FAQ:

Q: An employee's residence permit is about to expire and the employee applies for an extension for his/her residence permit. Can the employee be employed after the old permit has expired, even though the new decision has not yet been received?

A: Yes, he/she can. However, the employee must bring you a police document about the new pending application or a passport confiscation certification. Either of these can be accepted as proof of a new pending residence permit.

Q: Do I need to reapply for a residence permit, if my passport expires?

A: No, but the residence permit needs to be moved to the new passport at a police station. The employee must take care of renewing of the passport by him or herself.

Q: When is a person eligible for Finnish social security?

A: An employee is eligible for Finnish social security, if he/she lives in Finland permanently. Permanent residency means at least two years of living in Finland. If you're working in Finland for over four months, you are entitled to unemployment insurance and health insurance.

Q: How can a foreign immigrant supply their criminal background report?

A: In Finland, everyone working with children is required to undergo a criminal background check. Foreign employees must have their criminal background check run at the Hämeenlinna Legal Register Centre, which is the same process as for Finnish jobseekers.

Q: Where can I study Finnish?

A: Finnish language training for immigrants is organised in the metropolitan area by e.g. cities, educational institutions and organisations. You can read more about the 2009-2010 semester and its educational offerings from the Selma web pages or the Selma brochure.