Citizenship and unemployment benefits

[World_citizen]

Hello,

Could you please help me with my doubt in the context of my life situation? In brief I wanna know if it is a negative thing to get unemployment benefits from KELA while I am waiting for my citizenship application decision. Some context:

- I worked as a researcher for over 5 years, mostly on grants and part-time contract (10-25%). For those of you who don't know, grants are not counted as salary, so in the eyes of my work union I didn't work enough to get their support, therefore it would have to come from KELA.
- I was never unemployed before, this is my first time.
- I sent my citizenship application in late 2023.
- I have a family member visa (my spouse is not Finnish but an EU citizen).

I read in migri's website that 3 months of unemployment benefits in 2 years is ok, but does this apply to me??? Does this apply if the money comes from KELA, not the work union???

[Maaria]

Migri does not say anything in regards to taking benefit will affect the applicatiom.

https://migri.fi/en/citizenship-applica ... of-support

There is a government proposal to change the law aboit income requirement, but thar is not a law yet.

Can you quote the migri page you have seen this info?

[World_citizen]

That's exactly my problem! I don't know if it affects or not. Even the migri workers don't know anything when you call them, or they don't want to give a straight answer. I tried to find this info again in the website and I couldn't, so it can be that I read something wrong.

What I gathered from the lady who answered me is that it can or cannot be a problem (???). Kela money doesn't count as income, so that may be an issue since having your own income affects obtaining and having a permit, which can affect also the citizenship application I guess. But exactly how, why, for whom, for how long, that's what I don't know. There's never a straight answer, yes or no, it is always maybe, can, might.

[Maaria]

That's exactly my problem! I don't know if it affects or not. Even the migri workers don't know anything when you call them, or they don't want to give a straight answer. I tried to find this info again in the website and I couldn't, so it can be that I read something wrong.

What I gathered from the lady who answered me is that it can or cannot be a problem (???). Kela money doesn't count as income, so that may be an issue since having your own income affects obtaining and having a permit, which can affect also the citizenship application I guess. But exactly how, why, for whom, for how long, that's what I don't know. There's never a straight answer, yes or no, it is always maybe, can, might.

viewtopic.php?t=107033&start=60

I have discussed this 2nd phase of the change in the citizenship 2025 thread. The post is linked above. Income requirements change does not apply to applications submitted before 1.10.2025, which is when this change is supposed come into effect.