Finland | Applications based on family ties experiencing backlogs

Finnish authorities announced that immigration offices are experiencing a significant backlog in processing applications based on family ties.

‌Key Points:

• Officials stated that about 11,800 outstanding applications currently await a decision.
• The number of applications has risen dramatically over the last two years, increasing about 50% over 2021 figures.
• In 2023, more than 60% of applications based on family ties were decided in less than three months and 76% were decided in less than six months from the date of application.

Additional Information: Authorities provided a few tips to improve processing times when applying for a residence permit based on family ties. Applicants should be sure to fill in the application carefully, legalize documents appropriately, inform Finnish immigration authorities if there are any changes in family relationships and remember to renew passports in a timely manner.

BAL Analysis: The Finnish Immigration Service confirmed it is recruiting additional staff and improving application processing procedures to clear the backlog as quickly as possible. BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

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

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