Finland will let foreign workers stay for 3 months to find a new job

If they lose their jobs, immigrants with work-based residency permits in Finland will have three months to locate new jobs.

The new law will go into effect in June 2025, and individuals who don’t find new jobs by then risk having their permits revoked, according to the announcement made by the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Most permit holders will be subject to the three-month job search deadline. Top-level managers, intra-company transfers, EU Blue card holders, highly skilled personnel classified as specialists, and individuals who have lived in Finland for more than two years on a work-based permit will all be exempt.

After losing their jobs, this group of foreign workers will have six months to look for new ones within Finland’s borders.

According to the Helsinki Times, around 50,000 foreign employees who are currently in Finland will be subject to the new regulation

Authorities stated that the measure complies with the EU directive on this particular issue, despite the fact that the action has been openly criticized.

In addition to the aforementioned, the new regulations will impose a new duty on employers. If an employee’s work-based residence permit expires, they must notify the Finnish Immigration Service within 14 days.

Many foreign residents are concerned about the new change

Many foreign residents in Finland are concerned about the country’s intention to give foreigners on work-based permits a three-month deadline.

According to a study conducted by OP Financial Group earlier in February, when the three-month deadline was merely a proposal, 13% of respondents said that this change made them think about leaving Finland.

According to the same survey, increasing labor immigration is crucial for Finland to become more competitive.

Finland has seen a decline in foreigners’ interest in traveling there for work, despite the new regulations not yet being in effect.

Earlier this year, Finnish authorities revealed that the country issued 11,000 work-based residency permits in 2024, 4,000 fewer than in 2023, as a result of fewer applications

The decline in work permits has impacted a wide range of occupations, although statistics indicate that the shortages are most severe in the healthcare industry. However, a large number of foreign workers continue to enter Finland’s IT sector via work-based residency permits.