Govt moves to tighten Finnish permanent residence permit

The four-party alliance government led by the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) has taken an initiative to stiffen the criteria for getting permanent residence permit in Finland.

The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare tightening of the requirements in accordance with the government Programme, said the ministry in a press release on Friday.

The government proposal will be submitted to Parliament in the spring session of 2025.

The aim of the government Programme is to make it mandatory for the immigrants to follow the rules of Finnish society, to work and to study the language.

A permanent residence permit will require successful integration.

The aim is to extend the period of residence required for a permanent residence permit to six years from the current requirement of four years.

In the future, a permanent permit would also require proficiency in Finnish or Swedish, demonstrated in a language test.

In addition, a work history of two years, without resorting to unemployment security or social assistance other than for a short period, will be required and the integrity requirement tightened.

Furthermore, it must be possible to establish the applicant’s identity. The applicant is required to actively help in establishing their identity.

In accordance with the government Programme, the requirement for a six-year period of residence may be waived if the applicant fulfils certain conditions.

A permanent residence permit can be granted after four years of residence if the applicant has an annual income of at least EUR 40,000 or a Master’s degree completed or recognised in Finland, as well as an uninterrupted work history of two years, without resorting to unemployment security or social assistance

The requirement for a six-year period of residence may also be waived if the applicant has particularly good skills in the Finnish or Swedish language, as demonstrated in a language test, and an uninterrupted work history of three years.

The applicant must not have resorted to unemployment security or social assistance other than for a short period or on a temporary basis.