|
|
Post by AnnaNy on Sept 6, 2003 9:34:57 GMT -5
Hey everybody, My name is Anna. Hope it's ok for me to join even though I'm Swedish. : ) In May this spring, I met the love of my life while on a weekend trip to Barcelona. His name is Aaron. He's Australian living in London since a year back. We fell instantly in love, and I went to see Aaron in London a few weeks after we met in Barcelona. The four days I spent with him in London further proved my strong feelings for him, and luckily, he felt the same. This summer, we spent a week together in Mallorca, and then he came to see me here in Stockholm for a week. It felt great showing him around town, introducing him to my family and friends. Last week, Aaron applied for recidency in Sweden. He was lucky enough to get his interview done the same day as he handed in the application, because of a late cancellation. I'm SO HAPPY that he wants to come and live with me! Even though we haven't been a couple for more than a few months, I feel pretty confident about our relationship. The only thing that bothers me is the waiting time. They've said at the embassy that it may take eight months before the migration board decide if he will get recidency or not. Eight months! It feels like a lifetime to wait. Especially since he's not allowed to come to Sweden in the meantime. Not that I mind going to London, but he won't be able to see my family and friends, and get closer aquainted to Sweden and Stockholm. I've planned to go see him in two weeks, and I'm really looking forward to that! We're going to make plans for the autumn and winter, so that we can see as much of each other as possible. Perhaps we'll go to Perth to see Aarons parents early next year. I've been searching the web for all information I can find about "family ties immigration", but it's hard finding "real stories" told by the people who've experienced the process. I'm sure that all of you have lots of experiences from getting recidency in Sweden. Please give me some good news about the waiting time.  Do you have any advice for me, concerning the interview at the migration board? Any advice for Aaron for when he arrives in Sweden? Have a nice weekend!/Anna |
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Sept 6, 2003 10:56:11 GMT -5
Anna, welcome to PS and no, we don't mind Swedish members at all. After all, most of us here are married to or sambo with Swedes, so naturally, we adore them! This isn't an exclusive board. We have Americans, Canadians, Australians, British and even one or two Irish lurking. We love being able to have the extra insight something that our Swedish members provide when we're really trying to understand why something is. The waiting time is a real killer, isn't it!  But the thing with Migrationsverket is, they will tell you a time, but it doesn't necessary mean that's going to be the right time. I think they throw out a time just to shut you up. The one real delay is that if you're living in Stockholm. Apparently, they have tons of applicatoins there and the waiting time can be up to a year, or so we've heard. I started my application process from the US in 1999, around the 1st of November. My Anders flew to marry me in January of 2000 and we were able to do our interview together in the U.S., but then it was another two months before I was given my permit and able to move there, 7 April of 2000. I don't know how his being Australian and resident in London will affect things. I'm sure it's a different time-table. But I envy you the trips to London. I've been in the States for 3 months taking care of some work, and I am flying back to Europe on the 18th. I meet my darling husband in London on the 19th for a 4-day holiday and we fly back to Örebro together. So feel free to post as often as you like. We're a friendly lot and don't mind giving the emotional support needed during the waiting period. |
|
|
|
Post by crankody on Sept 6, 2003 13:15:43 GMT -5
Hi Anna, my waiting time was next to nothing. I met jonny in 96 and in 97 we decided we wanted to be together for ever and that it would be best for me to move here. so in may we applied for my papers and in july we got married. We got married so quickly because during my interview they said it would be easier and faster for me to get my papers to stay here if we were married (but thats not the case for everybody i guess). it was just easier for me since i had a child i was bringing. anyway we got married in july and in aug. when we were leaving canada to come here i still didnt' have my papers so jonny called immingration and they just said to fax our wedding cert. and after we did that they called like 10 min. later and told me to come to sweden and they would fix the papers after i come. i think it was just my lucky day. then after here and we had that 6 month interview i was preggo so the lady said it was my lucky day and just signed my papers and that was the end of my interviews and all. So after six months i had a PUT. i have never had to meet with them again until last feb. where they just stamped my passport for another 5 years. Some people have had really bad luck with immigration but i was one of the lucky ones that caught them on a good day i guess. so there is your good news story, (one of them anyway) |
|
|
|
Post by AnnaNy on Sept 6, 2003 13:19:59 GMT -5
Thanks Carolyn, After all the strange stories I have heard about the migration board, I must admit I don't really trust their time indication either. But as you say, they seem to have a lot of applications to handle here in Stockholm. The people at the London embassy first told Aaron that it would take around three months to get a decision, but when he was there last week, they said eight months... I really don't know what to hope for. I have asked a friend of mine, who knows people working at the migration board, to try and find out the name of someone handling residency cases. Just so I'll have someone to call up if I have questions. Seems better than calling their info line (somehow I don't trust them...) Anyway, a warm welcome to Sweden, all of you who have chosen to come her. Feel free to ask any questions about all the strange swedish habits that I'm sure you're finding hard to understand.  /Anna |
