Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirmed on 7 July 2026 that it has refused the vast majority of seasonal-work visa applications submitted by foreign wild-berry pickers for the coming summer harvest. According to the ministry, Finnish missions abroad—chiefly the embassy in Bangkok—have processed about 1,600 of the roughly 2,200 applications filed so far this year and issued positive decisions in only 200 cases. The remaining 1,400 were denied after officials identified a high risk of labour exploitation and noted multiple shortcomings in employers’ compliance with wage, accommodation and occupational-safety obligations. The crackdown follows a February 2025 amendment to Finland’s Seasonal Workers Act that brought wild-berry pickers under standard Finnish labour legislation for the first time.
For those navigating these tighter rules, VisaHQ’s online portal for Finland can streamline the application process by providing up-to-date checklists, document reviews and courier options, helping both employers and seasonal workers reduce the risk of costly refusals.
The reform was prompted by years of media reports and court cases involving Thai and other Asian pickers who arrived on tourist visas, earned little or no income after fees and deductions, and sometimes lived in sub-standard conditions. Under the new rules, pickers must be hired on written contracts, receive at least the sector’s minimum piece-rate equivalent, and be covered by health and accident insurance. Visa officers now assess the financial health of berry companies, the realism of harvest estimates, housing arrangements and the existence of any pending criminal proceedings. Katja Luopajärvi, Director of the MFA’s Visa Unit, said the primary ground for refusal is “lack of confidence that the employer can meet its legal obligations.” She added that recent police investigations into suspected human-trafficking cases in the sector have heightened scrutiny. For growers and processing companies, the sudden shortfall in foreign labour threatens to leave millions of kilos of bilberries and cloudberries unpicked, especially in Lapland where the window for harvest is short. Industry representatives have urged the government to clarify criteria quickly, arguing that legitimate operators are being harmed by a few bad actors. Labour unions and NGOs, on the other hand, welcomed the stricter stance, noting that the seasonal-work route still allows employers to deduct rent, transport and equipment costs from pickers’ pay, which can erode earnings below Finnish minimum-wage levels. Companies that received negative visa decisions can re-apply, but officials stressed that final approvals will only be granted if concrete evidence—such as audited payroll records and improved housing contracts—is provided. The MFA also reminded Finnish buyers and logistics partners that they share responsibility for ensuring human-rights due diligence throughout their supply chains. In practice, this means supermarkets and export brokers may refuse to purchase berries sourced from firms that cannot prove fair-labour compliance. With the main berry season set to start in mid-July, producers are scrambling to recruit local students and Ukrainian refugees already residing in Finland, but acknowledge that domestic labour alone will not fill the gap. From a global-mobility perspective, the decision underscores Finland’s shift toward using visa policy as a tool to enforce labour-standards compliance. Multinational food companies, travel agencies that market working-holiday packages, and relocation providers should expect tighter document checks, longer processing times and higher evidentiary thresholds for any category deemed high-risk for exploitation. Employers in other seasonal sectors—forestry planting, greenhouse work and construction—are watching closely, as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment prepares to expand similar “employer reliability” tests across the board in 2027.
For those navigating these tighter rules, VisaHQ’s online portal for Finland can streamline the application process by providing up-to-date checklists, document reviews and courier options, helping both employers and seasonal workers reduce the risk of costly refusals.
The reform was prompted by years of media reports and court cases involving Thai and other Asian pickers who arrived on tourist visas, earned little or no income after fees and deductions, and sometimes lived in sub-standard conditions. Under the new rules, pickers must be hired on written contracts, receive at least the sector’s minimum piece-rate equivalent, and be covered by health and accident insurance. Visa officers now assess the financial health of berry companies, the realism of harvest estimates, housing arrangements and the existence of any pending criminal proceedings. Katja Luopajärvi, Director of the MFA’s Visa Unit, said the primary ground for refusal is “lack of confidence that the employer can meet its legal obligations.” She added that recent police investigations into suspected human-trafficking cases in the sector have heightened scrutiny. For growers and processing companies, the sudden shortfall in foreign labour threatens to leave millions of kilos of bilberries and cloudberries unpicked, especially in Lapland where the window for harvest is short. Industry representatives have urged the government to clarify criteria quickly, arguing that legitimate operators are being harmed by a few bad actors. Labour unions and NGOs, on the other hand, welcomed the stricter stance, noting that the seasonal-work route still allows employers to deduct rent, transport and equipment costs from pickers’ pay, which can erode earnings below Finnish minimum-wage levels. Companies that received negative visa decisions can re-apply, but officials stressed that final approvals will only be granted if concrete evidence—such as audited payroll records and improved housing contracts—is provided. The MFA also reminded Finnish buyers and logistics partners that they share responsibility for ensuring human-rights due diligence throughout their supply chains. In practice, this means supermarkets and export brokers may refuse to purchase berries sourced from firms that cannot prove fair-labour compliance. With the main berry season set to start in mid-July, producers are scrambling to recruit local students and Ukrainian refugees already residing in Finland, but acknowledge that domestic labour alone will not fill the gap. From a global-mobility perspective, the decision underscores Finland’s shift toward using visa policy as a tool to enforce labour-standards compliance. Multinational food companies, travel agencies that market working-holiday packages, and relocation providers should expect tighter document checks, longer processing times and higher evidentiary thresholds for any category deemed high-risk for exploitation. Employers in other seasonal sectors—forestry planting, greenhouse work and construction—are watching closely, as the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment prepares to expand similar “employer reliability” tests across the board in 2027.
