Residence Permit Cancellation Avoided!

In many cases involving study-based residence permits, the outcome depends not only on the letter of the law, but on how the individual’s circumstances are understood and presented. Our client came to us after the Finnish Immigration Service sent him an additional information request related to the possible cancellation of his continuous residence permit based on studies. The concern arose from an interruption in his academic progress and a temporary passivation of his student status in the Koski system. From the authority’s perspective, this appeared to indicate that the grounds for his residence permit were no longer valid.

The situation, however, was far more complicated. After moving to Helsinki, our client experienced circumstances that disrupted his studies, but his commitment to completing his degree never wavered. By the time we presented his case, he had already acted to correct the interruption. His student rights had been reactivated. His enrollment for the new academic year had been confirmed. His tuition fee had been fully paid. And his studies were again moving forward. Each of these facts was documented and submitted to the authority with clarity and precision.

A critical part of the analysis involved demonstrating that the legal basis for his residence permit still existed. The Finnish Study Act requires cancellation only when the grounds for the permit have genuinely disappeared. In this case, they were firmly intact. Our client held an active right to study. He had resumed his academic journey. His enrollment was valid. The tuition was paid. The foundation of his permit was therefore not only present, but clearly verifiable. The law also requires that the proportionality principle be observed in any cancellation process. This principle ensures that decisions are not made mechanically or without regard to the individual’s situation. Its role became central in this case.

Equally important was the broader context of his studies. Throughout his time in Finland, he had completed significant portions of his degree, with one hundred sixty-three credits already accepted toward his qualification. Even during the period in question, he had completed seventy-five credits. His academic record showed sustained effort, long-term commitment, and a clear intention to fulfil the purpose of his residence permit.

We also addressed the concern raised regarding possible deportation. It was essential to show why such an outcome would be disproportionate and unjustified. Our client has never violated any of the conditions of his stay. He has respected the work-hour limitations tied to his student permit, maintained lawful employment, lived without any criminal record, and established meaningful social and academic ties in Finland. Removal from the country under such circumstances would have been an excessive measure, entirely incompatible with both Finnish law and the principles upheld by the European human rights framework.

Once the full explanation, documentation, and legal reasoning were presented, the Finnish Immigration Service reconsidered its initial position. In its final decision, the Finnish Immigration Service confirmed that the residence permit would not be cancelled. They acknowledged that our client remains an active student, that his tuition obligations have been met, that he has resumed his studies, and that the grounds for his residence permit continue to be valid. 

When the facts are properly contextualised and the law is applied as intended, the system is capable of delivering a just result – most of the times. Our client is now able to continue his studies in Finland with security and clarity, and his future remains on the path he originally set out to follow.