Katsot Savon Sanomien arkistokolumnia. Tämä kolumni on julkaistu
24.06.2008 00:01
Kolumni
How to Apply for Finnish Citizenship
Mary Nurminen
Kirjoittajan kolumnit
Step 1: Wait for Finland and your home country to change the laws so that you can have dual citizenship. Time: 16 years.
Step 2: Think about getting Finnish citizenship. Think about how it would make your life easier when traveling in Europe. Think about how you'd like to be able to vote for the people who are running the country around you. Time: 1 year.
Step 3: Wait a bit, since there are lots of ex-Finns applying to get their citizenship back and there are tons of applications. Time: 1 year.
Step 4: Admit that you really weren't waiting for that. You were just lazy.
Step 5: Go into the internet to see what you have to do. See that you have to take some kind of Finnish test. Investigate what, when, where. Time: 2 months.
Step 6: Go back to the internet and figure out that test thing again. Sign up for the test. Also notice that you have to list all the trips you've taken outside of Finland in the last 6 years. Dig up old passports, old expense claims from work, and put together an Excel sheet with the list. Time: 1.5 months.
Step 7: Wait for the test. It's only given twice a year. The good part of this is that you have an excuse to not be doing all the other stuff you have to do for the citizenship thing. Time: 4 months.
Step 8: Take the test. Time: 1 full day.
Step 9: Wait for the test results. Time: 2 months.
Step 10: Gather up all papers and answers for the form you have to fill out. You can fill out the form in the internet and print it, but you have to get it all done at one time, you can't save it onto your computer and fill it out little by little. So once you have all the papers and answers, sit down at the computer one evening and tell your family that you're going to be on it for several hours and no one should bother you.
After hours, somewhere around 11 p.m. you hit a question you weren't prepared for: list all addresses where you have lived during your time in Finland. Eek!
Step 11: Don't give up, even though it's late at night. Dig up old papers, old bills, whatever you can get a hold of. Invent a few details you just can't remember, like the zip code in one of the neighborhoods you lived in Iisalmi, for 6 months in 1989.
Step 12: You're almost done! It's midnight, but you're almost done! But no, another one you weren't prepared for: list all sources of income you've had during your time in Finland. Aaahhh! (Lesson for other foreigners: do not wait 19 years before you apply for citizenship). Jobs are OK, but maternity leaves and the student years are harder - with grants and asumistuki and all of that. Finish the thing at 1:30 a.m.
Step 13: Even though you're exhausted, get up the next morning, gather up all the papers, and go to the local police station. Realize you need pictures too. Run and get the pictures then go back. Dump the pile of papers in front of the lady at the desk. She looks through it and says that it looks like you have everything all in order.
You ask: 'Great! So what happens next?'
She says: 'You wait.'
You ask: 'OK, how long?'
She says: 'Shouldn't be too long. A year, maybe 2.'
Kirjoittaja on kotoisin Indianasta Yhdysvalloista. Hän on asunut Suomessa vuodesta 1988 ja työskentelee asiakasratkaisujen suunnittelijana käännös- ja lokalisointialalla.
