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Highlights: Sweden brings down the minimum salary requirements by 1.5 times to attract skilled workers

• The Government of Sweden has reduced the EU Blue Card salary requirement by 1.5 times the annual average salary.
• The length of employment contract required to apply for an EU Blue card will be reduced to 6 months instead of one year.
• The eased rules for the EU Blue Card would be applicable from January 01, 2025.
• Sweden aims to process EU Blue Card applications within 30 days from 2025.

 

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Sweden eases EU Blue Card rules from 2025

 

The Swedish government has decided to simplify rules for EU Blue Card applicants in 2025. The eased rules are aimed at inviting more foreign skilled workers and retain the existing foreign workers by providing them permanent settlement options.

 

The new changes are to be implemented and followed from January 01, 2025. This change is likely to help more highly skilled foreign workers to apply for EU Blue Card in Sweden and enjoy more benefits than before.

 

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Major Changes to the EU Blue Card Rules in Sweden

 

The following are the major changes to be implemented for EU Blue Card in Sweden from 2025:

• The minimum salary requirement to obtain an EU Blue Card would be reduced from 1.5 times to 1.25 times the annual average salary in Sweden.
• Skilled foreign workers would be able to switch to other qualified employment without applying for a new EU Blue Card. However, one must inform the Migration Agency about the new work.

• The length of employment contract required to apply for an EU Blue card will be reduced to 6 months instead of one year.

• Other residence permit holders in Sweden would be allowed to apply for EU Blue Card without leaving Sweden.

 

Along with these changes, Sweden is also aiming to bring down the EU Blue Card processing time to 30 days from the current 90 days to facilitate the immigration process for skilled foreign workers.

 

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Highlights: Canada opens applications for International Experience Canada 2025. Apply Now!

• IRCC is now accepting profiles for International Experience Canada for the 2025 season.
• The IEC allows candidates from certain countries to acquire Canadian work permits.
• Work experience gained via IEC can be considered while applying for Canada PR.
• Countries having youth mobility agreements with Canada can apply for work permits via IEC.

 

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What is IEC?

The International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program that allows candidates from select countries to acquire Canadian work permits upon eligibility.  IEC candidates have greater success rates than other programs providing Canadian work permits.

 

IRCC is now accepting profiles to be considered for the IEC 2025 season. Candidates migrating to Canada via this program can use their work experience while applying for Canada PR. The Canadian work experience gained through IEC will allow the candidates to apply for the Canadian Experience Class under the Express Entry System.

 

The table below lists the details of the programs under IEC:

 

Work permit category	When candidates should use this category	Type of work permit issued
Working Holiday	- You don’t have a job offer. - You want to work for more than one employer in Canada. - You want to work in more than one location. - You’d like to earn money to travel.	Open work permit (OWP)
Young Professionals	You have a job offer in Canada that counts toward your professional development. - You will work for the same employer and location. - The job is paid and not self-employed.	Employer-specific work permit
International Co-op (Internship)	- You are a student registered at a post-secondary institution - You have a job offer for a required work placement/internship in Canada. - The work placement is required to complete your studies. - You will work for the same employer and location	Employer-specific work permit

 

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 Who is eligible for these programs?

 

You would be eligible to apply for these programs if you:

• Are a citizen of a country that has a youth mobility agreement with Canada
• Have an original and valid passport
• Are aged between 18-35 years
• Have funds equivalent to CAD2,5000 or more
• Are admissible to Canada
• Do not have dependents accompanying you
• Have a return ticket to Canada
• Have paid all fees required

 

How to apply for the IEC?

 

The steps to apply for the IEC are listed below:

 

Step 1:  Check if you meet the IEC eligibility criteria

Step 2: Submit your profile for IEC and Canada Work Permit

Step 3: Provide biometrics information

Step 4: Wait for your profile to be assessed

Step 5: Fly to Canada upon approval

 

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Highlights: IRCC to remove LMIA-based job offer points from the Express Entry System

• Express Entry candidates having an LMIA-approved job offer will no longer get additional CRS points.
• IRCC has recently announced to discontinue allotting an additional 50 points for LMIA-based job offers.
• The Immigration Minister of Canada announced this change on December 17, 2024.
• The Department is yet to announce the dates from which the update will be applicable.

 

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Comprehensive Ranking System for Express Entry Applicants

 

The Canadian federal government uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score calculator to assess and determine the eligibility of Express Entry candidates. The eligibility of candidates is assessed based on factors like age, education, language proficiency, work experience and arranged employment in any occupation listed under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) in Canada.

 

Applicants with an LMIA-approved employment offer were eligible to get 50 additional points under the CRS system. On December 17, 2024, IRCC announced the removal of the additional points allotted for securing an LMIA-based arranged employment in Canada. This would directly impact the CRS scores for candidates seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada.

