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Posted by on March 19, 1998 at 18:00:17:
Hello everyone! It seems that everyone has written me asking alot of information about how to get to Sweden, how to find work, the cultural differences, etc... And in order to save my hands from going numb, I decided to write my story up in full detail so that it can answer any questions that people have repeatedly asked :-). However, you can feel free to write me if you want to know more details. My current status is that I am a U.S. citizen and have lived in Sweden for about 1.5 years on a permanent work/residence permit. I now work as a Technical Writer at a pharmaceutical software company in Uppsala, Sweden where I write the user manuals (in English). I am here because of my Swedish fiancee who is the love of my life. We were together having a long distant relationship for TWO long years. We stayed close though through e-mail, alot of money (visits and phonecalls!) and a strong bond. But the hardship took its toll and we couldn't take it any longer, so I finally started the visa application process. After a short and easy decision, we decided it was best that I moved to Sweden since I always thought I was more "European" at heart and I loved the environment and the Swedish culture much better than where I was living. I met little resistance on my big move but many people thought I had the "grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome. But with my persistance, I got through a 4 month visa process. Yes FOUR months since my process was delayed due to mis-filed paperwork IN Sweden. I had a telephone interview with New York's consulate via the Swedish Consulate in Houston. I imagine that many who don't live close to NY can have a telephone interview at their closest consulate. It was easier and cheaper (paid for the phone call at the consulate and the gas to get there!). Anyway, the lady interviewing me was quite nice and I am sure that she has heard a million stories similar to mine. She asked really intense questions like: Where are you going to live? How big is the apartment you will live in (in meters squared)? How much does your partner make? How did you to meet? Have you both been intimate? (i.e., had sex?) How many times and WHEN have you both visited each other? What are the names of his family? Etc.... they want to really make sure you know each other... but they don't ask stuff like what color toothbrush does he use. They want to make sure that you have lived together at least a total of 3 months (it can include added up visits and this is only what I heard, but don't know if it's fact) and whether you have AT LEAST 11,000 SEK per month to live on. You will be lucky if you catch your interviewer on a good day since her mood really helps the interview process :-). About 2 weeks after the interview, Jan (my boyfriend) had his interview in Uppsala, Sweden. The police interviewed him there and there was a delay because the police mis-filed MY paperwork under the wrong date of birth. After my boyfriend made a few annoying visits, they allowed him to have his interview earlier due to the mis-file. BTW, the line to wait for interviews in certain cities in Sweden is GOD AWFUL! You see, he was in Sweden during the application process and had to have his there in his city of residence. It probably helps if the both interviews are done together since the paperwork is in one place. Hope none of you have that HORROR. Anyway, I got my permit which is both a WORK and RESIDENCE permit. Once you get into Sweden, you should go directly to the Skatteförvaltningen office (The Swedish Tax office) to get your Personalnummber (the equiv. to a SS#) and to Försäkringskassan (The State Insurance Agency) to get a paper that says that you can have Swedish medical insurance. After doing that, it's wise to go to the local Kommunshuset (Government building with all kinds of community information) to pick up info about the schools in your local area that offer the SFI Swedish course (Svenska För Invandrare). This course is free for all immigrants holding a residence permit. The course is quite intense, from 6-8 months with classes 3 hours per day, 5 days per week. Classes start at various times depending on whether they can fill classes, so call and apply immediately! Even if you know English, it's still better to know at least conversational Swedish. Not only will you feel left out of Swedish society if you don't know Swedish, but I would think you were pretty damn stubborn not to know the language of the country you live in. I got to conversational level in about 6 months time (enough to talk about the common things, food, weather, and to talk socially). But I definitely write better than I talk, so it't hard to get pass the shyness of speaking a foreign language. But it gets better if you stay stubborn :-) and insist upon using Swedish even though you know they understand English. You definitely have pluses (when looking for work) if you: have computer skills (programming and web development), know English and other languages, and are outgoing... but realize it will be tough to find work because every other Swede can speak english and probably be as qualified as you. BUT, please don't give up since your personality and your motivation are bigger factors. To look for jobs, you should register with Arbetsförmedlingen (THE Swedish Job Agency).. but if you feel that you want to continue your education, you can only get Educational financial aid after 2 years of residence (NO LESS). The only other way around it is if you already have a University degree and go for your PhD. In that case, find a professor who will sponsor you and allow you to do a special project thesis and then the University will PAY you to be a doctorate student. You get about 11,000-14,000 SEK per month for this but you MUST have at least a Bachelor's degree and a Professor's sponsorship. So, that in itself is process... They also have what's called a Praktik where you can work for a company for FREE for 3-6 months, but the company usually hires you after the praktik. But again, it's still a hiring process because you need to find a company that will sponsor you anyway (they pay about 3,000 SEK to the government to have you as a Praktik). If all else fails, you should continue with your Swedish lessons and continue to job search. It's also important that you have at least ONE person between you and your partner who is making an income. My boyfriend I splited a salary of 17,000 SEK per month before taxes but we STRUGGLED since we couldn't do all the things we wanted to do. We don't have a car even, however, it's not truly needed in most smaller towns or even Stockholm. There are better job opportunities for Americans in Stockholm BUT realize, there's ALOT of Americans in Stockholm than any where else, so you have some competition there too. After all this, if you finally get a job, you will feel like a million dollars. As far as the cultural differences, most people here are very quiet and social conformists. They don't think it's nice to be outspoken and loud or to be too different. Of course, I am talking in general, but you find that alot in the working environment. But there's so many other rewards... the 5 week vacations for sure!!! And the high emphasis to family and children are unbelievable. You see a ton of parents spending time with their children, walking around with them. Of course, there are major advantages that you simply don't see in the U.S.! Sweden is one of the safest countries in the world to live in! I really hope this helps... and I hope the webmaster on this Embassy bbs doesn't kick me out due to this long post!!! I really hope that all your dreams come true and that if I can do it, there's hope for everyone!!!
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