Are you applying for a residence permit on the basis of work, or are you an employer? Read below to learn how the Aliens Act will change on 23 February 2023

22.2.2023 16.50

Press release

Amendments to chapter 5 of the Aliens Act will enter into force on 23 February 2023. In particular, the changes concern those applying for a residence permit on the basis of work as well as employers.

Permits will be issued in accordance with the new law as of 23 February. Applications that have not been decided before this date will be processed in accordance with the new rules. The links and instructions on our website will be updated by the end of the day on 23 February.

Read further for more information about how the changes will affect you.

If you apply for a residence permit on the basis of work

Your application will be processed in accordance with the new law.

See the applications page to make sure that you meet the relevant requirements for a residence permit. If you submitted your application using the Enter Finland online service and notice that your application is missing necessary information, you can add it at any time by selecting ‘send additional information’.
As of 23 February, your employer must add the terms of employment to your application. The processing of your application cannot begin before the terms of employment have been added. Ask your employer to supplement your application by filling in your terms of employment in the Enter Finland for Employers online service. Alternatively, your employer can provide you with the ‘Terms of Employment’ paper form.

If you are unsure about which application form you should use, use the Application Finder.

If you are an employer

As an employer, you are responsible for ensuring that your employees have the necessary level of competence and professional ability, and for providing information about this in the terms of employment. For more information, see our page on the role and obligations of employers.
You no longer need an employee’s permission to supplement his or her application in the Enter Finland online service, with the exception of employees applying for a seasonal work permit, intra-corporate transferee permit, or residence permit for a researcher. For user instructions, see our Enter Finland for Employers page.
Under the new rules, you must supplement each employee’s application by filling in the terms of employment. This can be done in the Enter Finland for Employers online service, or by providing your employee with the ‘Terms of Employment’ paper form. For more information, see our page on filling in the terms of employment.
You may apply for employer certification for your company, if you meet the relevant requirements. Read more on our employer certification page.

All of our pages with information for employers can be found here.

Other changes

Certain amendments to chapter 5 of the Aliens Act also affect other residence permit types.

The period of validity of your passport does not affect the duration of the permit issued to you. For example, students can be granted a residence permit for the entire duration of their studies. Please note, however, that you must always have a valid passport.