Process of Permanent Residence in Finland and Opportunities

8 min read

So now you have completed your studies, you want permanent residence in Finland. Finland is currently facing a labor shortage in almost all its sectors. So, there are plenty of opportunities for you to secure a job and settle in Finland permanently.

Securing a job or starting a business is the first step of getting permanent residency in Finland.  

Two Options for Permanent Residence in Finland

There are two options for PR process of Finland for international students:

1. You can apply for a residence permit after you have found a job on the basis that you completed a degree or completed research here.

2. You can apply for a Finnish residence permit because you are looking for work or to start a business. 

1# Resident Permit application after completing a degree or research:

So you have already completed a degree and want to apply for a resident permit. For that, you must have a signed employment contract or a binding job offer. If you have completed your studies and left Finland many years ago, you can still apply for permanent residence based on work.

There is no time limit to submit a residence permit application. If you are about to complete your studies and have a valid resident permit, you can apply for an extended permit. Please remember that the application for a residence permit must be based on work. 

To confirm that you are applying based on work, you need to submit a valid employment contract with the application. Your employment contract must comply with the sector’s collective agreement or terms and conditions of Finnish labor market laws. 

Here are the steps to follow:

• Make sure you meet all the requirements of permanent residence in Finland

• Attach necessary documents with the application. If the documents are not in Finnish, Swedish, or English, translate and legalize the documents.

• Fill the application and submit it. The electronic application fee is euro 410 for the first permit and euro 260 for an extended permit. The paper application fee is euro 610 for the first permit and euro 330 for a comprehensive permit. 

• Book an appointment at your nearest Finnish Embassy or consulate. 

• Wait for 2-3 months (if you submit an electronic application) or 3-4 months (if you submit the paper application) to hear about your decision. 

Income Requirement:

Before you apply for your resident permit, you need to have a secure means of financial support. If you secured work as a pair, volunteering, working holiday, your gross salary must be at least euro 1,252 per month in 2021. If you are a specialist, you are required to earn at least euro 3,000 per month. To apply for the EU blue card, you need to make at least euro 4,842 per month. 

Application-specific documents:

• Your degree or qualification certificate

• An employment contract or a binding job offer from an employer

• Doctoral dissertation or confirmation of your research work completion by the research organization [If you completed your research]

Please note that you are not eligible to start working before you receive your resident permit. 

You need to submit:

• Valid passport 

• Passport photocopy 

• Color copies of your passport that contain personal data and other essential passport pages.

• Documents that proved you are staying or stayed legally in Finland

• Form MP_1 [If you are staying in Finland and applying for your first resident permit ]

2# Residence permit application to start a business:

If you plan to look for work or start a business, you can apply for a residence permit that will be valid for a maximum of one year. This paper-based application costs euro 330 and takes 1-4 months to process. Before you apply, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You have a valid Finnish resident permit for studies or scientific research.

• You have completed a degree, or research work, or Ph.D. in Finland.

• You have not secured a job before your residence permit for studies or research expires.

• You are submitting your application before your valid residence permit for studies or research expires.

Income Requirement:

You need to have the necessary funds to support your stay in Finland before applying for your resident permit. It should be at least euro 560 per month or euro 6,720 per year at your disposal to pay for your accommodation, food, and other needs.

Documents required for your application:

• Degree certificate if you completed your degree or finished research work

• Documents to support yourself 

Please make sure you meet the following requirements before you apply for a residence permit after study:

• You have a valid passport

• You are not a danger to public health, public order, or security

• You were not prohibited from entering Finland 

• You are not dangerous to Finland’s international relations.

Application of PR in Finland

You can apply for a permanent residence permit in Finland after graduation on family or work grounds. If you are a student, your visa status will be “B” category. To apply for permanent residence, you need an “A” category visa. You can change the type from “B” to “A” if you have a permanent job of 20 hours per week.

You may be granted a permanent residence permit if you have continuously lived here for four years with an “A” permit. The time of four years begins:

• On the day you entered Finland and lived continuously for four years.

• On the first day of your continuous resident permit, if you applied for it in Finland

• On the day you entered Finland with a continuous resident permit as a refugee or subsidiary protection

However, according to newly adjusted law, if you lived in Finland with the “B” category visa for four years, it will be counted as an “A” category visa of 2 years. Living with the “B” category visa for eight years will correspond to 4 years “A” category visa. 

Tips to Follow for Finland Permanent Residence Process

Tips on Applying for your permanent resident permit:

• Apply for your permanent resident permits three months before 4-year continuous resident permit completion.

• If your resident permit expires before applying for a permanent residence permit, you need to first apply for a new extended permit. Then you can apply for the permanent one.

• You need to reside in Finland during your permanent resident permit application processing.

If you are an EU citizen, you need to reside for five years uninterrupted to have a permanent resident application. For individuals planning to apply for an EU residence permit, you need to live five years uninterruptedly in Finland.

In all cases, you need to provide a valid source of funds to support yourself during your stay. 

Denying of the permanent resident permit:

Your permanent resident application may be denied on the following grounds:

• You committed an offense that may lead you to prison

• You are suspected of committing an offense that may lead to imprisonment 

• You have committed or suspected to commit two or more offenses.

Finnish Citizenship:

Generally, Finnish citizenship is passed onto children by their parents. However, you can apply for Finnish citizenship on the following grounds:

• A Nordic citizen

• A former Finnish Citizen

• Adopted children between 12-17 years old

• A child born out of wedlock to a Finnish man or women

• A young person between age 18-22 who lived in Finland enough

In Finland, citizenship for international students requires a naturalization process as they don’t qualify for any of the above grounds. If you are an international student planning to settle in Finland, you need to have:

• Established Identity

• Finnish language skills

• Sufficient period of residence [4years]

• Integrity and no criminal records

• Means to support 

• Fulfilled legal obligations while staying in Finland

Please note that Finland accepts multiple citizenships. So, Finnish authorities will consider you their citizen at home and abroad if you have multiple citizenships. 

You can know more about it from these official websites:

• Enterfinland.fi
  

• Migri.fi

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