At last! Improved migration rules for doctoral candidates and researchers
For the past five years, SULF has been pushing for changes to rules that cause problems for doctoral candidates and researchers from countries outside the EU/EEA. Our efforts led to a government commission report in December 2024, containing proposals for improvements within migration legislation. The government has now submitted formal proposals for legislative changes to the Council on Legislation, Lagrådet, which scrutinises draft bills that the government intends to submit to the parliament. The proposals essentially follow the recommendations made in the commission’s report.
- It is fantastic that changes for the better are coming at last,” says Robert Andersson, chief negotiator at SULF. “This shows that our persistent work since spring 2021 has yielded results. At the same time, it is now important that the government ensures that other proposals in the field of migration that are on the table do not negate the effects of the proposals that are now being put forward. We can see a number of potential risks, and this is something we have raised in our consultation responses.”
Among the proposals are measures to make it easier to obtain a permanent residence permit even when the applicant already has another type of residence permit. It will also be easier for people to switch from one type of residence permit to another without first having to leave Sweden. Additionally, doctoral candidates and researchers will have more time to find work after completing their studies or research, and it will be possible for doctoral candidates to obtain a residence permit for research instead of a permit for doctoral studies, which will facilitate mobility within the EU. Improvements are also being introduced for those covered by the Temporary Protection Directive, a 2001 European Union directive that provides for immediate, temporary protection for displaced people from outside the Union.
One problem is that the proposal to limit the possibilities for students to work alongside their studies remains, even though it is positive that the restriction will not apply during the summer holiday period. It is particularly important that this does not limit the scope for people to work more in employment related to studies, for example in doctoral employment. It is also vital that the restriction does not continue to apply after completion of studies, as this would prevent people from working more than 15 hours per week, which would also be problematic for employers who need their competence.
It is proposed that the changes come into force on 11 June 2026.