Finland has experienced a notable rise in work-based residence permit applications and renewals during the first half of 2024. Over 9,000 first-time applications for work-based residence permits were submitted, marking an increase from 8,800 during the same period last year. Similarly, renewal applications have seen growth, with approximately 11,700 submitted, compared to nearly 9,400 in the first half of 2023. The increase was especially pronounced among specialists and other workers.

Improvements have also been made in the processing times for student residence permits, with the average time now reduced to 30 days, down from 38 days in 2023. The majority of student residence permit applications have come from Nepal, Bangladesh, China, India, and Sri Lanka. The number of applications for student residence permits has also risen, with nearly 7,000 submitted in the first half of 2024, up from just over 6,700 in the previous year.

However, the number of first-time applications from specialists has decreased, with just over 600 applications submitted in the first half of 2024, compared to over 900 a year earlier. Despite these fluctuations, some officials are against introducing quotas for work-based immigration, pointing to the varying demand for labor across sectors, including the recent decline in the construction industry.

A recent survey conducted by the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland (TEK) and the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland (IL) revealed growing concerns among foreign specialists in Finland, with nearly 90 percent expressing worry about the ongoing immigration debate. Additionally, 80 percent of those surveyed doubt that Finland will be able to attract more international experts in the future than it currently does.