Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government has decided that the minimum income required of foreign students from outside the EU will in the future be set out in law.

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, the Minister of Employment, Matias Marttinen (NCP), said the government was responding to problems faced by international students.

Under the plans, family reunification would be subject to a one-year waiting period.

The government is also examining whether to ban unofficial education agents, allowing students to use only agents that have formal agreements with universities.

The move follows an Yle investigation showing how third-party agents spread false and misleading information to prospective fee-paying students about life in Finland.

Yle's investigative unit MOT uncovered evidence that agents tell students they can easily find work and earn a living wage — even without any Finnish language skills.

The reality is quite different, as Finland grapples with an unemployment crisis that is especially difficult for foreign nationals. The misinformation spread by the agents, therefore, has serious consequences, with many of the students who move to Finland with dreams of a better life finding themselves in abject poverty, relying on handouts to survive.