Service counselling for immigrants

At Integrationsporten, you can receive information, advice and guidance on matters related to everyday life in the Jakobstad region and in Finland.

We provide general information on how Finnish society functions and help you find your way in different matters. When an issue falls under the responsibility of another authority or organisation — such as the police, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland), the Tax Administration, employment services, or the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia — we will, when necessary, refer you to the appropriate body, which is responsible for its own services.

We also provide guidance on education and language courses, general information on early childhood education and schooling, employment and regulations related to labour migration, housing, as well as leisure activities and civic and community organisations.

For persons who are not registered as unemployed jobseekers, we can also offer a service needs assessment and an integration plan.

The advisory services are open to all migrants, regardless of the reason for moving to the region, and are provided in Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Ukrainian, and English. An interpreter can be arranged if needed.

Immigrants are offered guidance and counselling related to integration, health and social welfare services, housing, personal finance and livelihood, studying and work. The advisers explain what services are available, how they can be accessed and what the preconditions for using them are. They direct immigrants to all service providers.

Immigrants can get counselling for example on telephone or by visiting a service point. The advisers do not make decisions related to the services.