A Filipino care assistant at the Toppila nursing home in the Kainuu wellbeing services county in Kajaani. Photo: Hannu Huttu / Str / Lehtikuva
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A new law set to take effect in June 2025 will require foreign residents in Finland with work-based residence permits to secure new employment within a set timeframe or face potential deportation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment confirmed on Thursday.
The rule introduces a three-month deadline for most permit holders who lose their jobs. If they fail to find new work within that period and lack other grounds to remain, their permits may be revoked.
An exception allows certain high-skilled workers, defined as specialists with monthly earnings of at least €3,827, to remain for six months while seeking employment.
The reform follows months of public criticism and an open consultation period last year, during which the majority of responses opposed the proposal. Despite this, the government is moving forward with implementation. According to the ministry, the consultation helped inform supporting materials but did not alter the law itself.
“The matter is political,” said Jarmo Tiukkanen, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. “The hearings were general and did not significantly impact the wording of the law.”
The rule applies to roughly 50,000 foreign workers currently in Finland. It aligns with an EU directive stating that unemployment alone is not grounds for removing a permit if the job-seeking period does not exceed three months, or six months for those with over two years of residence.
In addition to specialists, the six-month window will apply to Blue Card holders, middle and top-level managers, intra-company transferees, and those who have lived in Finland on a work-based permit for more than two years.
Employers will also face new obligations under the legislation. They must notify the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) within 14 days if an employee’s work-based residence ends. However, this requirement does not extend to short-term or side jobs unrelated to the main employment attached to the permit.
Authorities plan to issue a government decree in June designating sectors facing labour shortages. Foreign workers may then switch to a different shortage sector under the same residence permit, something that previously required a new application if changing fields.
The ministry said the law is intended to tighten the link between residence and employment and enable more systematic oversight. Until now, residence permits could be cancelled after job loss, but there was no time limit or formal monitoring process in place.
The policy comes amid rising unemployment. According to figures released Thursday by the KEHA Centre, the number of jobseekers in Finland grew by nearly 38,000 year-on-year in April. At the same time, the number of reported vacancies dropped by 14,300 compared to April 2024.
Critics say the new law adds pressure to an already strained job market and risks displacing foreign workers who contribute to sectors facing long-term labour shortages.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
