The Finnish government last week announced new proposals to address the financial difficulties of international students from outside the EU and EEA (European Economic Area).

Under these proposals, this group will have their residence permits revoked if they receive social benefits, even once, instead of the current case-by-case consideration. This change will take effect next autumn, if approved.

Matias Marttinen, Finland's Minister of Employment, stated that the new regulation aims to ensure international students strictly adhere to residency conditions, for the common good. Students must demonstrate the ability to cover their living expenses to retain their permits, so receiving aid is considered to not meet the conditions.

From 9/2023 to the end of last year, Finland's immigration agency monitoring system recorded over 300 students applying for social benefits, out of 37,000 residence permits reviewed. Authorities aim to minimize this number.

Other proposals also aim to prevent financial risks for international students early on. Specifically, their family members will only be allowed to apply for residency after the students have lived in Finland for at least one year and have a realistic understanding of the high cost of living there.

Additionally, Finland will introduce specific financial requirements for international students (in euros) instead of the current general guidelines, along with language proficiency requirements to prevent cases of "study abroad by proxy" (i.e., those not genuinely intending to study).

Students at the University of Oulu, Finland. *Photo: University Fanpage.*

Finland has approximately 22,000 international students, including about 2,000 Vietnamese, according to 2023 government data. Non-EU/EEA students currently pay tuition fees ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 EUR per year, depending on the program and institution.

Khanh Linh