Three-month employment deadlines for obtaining a residence permit and citizenship unreasonable and unrealistic

The strict conditions for employment and work imposed by Parliament are unreasonable and put vulnerable people in a particularly challenging position. The stricter requirements for obtaining a residence permit for an employed person, permanent residence and citizenship require employment within three months, and are unrealistic requirements without any real justification. In all the above-mentioned legislative amendments, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman has given its opinion both to the Ministry and, during the parliamentary debate, to the committees.

In June 2025, an amendment to the Aliens Act concerning residence permits for an employed person entered into force. According to it, if a person with a residence permit for an employed person becomes unemployed, as a rule he or she has three months – and in some exceptional cases six months – to find work again. After that, his or her residence permit can be withdrawn. The amendment was known as the 'three-month rule'.

In addition, in October 2025, Parliament adopted an amendment to the Citizenship Act, which also has its own three-month rule. In order to qualify for citizenship, a person must not have received income support or unemployment benefit for more than three months in total over the past two years. This new requirement for livelihood is not limited to those who have moved to Finland on a residence permit for unemployed person, but applies equally to refugees, victims of trafficking and otherwise vulnerable people.

In November 2025, Parliament adopted a legislative amendment tightening the conditions for a permanent residence permit. The new three-month rule will also be included when applying for a permanent residence permit. According to the provision, one of the requirements for a permanent residence permit will be that the person has not received income support or unemployment benefits or been otherwise absent from work for more than a total of three months over the past two years. This new condition will also apply to all applicants for a permanent residence permit, not only those already with a work-based permit.

Three months is a short time for re-employment. Job search processes can sometimes be lengthy, and a suitable new job may not be found immediately after a person becomes unemployed. In addition, recruitment discrimination based on, for example, origin and language skills is common and, for an unemployed immigrant, finding a job quickly within three months can be particularly challenging due to discrimination in employment alone.

Strict conditions for employment put people in a particularly challenging position where their personal stressful situation can make it difficult for them to find work. People granted international protection may have been victims of torture or other serious violence. When applying for asylum, a residence permit may also be granted to victims of human trafficking and for personal human reasons, for example a serious health issue or some other status that makes someone vulnerable. The strict conditions for employment and work, for example to obtain a permanent residence permit and citizenship, particularly affect people in a vulnerable position.

In all the above-mentioned legislative amendments, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman has given its opinion both to the Ministry and, during the parliamentary debate, to the committees. In its opinions, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman has highlighted the position and rights of vulnerable people in particular. Regulations on foreigners should not impose unreasonable requirements on people, which is what the three-month employment requirement can be considered to do in all of the above situations. In particular, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman calls for regulations on foreigners to take into account the position and rights of vulnerable people, for example by providing for the possibility of derogating from the strict requirements of the law by taking account of the situation of vulnerable people.

11.02.2026