You know immigration compliance is essential when relocating employees to Sweden. But this is a process that can be very unpredictable and time consuming, so if you can shorten the steps of your employee’s VISA application, this can be a great gain for a project or for the future of your company.
As always, getting it right from the start offers the biggest gain. The Swedish Migration agency is very particular and damage control can be lengthy and expensive. Also, confusion can add an additional element of uncertainty about when your employee can start working, and this is not good.
So how can you save time? We’ve put together our top 5 tips for accelerating your employees’ VISA applications.
1. Know the Big Picture
Get a full overview from the start of what is required from the Migration Agency. This will help you avoid losing valuable time with an incomplete application. Attach all documents required for the application or it will be considered incomplete, which can result in delays of up to a year.
2. Give complete answers
Make sure to fully answer all of the Migration agency’s questions, such as the terms of employment, without cluttering the application with irrelevant material that can slow down a decision.
3. Know the salary requirements
Know what salary requirements are acceptable to the union so you can offer at least the minimum level and avoid denial.
4. Schedule biometrics early
Talk to the embassy to see whether it is allowed to give biometrics as soon as the application has been filed or if you need to wait for a decision. Swedish embassies around the world have different policies, often due to safety measures. Allow all your nationals to do the biometrics in their home countries so they can be up and running shortly after arrival.
5. Check out residence card requirements
Check if a residence card has to be obtained outside of Sweden. Not all nationalities need the resident card upon entry. Check what is relevant in your employee’s case. Production of the card is usually an efficient process. Getting the card to your employee, however, may not necessarily be as swift. Explore how postal services work in the country where you are applying. Some countries have efficient services whilst in other countries your employee may have to travel to the embassy to pick it up. Processing times also vary by season and for the most part it takes longer in the summer.
Need help or advice? Book a free 15 minute phone consultation with our immigration professionals.