Finland’s government has submitted legislation that would make it easier to cancel residence permits of non-EU students who receive social assistance, marking the next step in a broader tightening of student immigration rules.
The proposal, submitted to parliament on 30 April, would make receiving social assistance a direct ground for cancelling a student residence permit. The change would apply to students in higher education and upper secondary education from outside the EU and EEA.
The government had previously outlined the plan earlier this year. The new bill now moves the proposal into the parliamentary process and confirms further restrictions under preparation.
Under current rules, authorities can already consider cancelling a permit if a student faces serious income problems. The proposed law would go further by making a single use of social assistance enough, in principle, to trigger permit cancellation, although officials would still carry out an overall assessment before making a decision.
Employment Minister Matias Marttinen said the aim was to prevent students from ending up in financial hardship while ensuring residence permit conditions are respected.
“The majority of international students in Finland are doing well and able to make ends meet, as is required by their residence permit,” Marttinen said in a statement.
“However, we must make sure that students do not end up in a vulnerable position and that they meet the conditions of their residence permit.”
The planned law would enter into force in autumn 2026 if approved by parliament.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said the proposal follows commitments set out in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government programme, which has focused on tightening immigration linked to studies and family reunification.
Government figures show that more than 37,000 residence permits were subject to automated monitoring by the Finnish Immigration Service between September 2023 and December 2025. In 333 cases, students had applied for social assistance.
Officials said the new rules are expected to reduce the number of applications for welfare support among international students.
The government is also preparing a second legislative package aimed at tightening student immigration further.
Under the planned measures, family members of international students would only become eligible to apply for residence permits after the student has lived in Finland for one year. The government said this would allow students to understand living costs and income requirements before bringing relatives to the country.
Authorities also plan to define income requirements more clearly in legislation by setting euro-based thresholds in law and decree.
Another planned change would introduce language proficiency requirements for study-based residence permits. The government said the measure is intended to prevent abuse in cases where applicants lack sufficient language skills to complete studies in Finland.
The second package would also extend grounds for refusing residence permits under the Aliens Act to upper secondary students and their family members.
The government said the next package is expected to move to public consultation later this spring.
HT
