Skip to Content

The employer needs to verify that an asylum seeker has the right to work – the information will be available by phone

Migri
Publication date 7.7.2016 16.16
Press release

The Finnish Immigration Service will no longer issue a written certificate on an individual asylum seeker’s right to work or engage in gainful employment.

Because the number of asylum seekers increased almost tenfold last year, there have been significantly more requests for certificates than before, which has led to a backlog in the processing of the requests. Hundreds of requests are waiting to be processed and the processing time can take up to several months. We accept requests for certificates until 8 July 2016 and will issue the certificates that are waiting to be processed during the summer.

When an employer wishes to hire an asylum seeker, they should begin by asking the applicant if he or she has the right to work. The applicant definitely has the right to work when it has been at least six months since he or she submitted the application for asylum, if the matter has not already been lawfully decided.

If an asylum seeker has only been in the country for a short time, the employer should verify his or her right to work from the Finnish Immigration Service.

An employer who wants to hire an asylum seeker residing in Finland can from now on verify that the person has the right to work by phone:
  • The phone number, +358 295 433 155, serves employers as of Monday 11 July 2016.
  • The service hours are from Monday to Friday between 9 and 12.
  • When calling, the employer has to know the name of their employee and his or her Finnish Immigration Service customer number.

The new phone number is specifically intended for employers. We will continue to serve asylum seekers in the same way as before. The service hours and numbers can be found on our website.

Asylum seekers can start working three or six months after coming to Finland

An asylum seeker has the right to work after either three or six months from applying for asylum.

  • The limit is three months if the asylum seeker presented a valid and authenticated passport or other travel document to the authorities when he or she submitted the application for asylum.
  • The limit is six months if the asylum seeker did not present a travel document.

The right to work is based on the law – there is no need to apply for it separately

An asylum seeker’s right to work is based on the law. He or she does not need to apply for it separately. If the employment is continuous, the asylum seeker can apply for a residence permit based on employment.

The employer has the responsibility to verify that the foreign national employed by him or her has the right to work. From time to time, the employer also has to check if the asylum seeker’s right to work has expired. The asylum seeker also has the responsibility to make sure that he or she does not work without having the right to work – he or she has to inform the employer if the right has expired. Both the employee and the employer can be punished for working without the right to work.

The right to work is valid until the decision on the asylum application is final. The application is final when the Administrative Court or the Supreme Administrative Court has given its decision or the Supreme Administrative Court does not grant a leave to appeal. For example:

  • If the Finnish Immigration Service makes a negative decision on an asylum application, the applicant has the right to work during the processing of a potential appeal.
  • If the Finnish Immigration Service makes a positive decision on an asylum application, the applicant is granted a residence permit, which almost always includes the right to work.

Phone service is faster and more efficient

We are no longer issuing written certificates on the right to work because the time spent issuing them takes away from the time available for processing asylum application. The law does not require the Finnish Immigration Service to issue separate certificates as the right to work exists even without a certificate.

Earlier, when the number of asylum seekers was lower than it is now, we found that issuing written certificates was the best way to serve the employers. As the demand for this service has increased significantly, it is more efficient and also faster in regards to the employment of asylum seekers that we handle the enquiries by phone.

We hope that this means that asylum seekers do not needlessly have to wait to start working.

This bulletin:

In ArabicReadSpeakerpdf, 115,9 kB

In DariReadSpeakerpdf, 267,4 kB

In FrenchReadSpeakerpdf, 185,4 kB

In KurdishReadSpeakerpdf, 215 kB

In SomaliReadSpeakerpdf, 75,5 kB

In RussianReadSpeakerpdf, 190,5 kB

Customer bulletin