USA and Latin America

The Finnish Expatriate Parliament is geographically divided in eight regions. There is a vice-speaker for each region and all the regions organize their own meetings. On this page you can find information about activities in USA and Latin America.

Members of the FEP Speakers' Council in period 2017-2020, as confirmed in June by the Parliament session of 2017:

The Region's Vice Speaker 2017-2020 is Ms Hanna Wagner
E-mail: dhkpwagner(a)yahoo.com

Alternate: Mr Teuvo Pulkkinen
E-mail: teuvo_pulkkinen(a)hotmail.com

Congratulations to those elected!

Region's Vice Speaker in period 2015-2017 was Ms Satu Mikkola . Her alternate was Ms Marja Oksajärvi Snyder.

What's new?

Finnish Expatriate Parliament at FinnFest 2019

Join us during the FinnFest USA in Detroit this weekend!

Suomi-Seura – Finland Society and the Finnish Expatriate Parliament hope to enjoy your company at FinnFest Detroit 2019 on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at Program Session VIII, [red: new, earlier time:] 1:00 – 2:30 pm.

Please come and meet Markus Aaltonen the newly elected chairman of Suomi-Seura ry – Finland Society and Hanna Wagner our Finnish Expatriate Parliament deputy speaker for USA and Latin America. This region has 85 Finnish organisations and societies following the parliament, an open forum of 538 Finnish societies in 36 countries and their link to Finland's decision-makers.

If you cannot come to Detroit in person, please mail us and we will address your concerns and questions. Spread the word, we would like to meet as many of you as possible.

See more:

Our last-minute earlier FinnFest event time is: 1-2.30pm, room Petoskey, at Sheraton Detroit Novi Conference Centre.
FinnFest event site: https://finnfest.us/finnfest-2019

We are also at the Tori Exhibition and market place at the hotel Ballroom.

Regional report 2017

The Regional report 2017 of the outgoing vice-speaker of the Presidium and regional representative Satu Mikkola, given to the Presidium's preparatory meeting of the Session, on June 15, 2017 (Seattle, WA, 9.6.2017).

Enjoy: Alueraportti US ja Lat. Amerikka 2017 (doc)

Regional meeting, minutes 15.6.2017

The annual regional meeting 2017 of the FEP region US and Latin America was held in Helsinki on June 15, 2017, ahead of the 9th Session of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament and as its preparatory meeting.
Meeting minutes: US and Lat. Am. Regional meeting minutes 2017 (doc)

CHANGE in the Regional Meeting time and location

REGIONAL Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 3:30 PM
Address: Suomi-Seura (Finland Society), Meeting Room, Mariankatu 8, 3rd floor/right, Helsinki

Regional Meeting - Region USA & Latin America - June 15, 2017

Regional Report - Region USA & Latin America - October 2016

Regional Report (in Finnish) by Satu Mikkola, the FEP Regional Speaker, Region USA and Latin America, at the FEP Speakers' Council, October 20, 2016

Regional Report Spring 2016

The Regional report (in Finnish) of the FEP regional representative for USA and Latin America, Satu Mikkola, at Autumn meeting of the FEP Speakers' Council 21.-22. April 2016.

Regional Report Fall 2015

The Regional report (in Finnish) of the FEP regional representative for USA and Latin America, Satu Mikkola, at Autumn meeting of the FEP Speakers' Council 19.-20. October 2015.

Regional Meeting 2015

Welcome to the Regional Meeting 2015 of United States and Latin America!
Our Regional Meeting will be held on Thursday 21st May, 2015 at 5.30 pm. This is in conjunction with the Plenary Session of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament which convenes during the following two days. We meet at Finland Society, large negotiation room, Mariankatu 8, 3rd floor (right side), 00170 Helsinki.
Hope to see you all in Helsinki!
More about the FEP Plenary Session in Helsinki (22.-23.5.2015) you find at these home pages under www.usp.fi > Session 2015 or by e-mailing enquiries to FEP secretariat at info@usp.fi

Alueraportti kevät 2014

Alueen puhemies Marita Cauthenin alueraportti puhemiesten kevätkokouksessa 8.-9.5.2014.

Regional Meeting 2014

The US and Latin America region of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament holds its annual regional meeting at FinnFest in Minneapolis on August 9, 2014.

Alueraportti syksy 2013

Alueen puhemies Marita Cauthenin alueraportti puhemiesten syyskokouksessa 10.-11.10.2013.

Regional Meeting/Information Meeting

Regional information meeting will be held at FinnFest 2013 on Friday, June 21 at 10 am. Location: MTU (Michigan Tech University) Fisher 131. Open to all.

