Friday, February 24, 2012

The EU Blue Card in Finland

Helsinki
Finnish National Theater
Photo by ninara
Possibly happening as early as 2013, the Finnish government may be offering an EU Blue Card. I have already written that Finland might offer the Blue Card in 2012, but it didn't happen. Many EU countries simply haven't gotten around to implementing the Blue Card (which they're required to do), so kudos to Finland for at least trying to

To qualify you must:
  • Be a highly-skilled non-EU citizens
  • Have work contract of at least 12 months
  • Received a salary of at least 1.5 times the Finnish average gross annual salary
  • Have a monthly income greater than €4,700
These terms are more or less in line with what they had previously declared.

helsinki-7
Helsinki - Suomenlinna sea fortress
Photo by Walter Rodriguez
However, I suspect the reason for the delay may be the social benefits. Generally when you emigrate to a country, that country's social services are rather limited to you because you've not been paying into their tax system (there are exceptions, such as the UK offering you free health care from day 1). However, for the Finnish Blue Card, recipients would be eligible for free education, health care, and family benefits.

Finland is a bit concerned about the cost of the social benefits. Specifically, they're concerned about:
The European Commission has proposed a directive that would grant employees working for international companies who come from outside the EU the same rights to health care, unemployment security, and pensions that EU citizens have.
While this sounds lovely from a humanitarian standpoint, it's already expensive to recruit internationally; making this even more expensive for governments is not going to help the situation. Particularly now with the European debt crisis, it seems a curious time to increase costs for governments.
Posted by at

5 comments:

  1. choudaryknmMarch 6, 2012 at 1:49 PM

    EU Blue card Is it really a gateway to Europe?

    Hi,

    I am from India and wish to immigrate to Europe. For the last two years there has been EU blue card buzz and good to know that Finland has implemented it.

    I find there is a bottleneck scenario for obtaining the blue card,that is, YOU NEED TO HAVE A OFFER LETTER FROM THE EU EMPLOYER but IT LOOKS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN INTERVIEW CALL/OFFER while not in EU. I indeed, approached many job consultants in India and they seemed helpless. Can you please guide me in this scenario?
    I had done some research by contacting Eures Advisors earlier and many of them advised me to upload my CV on local EU country job sites and I am still continuing to do it everyday to keep my hope of immigrating to Europe alive but not able to get a breakthrough.

    For my profile, I am a PMP certified Project Manager and working for a MNC in India for the past 7 years. I think my resume is not being viewed by he EU employers because of my managerial position,which is not helping me fetch call from the EU employer. It will be really grateful if you can send me the list or site for IT/software shortage occupations in EU countries and I can see if I can fit in any of those positions/occupations.
    Also, Please let me know, which countires have already implemented the EU blue card?

    It will be grateful,if you can share your advice on this issue.

    Regards,
    Arjun

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OvidMarch 7, 2012 at 4:34 PM

      Hi Arjun,

      The people over at /r/IWantOut/ have started a list of international job sites that you might find useful.

      I am compiling a list of countries who have implemented the EU Blue Card, but it's not complete.

      But you are correct: the problem with the Blue Card is that it usually does not make it any easier to get into the EU. It only makes it easier to stay here.

      Cheers,
      Curtis

      Delete
    2. SravanApril 20, 2012 at 3:00 PM

      Hi Arjun, Can you please let me know the sites where you have uploaded your resume. I will try.

      Thanks,
      GSK

      Delete
  2. A.T.May 10, 2012 at 2:42 PM

    I'm afraid you're wrong on few accounts.

    One doesn't need to get BlueCard to come here and live - causal residence permit allows it. BlueCard had been created more for convenience of non-EU-but-G8 citizens and _not_ paying for those benefits granted they order it via private means (insurances, fees, etc)... I just don't want to get ballistic on visible non-understanding of local Finnish issues and specifics, so cut here - if you want to understand more feel free to ask :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. PeterMay 16, 2012 at 7:03 AM

    To begin with Blue card is Eu's answer to US's Green card. Earlier if you had a job and were staying & working in EU u & your family were not eligible for Social benefits and / or long term Visa. Blue card is for people who are of non-EU origin but have a job within EU as skilled worker can apply for Blue card. To my mind in all probability getting job online from EU would be difficult. Imagine this case study "I work for a German MNC based in Asia, suppose this German company offers to relocate me to HO in Germany in which case i can apply for blue card which will benefit me & my family" .

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)