Swedish Government in April 2022 announced a new visa for job seekers, and in addition, it listed steps and processes for prospective migrants to move to Sweden even without a job offer.
There are few countries that offer Jobseekers visa. With this new development, Sweden joins other countries like Australia, Germany among the European countries that allow foreigners to move in without job offer.
The process that Germany and Austria earlier adopted and which Sweden has now adopted is an avenue to allow foreigners to come on a job seekers visa.
As the name implies, a Jobseeker’s visa, is a category of visa that allows you to immigrate into Sweden on the basis that you are moving to search for available jobs. Even when you haven’t gotten an offer yet, it waives you as someone who is on the job hunt.
The job seekers visa was launched in Sweden due to the huge labour shortage. Sweden is in need of people with specific skills within certain professions.
It is not advisable to travel to Sweden with tourist visa with the aim of working over there.
Eligibility Criteria for Swedish Jobseekers Visa and Work Permit
To qualify to move to Sweden without a job offer, through the job seeker’s visa, with intention to search for a job or the possibility of setting up a business, you must satisfy the following six criteria:
1. You must have finished your coursework at an appropriately advanced level.
2. You must be financially stable and able to support yourself during the period for which you are applying for a permit.
3. You need to have a well-defined plan to seek employment or consider the possibility of starting your own business.
4. To receive medical care in Sweden, you must have comprehensive health insurance.
5. You need a passport that will be valid for the entire time you plan to be in Sweden. Sweden will not grant you permit beyond your passport expiring date. If your passport is about to expire, you are advised to renew it before applying because you cannot get a permit for longer than your passport is valid.
6. You must currently be residing outside of Sweden.
How to Apply and Get Swedish Jobseekers Visa
How to Apply for Swedish Work Permit
Work Permit is a type of permit for individuals coming in to Sweden with the intention to work or do business in Sweden and it is used to apply for all types of job. If you’re coming to Sweden for work, this is the permit to be applied for.
Work permit is granted for a maximum period of 2 years. This can later be extended for an additional 2 years, after which one can apply for permanent residence
Below you will find the basic checklist on how to get work permit in Sweden. This include for both jobseekers and those that have been offered jobs.
Have a valid passport. In order to receive a permit for 2 years, the passport should then be valid for at least 2 years from the intended start date.
Read also: Jobs You can Do in Canada without Work Permit
You have been offered a job in Sweden. The terms of the employment must comply with Swedish Collective Agreements, which are common for the job or industry. This means that the job must follow standard work regulations and the offered salary must not be less than the average of that job (and cannot be less than 13,000 SEK per month). Your employer also required to obtain a “union statement”, where a local union comments on and approves the salary level. If you are seek for visa and work permit under the Jobseekers category, this condition is not applicable to you.
Submit your application using the Migration Agency’s online portal. You can as well submit paper application by visiting the Swedish Embassy in the country where you are residing. But note that submitting paper applications can cause a delay in the process by up to 2-3 months.
Migration Agency will process your application in about 1-6 months. It can also be processed in about 10 days, if the application is submitted by a certified firm. The periods change from time to time. You can visit the Migrations’ website for more information.
Once the application has been processed, there are two different processes to be completed. It depends on whether or not the applicant is a visa free national or a non-visa free national
Some of visa free nationals are USA, Australia , Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan etc
While that of non-visa free nationals: India, China, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Nigeria, etc.
For a full list of all nationals requiring visas to enter Sweden, please use this. All countries not listed are visa free.
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