City of Joensuu supports the employment of international students

The City of Joensuu is launching an experiment aimed at promoting the employment of international students that will also improve the operating conditions of local companies. With the Internationalisation Voucher, a company may receive a subsidy for hiring an international student.

“We want to use the voucher to encourage North Karelian companies to snap up competent, motivated and committed employees,” says Eija Asikainen, Head of Employment and Integration Services in the City of Joensuu.

The Internationalisation Voucher is a one-off subsidy of 2,500 euros that the City of Joensuu grants to a company. It can be granted when the company employs an international student who is at the end of their studies or graduated no more than three months ago from the University of Eastern Finland or Karelia University of Applied Sciences. In order to belong to the target group, the student must have moved from abroad to Joensuu at the beginning of their studies.

Support can be applied for by companies with offices in Joensuu. The employment relationship must last at least two months full-time or four months part-time. The voucher can be granted to an employer for the purpose of employing the same worker only once, and each company may receive a maximum of two vouchers.

A limited number of vouchers is available under the 2026 appropriation. The City of Joensuu will process the applications in the order of arrival. If necessary, International House Joensuu offers the company support for induction at the start of an employment relationship with an international student.

For more information on the Internationalisation Voucher, visit the City of Joensuu website: Internationalisation Voucher – Joensuu