The Swedish Migration Agency has reported significant work and residence permit application processing delays due to a recently-implemented stricter review process for renewal applications. Initial applications are taking one to two months to process, as opposed to the normal two to four weeks, and extension applications are taking up to seven months to process, as opposed to the normal three to four months.

Foreign nationals with work permit history in Sweden in the past seven years filing initial applications should also expect a seven-month backlog.

There may be additional delays other than those noted above.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Affected foreign nationals and employers should consider the delays in their start date plans and should contact their immigration professional for further advice.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to emea@fragomen.com.

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