Temporary residence permits

Victims of human trafficking can apply two types of temporary residence permits in Finland:

Temporary residence permit connected to pre-trail investigation 

Victim of human trafficking who participates in the pre-trial investigation and court proceedings of the human trafficking offence can be granted a temporary residence permit. The prerequisite to receive the permit is that the victim needs to stay in Finland for the duration of the criminal process.

The permit is often granted for 6-12 months. The permit can be extended followingly:

• The first extension: a temporary permit for the same duration as the initial permit
• The second extension: a continuous permit with a longer duration 

The permit application has to be submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service.

Temporary residence permit for a victim of human trafficking in a particularly vulnerable position 

A temporary residence permit can be granted to a victim of human trafficking if the Finnish Immigration Service considers the victim to be in a particularly vulnerable position. Victims who receive a permit on this basis do not have to cooperate with the pre-trial investigation authorities.

The permit is continuous and is granted for 1 year. The permit can be extended, and the first extension is often between 1-4 years. 

The permit can either be applied by submitting the application to the Finnish Immigration Service or it can be granted during asylum application process. If the applicant does not meet the requirements for international protection, a temporary or continuous residence permit may still be granted for victims of human trafficking or on a discretionary basis on humanitarian grounds. These are automatically assessed in the asylum decision.

Both temporary residence permits include the right to work in Finland. The permits cannot be sought from abroad. 

When the victim is a child, the Finnish Immigration Service usually asks a statement from a social worker. The statement is used to evaluate whether the child is in particularly vulnerable position and therefore entitled to a continuous residence permit instead of temporary one.