Changing Roles Within the Same Company on a Swedish Work Permit

The general rule: the permit covers an employer and an occupation

A Swedish work permit applies to the employer and the occupation named in the decision. A new employer needs a new application, and so does a change within the same employer if it means a new occupation or entirely new duties. A change of the employer's organisation number, for example after a change of ownership, counts as a new employer.

Changes that need a new application

• A new occupation. If the role moves to a different occupation, the employee applies for a new work permit.
• Entirely new duties. Migrationsverket names this separately: completely new tasks need a new application even with the same employer.
• Changed working conditions. Migrationsverket's page for employees says a change of profession, responsibilities or working conditions makes the current permit invalid, so a new application is needed.
• A new organisation number. If the company's identity changes, a new application is needed before the current permit expires.

Migrationsverket's pages do not say how smaller changes, such as a new title or a pay rise in the same role, are treated. When in doubt, compare the new role with the occupation, duties and terms in the permit decision.

Lower pay or worse terms

At an extension, Migrationsverket checks that pay, insurance and other terms met the requirements throughout the permit period, so a pay cut or fewer hours can cause a refusal later. Employers that Migrationsverket has given a reporting duty in the permit decision must report worsened terms in writing within one month of them starting to apply; failing to report can lead to fines or imprisonment, and the permit can be revoked if the new terms no longer meet the requirements.

After two years

According to Migrationsverket's employer guidance, a permit holder who changes employer needs a new application only if the permit is less than two years old; after two years, a new application is needed only if the occupation changes. Check what restriction the employee's current permit carries.

How the new application works

Migrationsverket's pages describe no separate amendment procedure: a role change that needs a decision goes through a new work permit application. The employer starts it in the e-service for employers with the new employment information, and the employee completes it. The employee may keep working while the application is processed, provided it was made before the current permit expires.

HR action: the role change checklist

• ✓ At every internal role change, compare the new role with the occupation and duties in the permit decision
• ✓ Check the new salary against the collective agreement for the role and the work permit salary floor
• ✓ If a new application is needed, file it before the change takes effect and before the current permit expires
• ✓ Issue an updated employment contract and keep it in the permit case file
• ✓ Follow any reporting duty set in the permit decision

How Settio keeps permits on track

Most permit problems start with a date or a salary nobody was watching. Settio helps employers and immigration agencies watch both, for every person, before they move, after they arrive and at every renewal:

• Permit and salary monitoring tracks every expiry date and the salary each permit was granted on, and turns a dip or a missing month into a follow-up step with an owner.
• Plans for every case, from the first application to the extension, with each deadline counted for you.
• Your whole international workforce at a glance: import the people already on permits and see their risks in minutes.

Try it with your own people: see plans and start for free.

Sources

5 official sources

• Migrationsverket: Förändringar i anställningen
• Migrationsverket: Byta arbetsgivare eller yrke eller sluta arbeta
• Migrationsverket: Apply for a work permit as an employee
• Migrationsverket: Employing someone from outside the EU/EEA
• Migrationsverket: Extending a permit for an employee