As of the 1st of June 2022 there have been several positive changes made to Swedish immigration law. We have highlighted the biggest immigration updates below:
1. If you have a pending work permit application and your previous residence permit has expired, you can now apply for a visa that will allow you to travel during the processing time.
This is a very big change. Previously many individuals who were waiting for their work permit application to be processed were unable to travel because their previous permit had expired. It is now possible to apple for a visa while in Sweden that will permit business travel while you have a pending work permit application.
2. A new residence permit has been introduced for highly skilled individuals who want to seek employment in Sweden.
This permit is aimed at people who have at least a bachelor’s degree and are looking to find employment in Sweden. The permit is valid for at least 3 months and can be granted for up to 9 months. The permit is only for seeking employment and does not allow the individual to work. In order to start working you need to apply for a work permit. Read more about this new permit here.
3. There have also been some big changes to work permits.
Previously the general rule was that a work permit could be granted for a maximum of 4 years. This rule resulted in a lot of unnecessary rejections and issues for people who did not meet the requirements for permanent residence after these 4 years. This limit has now been removed. This is one of the major Swedish immigration updates.
This means that people who are not eligible for permanent residence after 4 years can instead apply for an extension and can continue to work and live in Sweden. In addition to this, work permit holders will now need to prove that they have sufficient funds to support their family members. Read more about these changes here.