The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (TEM) of Finland is taking measures to better regulate the employment status of those with non-EU work permits. According to a report by the Xinhua news agency, the new policy requires that holders of work permits who are still unemployed and are unable to find employment within three months leave the country as part of the government's agenda, which was announced in June.
In accordance with the new rules, residence permits may also be revoked if an individual's employment is discontinued. The ministry noted in a press release released on Friday that there is no formal monitoring system in place and that the present legislation lack clear standards about an acceptable time of unemployment.
Employers will be required by law to notify the immigration authority when a worker with a work permit loses their job in order to implement these reforms. Employers will be fined if they fail to deliver this notification.
The main justification for non-EU citizens seeking residency in Finland is still employment. According to the immigration service, 15,000 applications for initial work permits were made in 2022, bringing the total number of work permits—including renewals—to 28,000.
Finland has to increase its yearly inflow of immigrants to 44,000, according to an earlier estimate by the top economic research organization ETLA, in order to stabilize the nation's population.
The ministry has stated that the new regulations won't be put into effect until 2025 due to the time needed to modify the legislation.