Sunday, April 09, 2006

Information Overload!

I've been trying to figure out more about the visa requirements for Sweden. Someone REALLY should teach migrationverk how to make a website that doesn't make me feel the urge to bang my head into the wall. I really wish they would break up the website in a way that would make more sense. Create a front page called 'Who are you? What do you want?' and work from there. As an EU citizen hoping to set up household with a Swedish citizen I have different requirements than lots of others. This confuses the heck out of me. I think I've figured out the main process though.

1. Show up in Sweden.
2. Sometime during the first 3 months show up at a migrationverk office.
Location: Bolandsgatan 10, 753 23 Uppsala
Hours: Mon-Wed 13:00-16:00, Thursday 13:00-16:30.
Better hope you're not working, no hope of ever seeing them without taking a day off of work if you are. They need some evening hours.
3. To the office I should bring:
500 SEK application fee
2 passport sized photos
proof of my relationship (photo album, emails, boyfriend himself)
2 forms, filled out. If they're wrong, they can give me new ones.
http://www.migrationsverket.se/blanketter/bob/eu/blees_bila_222011_en.pdf http://www.migrationsverket.se/blanketter/bob/eu/blees_110031_en.pdf
4. Pray for good luck that I understood everything correctly and that they won't laugh at me and deport me then and there.

I'm also supposed to do things like go to the tax office as soon as possible. I'm not sure where in this process I can sign up for SFI, but I figure the term will probably start in September so sooner is better.

The bits I found as useful information from the odd FAQ part from the migrationverk website:
Can I get the decision in English?
No, we never translate decisions. People who want the decision in a language other than Swedish have to arrange for a translation themselves. God forbid that anyone who gets a response actually know what it means. Poor refugee people getting a letter and having to find someone who knows Swedish to translate it for them so they will know if they can stay!
My girlfriend has been granted a residence permit and will be arriving here soon. Where can we find information about things like authorities to register with, Swedish tuition, rights and obligations, etc?
Your girlfriend should begin by contacting the local tax authority so that she can register with them and obtain the last four figures of her civic registration number (personnummer). She should then contact the social insurance office so that she can become a party to the social security system. She is entitled to study Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) – the municipality can provide details. A few weeks after being entered in the civic register, she will receive a book from the National Integration Office (Sverigeinformation) describing how Swedish society works (in the language she specifies). In principle, Swedes and non-Swedes have the same rights and obligations in Sweden.
Do you receive pay or funding of any kind when studying Swedish for Immigrants (SFI)?
No, you are not eligible for any funding – but the tuition is free! They sound so excited about the free tuition.
Is my future partner entitled to medical care when she moves here to live with me?
As soon as she has been entered in the civic register, she is in principle entitled to the same social security and health care facilities as everyone else living in Sweden. This is reassuring. I just hope that I don't fall and break anything before I'm entered into the civic register.
When can my foreign boyfriend start studying Swedish?
As soon as he has been entered in the civic register, he can enrol for a Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) course. Contact the municipality! Well, that answers the question about when I can start SFI classes.
My boyfriend is Dutch and I am Swedish, and we are planning to set up home together here in Sweden. Does he need special permission of any kind to join me here?
Yes, he must apply for a residence permit. The application must be made at a Migration Board office within three months of his arrival here. I pray I can quote this FAQ if they give me any problems about showing up in Sweden without a permit!

2 comments:

Fahle said...

Lot's of usefull info here. I looks like we won't have that much problems when you arriwe. If everythign works out that is...

Senchaholic said...

You know, there's actually a form where it says in swedish; "if you don't understand this, please contact us to have it translated".

Yup, swedish bureaucracy at its finest! :-P