Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Swedish Sambo Visa in 2016 Part 13: After the Decision ("Now what!?")

It has been an extremely long time since I last wrote!

I knew that moving would be a busy time, but I could not possibly have foreseen how insane my life would become. Quitting my job, rushing to doctor's appointments, packing/selling/throwing everything away, weighing suitcases to make sure I stay under the weight limit, trying to decide what is worth shipping and what should be donated.... saying goodbye to friends and family.... all while trying to train coworkers to replace me and taking care of the fetus growing inside of me!

I have never felt so desperate in all my life than the day I moved.  Life has never demanded so much of me over the past 14 months, and never have I had to cross over my "breaking point" so many times with no option for crawling into a hole and dying.  There were only 2 alternatives: 1) Keep pushing, or 2) Keep pushing.  I did a mixture of both. ;)


Bibbi, our new puppy :)
In any event, I fell off of my plane and into the warm and supportive arms of my best friend and the only person I have loved so completely, and his care of me has not waned since.  Gratitude knows no bounds than when you can collapse in the presence of someone who puts your health and well-being above all else, knowing that they can put all your pieces back together.  

We are also perfectly insane.  I arrived in Sweden at 10:30p at night on the Wednesday before Easter.  Just a few hours earlier, Johan picked up our brand new 11 week old puppy, Bibbi (who I had long awaited for, but didn't anticipate how much work a puppy would be while I was still morning sick and jet lagged!!).  But even worse, we scheduled the first appointment we could get at Migrationsverket to kick off my residence card situation as soon as possible - which was a mere 7 hours after I arrived home at long last, after 20 hours of flying, and in terrible need for 20 hours of sleep. O_o

Suffice it to say the past 6 weeks have been insanely busy :) But without further adieu, here are the few little updates I have:

Process For Obtaining Your Residence Card
For those who require a tourist visa to enter Sweden

If you are a citizen who requires a tourist visa to enter Sweden, you will do your "biometrics" outside of Sweden.  The majority of candidates do their biometrics at the same time that they do their interview, however truly they can do them anywhere, any time during the wait (or they can even wait until after the decision has been delivered!).  

What are biometrics?  Before Migrationsverket will issue you a Residence Permit card, they will take your photo, your fingerprints, and have you give your signature electronically for use on the card.  The whole process takes less than 5 minutes.

Once you receive your decision and it is positive, Migrationsverket will mail the permit card to your nearest embassy, and you can either pick it up there or pay to have it mailed to you.  Once it is in your position, you are free to move to Sweden.  At border patrol, you will present the card as proof of your right to enter and stay, and that is that!

For those who are visa-free and do not need a tourist visa to enter Sweden

For those of us fortunate enough to be able to travel rather freely, the Residence Permit card process is a bit more favorable.  We do not need to do biometrics during our wait (although it is always an option, if you wish to do it!).  Once the decision comes, we are free to move directly to Sweden.  

Here are some tips to the process:
  1. It is important to print out the PDF that your home country's embassy emails you and keep it with you as you travel to Sweden.  
    • I fortunately had done this, because I was questioned rather heavily both at my point of departure (LAX) at the ticket counter, as well as London Heathrow (my connection) border control when they asked me why I didn't have a return ticket back to the states.  I had to present my paperwork to both locations and explain that since I was a visa-free traveler, I would obtain my residence permit card in Sweden.
    • Ironically, the only place I was asked no questions nor requested to present my paperwork was border control at Landvetter Airport in Sweden.  But - it is for this location that you want to have the decision paperwork at hand, especially given the migration crisis the country is facing.  Always good to have proof as to why you do not have a return trip scheduled.
  2. Book your appointment online
    • You don't have to wait until you've arrived in Sweden to book your appointment. MV's website will only book time slots 7 days in advance, but Johan and I booked my appointment 1 week before I arrived so that the first thing we took care of the very next morning was to go to MV and get the Residence Permit card processing.  (See screenshot below).
    • MV books the appointment in just 5 minute slots.  It is incredibly quick and simple. They then mail you your card at your home in Sweden.  It normally takes about a week to arrive.  Mine came 8 business days after I had the appointment, but 2 of those days were holidays in which everything in Sweden was closed.
  3. Things to bring
    • MV will ask you to bring your decision paperwork (the PDF you would have printed out when you traveled), and your passport or any other valid form of identification. I had actually forgotten my passport at home, but I used my California Driver's License and that went fine.
On MV's website home page, the location to book an appointment to do your biometrics is directly in the lower right hand corner of the page.
Once the Residence Permit Card Arrives

