MFA: Legislative proposal on long-term D visa facilitates labour migration

“The proposal is important because, for its part, it will facilitate labour migration. After necessary assessments, it will also create a foundation for extending the national D visa to cover researchers and students”, says Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

“Finland needs more experts with diverse talent profiles to keep the wheels turning in society. The migration authorities must respond to this need by providing efficient services. In other Schengen countries, a national D visa is already in use for varying target groups”, says Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.

The national D visa is based on the Schengen Convention. Provisions on the conditions for issuing it and on its validity can be laid down nationally within the limits set by the Schengen Convention. A national D visa allows people to stay in the territory of the issuing country for up to one year. It enables longer stays in the country than the standard short-term Schengen visa.  

D visa enables implementing the fast track plan

The Government proposal on the introduction of a national D visa is related to the entry made in the government budget session in September 2020, according to which the preconditions for an accelerated residence permit process, the so-called fast track service for specialists, growth entrepreneurs and their family members, should be examined. The fast track will be ready in June 2022.

The D visa proposed by the Government supports the implementation of the 14-day fast track service pledge in such a way that senior specialists or start-up entrepreneurs and their family members can travel to Finland immediately after they have been issued a residence permit, which means that they do not need to wait for a residence permit card abroad. 

“The fast track is one way to make it easier for experts to move to Finland. A number of other measures are also under preparation to speed up and streamline residence permit processes. The new roadmap for education-based and work-based immigration includes a wide range of measures that will make the service paths easy and straightforward,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.

The Government submitted its proposal on the amendment of the Aliens Act and sections 3 and 5 of the Act on the Processing of Personal Data by Migration Authorities to Parliament on 16 September 2021. The Act is scheduled to enter into force in spring 2022.

Inquiries:

Pasi Tuominen, Director General, Consular Services, tel. +358 295 351 202 (pasi.tuominen@formin.fi) or Minna-Kaisa Liukko, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Legislative Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 053 (minna-kaisa.liukko@formin.fi)

Iiris Niinikoski, Special Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 372 (iiris.niinikoski@tem.fi)

Kristel Stenman-Huuskonen, Project Manager, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 350 (kristel.stenman-huuskonen@tem.fi)

Jorma Kantola, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 295 488 215 (jorma.kantola@intermin.fi)

Tiina Kivinen, Special Adviser, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 50 566 1922 (tiina.kivinen@intermin.fi)