Iceland is proposing new immigration rules that would reduce the post-graduation job-seeking period for international students to only one year. This creates serious problems for students who already came to Iceland under the promise of a longer transition period. Changing the rules halfway through their studies is unfair and places many students at risk of losing the futures they invested heavily in.

International students in Iceland often come from low-income or developing countries. Because of Iceland’s high living costs, many must work long hours while studying simply to support themselves. As a result, they cannot learn Icelandic properly during their degree. Yet most skilled jobs in Iceland require Icelandic language ability. Expecting students to become employable in Icelandic and find stable work within just one year after graduation is unrealistic.

This change would also harm Iceland’s long-term interests. The country already faces major labour shortages in healthcare, technology, tourism, construction, and service sectors. International graduates are already trained, already living in Iceland, and already paying taxes. Giving them a realistic transition period would help fill key roles and strengthen Iceland’s economy.

Several other Nordic countries provide longer or more structured transition periods for international graduates. Finland offers up to two years after graduation to look for employment or start a business. Denmark grants up to three years in many cases for graduates of state-approved bachelor’s, master’s or PhD programmes, and up to six months for certain non-state-approved or professional programmes. In Norway, graduates from non-EU/EEA countries may receive a job-seeking permit of up to one year after completing their studies. With Iceland now proposing a one-year post-graduation job-seeking period, the country would be at the lower end among Nordic states in terms of integration time for international graduates.

We ask the Icelandic government to maintain a fair post-graduation job-seeking period and to exempt all currently enrolled students from the new rules. Students who made their plans based on the old system should not be penalized for trusting the law as it existed when they arrived.

Your signature can help protect fairness, stability, and equal opportunity for international students in Iceland.