The government in January ordered the Migration Agency to prepare a list of job titles that could be exempted from a new minimum salary for a work permit set at 90 percent of Sweden's median wage (currently 33,390 kronor a month), with the Migration Agency required to submit it to the government by March 20th.
The list, which The Local has obtained through a freedom of information request, provides the government with a complete list of 81 professions which it could opt to exempt, narrowing it down to two further more restrictive lists, one with 55 professions and one with only 21.
"Given that the need for exemptions is limited, different weightings of the criteria can be made," the agency writes in its introduction. "The analysis that has been carried out shows that the fewer professions on the list, the greater the impact and effects for employers and employees."
Sweden's parliament voted on Wednesday to bring in the new work permit salary threshold from June 1st, after the government agreed in October to reduce the salary limit to 90 percent, from the full median wage which had been recommended by a government inquiry in February 2024.
Rather than giving the Migration Agency the role of deciding on which jobs should be exempted from the new threshold, as recommended by the inquiry, the government also decided to keep that power for itself, giving the Migration Agency an advisory role.
The most restrictive list of 21 jobs includes only occupations with more than 50 work permit applications in 2025 and more than 25 valid permits extending past 1 December 2026, while still meeting the requirement of having a salary below 33,390 kronor:
- Primary school teachers (SSYK 2341)
- Engineers and technicians in chemistry and chemical engineering (SSYK 3115)
- Laboratory engineers (SSYK 3215)
- Operating technicians, IT (SSYK 3511)
- Support technicians, IT (SSYK 3512)
- System administrators (SSYK 3513)
- Network and system technicians etc. (SSYK 3514)
- Cooks and cold-buffet chefs (SSYK 5120)
- Head waiters and waiters (SSYK 5131)
- Assistant nurses, home care, home nursing, and elderly care (SSYK 5321)
- Nursing assistants (SSYK 5330)
- Gardeners/Horticulturalists (SSYK 6112)
- Gardeners/Landscapers etc. (SSYK 6113)
- Bricklayers etc. (SSYK 7112)
- Welders and flame cutters (SSYK 7212)
- Structural-steel erectors and heavy-plate workers (SSYK 7215)
- Motor vehicle mechanics and repairers (SSYK 7231)
- Maintenance mechanics and machine repairers (SSYK 7233)
- Distribution electricians (SSYK 7413)
- Other operating technicians and process controllers (SSYK 8199)
- Taxi drivers etc. (specifically for Stockholm and Upper Norrland) (SSYK 8321)
The list of 55 professions includes professions where the 10th percentile salary (P10) is below the 33,390 kronor wage. Here are the jobs included in this list:
- Horticulturalists (SSYK 6112)
- Breeder and caretakers of livestock (SSYK 6121)
- Head waiters and waiters (SSYK 5131)
- Taxi drivers etc. (specifically for Stockholm and Upper Norrland) (SSYK 8321)
- Nursing assistants (SSYK 5330)
- Gardeners/Landscapers etc. (SSYK 6113)
- Sheet-metal workers (SSYK 7214)
- Assemblers, electrical and electronic equipment (SSYK 8212)
- Machine operators, meat and fish processing industry (SSYK 8161)
- Lacquerers and industrial painters (SSYK 7132)
- Casters (SSYK 7211)
- Forestry workers (SSYK 6210)
- Veterinary nurses etc. (SSYK 3240)
- Motor vehicle mechanics and repairers (SSYK 7231)
- Electronics repairers and communication electricians (SSYK 7420)
- Cooks and cold-buffet chefs (SSYK 5120)
- Support technicians, IT (SSYK 3512)
- Installation and service electricians (SSYK 7411)
- Butchers and meat cutters etc. (SSYK 7611)
- Bakers and pastry chefs (SSYK 7612)
- Sanitation workers etc. (SSYK 7134)
- Machine operators, plastics industry (SSYK 8142)
- Assistant nurses, ward and specialist care (SSYK 5323)
- Assistant nurses, home care, home nursing, and elderly care (SSYK 5321)
- Machine setters and machine operators, metalworking (SSYK 7223)
- Machine operators, surface treatment (SSYK 8121)
- Insulation workers (SSYK 7123)
- Welders and flame cutters (SSYK 7212)
- Other process and machine operators (SSYK 8189)
- Biomedical analysts etc. (SSYK 3212)
- Executive secretaries and CEO assistants etc. (SSYK 3343)
- Structural-steel erectors and heavy-plate workers (SSYK 7215)
- Operating technicians, IT (SSYK 3511)
- Truck drivers etc. (SSYK 8332)
- Dental technicians and orthopedic engineers etc. (SSYK 3214)
- Industrial electricians (SSYK 7412)
- Safety inspectors etc. (SSYK 3354)
- Guards and security officers (SSYK 5413)
- Doctoral students (SSYK 2314)
- Other operating technicians and process controllers (SSYK 8199)
- Primary school teachers (SSYK 2341)
- Laboratory engineers (SSYK 3215)
- Construction workers (SSYK 7114)
- Process controllers, chemical industry (SSYK 8192)
- Head chefs and sous chefs (SSYK 3451)
- Building and ventilation sheet-metal workers (SSYK 7213)
- Other university and higher education teachers (SSYK 2319)
- Concrete workers (SSYK 7113)
- Plumbers etc. (SSYK 7125)
- Maintenance mechanics and machine repairers (SSYK 7233)
- Distribution electricians (SSYK 7413)
- System administrators (SSYK 3513)
- Network and system technicians etc. (SSYK 3514)
- Engineers and technicians in chemistry and chemical engineering (SSYK 3115)
Comments (2)