Proposal for stricter self-sufficiency criteria in family reunification cases in Sweden
The Swedish government has announced plans to tighten rules for family reunification, following a year-long inquiry led by a group of experts. The new regulations, part of the Tidö agreement, are set to come into effect on January 1, 2027.
The inquiry initially proposed affecting all types of family reunification permits for applicants joining someone with a residence permit in Sweden. However, it has now proposed different rules for different groups, with only certain groups affected by the two-year wait.
For instance, children of someone applying to move to Sweden to marry or live with a person who has a residence permit will no longer be able to get a residence permit unless the person in Sweden is their legal guardian. On the other hand, children who came to Sweden as children and were granted residence permits based on their relationship to their parents should be able to be granted an extension to their residence permit when they become adults, for a limited time, in certain cases.
A self-sufficiency requirement will be introduced for family members of researchers, work permit holders (for extensions and first-time applications), family members of people with long-term EU residence permits, and the income from all members of the household will be considered to meet the self-sufficiency requirement.
Residence permits for people planning to move to Sweden to marry or cohabit with a person who already has a residence permit will be limited to situations where the person in Sweden and the applicant have not been able to live together in their home country because their relationship is not accepted there.
People with temporary residency will need to wait for two years before their family members can apply to join them in Sweden, with possible exceptions in some cases. However, this two-year wait will not apply to cases submitted to the Migration Agency before the implementation date.
The types of family members who can apply to join someone in Sweden will be limited. The person based in Sweden will need to have either permanent residency or a temporary residence permit with a validity of at least one year as well as "well-founded prospects of being granted long-term residency." This option would still exist for people ending a relationship due to "violence or abuse."
The inquiry also addresses the issue of so-called teen deportations, where the child dependents of permit holders lose their right to live in Sweden when they become adults. The proposal is to remove the possibility for family reunification permit-holders whose relationships end to stay in Sweden if they can show they have a particular connection to the country.
More reforms to migration policy are expected to be announced soon, according to Forssell. It is worth noting that the rules will differ for Swedish citizens and for people with residence permits in Sweden. People with permanent right of residence and Nordic citizens will fall under the same rules as Swedish citizens.
The new rules aim to ensure that only those who can financially support themselves and their families, and who have a genuine relationship, are able to reunite with their families in Sweden. The inquiry has been careful to balance the need for family unity with the need to maintain Sweden's immigration policy.
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