Foreign PhDs welcome Swedish visa reform bill

Sweden's migration minister wants foreign PhD students to be granted permanent residence after four years of research, welcome news for highly-skilled international researchers who have lobbied for reform.
Migration Minister Tobias Billström on Thursday announced that the government had submitted a proposed bill to the legal council, Lagrådet, which examines whether new laws are compatible with existing legislation. From there, the bill would be passed on to parliament for a vote.
If the legislation passes the Riksdag, a foreign PhD student who has spent four of the past seven years employed as a researcher will be able to apply for permanent residence. More...