A 5 Step Guide to Obtain Danish Citizenship

When it comes to citizenship, even the countries with friendliest of immigration policies can have a tricky and tedious process. In recent years, as Denmark has emerged as a popular European immigration destination, number of immigrants applying for Danish citizenship has also increased.

The Danish Government has clearly outlined the citizenship process. People from Nordic countries (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland) can become Danish citizens by declaration. On the other hand, immigrants from other countries can become Danish citizens through the process of naturalization.

Although, applying for Danish citizenship is not a complex process, but a single mistake in your application can cost you significant time and money. Firstly, you come to know whether your application is refused only when the results are declared. Secondly, if your application is rejected then you have to go through the entire process all over again and pay the application fee of DKK 1000 (approx. US$170) again.

Here is a five step guide on how to proceed while applying for Danish citizenship.

Ensure Your Eligibility

Make sure that you are actually eligible to apply for Danish citizenship. To become a Danish citizen, you first need to be living there as a permanent resident. The minimum PR requirement under general category is 9 years. If you are a refugee in Denmark then it is 8 years. If you are married to a Dane for at least three years, then the PR requirement is 6 years. Citizens of Nordic countries need to wait for 2 years before they become eligible to apply for Danish citizenship.

Check Your Debts

Before lodging your citizenship application, make sure you don’t have debts to any public Danish institution. Also, verify that you haven’t received any public assistance for a period longer than 6 months in past 5 years.

Enroll and Prepare for the Danish Citizenship Test

Passing the Danish Citizenship test is a crucial part of the citizenship process. The test is held only at the designated test centers twice a year – in June and December. Schedule your test in advance, so that you have enough time to prepare for it. You can get guidelines on how to prepare for the test on Danish immigration website. There are also some other private websites that offer practice material and sample test papers. You can also take help from them.

Lodge your application

After you have made sure that you are eligible to apply for Danish citizenship and have passed the citizenship test, you can get, fill in and lodge your citizenship application at your nearest police station. The results are announced twice every year – in April and October.

Confirm the status on Dual Citizenship

Currently Denmark immigration policy is quite restrictive about dual citizenship. However, Danish Parliament is in the process of allowing its citizens to have dual citizenship. But you also need to ensure that your native country allows it. Visit the embassy of your country in Copenhagen to ensure that.

It is expected that by summer 2015, Danish citizens will be allowed to have dual citizenship. In case, you are granted Danish citizenship before that, you can reclaim your original citizenship after the new rules come in force.

All You Need to Know about Ireland Student Visa

A beautiful island country west to the United Kingdom, Ireland, has a long tradition of academic excellence. Over the centuries, the country has produced countless scholars and several Noble Laureates including physicist Erwin Schrodinger, poet W. B. Yeats, playwright George Bernard Shaw, and many more. Beside this, there are several other reasons that make studying in Ireland an unforgettable experience such as a friendly and safe environment, internationally recognized educational institutions, creative culture, and more.

Generally, foreign nationals who want to study in Ireland require a student visa. However, if you are a citizen of a European Union (EU) country, then you can study here without a study visa. In addition, citizens of a number of non-EU countries are also not required to obtain a student visa to study in Ireland. Here is the list of these non-EU countries. In case you are a citizen of any of the above listed countries, and want to study in Ireland in a course lasting more than 90 days, then you can apply for a student visa by first getting registered with Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). Depending on the course you want to enroll in Ireland, you can apply under one of the following categories

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Higher Education

If you want to pursue a bachelor’s or higher degree in Ireland, then you need to apply for Ireland student visa under this category. It is important to note here that for bachelor’s degree courses you need to lodge you application at Central Applications Office, while for master’s and doctoral degree programs, you need to apply directly to the institute and they will lodge your visa application on your behalf.

You need to meet the following requirements in order to get student visa under this category.

• ·         You have been accepted at an Irish educational institution to pursue a full-time study course in Ireland

• ·         You have sufficient academic abilities to pursue the course you are enrolled in

• ·         You have submitted the whole course fee and have sufficient funds to support your stay in Ireland

• ·         You have adequate medical insurance to cover your stay in Ireland

• ·         You have proof that you will leave Ireland once your course is completed

If you have obtained a student visa under this category and your study course lasts at least one year then you are not required to obtain a work permit to work in Ireland.  

English Language & Non Degree Programs

If you want to study in an English language course or Non Degree Program in Ireland then you need to apply under this category. For this category, the requirements are similar as in the Higher Education category such as being accepted at a registered institution, having sufficient funds, etc. However, under this category you can stay in Ireland for a maximum period of 3 years.

As mentioned earlier, Ireland has an innovative and creative culture that makes it an entrepreneur society, and studying here can make a great impact on your career.

Three Ways to Get Work Permit in Denmark

As many industries in Denmark are facing shortage of local skilled workers, Denmark in past decade has emerged as the most active European Union nation hiring overseas skilled workers outside the European Economic Area (EEA). This immigration has not only given a boost to Danish economy, but it has also fulfilled the dreams of thousands of foreign nationals who want to work in Denmark. As Danish economy continues to thrive, more job opportunities for overseas skilled workers keep coming up in Denmark.
For citizens of countries outside the EEA, there are three ways to get a work permit for Denmark. Let’s go through them one by one.

Danish Green Card Scheme
The Danish Green Card scheme is undeniably the most popular of all; since it gives foreign nationals work and residence permit without a job offer. To become eligible under this category, applicants need to score a minimum of 100 points in a point based system that tests their eligibility on various factors, namely education, language skills, work experience, adaptability, and age.

The points are awarded in pretty straightforward manner. For instance, for higher qualification you receive more points, for more work experience you receive more points and so on. There is also scope for scoring some bonus points if you have received education from an internationally renowned university or have work experience in an occupation that lacks skilled professionals in Denmark.

The Danish Green Card gives you a work and residence permit of 18 months. During this period you can find a job in Denmark, and subsequently work and live here. You can also extend your stay in Denmark after you have commenced a job.

Positive List Scheme

As mentioned earlier, there are a number of occupations that lack skilled workers in Denmark. The Danish government maintains a list of these occupations, called the Positive List, which is revised annually. If you have a job offer for an occupation in Positive List from a Danish employer then you can immediately get work and residence permit of minimum 3 years in Denmark under the Positive List scheme. You can easily get a one year extension, as well as bring your dependent family members to Denmark on this visa. In addition, it also allows your partner to work full-time in Denmark.

Pay Limit Scheme

If you have a highly paid job offer in Denmark, irrespective of your occupation, then you can get a work and residence permit of minimum 3 years in Denmark. The minimum salary requirement under this category is DKK357,000 a year (approximately US$80,000). Like in Positive List Scheme, you can get one year extension under Pay Limit scheme. Also, you can bring your dependent family members to Denmark, and your partner can work full-time here.

Denmark is a beautiful country with an ideal work environment, which allows its inhabitants to live prosperously as well as succeed in life. Migrating to Denmark will not only help you in building your career, but will also allow you to lead a peaceful life.