Once you receive your Residence Permit card and have settled into Sweden, book an appointment at Skatteverket as soon as you can.  You cannot enter yourself into the Swedish population register until you have a PN ("personnummer", or your personal ID number).  Without a PN, you cannot even so much as order a magazine subscription, no less register at arbetsförmodligen or get regular access to health care.*

*Incidentally, I was able to go to my first doctor's appointment without a PN.  I presented my passport and my decision paperwork and my fiance vouched that we had already taken care of our biometrics and were waiting for the residence permit card before we could register at Skatteverket. Since my blood tests were essential, they obliged but I could tell it was a bit of a problem nonetheless.

You can go to any Skatterverket office to do this, and you do not need an appointment.  You also do not need to pay a fee.  You go there and present your passport and your residence permit card, and tell them you need to do a folkbokföring (national population registration). Info on this can be found on Skatteverket's website here. You will fill out a 4 page form, they will make copies of your passport and residence permit card, and that's it!  In about 1-3 weeks, your "sista fyra siffrorna" ("last 4 digits", or your PN) will arrive in the mail.  

Once the PN Has Been Issued

Once your PN has been issued, you need to go to a Skatteverket office that is approved to issue ID cards (not all are!!).  You also do not need an appointment for this (in fact, I don't think they even allow them?) and bear in mind that Skatteverket offices can be crazy busy so plan accordingly! (We went to Gothenburg and got there 15 minutes before it opened on a rainy business day, and there was already a line of about 30 people queued up!!)  Also very important: You must pay a fee BEFORE going to Skatteverket.  Currently, that fee is 400kr.  Once it is paid, you must print the receipt and bring it with you to MV or else they will turn you away until you've paid.  You can find more info on the whole process, a list of approved SV offices, and how/where to pay, at this link here: https://www.skatteverket.se/servicelankar/otherlanguages/inenglish/individualsandemployees/livinginsweden/idcard/idcardapplicationconditions.4.3810a01c150939e893f1daea.htmlhttps://www.skatteverket.se/servicelankar/otherlanguages/inenglish/individualsandemployees/livinginsweden/idcard/idcardapplicationconditions.4.3810a01c150939e893f1daea.html

The appointment takes 2 seconds.  Bring your passport, Residence Permit card, the document from Skatteverket with your PN on it, and your payment receipt.  They will have you take off your shoes and measure your height (so make sure your socks match, because I didn't and I was MORTIFIED. They measured me in front of the whole queue of people waiting to be seen!!) Then you take a number and wait for them to call you up.  Then, you will do biometrics again - a picture, and your signature.  You will review your info, sign off on it, and that's it!

But here's the catch - they will not mail you your ID card.  You must go in person to pick it up once it is ready (2-4 weeks) and sign for it.  So I imagine you will need to bring proper identification for this as well.

My card was completed in exactly 3 weeks (15 business days).  I cannot open a bank account without the card, but I *can* register for SFI (or at least enter the queue!) with just my personnummer while the card is being processed, so I highly suggest you enter the queue the second you get your PN!  I think the same is the case for registering with arbestförmodligen.

SFI certificates are rather necessary in order to make you competitive for work (among other reasons) but you will take placement exams to put you in the right level.  It will also qualify you for an instegsjobb -- a work program which the government provides great incentives to local employers for, if they hire a new immigrant who is simultaneously studying Swedish. 

Note that there are long waiting lines for SFI placement; refugees get priority and the classes are impacted all across the country.  Different kommuns offer different resources.  Bigger kommuns have SFI classes year round, whereas the smaller ones close down during the summer.  Some kommuns have distance courses (Borås does, at least!) and some have partnerships with things like Cloud Campus that allow distance education.  One can also consider doing paid classes at folkuniversitetet to avoid the queues for free SFI, and there are also other private institutions like Korta Vagen (but you need to be registered with Arbestförmodligen and have prior Swedish experience to be considered) and Hermod's, although with Hermods there is something weird about it.  Like, you can pay for courses if your kommun won't sponsor you, but you won't get grades.  You'll get certificates of completion, but no grades if I understand?  There are also programs like SFX (SFI for specific professions), and SAS (Svenska som andra språk) can be taken once SFI is cleared.  (You can find a cool personal assessment of SAS compared to SFI on this girl's blog here).

