Finland work-based residence permits have dropped sharply in 2025, with the number of applications falling by 25 percent in the first six months compared to the same period last year. According to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), this drop reflects both policy adjustments and broader shifts in the economy. While fewer foreign workers are applying for permits, more international graduates are choosing to stay in the country after finishing their degrees.
By the end of June, Finland had received 15,491 work-based residence permit applications. This is a major reduction from the previous year and marks a turning point in the country’s labor migration trends.
Legal Changes Driving Application Trends
One of the biggest reasons for the decline is a change to seasonal work rules introduced in February. Many foreign workers, especially those employed in berry picking and similar seasonal jobs, are now applying for short-term seasonal visas instead of full work-based residence permits. These rule changes have shifted thousands of potential applicants out of the standard system.
Out of the 13,619 decisions issued on work permits so far in 2025, around 82 percent were approved. However, the rejection rate for first-time applicants has increased from 19 percent to 23 percent. Migri officials noted that 14 percent of these rejections came from labor market availability assessments, where the presence of local workers led to denied applications.
Economic recovery in Finland has been slow, and the country is still experiencing high unemployment across several sectors. Migri’s Development Director Johannes Hirvelä said that both national and global instability are shaping decisions around who receives a residence permit.
Processing times have also increased. On average, it takes 61 days to handle a work-based residence permit. For approved applications, the time drops to 40 days. Those applying under the standard worker category, also called TTOL, have faced an average processing time of 57 days.
These delays are partly due to structural changes made at the start of 2025. The responsibility for processing permits moved from employment offices to Migri, and new rules now require deeper background checks on both employers and applicants. This has created a backlog and raised the bar for approval.
About 19 percent of rejections were based on concerns related to worker exploitation or irregularities in the employer’s operations.
Specialist and Entrepreneur Visas Also Affected
Specialist visa applications are down as well. By June, only 527 first-time applications had been filed, which is slightly lower than last year. In total, specialists submitted around 1,300 applications, representing a 25 percent decline. Despite this, the approval rate remained high at 98 percent, with decisions typically delivered within nine days.
Entrepreneur visa applications tell a mixed story. Growth entrepreneurs filed 175 applications by June, down 34 percent from 2024. The rejection rate increased from 5 percent to 15 percent, and processing times nearly doubled, rising from 23 to 45 days.
Meanwhile, standard entrepreneur permits totaled 611 applications. Out of 507 decisions, only 54 percent were approved. Many of the rejections came from negative feedback provided by regional development centers (ELY).
Researchers and Graduates Choosing to Stay
Applications from researchers have remained stable. In the first half of 2025, 586 applications were submitted, a slight dip from 590 the previous year. The average processing time for this group was just 15 days.
The biggest growth came from international graduates and researchers seeking to remain in Finland after completing their programs. Their application numbers rose by 59 percent in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Migri issued 1,261 decisions in this category, with a 99 percent approval rate. These permits took about two months to process on average.
According to Hirvelä, the increase matches national goals. “We want to keep talented graduates in Finland. The numbers show that more of them are choosing to stay, and that aligns with our long-term plans,” he said.
The data shows a clear shift in Finland’s approach to labor migration. While applications from traditional foreign workers are decreasing due to legal and economic pressures, the country is becoming more attractive to international graduates and researchers. This shift reflects a strategy focused on long-term talent retention rather than short-term labor demand.
