On September 10, 2026, the government submitted to parliament a proposal to introduce a one-year waiting period for family reunification of students, clarify the amount of required financial resources, and add a language proficiency requirement to the residence permit for studies.
The government proposes that the family of an international student be able to apply for a residence permit only after the student has been in Finland for one year. In this way, the student would have a reasonable idea of the financial resources required for a family to live in Finland. Currently, the student’s family members can apply for a residence permit at the same time as the student.
The government also proposes clarifications to the requirement for sufficient financial resources. The amount of required income in euros would be defined in an act and set out in a decree. This would ensure that students have a realistic idea of the cost of living in Finland and help the authorities determine the student’s financial resources during permit consideration. The amount of required income would be reviewed every three years.
The government proposes to add a language proficiency requirement to the residence permit for studies. In this way, a residence permit could be denied in the absence of language skills, without imposing an additional burden on educational institutions or applicants with sufficient language skills.
The government proposes that the denial criteria of the Aliens Act apply to upper secondary students and all their family members. This would enable the authorities to better mitigate the risks of students falling into a vulnerable position or circumventing immigration rules during the permit consideration process.
The act and amendments are scheduled to enter into force on April 5, 2027. The application of the one-year waiting period for family reunification would begin at that time. Other amendments would become applicable in October 2027.
In addition, on April 30, 2026, the government submitted to parliament a proposal to strengthen the monitoring of students’ use of social assistance. In the future, a foreign student’s residence permit could be canceled more easily if the student could not make ends meet and resorted to social assistance in Finland. The changes would enter into force in fall 2027.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news becomes available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.