Government proposes one-year waiting period for family reunion of international students

Prime Minister Orpo’s Government will take further measures to address the income difficulties faced by international students. The Government proposes to introduce a one-year waiting period for family reunification of students, to clarify the amount of required financial resources and to add a language skill requirement to the residence permit for studies.

The Government submitted its proposal on the amendments to Parliament on 10 September 2026.

Statistics and data from ex-post supervision show that most international students in Finland make good progress in their studies and can reside in the country without significant difficulty. However, the public authorities have discovered that some international students face challenges related to their income. 

“Students coming to Finland must have a genuine ability to pursue their studies, to get by with their own financial resources and to build their future here. Through these legislative amendments, we will ensure that international students have the necessary prerequisites to do so”, says Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen.

Students must have a realistic idea of financial resources required in Finland

A report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment shows that students' income challenges are often caused by misleading advertising by foreign educational agents on employment opportunities in Finland. Students have also fallen into debt due to high agency fees.