Finnish Aliens Act amendment gives international talent just three to six months to find new employment

The Finnish government has amended its Aliens Act that gives international workers whose contracts are terminated three to six months to find a new job or leave the country.

The amendment came into effect on June 11th, 2025 and requires international workers from outside of the EU or European Economic Area to leave the country after three to six months of losing work, if their residence was granted on the basis of employment.

In the case that someone does lose their job, they will have up to six months to find new work if they are a specialist in a field or worked in top or middle management in Finland. They will also have up to six months if they have held another type of residence permit for at least two years.

However, migrants who fail to meet those criteria will only have three months to find new work. This also applies to those who completed a degree or research in Finland.

Former employers are legally required to notify the Finnish Immigration Service within 14 days of the end of employment, otherwise risking fines. 

The battle for foreign talent

The change to Finnish law, which impacts all sectors including the games industry, has caused some backlash. Finnish games developers have already been fighting over top talent for a number of years and this amendment adds a higher barrier to entry for workers looking to join such studios.

Finland’s industry association Neogames is among those to have voiced concerns over reduced grace periods, claiming that 35% of the Finnish games industry’s workforce is comprised of foreign talent. The association has argued that "smarter, more flexible, and more human-centred immigration policies" are needed to support innovation and long-term competitiveness in Finland.

"The Finnish government must recognise the impact of immigration policy on Finland’s ability to grow, innovate and compete on the world stage. We must not close the door on the very people who help make Finland thrive," Neogames posted on its website.

Last year PocketGamer.biz discussed the state of Finland's games market with local developers, who highlighted concerns about the rules proposed around immigration and a general decrease in support for the games industry.

Natasha Skult, CEO of Finnish indie studio MiTale, previously said: "The games industry brings more tax money than forestry, and therefore the government should really acknowledge this and help new Supercells, new Remedys, new teams to actually get out there, because this did not happen overnight.

"There was this whole community and support for these companies to grow into the successes they are. We want to see more of that, so they should be giving even more support than before. But instead we can see a lack of it."