The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland has announced that starting from June 16, 2025, persons holding work-based residence permits can change to a profession identified as a labor shortage without needing to apply for a new license.
Initially, permit holders could only get employed in the particular employment their permit endorsed.
With the new law, these employees may now freely change into any profession categorized on the authority’s shortage list.
This adjustment responds to a developing labor shortage in industries such as healthcare, social care, and public security.
ALSO SEE: FINLAND LISTS IN-DEMAND SHORTAGE JOBS FOR INTERNATIONAL WORKERS IN 2025
WHAT THIS MEANS TO WORK PERMIT HOLDERS
The new guideline provides several advantages for persons already holding work-based residence permits in Finland. It permits higher professional adjustability, as they are no longer limited to the occupation formerly bound to their permit.
- This implies that they can investigate new employment prospects in high-demand industries. The eradication of the condition requiring an application for a new permit when switching to a profession identified as a shortage also decreased bureaucratic delays. It reduced the financial and administrative stress on candidates.
- By stepping into crucial positions in social services, healthcare, and public security, residence permit holders can make a vibrant contribution to important public services and help reduce worker shortages.
- However, suppose an employee forfeits their present employment. In that case, they will now have a more transparent route to obtaining a new job within the shortage of professional classes, which decreases the threat of their residence permit being revoked.
- The new laws also present an employment hunt grace period for holders, who will have up to six months to find a job after losing their permit, while experts will have to wait up to six months before a permit may be canceled.
Residence permit holders in Finland who plan to modify their employment after June 11, 2025, are not required to make an application for a new permit, provided the new position is on the current shortage professional list.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
It is reported that a new list of crucial labour-depleted professions for 2025 has been released by the Finnish authority, making available new routes for skilled international experts seeking work-based residence permits.
- To be eligible for roles on the new shortage list, candidates must meet stringent occupational and academic requirements.
- For instance, general practitioners and medical experts are required to have a medical degree and hold authentic certifications to practice.
- Audiologists and speech therapists require necessary educational degrees and qualifications. In more technical areas, metal processing operators require specific internships and specialized technical skills. Similarly, nurses, nursing aides, and dental hygienists are required to submit qualified health or dental certifications.
Other professions on the list, like funeral directors and firefighters, also come with special requirements. Funeral directors are required to complete a professional internship tailored to their occupation, while firefighters are anticipated to undergo rigorous physical fitness examinations and expert internship courses.
