Sector welcomes new migration rules for PhDs, researchers

The higher education sector has welcomed recently proposed legislative amendments that will make it easier for international researchers and doctoral students to study and work in Sweden, with doctoral student representatives calling, in addition, for further improvement in long-term retention strategies.

The Swedish Legislative Council's report (in Swedish), published on 27 January, contains proposed amendments aimed at improving the conditions for foreign researchers and doctoral students to work in Sweden and at counteracting the misuse of residence permits for studies.

The Swedish Legislative Council is a state body tasked with reviewing important legislative proposals before they are processed by the Riksdag. Council members consist of judges or, if necessary, former judges of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court.

In the case of these current changes around migration, the legislative amendments are proposed to enter into force on 11 June 2026.

The latest report provides an analysis of the need to change present legislation, which reflects the fact that the government has heard the voices of stakeholders who have provided input into the issue over the years, including those responding to the “Better migration rules for researchers and students” report published in December 2024, as reported by University World News.

Permanent residence

In principle, the proposed amendments will make it possible to obtain a permanent residence permit after three consecutive years in Sweden. It will also be easier to change from one type of residence permit to another without having to leave the country.

They also mean that doctoral students and researchers will have more time to find a job after completing their studies or research, and it will be possible for doctoral students to receive a residence permit for research instead of a permit for research studies, which will help to facilitate mobility within the EU.

Improvements will also be introduced for those covered by the Mass Displacement Directive, including Ukrainian refugees.

In a bid to prevent abuse of the visa system, the proposals restrict working hours for international students to no more than 15 hours a week and tighten up requirements for acceptable progress in studies and for changing from a residence permit for studies to, among other things, a residence permit for work. In addition, more possibilities for revoking residence permits for family members of students will be introduced.

Long-term competitiveness

In a section titled “The need to attract foreign researchers and doctoral students”, the report argues the need for “researcher, doctoral and student mobility and research collaborations across national borders”, in order for Swedish research to reach the “highest quality” and for Sweden’s long-term competitiveness to be secured.

“Foreign researchers and doctoral students may come to play an increasingly significant role in research and higher education in Sweden,” the report notes.

It cites the “Better migration rules for researchers and students” report published in 2024, which stated that four out of 10 people starting doctoral studies in Sweden come from another country, of which around half are from countries outside Europe.

“At the same time, a large proportion of foreign doctoral students leave the country after their doctorate, which leads to Sweden losing out on valuable expertise and potential workforce,” it says.

The latest report concedes that “uncertainty regarding the conditions for shaping a future in Sweden” may cause “difficulties in attracting the best foreign researchers and doctoral students”.

It notes that the migration process is considered to be “one of the most important areas where it is possible to control and influence Sweden's attractiveness as a destination country for researchers and students”.

“The government therefore believes, like several consultation bodies, that the regulations should undergo a change in a direction that strengthens Sweden as an attractive research nation for both researchers and doctoral students,” it states.

However, “at the same time”, it states, “the rules need to be so well-balanced that they do not lead to residence permits being used on the wrong grounds or to long periods of unemployment”.

Changes ‘for the better’

The Association of University Teachers and Researchers (SULF) welcomed the legislative changes which it said it has been working on for five years.

“It is fantastic that there will finally be changes for the better, and it shows that our persistent work since spring 2021 has yielded results. At the same time, it is now important that the government ensures that other proposals in the area of migration that are on the table do not counteract the proposals that are now being presented,” said Robert Andersson, SULF’s head of negotiations, in a press release.

“Here we can conclude that there are such risks, and we have pointed this out in our consultation responses, among other things,” Andersson stated.

While SULF described the restriction of student working hours as a “problem”, it said it was “positive” that such restrictions did not apply during the summer holidays.

“Here, it is primarily important that it does not restrict the possibility of working more in jobs that are linked to studies, for example, in a doctoral student position, but also that the restriction does not remain after completing studies, as it would prevent the individual from working more than 15 hours, which would also be problematic for employers who are in need of their skills,” the press release stated.

Associate Professor Andreas Nord, based at Lund University, who is the science policy spokesperson for the Young Academy of Sweden, told University World News the academy has long called for migration policies that strengthen Sweden’s ability to attract, retain, and develop international academic talent.

“The publicised changes go a long way towards that goal. The possibility of extended residence permits after the completion of doctoral studies or the end of a fixed-term position and the ability to apply for residence without leaving the country are particularly beneficial, making it easier for domestically educated early-career researchers to enter and remain in the Swedish job market and for established academics to plan a long-term research career here.”

He said to strengthen Sweden’s overall attractiveness as a research nation, policymakers should now ensure that the improvements are not offset by new constraints elsewhere in migration legislation, for example, affecting residence security and access to welfare for established international researchers and their families”.

Long-term retention

Sylvya Pasca, chairperson of the Doctoral Students’ Association (DSA) at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, told University World News the association had also “been following the issue for a long time”.

While DSA welcomed the recent movement towards greater flexibility for international doctoral students coming to Sweden, they have expressed urgency for further improvements in long-term retention strategies as well.

Topias Tolonen-Weckström, former chairperson of the Doctoral Committee at the Swedish National Union of Students told University World News: “I believe we are seeing a change for the better regarding migrational rights of researchers and doctoral students.”

He said it was important to recognise that the changes are a reaction to the Aliens Act updates made in 2021, which had tightened the situation for many migrants in Sweden.

“In my opinion, it seems that the major shift is that the government realised that amidst a larger tightening of migrational rights in Sweden, researchers and doctoral students happened to become unintended collateral damage.

“This damage is now being fixed, and I hope that the shift is long-lasting and that it ultimately brings the Swedish government to deploy good practices in migrational policy towards other migration groups, as well,” Tolonen-Weckström said.

Professor Erik Renstrom, rector of Lund University and chair of the internationalisation committee of the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF), told University World News that some problems related to immigration for students and employees had been solved previously.

“But this represents another quite big step forward,” he said.

“Swedish migration legislation is a patchwork that is ripe for a complete overhaul, but the political will to take on this Sisyphean task is lacking.

“However, the current political leadership has shown great understanding of the needs of higher education institutions and a willingness to address the most glaring shortcomings,” he noted.