Raphael Jondot, originally from France, told Yle that he would like to settle down in eastern Finland's region of North Karelia. The reason behind his choice was a little surprising.
"I like the people and the food here. Karelian food is really tasty," Jondot said, assuring Yle that he was serious.
Jondot has been looking for work as a maintenance technician or maintenance engineer since last autumn.
A report published last week by the think tank Etla Economic Research Institute suggested that Finland needs to triple its immigration to maintain the country's labour force.
However, many foreigners coming to Finland still face significant hurdles. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has been plagued by backlogs for years, despite making efforts at reforms over the past year. An October survey commissioned by the nonprofit group E2 Research also found that two-out-of-five foreign specialists in Finland face discrimination.
Employment manager: 'We need a change of attitude'
Riikka Vartiainen, Head of Employment Services for the City of Joensuu, said she thinks that that employers still have unnecessary prejudices against hiring immigrants.
"For example, language skills are often seen as a bigger obstacle than they actually are," she emphasised
Vartiainen said she hopes that more companies will have the courage to hire an immigrant for the first time. Once that threshold is crossed, it is easier to hire a second one.
Vartiainen stressed that people, not just workers, move to Finland. From the point of view of the newcomers, how successful their integration is and how welcome they feel is very important.
"If it was easy to come here, it will be easy to leave," she explained.
Jobseeker: "Migri should be easy to deal with"
French transplant Jondot also finds the issue of Finland attracting more foreign talent difficult. For example, he pointed out that the country has a lower wage level than Norway, so Finland is not necessarily the first choice, even for those looking to move north.
"I can't say anything other that it should be easy to move to Finland and people should be given enough guidance," Jondot said.
As an EU citizen, Jondot does not need a work permit to live in Finland. However, he has had to sort out a 'right of residence', which has familiarised him with dealing with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
"I've found it easy, but have had to wait a long time for an appointment, for example. You have to be patient with a lot of things," he noted.
On the other hand, Jondot said he understands the language requirements. He agreed that learning a language is a prerequisite for feeling part of a society.
Employer: "Finland must be attractive to foreigners"
One of the Finnish companies Jondot has been in contact with is Mantsinen Group, which specialises in material handling machinery and logistics services.
"We have a global business, so language skills and knowledge of cultures are important to us," said Vesa Jauhiainen, Mantsinen's Service Director.
He added that he believes Finland should invest more in ways to make the country more attractive to foreign talent.
"Taxation and other benefits must be competitive with competing countries. Child education, security. All these things matter," Jauhiainen said, adding that the biggest challenge in employing immigrants is getting them up to speed.
"How do we make sure they understand our culture and our way of working, what our standards are and what is important to us?"