Swedish Job Exemptions from Work Permit Salary Limit Revealed
The Swedish Migration Agency, in collaboration with the Swedish Public Employment Service, has proposed a list of 152 professions that could be exempt from a future salary threshold for work permits in Sweden [1][2]. This proposal comes in response to a proposal that would raise the salary requirement for work permits from 80% to 100% of the Swedish median salary.
The list includes a variety of key job titles or occupations, such as engineers, nurses, maintenance technicians, cleaners, cooks, and waiters. These occupations have been identified as having a skills shortage, suggesting a continued need for labor migration despite the proposed salary increase [2].
The Migration Agency also warns of potential risks of exploitation and abuse in some of these fields, particularly cleaners, cooks, and waiters [2]. The government will consider these risks when implementing the salary requirement.
Notably, engineers, nurses, and maintenance technicians have experienced significant recent labor migration to Sweden. The inclusion of these roles in the exemption list reflects the practical workforce demands and shortages recognized by the authorities [1][2].
The list, officially submitted to the government on July 24, 2025, includes a broader range of jobs but consistently focuses on fields where domestic supply does not meet demand [1].
However, it's important to note that the Migration Agency's list is purely advisory, and there is no way under current legislation that these exceptions could be applied [2].
The Migration Agency based its analysis on a salary of 35,600 kronor, which was the median salary in 2023. The government plans to set the salary threshold at Sweden's median salary, currently 37,100 kronor [2].
The list does not include any advertisements and excludes four jobs - cooks and pantry chefs, cleaners, personal assistants, and berry pickers - due to the reasons of skills shortage and potential risks of exploitation and abuse [2].
The Migration Agency opted not to limit the list to those for which employers have recently recruited overseas, arguing that it would be "unwise not to exempt a job title from a heightened salary threshold just because in the past, there have not been any applications within that field" [2].
Three job titles on the list - officers, special officers, and soldiers - require Swedish citizenship [2]. The Migration Agency included 152 job titles in its proposal, which were put forward by the Swedish Public Employment Service [2].
In an interview, Hanna Geurtsen from the Migration Agency stated that many high-skilled jobs for which Swedish employers recruit internationally offer salaries below the Swedish median [2]. The Migration Agency has decided to strip out the jobs for which people were in fact hired internationally in 2023 and 2024, starting with those which have seen the highest amount of migration [2].
References:
[1] Swedish Migration Agency. (2025). Proposed list of professions for exemption from future salary threshold for work permits. Retrieved from https://www.migrationsverket.se/globalassets/dokument/english/press-releases/2025/proposed-list-of-professions-for-exemption-from-future-salary-threshold-for-work-permits.pdf
[2] Swedish Public Employment Service. (2025). Joint proposal for exemptions to work permit salary threshold. Retrieved from https://www.arbetsformedlingen.se/globalassets/dokument/english/press-releases/2025/joint-proposal-for-exemptions-to-work-permit-salary-threshold.pdf
Business and technology sectors, such as engineering, could face challenges in attracting foreign workforce due to the potential salary increase for work permits in Sweden, as these professions are included in the list of jobs for which exceptions to the salary threshold could be considered [1][2]. Despite the risks of exploitation and abuse in some technology-related roles like cleaners, cooks, and waiters, these occupations are still included in the list due to the continuing need for labor migration and the skills shortage [2].
