Finland is trying to poach top tech and AI talent from the US with 2-week visas and better work-life balance

• Finland is trying to attract US tech workers for roles in AI, quantum, and health innovation.
• The country is promoting its work-life balance and fast-track specialist visas.
• A list of tech open jobs included roles with Oura Health, quantum firms, and universities.

Finland is stepping into the tech talent wars.

The Nordic country is making a push for tech workers from abroad, with a particular focus on the US. The goal is to attract engineers and researchers working in deep tech, especially in the fields of quantum computing, AI, and health innovation.

The effort comes as competition for AI talent intensifies worldwide and tech workers in the US grapple with layoffs, burnout, and visa complications. KPMG's annual survey of global CEOs found that 70% were concerned about competition for AI talent. According to BCG's 2024 talent tracker report, the US remained dominant in attracting AI talent worldwide.

Already known for its tech scene, Finland, with a population of around 5.6 million, is positioning itself as a place where American tech workers can find a better work-life balance without sacrificing their careers — a notable contrast to the famous grindset of Silicon Valley.

"Of course, there might be long days once in a while, but it's such a high value, and it's also protected by law that you can't work more than an average of 40 hours per week," Laura Lindeman, head of the Work in Finland program, told Business Insider.

She said that even in the tech sector, when people leave work for the day, they really do leave. "Offices are silent," she said. Employers in Finland, often ranked the happiest country in the world, also see the benefit of workers having lives outside work, she said, adding that the general sentiment is "it narrows your thinking if you only work."

Finland is working with more than 30 Finnish tech companies and universities to promote open roles to foreign workers. A preview of the job openings being promoted under the program includes roles with Oura Health (the company behind the Oura Ring), quantum computing firm QMill, and Aalto University.

Lindeman said Americans interested in working in Finland should consider reaching out to companies or universities, even if no open roles are listed, as some employers are open to creating positions for the right candidate. While the campaign emphasizes the US, it also targets talent from India, Brazil, and other parts of Europe.

Once candidates receive a job offer, they can apply for a specialist visa through Finland's Fast Track program. Approved applicants can receive a work-residence permit in as little as two weeks, with processing times averaging about 10 days, Lindeman said. Finland also offers integration programs to help newcomers settle in, and spouses of workers on specialist visas are eligible for work permits, she added.

Government data suggests interest from Americans is already rising. Finland granted 60 specialist residence permits to US citizens in 2024 and 85 in 2025, according to Finnish immigration statistics. The number of residence permits granted to US researchers also increased, from 35 in 2024 to 46 in 2025.

Finland is known for a culture of work-life balance

Jordan Blake Banks, an American who moved to Finland in 2019 to pursue a master's degree through the Fulbright program, said the country offers plenty of benefits, from its forests to its emphasis on work-life balance. After finishing her degree, Banks stayed in Finland and eventually landed a job as a sustainability consultant at Deloitte in Helsinki.

"The general idea is that the company and the colleagues respect you as a person, and that you can have your free and personal time," she said, adding parents regularly leave work during the day for family obligations without stigma. Many Finns also take about a month of vacation during the summer, along with time off in the winter.

Banks said salaries in Finland tend to be lower than in comparable roles in the US, but she thinks the gap is offset by more affordable essential services, including healthcare, education, and childcare.

While learning Finnish isn't necessary for working in the country — Lindeman said English is widely used in the tech industry, and about 80% of Finns speak fluent English — Banks said not knowing the language can feel isolating in everyday life.

She enrolled in a four-month integration program run by the city, where she learned the language and eventually passed the national exam required to become a Finnish citizen. Banks also met her now-wife while living in Finland.

One cultural adjustment of living in Finland, she said, has been that the people tend to be more reserved than Americans. "If you're coming from a very friendly culture or a very warm culture, I think that could be a shock," she said, adding she'd been able to use that to her advantage.

Banks said speaking up helped her land a paid research position at her university. "I was willing to make contact and be the brave American willing to ask for things," she said.