Measures of the Orpo Government concerning work-based immigration

Finland needs international workforce to respond to the labour market demand and the shortage of skilled workers. The work to develop the system of work-based immigration will continue during this government term so that Finland will be able to attract and retain international experts to come to work and build their lives here.

The Government will invest in promoting work-based immigration in many ways. The revised Talent Boost programme will promote the availability of experts, improve country branding and streamline residence permit processes. International recruitment activities will be effectively targeted at India, Brazil, Vietnam and the Philippines through a new partnership model in order to increase recruitment needs. The Government will also prepare an action plan to combat work-related exploitation in order to ensure that the Finnish labour market is safe for all.

Finland wants to retain the experts and their families who already live here or who will move here. It is essential that people moving to Finland from abroad feel welcome and quickly become part of the society.

The Government will examine and promote factors that help retain foreign workforce. These include investments in easy banking services, early childhood education and care in English and the availability of Finnish and Swedish language instruction. At the same time, in accordance with the Government’s equality statement published in autumn 2023, the receptiveness and ability of Finnish working life to utilise multiculturalism will be strengthened. 

Finland’s success and international competitiveness are based on high levels of skills and competence. However, the Finnish labour market suffers from a shortage of skilled workers. 

Promoting work-based immigration is a key means to respond to employers’ shortage of skilled labour. The growth in Finland’s working-age population during the 2000s has been solely driven by immigration. International experts also support innovations and the growth and internationalisation of Finnish companies and attract investments to Finland. Effective measures are needed because Finland competes for top talent with other countries. 

Labour immigration is very important for Finland’s economic growth and the securing of services. In Finland, work-based residence is based on the right and obligation to work.

The Government will take a number of measures to strengthen the tie between work-based residence permits and work, increase the monitoring of work-based immigration and prevent abuses related to it. 

At the same time, the Government will speed up permit processes and allocate resources to international recruitment from selected target countries (India, Brazil, Vietnam and the Philippines) in order to help employers obtain the workforce they need. 

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment began the preparation of projects and changes based on the Government Programme in summer 2023. The revised Talent Boost programme, the target country model and the action plan against labour exploitation will be completed by the beginning of 2024. 

The Ministry will provide up-to-date information on the progress of the projects and changes on its website. The table at the end of this page provides more information on the progress of the projects.

The Government will strengthen work-based immigration of highly educated people, those employed in the healthcare and social welfare sectors or the export industry, and seasonal workers, in particular. Another focus area will be employees in sectors that can be genuinely identified as suffering from a labour shortage. The Government will continuously monitor the labour market situation and recruitment needs of different sectors and regions and introduce measures based on this information.

Labour force will primarily be supplemented from the EU/EEA area. Work-based immigration from third countries will focus on people with higher education as well as employees in sectors that can be genuinely identified as suffering from a labour shortage. 

Cooperation in international recruitment will be promoted with India, Brazil, Vietnam and the Philippines in accordance with the Government Programme. There are also many measures under way to facilitate international recruitment regardless of the country of origin. These include the national advisory service for employers, the target processing time of one month for residence permits, and the Work in Finland website that provides information on working life.

Highly educated experts are one of the target groups of the Government’s international recruitment. Finnish business and industry has also expressed the need to attract specialists to Finland. Among other things, the Government aims to launch a one-week fast track so that experts can get a residence permit even faster than now. Also see question What measures will the Government take to retain foreign workforce in Finland?

The Government aims to tackle the exploitation of foreign labour with broad-based and effective measures. Measures are needed in the countries of origin, in the residence permit procedure, as well as in supervision and inter-authority cooperation after the residence permit holders have entered Finland. The Government's Action Plan was completed by in February 2024 and its implementation will be monitored throughout the government term.