Help NoEden stay in Denmark

Hey, I'm Eddie. You know me as the artist NoEden (or if you don't, hey, thanks for reading).

For those who don't know me all that well (which is probably almost all of you because I prefer to keep my personal life separate from my online presence), I'm 31, a trans man, and in a loving homosexual relationship.

It may suddenly be patently obvious just exactly why I do NOT want to return to the USA in the near future.

Even aside from the simple fact that I don't want to leave my Danish partner of 5+ years and our two dogs.

Over the past few months I've been doing weekly streams to raise money for my visa so I can stay in Denmark. I got a job offer in mid-January, I raised enough funds to pay the visa fee, and I gathered all my documents. I finished my application February 3rd.

On Monday, January 24th, I received a rejection. Upsetting in and of itself, the devastating part is not because of anything I did or didn't provide; my potential employer didn't fulfill their educational obligations. For those of you who aren't familiar with Danish culture, essentially businesses seeking to hire foreign help first have to keep on Danes who need work experience in addition to their education. This means I have nothing to appeal, and the money I spent is just...gone. Over 6,000DKK (approx. 900USD) up in smoke.

I was visiting Denmark visa-free; as I'm from the US, I was permitted to stay here 90 days with just my passport.

That time ends March 3rd.

I'm desperate. I don't want to leave Denmark. The man I love is here, the current political situation in the USA is evolving for the worse every day, and I already had a shot at making a life here and it was snatched out of my grasp. I have family at home that can help me, but I essentially packed and sold as much as my life as I could, and what isn't in my parent's garage is here. With me. In what is supposed to be my home.

So what's next? What am I trying to do?

I need help. I have very little money to my name. I wasn't allowed to work here in Denmark until I got my visa, and now that's gone, and I have little ability to do anything about it. That said, I'm working hard to find options and alternatives.

The cheapest and worst-case scenario for me is I fly back to the US. My family has a place where I can live, and they're willing to help me. I'll raise money to get back to Denmark and try again, but I won't be able to return for at least 3 months. I'll have to get a job in the US (which I believe is perfectly doable), but I'll also have to do one of the below options regardless in order to make sure my next return to Denmark is the last.

Cost:

Use of additional funds: I'll put it towards my next visa application and my savings, although I'll likely close the GoFundMe fairly quickly if I have to leave.

The most expensive and most plausible option is I apply for a job-seeking permit or other Danish authorization. I'll be allowed to stay while the Danish government makes a decision on my application. If I'm missing information or they need anything else, I can appeal this one, as it doesn't rely on an employer to already have a job offer available for me. With this visa I should be able to stay six months and find an employment solution.

Cost:

Explanation of self-support: I have to prove I have enough money to stay here, regardless of my living situation, past application, or how much time I've spent here already. All the money I had to support myself is all but gone. I payed for my application fee, I've been living with my partner which meant I didn't have to raise as much before I left, and over the past 3 months I've still had to support myself; food, travel to Copenhagen to look for work, etc.

Use of Additional Funds: Commuting (train), food, and a plane ticket back to the US if absolutely necessary (but I highly doubt that in 6 months I can't find a job).

The second most plausible option is trying to extend my visa. There's no guarantee this will be feasible, and I'll still have to submit new applications for work visas, but at least I'll have more breathing room than the week I have currently.

Cost:

Use of Additional Funds: Commuting (train), food, and a plane ticket back to the US if necessary. In addition I'll be looking for work, after which I'll need to do as above and obtain a work visa.

Unlikely, but still worth mentioning is potentially volunteering. I can still look while I perform volunteer work. That said, it's unlikely I'll find a volunteer position quickly enough to avoid having to leave in the interim.

Cost:

Use of Additional Funds: Commuting (train), food, and a plane ticket if necessary. I can apply for other visas as well.

Rest assured that while this GoFundMe is live I'll be working to the best of my ability to raise some money myself with commission work, and I'll be looking for more options. I will be consulting immigration lawyers and calling as many people as I can handle.

This is my home, and I don't want to leave it.

Thanks for reading, and thank you SO much if you can manage to donate. Please, take care of yourself first, but I will be so incredibly grateful if you can help me.

Thank you for reading,

Eddie