) for two years. Has anyone else had a similar situation? I contacted Migri because the processing time is longer than the four-month gap, but they only said I could technically apply but the decision might be negative since I didn't meet the requirements upon application.

As background info, I initially had a two-year study permit and then a one-year job seeking permit, but I still haven't found a job and am running out of time.

Angi100
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2022 2:49 pm

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by Angi100 » Wed Sep 07, 2022 3:03 pm

Hi,
You've probably got your RP by now, but I just saw your query and wanted to answer in case anyone else is interested.
My son applied for his RP on basis of Intimate Relationship in August 2021. He had started his relationship online during the pandemic and only visited before August 2021.
We discovered that he was allowed to enter Finland (from the UK) and apply for the RP from there. He was allowed to stay in Finland until a decision was made. As he was living with his girlfriend and contributing to household items, that was good evidence that they were in an intimate relationship.
He booked his migri appointment online, to submit his application, in August 2021. (As he was only allowed to stay in the country for 3 months before doing this, making this appointment was top priority and they were all disappearing v quickly).
At first the wait for processing was around 6 months, but it quickly went up to 12 months. I think this was because of the sheer volume of applications. He was notified every 2 weeks by email that he was in a queue waiting to be processed. It wasn't until around May 2022 that he was notified that his application was being processed.
Because nearly a year had passed since his initial application, migri wanted further proof that he would have the 12000 Euro for another year. I think he was also asked for further evidence (e.g. receipts, emails) that they had been living together. Then they said Yes very quickly and he had the RP by the beginning of June 2022.
From what I've read and researched, they will only give you the RP for 1 year, no matter how much money you have in your bank account :(
I hope this helps other people :)

quillcentaur
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by quillcentaur » Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:08 pm

Apologies for not logging into this forum for years :lol: I didn't get notified people were replying to me. Anyway I applied inside Finland and I was allowed to wait here. It was already 8 months or so and Migri was not yet giving any decision since my case was probably too complicated for them due to tons of bank statements etc. It was a bit annoying because I couldn't travel outside Finland. I'm from a country that needs Schengen visa to re-enter Finland so I just stayed in Finland the whole time.

At some point my partner and I got married in Finland. We notified migri so they automatically changed my application into Family Residence Permit. My partner also called them then they gave positive decision quickly within a few weeks.

SecretCode
Posts: 146
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:01 pm

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by SecretCode » Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:01 pm

quillcentaur wrote:
Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:08 pm
At some point my partner and I got married in Finland. We notified migri so they automatically changed my application into Family Residence Permit.

And they didn't put your application back on the bottom of the pile as a "new" application? :wink: Good to hear!
Image

quillcentaur
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 am

Re: Intimate Relationship RP (Share your experience)

Post by quillcentaur » Thu Feb 01, 2024 11:18 am

SecretCode wrote:
Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:01 pm
quillcentaur wrote:
Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:08 pm
At some point my partner and I got married in Finland. We notified migri so they automatically changed my application into Family Residence Permit.

And they didn't put your application back on the bottom of the pile as a "new" application? :wink: Good to hear!
Yes, that's correct. And it seemed like they were even ready to approve it quite quickly. Just had to wait 2 weeks or so because of holidays in december. Overall it went well and I've been in Finland now for 4 years+ and just applied for citizenship last month. :D fingers crossed it will be a quick decision on that.

(Note that they count Residence from the time you received it if you applied while inside Finland. So those 8 months of waiting was not counted for my residence period)


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