The Ministry of Interior of Finland has announced amendments to the Aliens Act that would extend the use of the D visa to accelerate the entry of students, researchers, employees of certified employers, people in managerial positions in companies, and the families of such individuals with residence permits.
More specifically, the Finnish Immigration Service would issue the D visa along with the residence permit. This way, people who have successfully obtained a residence permit would not have to wait for the residence card to arrive at their current location. Or, if their current residence card is stolen, lost, expired, or damaged, they wouldn’t need to wait until they receive a new one —they would be able to travel to Finland only with the D visa sticker affixed to their current travel document.
The goal is to help students, researchers, and other workers to move to Finland in time to carry out their activities properly and without unnecessary delays. This doesn’t only benefit people who want to grow academically or professionally in Finland but also it can help recruiters find and hire foreign talents more easily.
“Finland’s objective is to have a balanced migration policy in which work-based and education-based immigration play a significant role”, said Finland’s Minister of the Interior, Krista Mikkonen, in an official press release. “The proposed amendments are part of an extensive package of measures by which the Government aims to respond to the shortage of skilled labor and increase Finland’s attractiveness”.
The D visa can already be requested by specialists and high-growth startup entrepreneurs. Legislative amendments by the Ministry of Interior allowed this at the beginning of June. According to the new amendments, family members of specialists and high-growth startup entrepreneurs can also apply for a D visa.
The D visa is also available for people who have successfully applied for an EU Blue Card, a work and residence permit for university graduates and highly skilled employees from outside the EU/EEA, and people who have been transferred internally within a company or group of companies from outside the EU/EEA.
The Ministry of Interior of Finland is also preparing an amendment to the Aliens Act that allows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a temporary residence permit to children from diplomatic families arriving in Finland until they turn 20 years old. Currently, children from diplomatic families must ask the Finnish Immigration Service for an extension of their residence permit when they reach the age of 18.
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