Message reaches Asia: Students know Finland's tightening stance

Finland is experiencing a significant drop in applications from international students, with numbers falling by over 3,000 in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2023. Last year, nearly 10,000 applications were received, the highest in the 2020s. This year, the figure stands at around 6,600.

Experts attribute the decline to several factors. Tuomas Vallin, a process owner at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), points to Finland's challenging job market and decreased labor demand as potential deterrents for international students. Additionally, a new law implemented in August requires all students from outside the EU/ETA to pay tuition fees, which may also be impacting decisions.

Migri statistics reveal shifts in the top applicant countries. While Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka led last year, this year's top three are Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Sri Lanka, in particular, has seen a sharp decrease, with over 1,000 applications last year dropping to approximately 350 this year.

Piri Hiltunen, an expert in student recruitment at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), suggests that the situation in Sri Lanka has stabilized, leading to more realistic expectations about the immigration process. She believes that stricter residence permit rules and Finland's poor employment situation are reducing the number of speculative applications.

Further changes are expected as new legislation, effective from January 2025, will introduce a 100-euro application fee for non-EU/ETA applicants. The government also plans to tighten legislation further, potentially leading to rejections based on insufficient language skills or low monthly income, and discouraging reliance on social assistance.

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Nyt tilanne on kai vähän tasoittunut ja samalla ihmisillä on realistisempi käsitys esimerkiksi maahantuloprosessista