Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland: Elaine M. Kumpula, Minnesota

In this series we highlight the important work done by our honorary consuls around the 35 States in our jurisdictional area. This month, we talked to the honorary consul in Minnesota, Elaine M. Kumpula, about her work as an immigration lawyer helping Finnish businesses and individuals find their ground in the U.S. Following the recent restrictions on nonimmigrant visas, she offers us some helpful advice on approaching the rest of the year.

Elaine M. Kumpula

Elaine M. Kumpula, Honorary Consul of Finland in Minnesota

  • Education: University of Minnesota
  • Profession: Immigration lawyer, partner with Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, a top 50 full-service, law firm headquartered in the U.S. The firm has more than 1,300 attorneys, consultants and professionals in 22 locations across the U.S., the United Kingdom and China.
  • Favorite thing about Finland: A few of my favorite things in no particular order:  Finnish design, the people, coffee, pulla, sauna, art, technology, and nature.

How did you initially get introduced to Finland and to your role as the Honorary Consul?

I grew up in Esko, Minnesota, a small town with strong Finnish-American roots located in Northeastern Minnesota. Both of my parents were of Finnish descent, in fact, my mother’s parents were immigrants from the Rautio area who moved to the United States in 1913. My maternal grandparents lived with our family during the winters when I was small. Eventually, a few years after my grandfather passed away, my grandmother moved in with us permanently. My two sisters and I were lucky to have grandparents who were such an integral part of our daily lives. We benefited greatly from their presence which brought along strong exposure to the Finnish language, as well as Finnish and Finnish-American friends and relatives who visited regularly.

Finland has always been part of my life, even though my first trip there did not happen until the fall of 2018. Over the years, I have found different ways to engage with the Finnish-American community in the Twin Cities area and more broadly. My involvement with FinnFest USA(Link to another website.) over a number of years, introduced me to Marianne Wargelin, my immediate predecessor in the role as Honorary Consul. I worked closely with Marianne on various FinnFest projects and later participated with her and others in establishing the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota. This involvement in the community did a lot to prepare me for the role in which I am honored to now serve.

What do you see as Finland’s biggest strengths here in the US?

Finland is an international leader in education, technology, energy, renewables/circular economy, healthcare/medical device, and other areas. These innovative fields and industries are needed by the U.S. as we work to improve our country’s education system, invest in infrastructure and move forward with a more efficient, cleaner environment. Finland and Finnish businesses can have a strong role to play in these endeavors.

How are you able to help Finnish companies/organizations/individuals in your area?

As an immigration lawyer in a large, full-service law firm, I am able to provide U.S. immigration information to Finnish companies, organizations and individuals seeking to come to the U.S. I am proud of our firm’s heritage and capabilities in serving clients ranging from individuals to emerging startups to multinational corporations.

My background in this field also helps me quickly understand immigration issues faced by constituents who plan to enter Finland or repatriate for a variety of reasons. I am fortunate in having the ability to reach out to my many colleagues within the firm concerning multiple issues relevant to doing business in the United States. When appropriate, I am likewise able to leverage networks developed through the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota(Link to another website.), as well as law firm networks in which our firm participates when assistance is needed in jurisdictions where we do not have active practitioners.

In light of the recent proclamation suspending certain new visas for the rest of this year, what are the effects for international mobility both in short and long term?

The June 22nd proclamation suspending new visas in the H-1B (temporary professional worker), H-2B (temporary worker), J (intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work/travel exchange visitor programs), and L (temporary intracompany transferee) visa classifications will have a negative impact to U.S. employment-based immigration in the short term. If extended, this will continue to have repercussions into the future. Companies of all sizes, from start-ups to large multinational corporations utilize these visa categories, particularly the H-1B and L categories to fill key positions – from professionals in specialty roles to managers and executives – in the United States. These are jobs that support U.S. business and job growth. In the near term, employers will need to look for new ways and locations from which to employ key talent that is not readily available in the U.S. labor market. In the longer term, if it becomes too difficult or expensive to bring in key talent, companies will start looking for longer term solutions which could result in an overall loss of business and new job opportunities in the U.S., the opposite of the stated goal of the current proclamation.

