Miriam Thompson’s business logo is a labyrinth with a passport at its centre. It’s hard to think of something more suitable for her profession. Who is entitled to citizenship? What does the process involve? How long does it take? What if you’re rejected? It’s a notoriously complex process, as the briefest of glances at any Facebook group for internationals shows. “Yes, it is a labyrinth,” Miriam acknowledges. “But you can get there.” And luckily, she’s here as our guide.
Miriam’s citizenship consultancy is new, but it is underpinned by her many years of experience supporting internationals in finding their way in Denmark. It all began back in 2002, when she moved to Odense with her Danish husband after twelve years together in the US. Miriam, who had a long and successful career as a physical therapist in the US before moving, remembers keenly the culture shock they experienced. Even though her husband is Danish, they had been away from the country for over a decade and much had changed.
“There was no system to integrate me as a spouse at that time,” Miriam says. The authorities assumed that because her husband was Danish, they didn’t need the same support as other internationals. It took Miriam four years to find paid work after navigating a “frustrating” system, and even then, she was paid far less than she had been in the US.