Regional Report Spring 2013

Speaker Marita Cauthén's regional report at the Speakers' Council meeting April 16-17, 2013 (in Finnish)

Alueraportti syksy 2012

Alueen puhemies Marita Cauthenin alueraportti puhemiesten kokouksessa 24.10.2012.

Alueraportti kevät 2012

Puhemies Marita Cauthénin alueraportti puhemiehistön kokouksessa, Helsingissä 7.-8.5.2012.

Alueraportti syksy 2011

Puhemies Marita Cauthénin alueraportti puhemiesten kokouksessa 28.-29.11.2011

Portable passport machine

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has sent the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles an operational portable passport system.

Portable passport machine at FinnFest 2011 in San Diego August 11-14, 2011 
The portable passport system will be available at FinnFest 2011 HYPERLINK "http://www.finnfest2011.com" www.finnfest2011.com in San Diego California from Thursday August 11, 2011 until Sunday August 14th, 2011.
All applicants must make an appointment for a passport application.
The purpose is to provide passport service to Finns living in the United States, Mexico and Canada visiting FinnFest 2011.

Applications can be made at the “market place” (tori) at FinnFest 2011 as following:
Thursday August 11th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday August 12th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday August 13th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday August 14th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
The application must be made in person and by appointment only:
tel: (310) 203 9903 ext 4
email: HYPERLINK "mailto:passi.los@formin.fi" passi.los@formin.fi
(During August 11 to 14, you can call or send a text message to 1 310 467 0697)

Instructions
Information on the portable passport system availability in San Diego CA will also be available on the Consulate website HYPERLINK "http://www.finland.org" www.finland.org HYPERLINK "http://www.finland.ca" . The application process is virtually the same as at the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles.

A passport application form is no longer in use. The passport system generates the application and with the portable system the photo will be taken as part of the application process (this is different from the process at the Consulate in Los Angeles, where the applicant provides a photograph). The applicant signs on a special pad and a fingerprint scan is taken. As the fee is set in euros, it may chance with exchange rate fluctuation. Valid fees are posted in the Services section of the Consulate website (170 USD in July 2011 – please check the fee for August 2011).

A passport application can only be processed if the applicant’s personal data (name, date and place of birth and citizenship) in the Finnish population register is up-to-date (further information: HYPERLINK "http://www.maistraatti.fi/" \t "new" www.maistraatti.fi). For example name changes due to a marriage or divorce cannot be processed in the passport system. These have to be updated in the population register ahead of time. Also, children born outside of Finland cannot be issued a Finnish passport until their birth and citizenship details are entered into the Finnish population register.

Future use of the portable passport system in the Western United States
The Consulate will inform the Finnish community of the circulation of the portable passport system at suitable venues within the Finnish Community via press releases and on the Consulate website. The costs involved in bringing the portable passport system to events and cities within the Western United States will create constraints on availability. Therefore, the portable system might be in a specific area only for few days in any given year.

Passport applications can be made in Finland at the local police station. The police can send the passport to the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles (by request) if the passport cannot be issued by the end of the stay in Finland. In fact, a passport application can be made at any passport issuing point in the world with the request to forward the passport to Los Angeles (check the Foreign Ministry web site HYPERLINK "http://www.formin.fi" www.formin.fi for locations and contact information for Finnish missions). The Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles will then make arrangements to forward the passport to the applicant’s home address.

Further information: Consulate General of Finland, Consular Officer Katariina Kiuru
Consular Section tel. (310) 203 9903 ext 4
Consular Section email HYPERLINK "mailto:Passi.LOS@formin.fi" Passi.LOS@formin.fi

Regional report Spring 2011

Yhdysvaltain ja Latinalaisen Amerikan alueen puhemies Marita Cauthén esitteli alueensa raportin puhemiehistön kevätkokouksessa Helsingissä 16.-17.5.2011. Raportin voit lukea klikkaamalla otsikkoa. Puhemieskokouksen pöytäkirjan löydät tästä.

Regional Meeting/Information Meeting

Regional Meeting/Information Meeting will be held on Friday, August 12, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA, as part of the FinnFest 2011. Room: Pacific Salon 4. Speaker Ville Itälä will attend.

Regional Meeting/Information Meeting

Regional Information Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 2 p.m. at Clarion University Hotel in Ithaca, New York as part of the Finn Funn Weekend.

FEP informational meeting

Regional informational meeting of the
Finnish Expatriate Parliament will be held
during FinnFest 2008 in Duluth, Minnesota.

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