In Brief
- Non-EU students must meet strict income requirements.
- A one-year waiting period before students can apply for family reunification.
- Plans to ban unofficial education agents to prevent misleading recruitment claims.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government has announced a plan for legislative changes aimed at tightening residency requirements for international students from outside the European Union.
These measures, which include a new one-year waiting period for family reunification and legally mandated income thresholds, represent a significant shift in Finland’s migration policy.
Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen (NCP) stated the reforms respond to systemic issues currently facing international students. The government aims to ensure that those moving to Finland have the financial means to support themselves without immediate reliance on the state.
Finance Minister Riikka Purra (Finns Party) defended the move, characterising the previous administration’s policies as a “reckless” channel for social security-based migration. “In the future, a student comes to study—not to support a family on Finnish social security,” Purra said in a social media post.
Under the new rules, the government will clarify income requirements by moving them into law rather than leaving them as administrative guidelines. This change is intended to make financial expectations transparent and non-negotiable for prospective residents.
A central focus of the reform is the regulation of third-party education agents who recruit fee-paying students from abroad. An investigation by Yle’s investigative unit MOT recently uncovered evidence of agents spreading false information regarding the ease of finding work in Finland.
A central focus of the reform is the regulation of third-party education agents who recruit fee-paying students from abroad.
The investigation revealed that some agents promised students they could earn a living wage even without Finnish language skills. In reality, many students have ended up in poverty, struggling to navigate an increasingly difficult labour market.
The government is now examining a ban on unofficial agents, potentially allowing only those who have formal agreements with Finnish universities to operate. Opetushallitus (The Finnish National Agency for Education) will reportedly begin compiling a registry of approved agents to improve transparency.
Additionally, the government has outlined plans for new language proficiency requirements. Stricter oversight will also be applied to students in secondary and vocational education to prevent the abuse of student visas for other purposes.
The push for these reforms comes as Finland grapples with a persistent gap in the labour market. While the country needs skilled labour, data from Statistics Finland shows that the unemployment rate for foreign-born residents remains significantly higher—often double—than that of native-born Finns.
Furthermore, Finland’s shift aligns with a broader trend across the Nordic region. Countries like Denmark have previously implemented similar “self-sufficiency” requirements and waiting periods for family members to ensure that migration remains economically sustainable for the host nation.
