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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
In some ways I know that if I lived there I would always be jealous of natural born Icelanders since they always have a safety net that catches them. As an outsider, I don't believe I am afforded those same protections, unless I'm married to an Icelander.
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Just addressing this part for the moment... well, even Icelandic citizens lose rights to the health care system if they have changed their residence to another country, and then moved back home. They have to reside back in Iceland for 6 months before those benes kick in, just like foreign residents and workers. When ktspktsp and I moved here, we both had to purchase short-term insurance to cover our asses in case one of us got hit by a truck or something (the deductible is pretty high) in our first 6 months here... I'm a citizen, he isn't. As of Sept 1, we'll finally be able to go to the doctor, yay!
Now, if you moved here legally (obviously without being married to an Icelander), that would mean you would have a work permit issued from an employer (like an H1-B in the US). This also goes along with a residence permit to allow you to live in the country legally, which means you would have access to the health care system after 6 months here, as well. And, if you so desired, after 7 years living in Iceland you could become a citizen. And then there would be absolutely no difference between you and "natural born Icelanders." Citizenship confers rights of nativity. That's the whole idea. Hell, I was not born here, only got my citizenship in my 20s... but I have all the same rights as those who were born here. Ktspktsp is allowed to get his citizenship here after 3 years, due to being married to me... and he would also obtain all the same rights as a native. There would be nothing to be jealous of.
