10, 870 foreign workers get permits for summer job in Finland

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) issued permission to 10 870 foreign workers from January to May for the summer job in Finland this year, said the Migri in a press release on Monday.

Out of the foreign workers, 10,050 got certificates for short term while 820 got long term residence permits.

The Finnish berry and vegetable farms and agricultural employers will again be employing the foreign workers this summer.

Most of the seasonal workers arrive in Finland for work for a short period of time in the summer.

Foreigners can request for a certificate for seasonal work from the Migri, under which they are permitted to work in Finland for up to 90 days.

The foreigners staying longer than 90 days need to apply for a residence permit for seasonal work.

As in previous years, most of the seasonal work permits are issued to Ukrainian nationals.

The number of positive decision decisions of certificates for seasonal work is 10,050 out of the total 10,144 application.

In addition seasonal work permits have been issued to 820 applicants out of the total 852 applications.

In 2020 the Migri issued 12 266, certificates and 1,316 residence permits for the summer workers.

“We would like to thank seasonal workers and employers for starting the application process well in advance. We have received applications earlier than usual this year, which has made our work so much easier,” said Tutta Tuomainen, Head of Section for Seasonal Work Permits.

The median processing time for certificates for seasonal work was 22 days between January and April. The median processing time means that half of the applicants have received their decision in 22 days or under.

The median processing time for residence permits for seasonal workers was 44 days between January and April. The maximum legal processing time for residence permits for seasonal workers is three months.

Some changes to the Seasonal Workers Act will enter into force in June. The purpose of the changes is to make it easier for seasonal workers to change employers while in Finland, to reduce the administrative duties of the employers in reporting employee information and to make it easier for workers to return to work for the same employer in the coming seasons.

“The amended legislation will introduce changes in the processes concerning seasonal workers, as our customers had hoped,” Tuomainen said.

The new Act will enter into force on 17 June 2021.