Language skills | Finnish language tests badly congested – in the background is a planned law change that worries experts

General the Finnish and Swedish language tests of the language degrees, i.e. the YKI tests, are backlogged, and there are currently no available times to book. According to the Board of Education, for example, when registering for the May tests, all places were filled in about 15 minutes and not many people got the place they wanted.

The most overcrowded YKI tests are the intermediate level tests in Finnish and Swedish, which are used when applying for Finnish citizenship to demonstrate the applicant’s sufficient language skills. Proof of Finnish or Swedish language skills is one of the requirements for Finnish citizenship.

Intermediate Finnish language YKI tests are organized six times a year on pre-determined test dates. For example, the next opportunity for the intermediate Finnish language test time is in October, but those who want to take it must be ready when registration starts on August 19.

Times in big cities go by the fastest.

“Immigration to Finland has increased and is heavily concentrated in the capital region, which causes pressure in this region in particular”, education advisor of the Finnish National Board of Education Tarja Leblay comment by email.

There are more applicants for the test places for the YKI tests in the capital region than there are places available. According to Leblay, some of the test takers would rather travel far from their hometown than wait for a place in the next registration round.

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“It can be assumed that many people want to apply for citizenship now, before the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act on extending the required period of residence comes into force.”

Immigration Office (Migri) leading expert Anu Korkeelehton according to, citizenship applications have been growing for a long time. Last summer, however, there was a clear spike in citizenship applications.

“I don’t know if the publication of the government program affected it, but usually the number of applicants is quite calm in the summer. It can be assumed that many people want to apply for citizenship now, before the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act on extending the required period of residence comes into effect,” says Korkeelehto.

According to Korkeelehto, the mere fact that more and more people are applying for Finnish citizenship leads to the popularity of YKI tests.

“When the language certificate is a mandatory attachment to the application, it then directs people to the YKI tests.”

According to Korkeelehto, many end up repeating the test even several times before passing.

Board of Education communicates that it is constantly trying to find more test locations. The Board of Education does not have the possibility, for example, to order an educational institution to act as an organizer of YKI degrees.

“More places will become available as soon as the Board of Education finds more interested test organizers who meet the criteria defined in the law,” says Leblay.

The annual number of language degrees has also been increased.

In addition to the YKI tests, fulfillment of the language proficiency requirement can be demonstrated by completing the basic education or high school curriculum, matriculation diploma, vocational basic qualification, vocational qualification or specialized vocational qualification in Finnish or Swedish. In addition, language skills can be proven by certain university studies in Finnish or Swedish, as well as so-called official Finnish or Swedish.

Refugee counseling lawyer Marjaana Laine hopes that people would be guaranteed the opportunity to demonstrate their language skills despite the backlog of YKI tests.

“Demonstrating language skills should not depend on the fact that the tests are overcrowded. If necessary, the Immigration Office should wait and not make a negative decision just because of the backlog of tests,” says Laine.

According to Laine, the central problem with the language proficiency requirement is that the individual situation of people is not sufficiently taken into account in decision-making and language training.

“For example, reading and writing skills, health and other vulnerable status affect the ability to learn a language. They need more support. It does not indicate that a person does not have the conditions to become a fully functional member of society.”

In modern law the general residence requirement for obtaining citizenship is five years. However, the government aims to tighten the conditions for obtaining Finnish citizenship. In the law amendment, the residence period required to obtain citizenship would be increased from five to eight years.

However, the required residence time can still be deviated from, if the person applying for citizenship meets the criteria of one of the deviation grounds listed in the law. One of these exceptions is the fulfillment of the language proficiency requirement, i.e. a certificate of sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills.

“Learning a language is an important part of a person’s integration and, in general, that he can join society and, for example, working life”, special expert of the Ministry of the Interior Roope Jokinen says.

If the applicant is able to prove his/her sufficient language skills before the required residence period is completed, he/she can in principle obtain Finnish citizenship in as little as four years. In the future, the applicant could prove his language skills and get citizenship in five years at the earliest.

According to Jokis, the purpose of the language proficiency exception is to motivate people applying for citizenship to study Finnish or Swedish.

“Therefore, it is as if language skills can be rewarded with a shorter required residence time. The language incentive will be up to three years in the future,” says Jokinen.

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In the law amendment, the residence period required to obtain citizenship would be increased from five to eight years.

If a person is unable to learn the language due to, for example, poor health and does not meet the criteria for any other reason for deviation, he or she is basically required to have lived in Finland for eight years in order to obtain citizenship.

According to Jokinen, the aim of the government proposal in question is to tighten the conditions for citizenship and encourage immigrants to integrate. Jokinen points out that even today citizenship is not applied for or obtained immediately within the limits allowed by the first possible period of residence.

“Mostly positive decisions are made on citizenship applications, but a large part of the negative decisions is due to a lack of language skills. It is not self-evident that the applicant demonstrates sufficient language skills at the first possible moment.”

According to Jokis, the level of required language skills remains the same and no changes were presented in the presentation regarding the residence period.

Last In the summer, the business of Pakolaisneunonta’s general advice service picked up significantly after the government program was published.

“Questions related to citizenship became more common there than before”, executive director of Refugee Advice Pia Lindfors says.

Lindfors suspects the proposed blackmail to be the reason for obtaining Finnish citizenship. According to Lindfors, the change in the law extending the residence time requirement will affect people who have received international protection the most.

“For those granted asylum, the residence time requirement can multiply,” Lindfors estimates.

In the current law, there is a deviation basis, according to which a person who has received international protection can get citizenship after four years of residence, and the residence time is calculated from the application for asylum. With the upcoming law change, obtaining international protection will no longer be counted as a deviation from the general residence time requirement.

“It seems that this proposed law change is aimed specifically at people who have received asylum and who came as asylum seekers, for whom there has been more flexibility in the past,” says Lindfors.

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Last summer, the business of Pakolaisneuvonta’s general advice service picked up significantly after the government program was published.

Refugee counseling according to lawyer Marjaana Laine, Refugee Counseling has long been concerned that processing times for citizenship applications can take up to two years.

“Processing times are unreasonably long, and it burdens applicants. Problems can arise, for example, if the applicant has studies to do abroad, but the residence time requirement forces him to stay in Finland.”

According to the law, the importance of obtaining citizenship is often emphasized for those who have received international protection and those who are stateless.

“We are concerned that this will primarily weaken and slow down the chance of people who are already in a weaker and more vulnerable position in society in many ways to obtain citizenship,” says Laine.

According to Laine, it is often very important for them that they have a permanent right to be in Finland and that they feel that they are accepted in society.

“It is important for integration both in terms of this person’s identity and sense of security. The importance is emphasized even more in these times, when the public debate around immigration is quite intense and asylum seekers are not talked about properly.”