A few weeks ago, Sweden‘s Ministry of Justice said the government presented a bill in this regard to the Riksdag — Sweden’s highest decision-making assembly — with proposals aimed at improving the country’s ability to attract and retain highly qualified workers.
“The rules regarding highly qualified workers must be improved. Sweden must be an attractive country for highly qualified workers, and employers in highly qualified professional sectors must be sure they can get the workers they need in time,” said Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Minister for Migration.
What is the EU Blue Card?
This is a combined residence and work permit granted to foreign nationals, who have an employment contract for highly qualified positions across several European Union nations, including Sweden, and who meet other conditions.
As per the Sweden government, the proposal is targeted at improving the ability to attract and retain highly qualified workers, besides facilitating their mobility within the economic bloc.
It looks forward to lowering the salary threshold to be granted an EU Blue Card as well as the required period of employment to six months. Further, it makes more categories of workers eligible for the EU Blue Card, besides the expansion in possibilities to switch from other types of residence permits to the EU Blue Card.
How it affects Indian workers
A large number of
Indians reside in Europe, especially Sweden where people work in key sectors like IT and engineering.
Speaking with Business Standard, consulting firm Kognoz’s co-founder and director Lokesh Nigam stated that if Sweden adopts the EU Blue Card Directive, it could open doors for Indian job seekers. “Sectors such as IT, engineering, healthcare, and finance are likely to benefit, given the persistent demand for skilled workers,” Nigam stated.
These amendments to the Blue Card Directive are part of the broader effort aimed at attracting more and more talent to the region from outside Europe.
Last year, Sweden witnessed a 23% jump in job vacancies as the wages in IT and engineering sectors highlighted the demand for talent in the country, as per Eurostat.
For Indians, who are considering moving to Sweden, this opportunity can help them get high salaries in sectors like IT and healthcare; work-life balance; and access a wide range of job opportunities in the EU nations.
However, Nigam pointed out that “high living costs and the need to learn Swedish for better career prospects” may pose a hurdle for Indian professionals.
Also, the average cost of living, in comparison with India, is roughly 184% higher in Sweden, with rent being 288% higher on average, as per Numbeo, which provides data on the cost of living.
Eligibility and duration
To be eligible for the EU Blue Card, an individual must work as a paid employee — not self-employed work or entrepreneur — with a salary meeting national thresholds. A higher education degree as well as equivalent experience is required for the same.
The duration of this initiative depends from one country to another, but typically it is issued from one to four years, depending on the person’s employment contract.