***

For me personally, my kommum didn't offer SFI during summer; they just had a 10 week intro course which, for personal reasons, I chose not to do.  We had to push hard with our kommun, but they agreed to let me register for a neighboring kommun's distance education which starts 1 month before I give birth, so it works well for our timeline.

I'll post more info once I go through the process a little more! :)

***

13 comments:

  1. Hi there! Thanks for all the info and the work you've put in to maintaining this blog! It's been incredible useful to us. I'm from the US and my bf is from Germany but is living in Sweden. We applied on Jan 20, 2016 for our Sambo visa and have not yet gotten an email for our interview. I wanted to ask you, as I am also from the LA area (and my apologies if you've answered this question elsewhere on your blog): in which county did you get your "certificate of single status"? I got mine from the county I was born in, but now I'm wondering if I should get one for the county I currently live in, too. It seems like such a silly system--I can't go around to all counties in CA/the country to prove I'm unmarried, after all! Any suggestions based on your experience? Thanks in advance! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Meg!
    Thank you for posting all of this information! I appreciated your spreadsheet so much while I was waiting for my approval, which I received in December 2015.
    After finally getting my life arranged, selling tons of things, renting our house, etc.. (my Swedish partner and I are moving from the US to Sweden together) we'll be taking off here at the end of June to move to Skåne.

    Thank you so much for posting such detailed information. I, too, have bought a 1-way ticket to Sweden, and I didn't even think to print out the letter saying I was accepted. And I didn't realize all Skattverket offices did NOT issue PNs! Again, thanks so much for this valuable information!

    You said there were long waits for the SFI courses - do you know approximately how long?

    It sounds like everything is hectic there for you, but going relatively smoothly. I hope all is well with the pregnancy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Megan! Very nice to see you getting your life started in Sweden! Hope you have time to enjoy your first moments in Sweden, you will enjoy remembering them in the future :) I wanted to check if you received your Swedish ID card and how much did it take? And what about SFI, in which city would you do it and how long is the queue for niormal course for beginners? As well, do you think you need to wait for a Swedish Id card to go to a standard doctor appointmemnt (no emergency)?

    Dina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dina! Thank you for your sweet words! :)) Ok - so yes, I received my ID card already :) I did my biometrics in Sweden the first day after I moved here. My UT permit card arrived by mail about 4 or 5 business days later, I think, and then two days after that I applied for my PN and I was issued that within a couple weeks. Then I went to skatteverket and applied for my ID card in Gothenburg (remember - not all SV offices do ID cards. You have to go to an office to is equipped to do them). It took exactly 3 weeks for my ID card to arrive.

      But - once you have your PN, you can get into the queue for SFI right away. You don't have to wait for your ID card. Different kommuns have different waiting times, so it just depends on where you live. I entered the queue in my kommun 2 weeks ago and got assigned to start classes this Tuesday (so, about 2.5 weeks waiting time). But I live in a rural-ish part of Sweden, so I know more densely-populated areas (especially areas with large refugee populations, like Malmö) have upwards of 5-6 months waiting lines. Refugees have priority over everyone else, so that's what is making the wait longer for "regular" immigrants (for a lack of better term!) Just contact the SFI people in your kommun to see what the waiting times are. I've mostly seen people get assigned to classes within 2 weeks to 2 months, though :) And each kommun has different programs for differing levels of experience, so the only way you can really figure out how long the queue is, how long the courses are, what the schedule is, etc... is to just call or email :) There are also private locations and specialized programs you can look into, although I don't believe they are free.

