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Residence permit

Certificate of expanded right to work for victim of employer negligence or exploitation

You can apply for a certificate of expanded right to work if your employer has neglected their employer obligations to a significant degree or otherwise exploited you.

The purpose of the certificate is to allow you to stop working for the employer who has neglected their obligations or exploited you and to allow you to take a new job without needing to apply for a new residence permit. Once you are granted a certificate of expanded right to work, you can use it to prove that you have the right to work in Finland.

Read more on the page What is significant negligence or exploitation by employer?

Certificate of expanded right to work

A certificate of expanded right to work can be issued to you if:

  • there are reasonable grounds to suspect that your employer has neglected their employer obligations to a significant degree or otherwise exploited you;
  • you are working in Finland with a residence permit;
  • you have found yourself a new employer.

If a certificate of expanded right to work is issued to you:

  • You will not be granted a new residence permit but you have the right to change your employer.
  • The expanded right to work is valid for as long as your current residence permit is valid. If you intend to stay in Finland after your current residence permit expires, you need to apply for a residence permit before your certificate of expanded right to work expires.
  • There are no restrictions on your right to work, which means that you can work in a different field than what your residence permit was intended for.
  • You can change your employer during the validity of the certificate.
  • The certificate is issued in Finnish or Swedish.

How to apply for a certificate of expanded right to work

A processing fee 65 € is charged for the application. Pay the processing fee before you submit the application.

1. Apply for the certificate with a paper application 

Fill in an application to expand the right to work (TOD_P_UHKE).

When you fill in section 4.2, write a free-form statement in which you explain, as extensively as possible, 

  • how your employer has neglected their obligations or exploited you;
  • mention in your statement whether you have notified other authorities, such as the police or the occupational safety and health authority (the regional state administrative agency), of the negligence or exploitation.

2. Add the necessary attachments to the application

Add the following documents to your application:

  • Copy of your identity document or passport.
  • Receipt or other reliable proof of having paid the processing fee.
    • The following documents are accepted as proof:
      • A receipt showing that the processing fee has already been paid.
      • An extract from a credit card bill showing that the payment has been made from the account.
      • A bank statement showing that the payment has been made from the account.
  • Ask your new employer to fill in the form TEM 0.54 and attach it to your application.

3. Send your application and attachments to the Finnish Immigration Service

  • by fax to 0295 411 720, or
  • by post to the address PO Box 10, 00086 Maahanmuuttovirasto, or
  • by email to migri@migri.fi
    • If you choose to send the information by email, please use encrypted email. For instructions on how to send encrypted email to the Finnish Immigration Service, see the page Contact information.

4. The certificate or a decision on your application will be sent to you by post.