Looking to immigrate, suggestions?

[sparkyness]

I've had no issues when I had to work on projects in Scandinavia over the years but I often find myself apologising constantly for my linguistic ignorance. I always feel somewhat uncomfortable when walking into a room where people are having a conversation in their native language but automatically switch to English for my benefit (even if I'm not involved in the conversation). I may as well start wearing a "ignorant muppet" t-shirt! I try and make an effort where I can though...

If I moved permanently to a non-english speaking country (Ireland barely counts ), I'd expect to have to learn the native language for work and social purposes. There's a lot of credibility in making the effort....

 

[Torniojaws]

What's the lifestyle like?

Wake up in the morning, go to work at 8, do some stuff there, talk with your work buddies every once in a while, do some more stuff, go home at 16-17 (4-5 PM) and do your hobbies and what not.

There's not much to do in the winters (it's pitch black and cold most of the day), except visit some buddies/bar or do some indoor stuff, and take some walks outdoors for some really fresh air.

In the summers there's swimming, the midsummer festival (where 90 % of the population is pass-out-drunk - that is, just like any other weekend ), lots of music festivals (mostly in the southern parts though), and visit Estonia (Tallinn) or Sweden (Stockholm) by boat (and drink on the boat ride ).

Athletics/sports is a common hobby in Finland, so you'll find a lot of people doing something regardless of the day/time of the year. Go check out some of the football fields and ask to join in on the game, you'll most likely be accepted without delay, unless it's some semi-professional group. There's lots of amateur/hobby football things going on in the summer.

 

[Ermz]

It's mostly to do with our bad experience. 75 % of all rapes have been commited by immigrants during the past 10 years, and they have also done a lot more crimes than natives, despite being just a few percent of the entire population of the country. So they decided to tighten the immigration up, but then EU came in and started complaining. It's a difficult issue.

This does not mean that Finns are inhospitable or racist, it's just there's no denying what has happened. If you prove yourself to be trustworthy and hard-working (certain immigrant groups don't even try to get a job because the tax-supported social support provides enough money for modest living if you're unemployed, which is one of the reasons why people generally don't like immigrants by default), you'll be taken in with open arms, so to speak

Australia is a perfect example of why very 'lax' immigration laws fail. We're a cultural melding pot with a ton of racism, ethnic hatred, ethnic segregation.

Those 'certain immigrant groups' that don't even try to get a job because of the social support services are very much alive down here.

Honestly, if Finland are assholes on immigration - more power to them.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Finland sounds like it would be a fucking awesome vacation spot.

 

[Metaltastic]

Finland and Sweden both, I wanna go to Scandinavia so badly! And Norway too, I guess, I just don't know much about it (there are only a handful of Norwegians on here, and none have been active recently AFAIK) - plus, WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY more bands that I love came from Sweden and Finland than Norway In fact, I can't think of a single Norwegian band I've heard/heard of that isn't black metal, and there are only a small amount of BM bands I like.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Finland and Sweden both, I wanna go to Scandinavia so badly! And Norway too, I guess, I just don't know much about it (there are only a handful of Norwegians on here, and none have been active recently AFAIK) - plus, WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY more bands that I love came from Sweden and Finland than Norway In fact, I can't think of a single Norwegian band I've heard/heard of that isn't black metal, and there are only a small amount of BM bands I like.

You and me both dude...

I've been to Europe a handful of times (going again in September for Amsterdam and Oktoberfest!) , but never Scandinavia.

I just really dig the culture, geography, music, and whatnot.

Not to mention I hear the women are second to none in terms of hotness.

-Joe

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Although I would LOVE to visit Norway. Do some mountain hiking and other grim outdoor stuff!

-Joe

 

[digitaldeath]

Lol, so everyone seems to be mad for Scandinavia, I'll have to start looking into more jobs!

 

[::XeS::]

In Italy nobody speaks english, nobody wants to learn, there is no work and nothing particulary interesting in the IT scene...It's the last town you have to immigrate

 

[Joematthews]

Although I would LOVE to visit Norway. Do some mountain hiking and other grim outdoor stuff!

-Joe

Same, I live in britain so I can get the ferry to bergen. I still don't know why I haven't. Jotunheimen National Park looks amazing.

