Finland
Pilot of automated decision-making for residence permits for study
Effective 19 October 2023, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has started using automated decision-making in the processing of residence permits for study. Negative decisions and decisions that require individual consideration are not issued automatically.
Migri issues an automated decision if the application meets all the requirements for issuing the permit, including proof of identity in person and payment of the processing fee. The full list of requirements is here.
Migri is first testing automated decision-making with residence permit applications submitted by degree students at universities and by all exchange students. Based on the results, automation will later be expanded to include other customer groups.
Automated processing is intended to standardize the processing of applications and to free up specialists’ time to work on cases which need individual consideration or further clarification. Migri aims at an average processing time of no more than one month for residence permits for employed persons and students.
Ireland
Online citizenship applications
Citizenship applications can now be made online, including completing and submitting forms, uploading supporting documents and making payments.
Note that work is ongoing for the development of an online form for minor applications (Form 11).
Applicants who have already begun the application process via the old paper-based system can continue to submit via mail, although it is recommended to submit the online form if possible.
Italy
Proposal to charge foreign nationals for use of health service.
On 16 October 2023, Italy’s Economy Ministry announced that the government has approved a draft budget bill for 2024-26 which includes the requirement for non-EEA residents to contribute EUR 2000 per year to use the national health service.
According to the budget, which still requires EU approval, the amount of the contribution will be reduced for foreign nationals holding a residence permit for study and for au pairs.
New rules for EU Blue Card approved
The Italian government has approved a decree which transposes EU Directive 2021/1883 into Italian law, introducing new rules for the entry and residence of highly qualified foreign nationals under the EU Blue Card scheme.
Under the new rules:
- Applications for unregulated professions now require a two-year university degree, or post-secondary professional qualifications of at least two years, or five years of relevant professional experience (or three years of relevant professional experience for information technology managers and specialists. Previously, a three-year university degree was always required.
- Beneficiaries of international protection and seasonal workers are now entitled to apply for an EU Blue Card.
- A job offer of at least six months is required, with an annual salary not lower than that established by national collective agreements. Previously, a job offer for at least one year was required, with a minimum salary at least three times the minimum wage.
- During the first 12 months of legal employment (rather than 24 months as previously), the EU Blue Card holder is restricted in terms of changing employer and carrying out works not fulfilling the criteria for admission.
- An EU Blue Card holder can now conduct self-employed work alongside their highly-skilled employment. This was not previously permitted.
- A holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state can enter Italy and stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period to work. Previously only business activities were allowed.
- A holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state can enter Italy without a visa and stay for work for more than 90 days if they have been legally resident in the issuing state for at least 12 months (previously 18 months).
The decree will enter into force after it has been published in the Official Gazette.
