Finland May Cancel Residence Permits of Hundreds of Foreign Students

The Finnish Immigration Service is considering cancelling a large number of residence permits for foreign students who are in the country.

As the Service has explained, hundreds of student permits may be cancelled as checks have raised suspicions that students are no longer meeting some of the conditions that make them eligible for a permit, Schengen.News reports. 

Data show that by the end of September 2024, the Finnish Immigration Service cancelled a total of 264 permits, and 216 are still waiting to be processed. These cancellations took place following automated reviews. 

According to Yle, automated reviews of issued residence permits began in September of last year. Within a 12-month period, from the end of September 2023 until the end of September 2024, the Finnish Immigration Service carried out 5,795 residence permits. 

The checks showed that not all conditions were being fulfilled, and thus, the authorities are considering taking measures on the matter. 

In line with the current rules that Finland has, all permits that are issued with a validity period of over six months are subject to review. The first check takes place three months after the permit has been granted, and after that, the permits are checked once a year. 

Finland Processing Student Residence Permits Faster Than Last Year 
According to figures provided by the Finnish Immigration Service, the processing time for residence permits for study purposes is shorter compared to last year.

In September of this year, students were able to obtain a residence permit within an average period of eight days. On the other hand, last year, the average processing time was 36 days. 

As for the extension of study permits, data show that it takes around 20 days. However, these periods change from one month to another.

Despite Finland deciding to review the permits of some students, the country just recently said that it aims to retain foreign talent. 

In an attempt to keep those who have in-demand skills within its territory, Finland plans to grant permanent residence to those who have obtained a master’s degree in the country and have passed a Finnish or Swedish language test. However, an official decision on the matter has not yet been made.

Source: https://schengen.news/finland-may-cancel-residence-permits-of-hundreds-of-foreign-students/