Joe

 

[-Gavin-]

It's mostly to do with our bad experience. 75 % of all rapes have been commited by immigrants during the past 10 years, and they have also done a lot more crimes than natives, despite being just a few percent of the entire population of the country. So they decided to tighten the immigration up, but then EU came in and started complaining. It's a difficult issue.

This does not mean that Finns are inhospitable or racist, it's just there's no denying what has happened. If you prove yourself to be trustworthy and hard-working (certain immigrant groups don't even try to get a job because the tax-supported social support provides enough money for modest living if you're unemployed, which is one of the reasons why people generally don't like immigrants by default), you'll be taken in with open arms, so to speak

Nah man, i wasn't implying it's "racist" or anything, infact, the opposite, we have the same problem in the UK (Immigrants + UK = crime) and i wish UK was more like finland in that respect...

Just, it's NOT easy to get a grounding here... I'm here cause of my girlfriend, i love it here and plan on staying until frostbite takes my left ball but if it was me alone moving to another country, knowing what i know from this, i wouldn't pick finland!

Finland is AMAZING if you're finnish in terms of Kela, and so on... But if you're foreign, it's so much harder (Which i'm not complaining about) i just don't think it'd be fair to mislead the dude asking and tell him it's a walk in the park!


Believe me man, coming here has been the best thing i have ever done!

Even getting the hang of this bastard language cause i hate using swedish in shops !

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Although I would LOVE to visit Norway. Do some mountain hiking and other grim outdoor stuff!

-Joe

Visit the Rockies in BC... you'll get the same effect with a cheaper plane ticket.

 

[Torniojaws]

Finland is AMAZING if you're finnish in terms of Kela, and so on... But if you're foreign, it's so much harder (Which i'm not complaining about) i just don't think it'd be fair to mislead the dude asking and tell him it's a walk in the park!

Ughh, Kela is just as bad for natives too. It sometimes feels as if their purpose is to serve the customer as little as possible within the law It is your job to convince them that you need something. And even then, there's dozens of different forms to fill and specific cases/reasons and small prints and unclear descriptions for voiding the deal in their favour.

 

[-Gavin-]

Ughh, Kela is just as bad for natives too. It sometimes feels as if their purpose is to serve the customer as little as possible within the law It is your job to convince them that you need something. And even then, there's dozens of different forms to fill and specific cases/reasons and small prints and unclear descriptions for voiding the deal in their favour.

Same as Scotland then!

Tell you another funny story from Finnish Government!

When i was registering myself,

"What is your reason for living here?"
"My Girlfriend"
"That reason isn't good enough i'm afraid"
"Fair enough, i'm also here to eventually study when applications open up and find a job"
"Have you considered moving a different country?"

As if i was just here for laughs! haha!

 

[cobhc]

Same as Scotland then!

Tell you another funny story from Finnish Government!

When i was registering myself,

"What is your reason for living here?"
"My Girlfriend"
"That reason isn't good enough i'm afraid"
"Fair enough, i'm also here to eventually study when applications open up and find a job"
"Have you considered moving a different country?"

As if i was just here for laughs! haha!

Lol, not exactly helping your decision to move there lol. I would love to move to somewhere in Scandinavia eventually, but the main thing I don't like the idea of is the -15C to -30C temperatures in Winter lol. I don't like it when it gets to like -5C over here lol.

 

[-Gavin-]

Lol, not exactly helping your decision to move there lol. I would love to move to somewhere in Scandinavia eventually, but the main thing I don't like the idea of is the -15C to -30C temperatures in Winter lol. I don't like it when it gets to like -5C over here lol.

The cold thing isn't so bad cause they have Temperature differeces between outside/inside fucking NAILED to a T!

Know when you're out in snow and walk into WHSMITH in winter and it's like cold to fucking fires of hell on 0.6 seconds?
And then the opposite on leaving?

Here, none of that shit! Balanced perfectly! HAha!


Ah, ya gotta look for the little things

 

[cobhc]

Sounds good, cos I get the prickly heat shit when that happens over here.

 

[pifos_2]

90 % of the population is pass-out-drunk - that is, just like any other weekend )

it shocked me how people (at least the people I was with) don't touch a glass of beer or don't even dare to go out in a bar during the week, but get dangerously drunk during the weekend.

 

[Metaltastic]

As a Northeast US'er, cold ain't nothing but a thang to me! So at least that's one less thing I have to worry about should I choose to move anywhere

 

[Limak]

and they're good cleaners too!

that comment was kinda dumb and unnecessary