NEDude

Hello again folks!

Just curious if anyone out there has any experience with immigration in Denmark. I am an American getting married to a Dane. She works for SAS in CPH. Now I know my chances of ever flying over there are slim to none, but eventually I would like to get permanent residence. One of the conditions for permanent residency is having a full-time job. So unless there is a loophole I have the following problems - without permanent residence/citizenship, I cannot get a flying job over there - without having a full-time job for a minimum of 2.5 years, I cannot get permanent residency - if I give up flying for 2.5 years to get a non-flying job, it will be virtually impossible for me to get back into flying at my age.

Anyone know of any avenues to take?

Thanks for your time.

BoeingDreamer

I am not 100% sure of the Danish law, but I would assume they would be in line with EU law, as they are a EU country.

I married a non EU resident, but was living in the UK, so there should not be a problem as far as I can see. UK law is a little different as they are not a part of Schengen.

You will need to apply for right to settle in a EU country, and your wife will have to provide sufficient documentation that she can provide for you during this initial time. In this case I believe they will give you a temporary leave to remain, and with this you will have the right to work full time. (this is how it works in the UK)
In UK this is for 2 years, where you have to apply again for indefinite leave to remain.
This you do at the end of the 2.nd year.

If I understand correct this is 5 years in Denmark, please check link below.
With regards to this there are many ways to do this, I do not know what your experience level is. There are jobs in Europe if you have much experience, but you must also do a conversion, which normally includes 14 ATPL theory exams, unless you have a certain amount of command time, then there is a reduction of exams, I can't recall the exact figures for this now, but you should find this in the CAA UK Lasors.

New to Denmark - Spouses

cefey

Why on earth you cant get flying job, without having "normal" job for 2 year?! Im very very sure, thats nonsense.
I can update you on norwegian emigration rules, Im sure danish one is not far away from that.

Once you get here, you need to apple for "family reunion", since your wife is danish. If they aprove that one, you will get "work permit" for 1 year. So, after 1 year, you need to apply for renewal of work permit (no big deal).
After 3 years on work permit, on your 4th year, you can apply for something simular for "green card". That meen you can settle down there. So even if you get divorced, you still can stay in the country. And that green card is valid for 3 years.
After 5/7 years, you can apply for citizenship.

Where, when and how you work, should not matter. As long as you meet qualification, holding right licenses (JAA ATPL?) and company is willing to hire you, you can go out and fly.

NEDude

Thanks for the replies everyone. I can get temporary residence in Denmark under family reunification, for two years. I can re-apply again after two years. The temporary residency is not the problem. The problem arises when I would try for permanent residency. Danish immigration law states that I have to be employed full-time in Denmark for 2.5 out of the three years proceeding the application. That is the sticking point.

I have just started the JAA conversion process - Bristol ground school. Every aviation job I can seem to find in the EU, as rare as they are, all require an EU passport, not just the right to work. And Denmark, being a relatively small country, has extremely limited opportunities in aviation.

I have taken time off from aviation in the past, and it took a long time to get back. In the U.S. currency is everything, I could be wrong but I imagine it is the same in the EU as well. Age isn't on my side either.

There may not be any way around it. I may just have to keep my job in the U.S. and commute (doable - I have a few friends who make the commute from the EU to the U.S.) and then worry about the residency/citizenship when I retire.

My other idea is to check into Sweden and their requirements. She is willing to move across the bridge to Malmo for a few years if that helps me get permanent residency or citizenship in an EU country.

cefey

I dont think it any easier for you to get citizenship in Sweeden. But my advise, take a look at requirements again.
Companies dont need you to have EU-passport, only RIGTH TO STAY and WORK in europe, which you will have, if you gonna move to Danmark.

NEDude

Well if the right to live and work is all that is required, I may be all set. But on the sites where I have found the requirements for various EU airlines, they almost all say "EU Passport Required", which is why I was led to believe the right to live and work was not sufficient.

Follow-up question - If I have right to live and work in Denmark, would that be acceptable if the job was based in the UK, or Germany, or any other EU nation, or would I be limited to aviation jobs only in Denmark?

BobbyE

Ned, I suggest you apply anyway within those airlines you fancy.
The EU Passport request is in most cases just a sorting tool, as a work permit issued in any EU country is legally sufficient for a piloting job, (even for work in another EU state.)
If you have an approved license and some good and useful aviation experience, that should be a reason for recruiters to look past your passport
A language skills request might however be a bit more problematic to get around if you don´t speak the language.

I myself come from a country outside of EU, trained in the UK and Arizona, and I am now working for a danish airline. No problems whatsoever.

If you choose to take time off flying, you could use it studying something aviation related or working in operations departments for an airline. It sometimes proves out to be a shortcut into the right-hand seat when the time comes.

Good luck and welcome to DK..

NEDude

Thanks for the words of encouragement! When I get the JAA license sorted out, I will throw in the apps.

I am working on the language thing right now - my fiancee has promised VERY nice rewards for learning the langage . In fact she says I am about perfect at saying "I don't speak Danish" lol.

BoeingDreamer

One quick note, not sure if you have right to work in EU, if this gives you right to work in the UK.

As I know in the opposite case, living in the UK, and my wife had UK visa, she needed a Schengen visa to travel within the EU, so she would not have right to work in the EU, just UK.

So you might not be eligible to work within the UK, because UK are not within Schengen. If you have EU passport, then this not a problem, but takes 5 years to get a EU passport, only 3 to get UK passport.

You should check a couple of the immigration forums, they will know this better than on these forums.

Catans

From having friends in the same situation I can only say that if your wife is working for SAS in CPH I would move to Sweden since the commute is very easy. Our friends flat out gave up on moving to Denmark because she (American) could not get a Danish residence permit, he (Danish) has no problem living in Sweden. She is now a Swedish citizen.

I am a Swede married to an American and it is very easy to get the residence/work permit. It took a while for the permit to come thorough (6 months, and you have to be apart for that time) but there was never a question as to if it was going to be approved or not.

After three years she is now eligible for citizenship in Sweden.

Hope it helps.

Catans