A Swedish inquiry has proposed introducing a new two-year waiting period for family reunification in certain cases, as well as a self-sufficiency requirement for family members of researchers and holders of long-term EU residence permits.
A Swedish inquiry has proposed introducing a new two-year waiting period for family reunification in certain cases, as well as a self-sufficiency requirement for family members of researchers and holders of long-term EU residence permits.
A Swedish inquiry has proposed introducing a new two-year waiting period for family reunification in certain cases, as well as a self-sufficiency requirement for family members of researchers and holders of long-term EU residence permits.
The inquiry, which was launched last year, is made up of a group of experts tasked by the government with looking into how the rules for family members applying to join residence permit holders and Swedish citizens could be tightened.
At first, it was expected to affect all types of family reunification permits where the applicant is applying to join someone with a residence permit in Sweden, including, for example, students, refugees and work permit holders, and even Swedish citizens.
Now, however, the inquiry has proposed different rules for different groups, with only certain groups affected by the two-year wait.
“In the inquiry report, we propose that the rules are individually adapted to different situations, which also means that the rules will differ, unlike today,” the inquiry head, Ingrid Utne, told a press conference. “There will be different rules for different people.”
She added that the rules would be different for Swedish citizens and for people with residence permits in Sweden. People with permanent right of residence and Nordic citizens would also fall under the same rules as Swedish citizens.
The rules for Swedish citizens, she said, would remain roughly the same, while the main changes are to people with residence permits.
The proposal is part of the Tidö agreement, the joint policy document co-written by the government and the Sweden Democrats, which pledged to limit the rules for family reunification permits to the lowest possible level under EU law.
Two year wait for family reunification
The person based in Sweden will need to have either permanent residency or a temporary residence permit with a validity of at least one year as well as “well-founded prospects of being granted long-term residency.”
People with temporary residency will need to wait for two years before their family members can apply to join them in Sweden, she said, with a possibility exceptions in some cases.
The person in Sweden who the applicant is planning on joining will need to have lived in Sweden for at least two years. Utne added that the two year wait would not apply to certain groups, including work permit holders. She added that it will chiefly affect people coming to Sweden in need of protection, or in other words refugees.
Other family members’ incomes can be taken into account
On top of this, the self-sufficiency requirement in place for some types of applicant will be extended to more cases, and the ability of the person in Sweden to support their family member financially will also be checked upon renewal, not just at the time of the first application.
The self-sufficiency rules, however, will be slightly tweaked, so that the self-sufficiency requirement can be met with income from all members of the household, including the applicant, rather than just taking the income of the person already living in Sweden into consideration.
“The inquiry believes this will provide a motivation for family members to find work,” she said.
A self-sufficiency requirement would also be introduced for family members of the following groups:
- researchers,
- work permit holders (for extensions and first-time applications),
- family members of people with long-term EU residence permits, varaktigt bosatta in Swedish.
In some cases applicants would also need to provide proof of full-coverage health insurance.
‘Possibility, not a right’ for some family members to join
The types of family member who can apply to join someone in Sweden will also be limited ‒ for example the children of someone applying to move to Sweden to marry or live with a person who has a residence permit will no longer be able to get a residence permit unless the person in Sweden is their legal guardian.
“The rules are being changed so that in some cases it is a possibility, not a right, for family members to get a residence permit in Sweden,” Migration Minister Johan Forssell told a press conference.
Additionally, residence permits for people planning to move to Sweden to marry or cohabit with a person who already has a residence permit will be “limited to situations where the person in Sweden and the applicant have not been able to live together in their home country because their relationship is not accepted there,” Utne said.
Finally, family reunification permit-holders whose relationships end can currently be granted the possibility of staying in Sweden if they can show they have a particular connection to the country, for example if they are well-established on the labour market. The inquiry proposes removing this possibility.
She added that this option would still exist for people ending a relationship due to “violence or abuse”.
End to teen deportations?
The inquiry also appeared to address the issue of so-called teen deportations, where the child dependents of permit holders lose their right to live in Sweden when they become adults.
“Children [of permit holders] who came to Sweden as children and were granted residence permits based on their relationship to their parents should be able to be granted an extension to their residence permit when they become adults, for a limited time, in certain cases,” Utne said.
“This means that a young adult who still lives at home and who still has a clear reliance on their parents will have the possibility of being granted an extension to their residence permit for a transitional period.”
When will this come into force?
The proposed implementation date set by the inquiry is January 1st, 2027, Utne said. She added that the two-year wait for family reunification should not apply to cases submitted to the Migration Agency before this date.
Forssell added that more reforms to migration policy will be announced soon.
“Many important reforms will be rolled out shortly,” he said.