Finland has expanded the use of D visas to facilitate the entry of students and researchers to encourage immigration based on education and the need for foreign labour and to streamline entry procedures.

The issuance of a D visa allows the holder to enter Finland without waiting for a residence permit. Students, researchers, corporate executives, and their families will be eligible to receive long-term D visas to enter Finland.

According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, this revelation has been corroborated by a joint statement from the ministries of foreign affairs and labour and interior.

Sauli Niinistö, the president of Finland, announced the amendments on December 20^th, 2022.

According to the release, the new adjustments are intended to simplify the immigration process and significantly support work-based immigration and education.

In conjunction with a favourable residence permit decision, the Finnish Immigration Service grants a D-visa. Those who have been given a residence permit will be able to enter Finland more quickly than they currently can because they won't need to wait for the residence permit card to be delivered overseas; instead, the visa sticker placed on the travel document at the Finnish embassy will serve as proof of their eligibility.

The announcement states that this encourages the start of studies, research, and work on schedule while highlighting how it makes hiring professionals easier and increases the nation's appeal.

If their resident permit card has been stolen, lost, or expired, residence permit holders residing abroad may also be eligible for a D-visa.

According to the announcement, "The approved measure also contains a modification to the Aliens Act, with which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would provide a temporary residence permit to young people from diplomatic families coming to Finland up to the age of 20."
According to the announcement, young members of diplomatic families had until this time been needed to request an extension of their immigration office residence permit after reaching 18.

Finnish authorities made the D visa available in June of this year, and the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for preparing the legal amendments. The granting of such a visa to exceptional experts, growing entrepreneurs, and their families were announced at the time.

Authorities in Finland reported that some information system adjustments necessary for this type of visa would be finished in spring 2023, even though the changes would go into effect on December 22, 2022.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Sanna Marini wants to boost immigration based on employment and education. Even the Finnish Economic Affairs and Employment Minister Tuula Haatainen has stated that by 2030, the country intends to triple the number of international student placements to address the acute skilled labour shortage.