Finnish Ministry of Interior Proposes New Long-Term Visa Students and Researchers from Third-Countries

The Finnish government has been provided with a draft of amending laws that seek to increase the usage of long-stay visas also commonly referred to as D visas.

As per the Finnish Ministry of Interior, under the new proposal, a D visa is now available to students, researchers, and certified employees, as well as executive officers of companies as well as their family members.

As a result, if the decision is a positive decision on residence permits and it is expected that the Finnish Immigration Service would issue the visa. In this way, residents who have received residence permits can travel faster to Finland than they currently do because the waiting period will be cut.

Furthermore, this change would also be beneficial for citizens of Finland who've had their residence cards stolen, lost or stolen, or expire.

A second amendment is being considered in the legislation's draft, which will allow allowing officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide a temporary residence for children under the age of 20 and whose families have an official purpose in Finland rather than having to request extensions of their permits from Finnish Immigration Department as to when they reach 18.

The debates over the draft plan will conclude on April 1 which is when the government's draft is presented to Finnish Parliament.

The Ministry of Interior announced it was developing a bill to issue D visas for researchers and students, following suit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that last year launched D visas for nationals of third countries who are either start-ups or growth entrepreneurs or experts in other areas, as well as families of the above category.

"The Ministry of the Interior has introduced a bill to allow the extended-stay D visas to students, researchers as well as their families. The initiative is part of measures taken by the government to boost education and encourage work-based immigration during the fall budgetary deliberations," the Ministry of Interior released in a press release on December 15.

To support this idea the director of the Ministry, Krista Mikonnen, declared that the government's goal is increasing the number of international students studying in the country while making it more appealing to the international student market.

The Scandinavian country has revealed earlier this year that 36,206 applications to obtain a first residence permit were accepted from immigration authorities last year. The Finnish Immigration Service revealed that the top reasons for immigrants included family, work, and study, in line with Finland's goals.

In addition, the volume of requests for residence permits made in 2021 surpassed the record level, with an average of 36,206 applications and a fall in 2020's rate by 71 percent (21,160).