(edit title) How early we can apply to renew visa Visa / living in Sweden Options

[karenregal]

Hi, i have few questions i hope someone can help me with accurate answer

I have work permit visa which is going to expire on june -2013 , how early i can apply to renew visa ?

[Kibiri]

I kinda remember seeing/hearing 3 months, but not sure where I got that.

[johnjohn]

I seem to recall one month. You can apply a bit earlier but the applications simply gets filed behind those which have an earlier expiration date.

[axiom]

Indeed, about a month or so seems fine. I think, however as pointed out above, that they simple stick it in a pile until the current one has expired.

This is what I was told once when I renewed my permit, sent it in pretty early, waited, waited then phoned up "yeah we've got it but it will wait in the queue until the current one has expired and THEN it is assigned a case officer and the estimated processing time starts counting"

[karenregal]

One of my Friend said yesterday that we can apply 6 month prior ...is it true ?

[Yorkshireman]

If you apply early, they will normally wait until the current one expires before renewing. The reasoning behind that is there are the requirements to meet before the permit is issued. eg. For a work permit, the initial permit is issues normally for 2 years with the same employer, and often for a single occupation, they would wait until the end of the 2 years before processing... ie. did you continue to meet the conditions on the original permit, and meet the requirements for the new one.

It is also done this way to avoid situations where the system could potentially be abused by people that know their jobs are being removed within a certain timeframe, so they renew the permit in advance, as otherwise they would not meet the requirements for a work permit!

There are instances where You need to change the permit before it's current expiration, that is if You want to change employer, and/or profession ... and even in certain circumstances if You are promoted within the current employer, if it is restricted to a specific occupation. Then you can apply early, actually you are supposed to!

[sidkth]

I found this:

"Apply 1-2 months before your current permit expires."

at MV website : http://www.migrationsverket.se/info/4821.html

So the question I have is, Wouldn't that put me at a risk of having 5-6 months of no visa(in which I can't travel abroad)? considering the fact that MV always says the waiting time is 6-7 months.

[Yorkshireman]

So the question I have is, Wouldn't that put me at a risk of having 5-6 months of no visa(in which I can't travel abroad)? considering the fact that MV always says the ... (show full quote)

So the question I have is, Wouldn't that put me at a risk of having 5-6 months of no visa(in which I can't travel abroad)? considering the fact that MV always says the waiting time is 6-7 months. ... (hide full quote)

Yes. That is so, though extensions to existing permits are often processed faster than new permits, and You can carry on living and working in Sweden whilst they process it.

[axiom]

I thought it was the other way around, certainly according to MSVT - priority is given to those who are awaiting permits to move to Sweden.