Applying for a residence and work permit as a representative for berry pickers

If you are a representative for employees who are to work as berry pickers or service personnel, you can apply for residence and work permits for the employees via the e-service. The client first provides information about the employment in the e-service and you can then submit your application.

Swedish (svenska)
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Requi­re­ments for resi­dence and work permits

In order for the employees to be granted a permit

  • they must have a valid passport
  • they must receive terms of employment that are at least on the same level as the Swedish collective agreements or what is customary in the profession or industry
  • they have work to such an extent that it is possible for them to achieve a good income. The requirement for a good income means that the monthly salary amounts to at least 80 percent of the median salary as published by Statistics Sweden (SCB) and which was valid at the time of application. Read about current maintenance requirements here
  • you must have the intention of taking out medical insurance, life insurance, industrial injuries insurance and occupational pension insurance for them once they begin employment.

In order for the Swedish Migration Agency to assess whether the employment meets the conditions for a work permit an employment contract should contain, among other things, the following information:

  • the employee’s name and address
  • the employer’s name and address
  • information about the workplace
  • brief description of tasks and title
  • form of employment (permanent, fixed-term or probationary employment)
  • start date of employment or time of start 
  • notice period, length of probationary period or end of employment
  • salary, other salary benefits and how often the salary is to be paid
  • working hours
  • what applies to overtime or additional hours and payment for such work
  • vacation days or vacation pay
  • which collective agreement applies if the employer has signed a collective agreement.

You can avoid extra proces­sing through a flex­ible start to the employment

If the processing of your case takes time, the start date you specified in the employment contract may be passed. Then the Swedish Migration Agency may need to obtain a new start date from you - something that risks extending the processing time.

To avoid this, you can formulate the employment contract so that it does not specify a specific start date, but instead states that the employment starts from the day the Swedish Migration Agency grants the work permit.

Frequently asked questions about employing and acting as a representative for berry pickers

Requi­re­ments to use the e-service

In order to use the e-service as a representative, you need

  • to visit a Swedish embassy or consulate to create an account for the e-service (remember to take a valid ID, a mobile phone, the Swedish branch’s registration certificate from the Swedish Companies Registration Office and an authorisation from your employer that states that you represent the company)
  • to receive confirmation from the client that you can begin the application in the e-service
  • to have an authorisation from each of the employees that shows that they approve of you submitting an application for them
  • to have copies of the passports for each of the employees
  • to know the complete names and possible former surnames, dates of birth, citizenship, any former citizenship, places of birth and countries of birth for each of the employees
  • a Visa card or MasterCard to pay any fees for the application (fees for work permits).

Find the nearest embassy at Swedenabroad.se External link, opens in new window.

The client begins the e-service

Remember that you cannot begin your application before the client has provided information about the employment in the e-service.

In the application, you must append an authorisation from each of the employees that shows that they approve of you submitting an application for them. You must also append copies of the passports of the employees.

Autho­ri­sa­tions

An authorisation may be a signed letter where the person applying for a permit gives another person the possibility to represent him or her.

The authorisation must include

  • information stating that it is an authorisation
  • name, date of birth and address of the employee
  • information stating that the employee grants the representative the right to submit an application
  • information stating that the employee grants the representative the right to submit an application
  • name, personal ID number and address of the representative
  • the signature of the employee
  • the date and place of where the authorisation was signed.

 Authorisation, form number 106011 Pdf, 1.1 MB, opens in new window.

Copies of passports

The passport copy must contain the pages that show personal data, photo, signature, passport number, issuing country, period of validity, the machine-readable code on the identity page and if the employee has permission to live in countries other than his or her home country. On the passport copy, numbers and text at the top and bottom of the passport pages must also be clearly visible.

In order for the employee to be able to receive a residence and work permit, you as a representative/employer must have taken out medical insurance, life insurance, industrial injuries insurance and occupational pension insurance for the employee once he or she begins employment.

Anyone who is in Sweden for a period of time less than one year does not have the same right to social security benefits as those who are resident there. This is why it is important that the person has insurance that covers costs that may arise, for example, in the event of an illness or accident.

If the employee is granted a permit, he or she will receive a permit card. The card is a certification that the employee has permission to be in Sweden and contains the employee’s fingerprints and photo, among other information.

As a representative, you must therefore book an appointment at a Swedish embassy or consulate-general so that the employee can be photographed and submit his or her fingerprints. The employee must also do so even if he or she previously had a permit card since the information is not saved. An email is sent to you as the representative once it is time for the employee to visit the embassy.

Find the nearest embassy at Swedenabroad.se External link, opens in new window.

Read more about residence permit cards

As a representative, you receive an email that the decision has been made. You receive the actual decision at the embassy or consulate-general you stated in your application.

When a person is employed from a country outside the EU, this must generally also be reported to the Swedish Tax Agency.

Resi­dence permit cards

If the employees have been granted residence and work permits, they will each receive a residence permit card within four weeks after the decision has been bade if the employee has submitted fingerprints and been photographed. If fingerprints and photo are taken after the decision, it takes around four weeks from that date.

The residence permit card can also be sent from the Swedish Migration Agency to the client in Sweden. The card is then forwarded to you as the representative.

The residence permit card is manufactured in connection with the decision being made, although no earlier than three months before the residence permit begins to apply.

It is not possible to shorten the time for manufacture and delivery of the card.

The employee can receive a permit for the period he or she work in Sweden, but not longer than the validity of his or her passport.

If the Swedish Migra­tion Agency denies the employee’s appli­ca­tion

If the Swedish Migration Agency denies the employee’s application, it means that the employee does not have the right to a residence permit or to work in Sweden. As a representative, you can appeal the decision within three weeks of the date you received the decision. Information on how to appeal is provided in your decision.

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