Our colleague Tanya, who keeps everything in order in our chats, moved to Helsinki in 2021 and completed integration training in 2022. We asked her to answer the most common questions on this topic.
— What are integration courses, and who is eligible for them?
These are employment-oriented training programs available within 3 years of relocation. The program allows up to 3 years to complete a year-long course. They are often referred to as “Finnish language courses,” but this is not entirely accurate. From the moment of registration with TE-toimisto as a job seeker, you have obligations to the employment service, and the purpose of this training is employment, not just language learning.
— How to apply? Do you need a tax card?
A tax card is not required. You need to fill out an online form and confirm your identity offline. You can obtain the form and confirm your identity at one of the TE offices. The form can be dropped in the TE office’s mailbox or sent by mail in an envelope. After registration, an employment service coordinator will contact you (I was contacted within 10 days). They will create an integration plan: what you need to do to find a job. You will take a language test and be placed in a queue for integration courses according to your language level. After registration with TE, you are expected to cooperate in your job search. You may be surprised that you need to inform TE about your activities: if you find a course, you need to get it approved first; if you need to leave the country for personal reasons during non-holiday periods, you must notify TE in advance.
— What is an integration allowance and how to get it?
Työmarkkinatuki (labor market support) is €37.21/day + Kulukorvaus (compensation for travel and meals) is €9/day. Weekends are not paid, and Kulukorvaus is tax-free. This is money you can receive during the integration period, which is 3 years. After registration, you need to fill out two forms in Kela: a notification of relocation and an application for the allowance. A decision will be sent by mail to your registered address, after which you need to create a tax card in VERO. I initially received a refusal with the possibility to reapply after 4 months (Karenssia – the period during which the benefit is not paid). When the courses started, a classmate advised me to apply again, so I did – I just sent a photo of my enrollment and wrote that my studies had begun. Kela sent a positive decision on the payments, even though the 4 months had not yet passed. After this, you need to submit a monthly report of your activities on the OmaKela website.
— What else is included in the integration program besides language courses?
In addition to language courses, there is a job search course, työeläma, and holidays. I had summer holidays.
— Can you work part-time during the courses? How much can I work and still receive the allowance?
You can work, but full-time employment is the goal of cooperation with TE-office. Part-time work does not end your cooperation, and a salary of up to €300 per month does not reduce the amount of the allowance.
— How do you assess your experience with the integration courses? What did you like, dislike, and find most challenging?
I consider my experience positive and successful; I learned the language to a decent level and enrolled in college. There were some minor annoying moments, but they seem insignificant now. After all, these are just year-long courses, a chance to quickly and painlessly learn the language and figure out what to do next. The teachers expect active participation, questions, and suggestions from students. They guide you on whether you can apply for certain specializations, what options are available with your current diploma, and what steps to take if you want to find a job after the integration courses.
These are employment-oriented training programs available within 3 years of relocation. The program allows up to 3 years to complete a year-long course. They are often referred to as “Finnish language courses,” but this is not entirely accurate. From the moment of registration with TE-toimisto as a job seeker, you have obligations to the employment service, and the purpose of this training is employment, not just language learning.
— How to apply? Do you need a tax card?
A tax card is not required. You need to fill out an online form and confirm your identity offline. You can obtain the form and confirm your identity at one of the TE offices. The form can be dropped in the TE office’s mailbox or sent by mail in an envelope. After registration, an employment service coordinator will contact you (I was contacted within 10 days). They will create an integration plan: what you need to do to find a job. You will take a language test and be placed in a queue for integration courses according to your language level. After registration with TE, you are expected to cooperate in your job search. You may be surprised that you need to inform TE about your activities: if you find a course, you need to get it approved first; if you need to leave the country for personal reasons during non-holiday periods, you must notify TE in advance.
— What is an integration allowance and how to get it?
Työmarkkinatuki (labor market support) is €37.21/day + Kulukorvaus (compensation for travel and meals) is €9/day. Weekends are not paid, and Kulukorvaus is tax-free. This is money you can receive during the integration period, which is 3 years. After registration, you need to fill out two forms in Kela: a notification of relocation and an application for the allowance. A decision will be sent by mail to your registered address, after which you need to create a tax card in VERO. I initially received a refusal with the possibility to reapply after 4 months (Karenssia – the period during which the benefit is not paid). When the courses started, a classmate advised me to apply again, so I did – I just sent a photo of my enrollment and wrote that my studies had begun. Kela sent a positive decision on the payments, even though the 4 months had not yet passed. After this, you need to submit a monthly report of your activities on the OmaKela website.
— What else is included in the integration program besides language courses?
In addition to language courses, there is a job search course, työeläma, and holidays. I had summer holidays.
— Can you work part-time during the courses? How much can I work and still receive the allowance?
You can work, but full-time employment is the goal of cooperation with TE-office. Part-time work does not end your cooperation, and a salary of up to €300 per month does not reduce the amount of the allowance.
— How do you assess your experience with the integration courses? What did you like, dislike, and find most challenging?
I consider my experience positive and successful; I learned the language to a decent level and enrolled in college. There were some minor annoying moments, but they seem insignificant now. After all, these are just year-long courses, a chance to quickly and painlessly learn the language and figure out what to do next. The teachers expect active participation, questions, and suggestions from students. They guide you on whether you can apply for certain specializations, what options are available with your current diploma, and what steps to take if you want to find a job after the integration courses.
For more details, you can read on the official website:
