Published: 17/06/25 | 16:09
The Finnish Immigration Service Migri has announced it will no longer issue residence permits under the category of entrepreneurship if the applicant’s only activity is food delivery. This change came after the Supreme Administrative Court stated in May that Wolt couriers are to be considered employees and not independent entrepreneurs as previously argued by the company.
Couriers continue delivering food in the meantime but Wolt has yet to reveal how it will adapt its operations to comply with the ruling. This has left many workers and especially immigrants in a vulnerable position and uncertain about their future in Finland.
One such courier referred to as “Godfrey” (a pseudonym used by Yle for privacy reasons), is among those whose residence status now hangs in the balance. Godfrey is originally from Nigeria. He applied for a permit based on his courier work, and now waits anxiously for Migri’s decision.
“I’m waiting now and I’m worried about what this ruling means for my application,” he said.
Godfrey’s case is far from unique. Migri has granted roughly 300 residence permits based on entrepreneurship in courier work and dozens of which were based solely on contracts with Wolt. But the court’s decision now invalidates these contracts as grounds for such permits.
“If a person isn’t operating as a true entrepreneur they can’t be granted a permit meant for entrepreneurs,” stated Kari Koivisto of the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development which is the Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) and the body responsible for assessing applicants’ business plans. “Applicants must present additional business plans.”
But this suggestion raises a pressing question: What are workers like Godfrey who have structured their lives around Wolt deliveries supposed to do now? How realistic is it to expect them to suddenly develop an entirely new business plan when their work has been accepted for years?
While some might assume these workers can simply switch to applying for regular jobs the reality is much harsher. Wolt and similar delivery platforms have become a last resort for many immigrants who are unable to secure traditional employment in Finland. Even in fields where talent is said to be in demand such as data science and artificial intelligence, immigrants often face immense barriers.
Godfrey, for instance, holds a recent degree in data engineering from a Finnish university of applied sciences. His program included courses in AI and machine learning which are skills that Finland supposedly lacks in its workforce. Yet despite this he struggled to even secure the required traineeship for his degree and ultimately completed it in the university’s lab due to a lack of options.
“I thought with this kind of education it would be easy to find a job,” he said. “But now I’m just trying to upskill myself and prepare for an opportunity that may or may not come.”
The concrete truth is that many companies in Finland just tend to prefer fluent Finnish speakers or citizens of EU countries even when immigrants are highly educated they often find themselves overlooked in favor of applicants with local backgrounds or language skills.
Moreover, companies like Wolt have boarded couriers at scale with minimal barriers to entry which results in an oversaturated courier job market. If Wolt is now forced to hire couriers as employees, which it has not yet committed to doing, only a limited number may actually be offered contracts leaving the rest without income or residence security.
“We fear that there will only be work for a few and we don’t know if we are in that group,” said Godfrey.
For immigrants in Finland and especially non-EU nationals the system can feel like a trap. Work is demanded to stay but real job opportunities are severely restricted. As a result many fall back on gig economy roles like food delivery which offered a flexible, if fragile, lifeline until now.
The stress of such instability is enormous. Individuals like Godfrey are forced to navigate bureaucratic hurdles while constantly fearing deportation even after completing higher education and contributing to the Finnish economy. The “three-month rule,” which gives recent graduates just 90 days to find a job or face removal from the country, adds immense pressure and mental strain.
“I’m doing everything I can but the uncertainty is overwhelming,” Godfrey shared.
While the court’s decision may be legally justified from an employment classification perspective, it exposes the contradictions in Finland’s immigration and labor systems. On one hand the country claims it needs skilled workers whereas on the other it creates conditions where immigrants, even those with advanced degrees, cannot secure even entry-level roles let alone build stable futures.
Wolt, for its part, has said it regrets the authorities’ interpretation of the ruling. Public Policy Director Olli Koski told Yle that the company is still reviewing the decision. “In a country where many immigrants already face challenges finding jobs we find this to be a disappointing interpretation,” he said.
But for people like Godfrey policy statements and legal debates are not just theoretical but they are deeply personal. With a monthly income of around €3,000 from courier work he is able to live, pay rent and continue applying for jobs in his field. If that opportunity disappears, so does the life he has built in Finland.
The real cost of this ruling won’t just be administrative but it will be human. Without a clear solution from Wolt or the authorities hundreds of people may be left without options, income, or even a right to remain in the country they hoped to call home.