Under these new restrictions and looking into the rest of the year and beyond, what would be your advice for Finnish companies operating in or on the verge of entering the US market?

Companies already operating in the U.S. and currently employing non-U.S. workers here need to “know their workforce.” It will be critical to understand the visa status of these employees in the U.S., know which are and are not impacted by the various travel bans, and to work closely with immigration counsel to remain compliant with U.S. immigration laws and manage the visa status of these employees during this challenging time.

Companies on the verge of entering the U.S. market though not yet fully committed, may choose to wait until the end of the year to see what happens with the U.S. elections in November and whether the June 22nd proclamation will be extended and expanded, left to continue as is, or rescinded. Companies already committed to entry based on contractual agreements may need to initially rely more on U.S. business partners in the U.S. and, once the Schengen countries travel ban is lifted (or individuals have found a third country where they can stay for 14 days prior to entering the U.S.) might enter the U.S. as business visitors with a valid ESTA (visa waiver) or B visa to engage in meetings for one or more periods of time. (This does not allow for active work it the U.S.)

Regardless of where companies are on the spectrum of entering the U.S. market, they may decide to look at other employment-based visa options not impacted by the June 22nd proclamation, such as the E-1 (treaty trader),  E-2 (treaty investor), and O-1 extraordinary ability categories. In some cases, an immigrant option such as the EB-5 immigrant investor category may be available.  While any of these options can work well under the right circumstances, it is important to remember that appropriate visas are required for all them prior to entry to the U.S. for work and, at present: (1) U.S. consulates are closed for regular visa processing; and (2) the 14-day travel ban remains in place for individuals in Schengen countries.

How about artists, musicians and other creative professionals?

While some creative professionals do come to the U.S. to work in visa categories impacted by the June 22nd proclamation, most come here with visas that were not included and which more readily fit the intended activities of these individuals. Visa categories often utilized by creative professionals are the O-1 (individual of extraordinary ability), P-1 (internationally recognized entertainment group), P-2 (artists or entertainers performing under a reciprocal exchange program), P-3 (individuals or groups coming to perform, coach or teach under a program that is culturally unique), or Q (international cultural exchange). While these categories are not impacted by the June 22nd proclamation, U.S. consulates currently remain closed for regular visa processing. Further, the Schengen countries travel ban remains in effect so even if an individual currently in a Schengen country has a valid visa now, they would need to find a third country to enter and remain for 14 days before traveling to the U.S. and seeking admission.

You are based in Minneapolis, which has been at the center of national attention in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the movements responding to it. From your personal perspective, what kind of changes do you think we will see following these events locally and more broadly?

The horrific killing of George Floyd was a tragedy that exposed the ugly stain of systemic racism in my community and my country. Too many of us have been complacent, failed to really listen to our black brothers and sisters (and other oppressed people), and have not thought about or understood white privilege – something so ingrained in our culture that it has often not been not recognized, or even noticed, by those of us who are so privileged. We need to fight racism in this country and I am grateful to say that many people and organizations in this area and across the country are taking steps to make real change. Conversations are taking place and groups are organizing to support critical changes in our communities – changes that are long overdue.

We need to address the appropriate use of law enforcement in our communities. We also need to address large issues with education, housing, employment/income and healthcare. We have many challenges, but we must accept them and invest in our communities in positive ways. I believe that we are and will continue to do this; therefore, I am hopeful for our future.


Honorary consulates

The honorary consulates augment Finland’s network of diplomatic missions, made up of embassies, consulate generals, consulates and other liaison offices. An honorary consulate is headed by an honorary consul. Honorary consuls are private individuals who take care of their tasks on a part-time basis without remuneration. Read more about all of our honorary consulates here: https://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/honorary-consulates

Read other "Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland" articles

Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland: Frank Donnelly, Texas

Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland: Jim Kurtti, Upper Peninsula of Michigan