Consultation round: proposal on changes to family reunification for international students

The Government is addressing the income difficulties faced by international students. The proposed amendments, open for comments, concern family reunification for international students, the income requirement and verification of students’ language proficiency.

Statistics and data from ex-post supervision show that most international students in Finland make progress with their studies and can live here without significant difficulty. However, the authorities have noticed that some international students face income difficulties. 

“Finland’s labour market will also need the expertise of international students in the future. At the same time, it must be ensured that student immigration is sustainable. With these changes, we aim to prevent students and their families from ending up in a vulnerable position,” says Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen.

Students must have a realistic idea of financial resources required for living in Finland

Underlying the difficulties of students is often misleading advertising by foreign educational agents regarding opportunities for employment, for example, and large debts owed to intermediaries.

Going forward, the family of an international student would be able to apply for a residence permit in Finland only after the student has been in Finland for one year. In this way, the student would have a more reasonable idea of the resources required for a family to live in Finland. Currently, the student’s family members can apply for a residence permit at the same time as the student. 
 
The income requirement for students would be clarified and the amount of required income in euros would be defined in an act and laid down in a decree. This would make it easier to determine the student’s financial resources during the permit consideration and to ensure that students have a more realistic idea of the cost of living in Finland. Currently, the income requirement is laid down in the Finnish Immigration Service’s guidelines.

Language proficiency would be determined before entry

Some students have been found to have insufficient ability in English or another language of study, which makes it difficult to complete the studies. Some students have also used the residence permit for studies primarily as a means to gain access to Finland’s labour market. 
 
A language proficiency requirement would be added to the residence permit for studies. In this way, a residence permit could be denied in the absence of language skills, without imposing an additional burden on educational institutions or applicants with sufficient language skills. 
 
Furthermore, the grounds for denial of the Aliens Act would apply to upper secondary students and all their family members. As a result, the authorities could better mitigate the risks of students falling into a vulnerable position and circumventing immigration rules.

The proposal will be circulated for comments between between 18 May and 29 June 2026. The Government intends to submit its proposal to Parliament during the spring 2026 session. The amendments concerning family members and income requirements would enter into force in spring 2027. Other amendments would take effect in autumn 2027.

Changes also proposed regarding reliance on social assistance

On 30 April 2026, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to strengthen the monitoring of students’ use of social assistance. In future, a residence permit of a foreign student could be cancelled more easily if the student could not make ends meet and resorted to social assistance in Finland.

Inquiries:
Jarmo Tiukkanen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 355
Teresa Salminen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 295 047 318 (questions for the minister)