If you are an asylum seeker and you wish to be granted a residence permit on grounds other than international protection, you must submit a separate residence permit application. Other possible grounds include for example family ties, work, and study.
If your asylum application is pending
If you have an asylum application pending, the Finnish Immigration Service will decide whether you can be granted
- asylum
- a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection
- a residence permit on the basis of humanitarian protection
- a residence permit in cases where you cannot be removed from Finland
- a residence permit on compassionate grounds
- a residence permit as a victim of human trafficking.
If you wish to be granted a residence permit on other grounds, you must submit an application to police and pay a processing fee. The Finnish Immigration Service will process all of your applications together with your asylum application. You will receive the decisions for all of these applications at the same time.
If you have already received a decision on your asylum application
If, after you have already received a decision on your asylum application, new grounds arise for granting you a residence permit, you must submit a new application to police and pay a processing fee.
This also applies if you wish to apply for
- a residence permit in cases where you cannot be removed from Finland
- a residence permit on compassionate grounds
- a residence permit as a victim of human trafficking.
Unless a related asylum application is pending, the Finnish Immigration Service usually processes new residence permit applications in the order of their arrival.
Same fees for all applicants
To ensure fair treatment of all applicants, the Finnish Immigration Service has unified the residence permit application procedures for asylum seekers. In the future, all persons who apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, study, or work will complete the same application form and pay the same handling fee.
