The Finnish Immigration Service Migri has announced plans to introduce a 'fast track' residence permit process for people moving to Finland to work in management positions.
Starting from Thursday 22 December, the agency will aim to process permits for managers and their families within 14 days.
Kaj Swanljung, head of Migri's Permits and Citizenship Unit, told Yle that less than 40 people per year apply for residence permits to work in management positions.
This means that the introduction of the fast track process is unlikely to have a significant effect on the agency's operations, but may encourage Finnish companies to recruit managers from abroad.
"For jobs that start quickly, for example on a project basis, the speed of the entry procedure can be a decisive factor," Swanljung said.
Migri introduced a permit process fast track for highly skilled workers and growth entrepreneurs, and their families, during the summer and this will now be extended to include managers.
"When assessing the quality of the manager's role, the client may be asked to provide information on the employment contract, job description, salary, size of the company and activities, for example," Swanljung explained.
The process will require the applicant to submit an application electronically and pay the processing fee in advance. They may also be required to report to the nearest Finnish diplomatic mission or external service provider for identification within a specified time limit.
Swanljung told Yle that the fast track could be extended to include other groups in the future.
Currently, Migri aims to process all work-based residence applications within 30 days.
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