International workers applying for residence permits in Finland are facing processing delays in 2025 due to administrative changes. The transfer of work permit services from the TE Offices to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has created backlogs in processing applications. This article provides factual updates on the current situation, reasons for the delays, and what applicants can expect in the coming months.
Reasons for the Delays
The delays in processing residence permit applications stem from a structural transition in Finland’s work permit system:
- Transfer of Responsibility: As of January 1, 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) took over the processing of residence permits for employed persons from TE Offices.
- System Updates: To implement the transition, decision-making on residence permits was temporarily paused from January 1 to January 8, 2025, while Migri updated its systems.
- Early Processing Suspension: TE Offices stopped processing new applications as early as December 2024, further adding to the backlog.
- No More Partial Decisions: The requirement for partial decisions from TE Offices has been removed, which changes the procedural workflow.
Current Application Backlog (as of January 28, 2025) At present, there are 4,233 residence permit applications for employed persons either being processed or waiting for processing. The official Finnish Immigration Service updates its statistics every Tuesday to reflect the most recent backlog status.
Processing Times for First-Time Finland’s Residence Permits
- 38% of applicants receive a decision within 30 days or less.
- 19% receive a decision within 30 to 60 days after proving their identity.
- 35% of applications that receive positive decisions are approved within 14 days.
- Since January 1, 2025, a total of 286 first-time residence permit applications have been submitted.
- Decisions made so far: 60 applications finalized, with 29 positive decisions.
Processing Times for Extended Finnish Residence Permits
- 62% of extended permit applicants receive a decision within 30 days or less.
- 7% get a decision within 30 to 60 days.
- 38% of positive decisions are issued within 14 days.
- Since January 1, 2025, a total of 826 extended permit applications have been submitted.
- Decisions made so far: 209 applications finalized, with 103 positive decisions.
What This Means for Applicants?
- The Finnish Immigration Service is working to reduce the backlog and aims to process all applications within one (01) month.
- Requests to expedite applications will not speed up processing.
- Applicants are encouraged to track their application status through Migri’s official website https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-for-an-employed-person.