Two professions are completely excluded from labour permits, regardless of salary level: personal assistants and forest berry pickers.
They were selected because there are many documented examples of abuse linked to work permits for those jobs, says Ludvig Aspling, migration policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats.
The Swedish Migration Board had proposed three different lists to the government as exceptions to the tougher rules where a labour immigrant must have a salary of at least SEK 33,390 per month, up from today’s SEK 29,680.
Health professions are exempted
These lists had exceptions for 81, 55 and 21 professions respectively. The government is now proposing a list of 27 professions or areas where there is a shortage of labour.
Several professional groups, including those in healthcare, will be exempt from the stricter wage requirements. Other groups include technical professions where there is a shortage of personnel. Refugees from Ukraine are also included in the exempt group.
However, the exceptions still mean that a salary requirement of just over 27,000 SEK in these professions will apply, according to Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
However, it will be more difficult for employers to hire immigrant workers, especially in the construction and catering industries. These professions are not on the government’s list of exemptions from the tougher wage requirement.
The question is whether it is reasonable to have an exception for waiters, for example. Given the labour market we have, is there no one among half a million unemployed people who could take that job? says Forssell.
He cannot say how many people will be affected by the new rules. But Forssell points out that there will be transitional rules. In 2026, it will be possible to apply for an extension of the current permit for two years.
Highly critical
The Center Party’s migration policy spokesperson Niels Paarup-Petersen calls the proposal “sad”.
Why is it good for Sweden that people who work and earn more than 30,000 kronor a month should be expelled from jobs that employers have difficulty filling? he says.
Several employer organizations are also critical.
This is state interference in wage formation, says Per Widolf, head of negotiations at the Swedish Industrial Employers’ Association.
The deputy CEO of construction companies, Tanja Rasmusson, also does not think politicians should interfere in wage setting.
“When the construction industry finally turns around, we need more hands to do the jobs,” she says in a comment.
The new rules will come into effect from June 1, 2026.
Corrected: In an earlier version, the Deputy CEO of Byggföretagen was given the wrong title.