      As for doctors appointments, I had my first prenatal doctor's appointment 4 days after arriving to Sweden and all I had was my passport and my decision letter; I didn't even have my permit card yet! It ended up not being a problem for me, but perhaps because I was going to have regularly scheduled and necessary appointments ASAP (I have a thyroid disease that needs to be monitored closely). I have been told that you need to have a personnummer before you can easily access health care, because it's the only way they can verify you qualify and register your care in the system. I have heard that some people will just take your passport info, but more likely than not, you will be asked to pay up front and then you can file for a reimbursement once you get your PN - but I am not an expert on this. Have your sambo contact the local vårdcentral in your kommun and ask them how best to proceed, and you can tackle it accordingly!

      Delete
  4. Hi again Megan! Thank you for all of your replies :) I think it's very useful info, like applying only in the main tax office in Goteborg - which I got to know when I tried to apply for an Id card in the office in Frolunda :) So I hope you will create a post soon for other people to learn on our knowledge and mistakes sometimes ;) I am happpy it worked out well for you so quickly with all the processes! In my case, as it was inside application, I could not gat an appointement with doctor for over a year before I got my residence permit card. Now I also received a personal number (took 2 days for them to make a decision) and applied for SFI (in Goteborg they will soom have a break till almost mid-August as I understand, and they don't have a queue fortunately). Also Iapplied for a Swedish Id, and all during the same day, so it was relatively quick fortunately ;) I am happy you were able to visit doctors directly, I want to visit a dentist and knee specialist soon, but I won't risk it until I get an Id card, as they always require this first when you approach them. Though maybe personal number with any Id would be enough :)

    Have a great time and enjoy these pregnancy months, I bet it's a good time at least emotionally :) Hope you don't have any major problems with your health now and keep on with this blog, I truly enjoy reading it lately and it's very useful for so many people!

    Dina

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hej Megan! Hur mår du? Thanks for the usefull info! I go to your blog for info, because there is not really a official way to get them, no welcome to Sweden panflet or anything! I was asking at MV what I should do next and the woman was like "it´s not our job to know".
    Anyway, what I meant to ask is, did you have to pay a 400 kr fee to make your ID? I am waiting for my PN now, and they gave me this thing to pay as soon as my PN arrives, so I can do my ID. You dont mention, so got me wondering!

    Hope you are adapting good! I am kind of bored waiting and waiting.. Have to make a routine for myself!
    Thanks for all.

    Gabi

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Gabi,

    I hope Megan does not mind that I answer your question. You should pay 400 SEK after you get your personal number and bring some kind of verification that your payment took place (on paper or electronically statement from the bank).
    After this you go to Skatteverket (with your international passport and a personal number info) who is working with Swedish ID cards issue (not all of them are facilitated with this function) and it takes a few minutes to take a photo and sign some papers (though a queue can be huge - the good thing that for example in Göteborg queue for Swedish ID card is separate and each person does not take more than 3-5 min usually). After that in 2-6 weeks they send you a notification to your home address (looks almost the same as the one from MV when it sends you the card with crossed out address) and you go with this paper to the office where you applied and pick it up during working hours. Good luck! :) Don't worry about routine, it will appear very soon after you start going every day to SFi half-day classes :)

    Dinar

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello,

    Im from India me and my partner have applied for the sambo visa,i read int he website it says it takes minimum of 14-15 months. I know im asking some old question but the website says the application is received no decision is made . Can you suggest me what can i do to get a conformation that the application received in the embassy?

    Awaiting your reply

    Thank you
    Sanjeev

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello Megan! You've been such a great help! I wonder if I will ever bump into you here in Sweden. haha. Anyway, I just wanted to share that I have also started to write something about getting started in Sweden in a form of a simple blog. It was not easy because my partner had to leave me for 3 months by myself and it was quite challenging so I thought it would be helpful to create a blog to help everyone out :) It is a work in progress but I am just putting it out there!

    https://c0rieee.blogspot.se/

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. I really appreciate the way you explain things. It not helped me but made it easy to understand more about Visa process.
    Sweden Visa

    ReplyDelete
  11. Visa proceessing is a diificult task and may take a lot of time. I was once stuck in Dubai Visa processing but than from next time i have started appliying for my Visa to Dubai online. It made my work really easy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This could be moreover a terrific content my spouse and i honestly appreciated investigating. It can be by no means daily my spouse and i offer the chance to watch one thing. free tour stockholm

    ReplyDelete