Finland | Backlog of 15,000 applications

Finnish authorities provided additional information on the current backlog of applications for immigration on the basis of family ties as well as the reason for the processing delay.

Key Points:

• Currently, more than 15,000 applications are awaiting a decision, and officials stated that they are making every effort to ease the backlog.
• The reason for the current backlog is cited as high application volume, as well as applicants not including a valid passport issued by their country of nationality.
• Applicants should be sure to include a valid passport issued by their country of nationality in order to be granted a residence permit and to renew it if it is about to expire.

Additional Information: Nearly 50,000 applications were submitted on the basis of family ties in 2024, with 65% of the applications resolved in less than three months. For the remaining applications, authorities stated that they are prioritizing those of applicants whose statutory processing time has already expired.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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