As many employers in Sweden are experiencing skill shortages, the Swedish government is attempting to make Sweden more attractive for highly skilled third country nationals. This need coincides with the EU Blue Card Directive, an EU initiative with offers a combined residence and work permit for highly skilled workers, and allows permit holders to take up employment in other EU member states after twelve months. Few permits were issued since the implementation of the “original” EU Blue Card in Sweden in 2013, despite the country’s need for highly skilled workers. A new reform of the EU Blue Card Directive, implemented by Sweden on January 1, 2025, is aiming to make the permit more attractive.
This report examines the “original” and “new” EU Blue Card Directive, and the experiences of policymakers, employers, and other stakeholders with the EU Blue Card. It also analyzes the design, implementation and possible effects of the new EU Blue Card in Sweden, and identifies opportunities and challenges in Sweden’s highly skilled migration policy.
The author of the report is Micheline van Riemsdijk, Professor in Human Geography at Uppsala University.
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