 

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What is LMIA?

 

Foreign workers willing to work in Canada are required to apply for a Temporary Foreign Worker (TFWP) to migrate and work legally. Canadian employers looking to hire foreign workers must have a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) with a positive or neutral result to be eligible to recruit foreign workers in Canada. The new Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 targets to issue 82,000 TFWPs in 2025.

 

According to a recent update, the IRCC has stopped processing LMIA for low-wage workers. The salary threshold or high-wage stream has also been increased by 20% for workers recruited via the TFWP. The Canadian government is yet to announce the dates from which the removal of additional points would be implemented. The new policy aims to reduce LMIA fraud while recruiting foreign workers in Canada.

 

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Highlights: IRCC announces the eligibility criteria for the New Rural Immigration Pathway

• IRCC has recently announced details about the eligibility criteria for the new Rural Immigration Pathway.
• The program aims to help overcome workforce shortages in certain communities outside Quebec.
• Candidates must have relevant work experience and a valid temporary resident status to be eligible.
• A secondary school diploma and a higher-level credential are also required to be eligible for the program.

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Canada’s New Rural Immigration Pathway

 

The New Rural Immigration Pathway is designed to attract foreign workers who would contribute towards overcoming labour market shortages in select communities outside Quebec.

The new immigration pathway targets foreign workers seeking long-term residence in these communities. Eligible candidates qualifying through these programs can obtain a Canada PR.

 

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Who is eligible for the New Rural Immigration Pathway?

You would be eligible for the new Rural Immigration Pathway if you meet the following criteria:

Work experience: You must have a minimum of one year of full-time work experience without any gaps or equivalent part-time work experience in an NOC-listed occupation. Your work experience must:

• Be within 3 years of applying for Canada PR
• Be relevant to the job role listed under the National Occupation List (NOC)
• Involve a third-party employer (except a medical practitioner)
• Must have proper work authorization and temporary resident status (if done in Canada)

 

The table below lists details about the TEER categories required for work experience:

TEER Category of genuine offer of employment	Work experience must be in an occupation in TEER category
0	0, 1, 2 or 3
1	0, 1, 2 or 3
2	1, 2, 3 or 4
3	2, 3 or 4
4	2, 3 or 4
5	Same NOC unit group as the offer

 

Note: International graduates are exempted from the work experience requirement.

 

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Language Proficiency: Candidates must demonstrate language proficiency by providing language test results from institutions approved by the Government of Canada. The table below has the details of the language scores required:

TEER Category	CLB Level
0 or 1	6 or above
2 or 3	5 or above
4 or 5	4 or above

 

The scores are valid for two years from the day you get results.

 

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Education:  You must have acquired a secondary school diploma or higher to be eligible for the program. You will be required to submit a copy of the Canadian credential if your degree was obtained within Canada. If obtained from outside, you will have to provide a copy of foreign secondary school education credential along with an assessment of equivalency taken within five years of applying.

 

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Proof of Funds: You will be required to demonstrate having enough financial resources to support yourself and your family. As per the annual report by Statistics Canada, you must possess half of the low-income requirement for rural areas outside big cities.

 

Note: Professionals who are already working in Canada are exempted from this requirement.

 

Intention of Long-Term Residence: Candidates must have an intention to reside in a designated community for the longer term. While applying, you are required to have a valid recommendation certificate issued by an economic development organization. Once issued, these certificates are usually valid for six months.

 

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 Highlights: Highlights: Portugal work permits to be processed within 20 days under the Green Route

• Portugal aims to reduce the processing time for work permits to facilitate the immigration of foreign workers.
• The country is planning to introduce a new route called the "Green Route" for fast-track processing of work permits.
• Under the new route, the Portugal Work Permit would be processed within 20 days.
• Portugal will need 288,000 foreign workers each year to meet the workforce demands.

 

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Portugal Green Route for Fast-track Work Permit Processing

According to recent news, Portugal was to issue work visas within 30 days. The Government of Portugal has proposed the launch of a new route named the “Green Route” to further speed up the process of issuing work permits.

 

The Green Route aims to process temporary work visas within 20 days. Under this new route, residence permit applicants with a job offer in Portugal will also be eligible for fast-track processing.

 

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What are the requirements for a Portugal Work Permit?

The following are the documents required for a Portugal Work Permit:

 

• Valid and original passport
• Recent passport-sized photographs
• Proof of funds
• Police clearance reports
• Consent to SEF for verification of criminal records
• Proof of residence in Portugal
• Employment details in Portugal
• Proof of legal entry

 

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For recent immigration updates on Europe, check out Y-Axis Schengen Immigration Updates!