Finland | Pause in processing of work-based permits

Finnish authorities announced that decision-making on certain residence permit applications will be paused Jan. 1-8, 2025.

Key Points:

• The decision-making pause will specifically impact initial and extension residence permits for employed persons and seasonal work where the permit period is at least six months.
• Officials advised applicants to submit extension permit applications as soon as possible if a current permit is about to expire.
• The pause does not affect the submission of residence permit applications, and applications can be submitted normally through the online service website during the pause.
• More information for extension permits and whether an individual has a right to work while an application is processing can be found here.

Additional Information: Effective Jan. 1, work permit services will be transferred from TE Offices (Employment and Economic Development) to the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service will inspect and assess all the requirements for work-based residence permits at once as part of a reforming of the application processing structure. Currently, applications for certain residence permits are processed in two stages: the TE Office first issues a partial decision before forwarding the application to the Finnish Immigration Service for further processing. The pause in decision-making on certain work-based permits in January will allow the government to make the necessary changes to automation and data systems.

BAL Analysis: The government hopes to reform employment and economic development services in Finland, and the reorganization of responsibilities is designed to support that effort and enhance the customer experience, ensuring a more seamless process.

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

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