By the end of July 2023, 8,762 non-EU applicants submitted their first application for a residence permit on the basis of studies. At the same time in 2022, the number of first applications for residence permits for studies submitted was 5,911. This represents an increase of approximately 48%.

As an graduate of an international degree program in 🇫🇮 (who searched for a entry level position for a long time!), the number of new graduate positions (doesn’t require Finnish language skills) are much lower compared to 2021.

So what does these people do when they graduate? Return to their countries with disappointment?

by Quick_Discipline_389

6 comments

  1. I think the marketing for attracting them is really well done, but once they arrive is a different reality. I’m not sure what to say tbh, we have to wait and see

  2. As long as it’s not on tax payer money nothing but good things can come out of it. Even if they leave right after we still benefit from their research etc. If they are not fully responsible for the cost of their education the equation becomes much more complicated and almost impossible to evaluate due to reasons like if the net cost is negative for Finland but they produce valuable information how will the information be valued, even if the information is valuable enough to justify can the current budget handle short term loss, what is the conversion from student to high skilled worker that continues to work in Finland etc.

  3. Finland has a reputation of amazing higher education abroad. Now I don’t know how accurate this is in reality but I guess these folks think they can get jobs anywhere on the planet with a Finnish degree.

  4. I think the new government is not interested in getting more people in school, but instead to fill low paying job market with uneducated people with no language skills or education.

    Cheap labor for the rich.

  5. In general it does improve the statistics but the majority of the fresh grads that Finland would need to stay are leaving and at the same time plenty of low performers stay.

    As in almost every other country, local language proficiency is a definite competitive advantage and many of the international student-soon-to-be-professionals make a conscious decision not to learn the local language. This narrows their options of employment and lowers their market value.

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