|
|
|
Post by Sabeine on Sept 7, 2003 10:34:59 GMT -5
Hi Anna, Nice name! That's my name too. ;D (Sabeine is an alias) It's really hard to say about how long the wait can be. Those that have children together usually get approved faster (not trying to say this is a suggestion, ha ha.) The wait is usually up to 8 months or so. Some have waited longer, but that can also due to the fact that there paperwork was incomplete. I have heard this in one case, a woman I know who's case took almost a year, because she had not filled out the paperwork right. It was sad too, she was waiting and waiting, and finally months go by and they send her a letter that she has to start over.  Mine took 4.5 months, and I was moving to Stockholm from the States over 3 years ago. This seems to be about average. Some get theirs faster, others longer. I don't know if it is a shorter wait since he is currently living in another EU country. Since he was told 3 months, and then 8 months later, I'd guess between 4-5 months is the time you could expect to wait. |
|
|
|
Post by AnnaNy on Sept 7, 2003 12:37:52 GMT -5
Hi Anna (Sabeine), Hopefully you are right in thinking that it may take somewhere between 3 and 8 months. I'm just gonna have to try and keep cool, and not let the longing and missing my darling take over... I just spoke to Aaron, and just hearing his voice makes it a bit easier coping. Please won't you all tell me about what it's like moving to Sweden? There are so many things that you take for granted about your habits and ways of life, and of course I can't see what's special (different, strange) about living in Sweden since I've lived here (nearly) all my life. When I was 19, I spent a year living in London, working as an Au Pair, and even though I had been in England several times before I came to stay, I must admid that I found a lot of the British habits really strange... Since Aaron is living in London now, I really enjoy going back there more often than I have the last couple of years. But at the same time I'm so happy he wants to come to Sweden, since I wouldn't really want to live in England. (Can't say anything about Australia, since I've never been ther, but it's just sooo far away from family and friends!) /Anna |
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Sept 7, 2003 13:43:19 GMT -5
Anna, this will be a fun topic to start on the general section, so I'll copy part of what you wrote and post a little there, okay? ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Natooke on Sept 10, 2003 11:13:05 GMT -5
Hi Anna ... just wanted to drop by and say welcome to such an awesome site ;D Your post hit a cord with me ... This summer at work I served a couple & her parents (in Småland). She the Swede & BF were going through the paper work ... He lives in London currently & his Nationality is Australian ... of course we all got to talking ;D They just got back from a trip from Canada ... and once their plans fall through in getting him here they were most likely going to live in Stockholm. I was really happy to of pass this info to them Aussies in Sweden see ya around. ;D |
|
Aussie
Regular Member
Hi I'm an Aussie now far from home in the land of the moose!
Posts: 193
|
Post by Aussie on Sept 10, 2003 15:43:11 GMT -5
Hi Anna, So glad to hear the Aussie invasion of Sweden is continuing! ;D We'll convert these Swedes to Vegemite, yet!  I'd be wary of the 8 months you were quoted as a time frame for acceptance of his application. I really hope it doesn't take a long time for the paperwork and red tape. That may be a "worst case scenario". I think it could take a slightly longer time because the application is being made from a third country. Nothing sinister, just that when you rely on mail service etc between Australia and Europe, it ALL takes time. I know the waiting is really hard, but you are talking to each other often, so that will help. The important thing is to keep your eyes on the goal - getting him here to Sweden. And keep hassling Migrationsverket and see how it's all going. There is quite a strong network of Aussies in Stockholm, so he won't feel alone here. And I think it's great that you are also looking at sites like this to see how to help. Welcome to Positively Sweden and good luck with the application. |
|
|
|
Post by AnnaNy on Sept 11, 2003 2:11:58 GMT -5
Natooke, funny to hear that there's another couple out there in the same situation as me and Aaron. You're more than welcome to give them my e-mail if you speak to them again.
Marie, thanks so much for your support. I'm sure that all the info I get here on PS will make it easier for us to go through the waiting period.
Right now, I'm just looking forward to going to London next weekend to see my älskling.
/Anna
|
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Sept 11, 2003 8:03:24 GMT -5
Well, Anna, there will be two of us meeting our darlings in London next week-end. I arrive there on the morning of the 19th for four wonderful days with my Anders, who I haven't seen since mid-June. Hope your reunion is as romantic as mine will be.  |
|
Do you have any advice for me, concerning the interview at the migration board? Any advice for Aaron for when he arrives in Sweden? 
But the thing with Migrationsverket is, they will tell you a time, but it doesn't necessary mean that's going to be the right time. I think they throw out a time just to shut you up.
