machadolucas wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:58 am
I have a friend who works at Migri and here are some insights:
There's not a real queue and the number does not matter much. The "queue number" we get means only "estimated amount of applications waiting to be processed, which were received before yours".
Internally they separate applications in different baskets depending on how easy they seem to be at the moment we verify our identity at Migri's office (for example straightforward applications, applications missing or with unclear documents, applications submitted before completing residence period, etc).
Straightforward applications can be partially processed by automation and checked by regular officers and go faster, while more difficult cases have to be escalated to their supervisors (there are less of them) and require more attention, waiting and processing time. Often the delay is also because Migri people put an effort to try to fix some applications which would normally be rejected as they are. A great number of applications are submitted without all requirements fulfilled, with missing/wrong/unreliable documents, or before the required residence period.
And Migri does not promise at any point that they process applications by receiving order. It's always a case-by-case analysis and different cases require different efforts in investigation before a final important (irreversible and permanent) decision. Sometimes they need to contact foreign authorities and wait for their reply before continuing the application, and that could take weeks in phase 2. They also have to check for example police, supo, debt, and other databases and deal with whatever they might find there.
Citizenship is also discretionary and could be rejected without reason even with all requirements fulfilled, as no one has a right to Finnish citizenship.
Migri application fees are also based on the amount of hours they estimate employees spend with an application (Citizenship requires deeper investigation so that's why it's more expensive than residence permits). Because of that there's an active effort in increasing automation and employees also have quotas to fill every month. - They aim to reduce waiting times and the fee in the future.
Recent improvements like getting and checking income information automatically are one of the things that eliminate a lot of friction of the process.
What is making the "queue" so long and slow now, besides bigger amount of applications received in the last years, is that so many of them are poorly filled and Migri spends much extra effort in trying to "fix" and investigating them instead of just rejecting. That's why they are always stressing for people not to submit applications before fulfilling all of the requirements.