New Finnish Immigration Rules for Work-Based Residence Permits: Employer Notification and Unemployment Periods

As of June 11, 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has introduced significant changes to the regulations governing work-based residence permits, affecting both employers and foreign employees. These amendments, outlined in the Finnish Aliens Act, aim to enhance oversight of work-based immigration and ensure compliance with residence permit conditions. Below, we explore the key updates, including new employer notification requirements and revised unemployment protection periods for permit holders.

Key Changes in Finnish Work-Based Residence Permits

1. Employer Notification Requirement

Finnish employers are now required by law to inform the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) within 14 days if a foreign employee holding a work-based residence permit ends their job early. This notification must be submitted through the Enter Finland for Employers e-service, using the employer’s Business ID or, for private individual employers, their personal identity code.

• Previously, while employers were encouraged to report changes in employment status, the responsibility primarily rested with the employee, and no legal obligation existed for employers.

• This new requirement applies only to the primary employment tied to the residence permit and does not extend to casual or temporary work that supplements the primary job.

• Failure to comply with this notification obligation may result in sanctions, typically in the form of fines, as outlined by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

This change is designed to improve the supervision of work-based residence permits and ensure that Migri is promptly informed of changes that may affect an employee’s permit status.

For more details on Finland’s immigration policies, check out Finland Eases Work Restrictions for Residence Permit Holders.

2. Revised Unemployment Protection Periods

Another significant update involves the unemployment protection period for foreign workers holding a work-based residence permit.

• Previously, permit holders who lost their jobs had six months to find new employment before their permit could be revoked.

• The permitted period of unemployment is now conditional upon both the type of work permit an individual possesses and the length of their prior employment in Finland, as per the new regulations.

This change aims to balance flexibility for job seekers while ensuring that residence permits are tied to genuine employment needs.

How Employers Can Comply with the New Rules

Employers can streamline the process by using the Enter Finland for Employers platform, which allows them to:

• Submit terms of employment

• Report employment terminations

• Update employee details efficiently

For employers unable to use the e-service, a paper-based notification process is available, though electronic submission is strongly encouraged for faster processing.

Conclusion

The new Finnish immigration rules strengthen employer responsibilities and provide clearer guidelines for work-based residence permits. Employers must now actively report employment terminations, while foreign workers must be mindful of the revised unemployment protection periods.

For further updates on Finnish immigration policies, visit Migri’s official website.

Would you like assistance with work-based immigration to Finland? Check our expert guide on Finnish work permits for more details.