Russia's attack on Ukraine

This page contains links to websites containing additional and background information on topics such as labour migration, immigrant integration and the internationalisation and export of Finnish companies.

Guidelines and their impact on ministerial responsibilities

The Government is monitoring the development of the situation and the overall context. Different ministries monitor the situation from the perspective of their respective areas of responsibility.

For companies and employers

The Enterprise Finland telephone service and the employer and business services of local TE services can also provide support in the normal way for companies and employers affected by the Ukrainian war. The Yrittäjän talousapu counselling service provides free financial and debt counselling by telephone to enterprises and entrepreneurs.

Situational information provided by business services and organisations

Sanctions

The sanctions imposed particularly affect Finnish companies that engage in trade with Russia

Instructions for employers on hiring a foreign employee

The employer must verify that the potential employee has the right to work in Finland. If a person has been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, they have an unlimited right to work.

The right to work of a person coming from Ukraine and the possible related restrictions to this depend on the person’s basis for residing in the country. Their residence may be based, for example, on temporary protection, a seasonal work permit, a visa exemption, an asylum application or a worker's residence permit.

TE services instructions for employers on hiring foreign employees

Information on working and integration for individual customers

Persons arriving in Finland from Ukraine due to Russian aggression can either stay in the country without a visa, apply for temporary protection or apply for asylum.

If they don’t have a residence permit, they can only work in the strictly limited professions listed in the Aliens Act.

The EU-activated Temporary Protection Directive entered into force on 4 March 2022. The purpose of temporary protection is to provide rapid temporary protection through a process that is more lightweight and the normal asylum procedure. Persons who have been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection may work and study without restrictions.

Ukrainians can register as jobseekers at the TE Office, but without a registered municipality of residence, they cannot become a customer in a local government employment pilots. They are also entitled to the services of TE Offices.

From March 1, 2023:

Due to the war in Ukraine, the employment services of persons under temporary protection in Finland always start at the TE Office, which can refer you to the local government pilot in your area from March 1, 2023. The TE Office examines the fulfilment of requirements for qualifying for the services before referring you to the local government pilot's services, meaning that your customership can be referred to the local government trial of your municipality of residence.
The basis for the transfer is the law on the local government pilots on employment (1269/2020). You belong to a customer group whose customership can be transferred to the municipality of a local government pilot no earlier than March 1, 2023.

Personer som i Finland har ansökt tillfälligt skydd på grund av kriget i Ukraina startar sina arbetskraftstjänser alltid vid arbets- och näringsbyrån som från 1.3.2023 kan hänvisa dig till ett kommunförsök med sysselsättning på området. Arbets- och näringsbyrån reder ut ifall villkoren uppfylls innan hänvisning till kommunförsöket. Grunden för överföringen är Lagen om ett kommunförsök av sysselsättningen (1269/2020). Du kan tidigast 1.3.2023 höra till kundgruppen vars kundrelation kan gå över till kommunförsöksområdets kommun.

Persons granted temporary protection have the right to receive from the TE Office an initial assessment and integration plan. They can also participate in integration training for immigrants.

In addition, those receiving temporary protection are entitled to services provided under the Act on Public Employment and Business Service, including:

  • employment exchange,
  • information and advisory services,
  • assessments of competency and vocational skills,
  • assessment of ability to work,
  • vocational and career counselling,
  • work try-outs and pay subsidies.

Persons receiving temporary protection are not entitled to labour market subsidy.

Asylum seekers are entitled to gainful employment either three or six months after applying for asylum. The period is three months if the applicant has presented the authority with a valid and authenticated passport or other travel document. If no travel document is presented, the period is six months.

The employer must verify the right of a foreign worker to reside and work in Finland.

Also available online

 

te-updated 24.03.2023