SFI – Swedish for immigrants

Swedish for immigrants at Arbis SFI

SFI (Swedish for immigrants) provides education and courses in Swedish for immigrants who want to integrate in Swedish or learn Swedish. We have programs and courses on different levels according to the European Framework of Reference for Languages.

We have four options for SFI:
• SFI Integration
• Swedish study blocks
• SFI Integration Course for Persons Outside the Labour Market
• SFI Reading and writing skills

You can take an individual course, take several courses or take one of our SFI programs.
You can see all our courses in Swedish in the course catalog or at ilmonet.fi.

Contact and more information: arbis.integration@hel.fi

Level test

Before you can start on one of our SFI programs, you need to take a level test. You do not need previous knowledge of Swedish.
The level test for the spring semester is 10.12.2024 at 9:00 in the room 13 at Arbis.
Please enroll for the level test at ilmonet.fi (course: A240662)
or by e-mail arbis.integration@hel.fi. (For later enrolment, please contact us by e-mail).

SFI Integration

SFI-Integration is an integration course for you who have an integration plan.
On this program, you will study 20 hours a week, mostly Swedish but you will have also courses about Finnish society and Finnish-Swedish networks.
The program includes individual career coaching and an internship of six weeks.
The program starts in August-September and January every year.
SFI-Integration 1  starting level A0
SFI-Integration 2   starting level A2.1
SFI-Integration 3  starting level A2.2
SFI-Integration 4   starting level B1.2

We follow Arbis curriculum for integration education (in Swedish).

Swedish study blocks

Swedish study blocks are perhaps more suitable for you who have lived in Finland for a longer period. You design your own, maximum 16 hours per week Swedish program. In addition to courses in Swedish, your program can also include other useful courses from our course selection supporting your language learning.
The studies are for everyone and during the day.
Swedish study block programs can be a part of your employment plan (you study with unemployment benefit) if you have an agreement from your employment counselor.
You do not have to be a customer at the employment office to study at Arbis.
The costs are 60 euro/semester.
SFI – Study blocks

SFI Integration Course for Persons Outside the Labour Market

This course is for persons who are not registered with the employment office and do not have an integration plan. We offer six hours of classes every week in Swedish language and Finnish society, culture and working life skills. The classes are held during the day, and there is childcare available, so it’s ideal for stay-at-home parents.
This course does not require an entrance test.
SFI Integration Course for Persons Outside the Labour Market

SFI Reading and writing skills

SFI Reading and writing skills is a program in literacy training. On this program, you will study 16 hours a week and practice acting in interactive situations in Swedish, reading and interpreting texts, writing and producing texts and numerical skills.
SFI Läs- och skrivfärdigheter

National Certificates of Language Proficiency (YKI)

At Arbis, you can take the National Certificates of Language Proficiency in Swedish at the intermediate level.

The autumn exam is held on 31 August and 16 November 2024 and the spring exam on 5 April 2025. The intermediate level exam costs 176 EUR.

The intermediate level corresponds to B1 and B2 in the European Framework of Reference for Languages. In the exam, the functional language skills are tested both in writing and orally. You can take the test regardless of where and how you achieved your language proficiency. On Arbis versatile language courses, you can refresh and supplement your previous knowledge before the exam.

Registration for the autumn exam 16 November 2024 takes place during 2–30 September 2024 and for the spring exam 5 April 2025 during 17 February–9 March 2025.  You can register only electronically on the National Certificates of Language Proficiency website.

Enquiries: Heidi Huovilainen, tel. 09 310 494 85 and Arbis office, tel. 09 310 494 94.

Support material for supervisors and employers

Välkommen till oss, welcome to us! ‘Att handleda en person som inte har svenska eller finska som modersmål’ (Supervising a person whose mother tongue is not Swedish or Finnish) is a tutorial material for supervisors and employers developed by Arbis SFI (Swedish for immigrants) in collaboration with Ekvalita. The material is aimed at people who work with and supervise people from different backgrounds. In the booklet you will find answers to how to create a more inclusive workplace and speak a language in a simpler way. The booklet is in Swedish.

The material is also available in video format in Swedish on Arbis’ YouTube channel.

Food and culture festival

The food and culture festival at Arbis wanted to create a sense of community among the students who come from other countries. In the SFI-Swedish courses (Swedish for immigrants), students shared knowledge about their country and culture. In the teaching kitchen, they focused both on the students’ homely cuisines, but also on the local one. They tried many Finnish-Swedish food traditions and dishes from the students’ home countries. The students and the Arbis staff tasted the dishes – and they were all clearly approved! The recipes have since been refined together with the teachers and are now available in a recipe booklet for everyone to try.