Labor immigrants will now need to generate an income of approximately €2,900 to qualify for a work permit.
Labor immigrants will now need to generate an income of approximately €2,900 to qualify for a work permit.
The Swedish government has announced a significant increase in the subsistence requirement for foreign workers seeking work permits.
Effective from Nov. 1, 2023 labor migrants will need to earn at least 80 percent of the average salary in Sweden to be eligible for work permits, the Schengen Visa reported.
Under the new regulations, labor immigrants will need to generate an income of approximately €2,900 ($3,050) to qualify for a work permit. This figure aligns with the average wage in Sweden for July, which stood at €3,614 ($3,801), although it may vary depending on the occupation.
Addressing low-skilled labor immigration, fraud
“A properly raised subsistence requirement is an important step in the government’s work to tighten the conditions for labor immigration,” said Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
“The level aims to reduce fraud and exploitation linked to labor immigration and to ensure that more people who are already in Sweden take the jobs that are available,” she said.
While Sweden has one of the highest average salaries in the country within the Swedish Transport Administration, with an average of €4,027 ($4,237), it also has some of the lowest average working hours per week in Europe. Eurostat’s recent report revealed that Swedish workers put in an average of 38.9 hours per week, making it longer than the Netherlands but shorter than Greece.
The decision follows a bill passed by the Swedish Parliament last year, amending the Aliens Act. The amendment specifically addresses financial stability requirements and does not affect EU labor immigrants or seasonal third-country workers.
This new regulation results from a consensus among multiple political parties, including the Sweden Democrats, the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, demonstrating Sweden’s commitment to maintaining a robust labor immigration system.
In March, the Swedish Migration Agency granted 8,816 residence permits, primarily for work purposes, bringing the first-quarter total to 9,290, with work-related permits comprising 38 percent of the March total, amounting to approximately 3,355 permits.
