Time Spent in Sweden to Renew Permit

[Suzanne]

Hi All!

Will I have a problem renewing my permit in June 2005 given I will only have been in Sweden about 6 months? I'll get to Sweden within the first 6 months (next month) and get my personnumber but I'm not sure if it will be November, December or January when I'll get there permanently. I still have to get my house sold and I have a couple of medical things to take care of before I leave here.

Thanks,

[Sabeine]

I'm not sure if I understand the question right. Have you been approved for your UT to move here? And you're coming next month? Was the question about going back to the US to finish up the details and you wonder if this could be a problem with your permit?

[Suzanne]

Sorry I wasn't too clear. I was up a bit late!

I got my residency permit which is dated 6-14-2004. I'll get to Sweden next month but only for about 10 days. I won't actually move until sometime between November and January. So really, I'll probably be in Sweden less than 6 months in my first year. I guess I was just wondering if that hurts my chances to get my permit renewed next year.

[Carolyn]

I don't think it hurts your chances, since you have until the permit expires to make the move in the first place, but I think it may increase the time you will need until you can get your permanent, if you and your SO are not actually living together until that time.

Usually, you get your PUT, unless there are special circumstances, two years after you move to Sweden, which is pretty close to the date when the permit is granted in most cases. So say you don't move until 3 months before the permit is to expire, you may end up having to do 2 interviews and getting another UT, till they see that you have actually been in Sweden for the usual two years before PUT is granted.

This is just an assumption on my part, not official policy, but as long as you've been here for a few months when you go in for renewal, I can't see why they would give you any grief, although they may inquire somewhat closely into why you waited so long to move over after getting the UT.

[Sabeine]

I don't think it should be a problem. I was approved and did not move until 3.5 months afterwards. The fact that you are coming here and then going back to the US can easily be explained to the Swedish authorities if they should ask.

Welcome (soon) to Sweden!

[Suzanne]

Thanks so much! I think I'm in the worrying, freaking out stage right now. I just told my mom & dad on Monday that I got my passport back. Lousy timing since yesterday they doubled my mom's blood pressure medication so she was pretty cold last night.

I just can't wait to get there. Only 21 more days until my flight leaves for my short trip!

[Sabeine]

The freaking out stage is totally normal. I did a lot of that myself. I second guessed everything I did. I questioned if I had made the right choice in moving here. I questioned if my relationship was good enough to move for. I questioned the weather, my possibly not having a job for some time etc... the list was endless. Not too mention I had two friends who were not supportive of my moving here so when I would try to talk through my fears with them they would seize every opportunity to make my fears worse. In the days following up to the day I was moving here it was awful. I called up Anders and told him I'd changed my mind, it was a huge mistake, and if he REALLY loved me he could move to California to be with me. Then we argued I yelled at him and hung up the phone. That was 4 years ago. All my fears were really just that, fears. I was making myself sick and crazy thinking the way that I did. Of course there have been ups and downs with moving here, it hasn't been all bad or all good each day is different but all in all I am GLAD that I moved here. I would do it again.

[Suzanne]

The good thing for me is that I haven't really started second guessing anything. (maybe it's still too soon) I'm just having a hard time dealing with my family. The only real support I am getting is from my oldest brother's ex-wife who is like a sister to me. They were together before I was born so I grew up knowing her as well as my brother. My friends are fine, just in denial.

I'm mostly worried about getting this house emptied and out there for sale so I'll have the money to pay off the bills and make the move. I just don't want to mess everything up!

[Sabeine]

My Dad was not very supportive. My Mom was though mostly. She wasn't thrilled but she didn't tell me not to move. My Dad on the other hand was very unhappy about it, he tried to talk me out of it often. He brought up the topic that if Anders REALLY loved me he would move to CA and not have me move to Sweden. It was tense for a while. I was really surprised because both my Mom and Dad are from Sweden and had grown up here, married here and then moved to the US. One would think he would be more positive, but he wasn't. He/they had been living in the US since before I was born and could not understand my "need" to leave. I finally got through to him when I asked him how his family felt when he announced to them that he and my Mom were moving to the US. He got the message.

I should add that I was raised only speaking English. So I've had to learn Swedish since moving here. It's been fun and an adventure at the same time.

[Vember]

I just filled in my first re-application.

My permit was dated 9-9-04 and I didn't move in until halfway through January. So I've had 9 months, 7 and a bit since you'll wanna start the renewal process a bit early.

I just began the process of renewing about a month ago. We'd been told that the time it can take to process the application for renewal could be several months ... but to not apply until 1 month before the current permit expires. Any issues that come up between the expiration date and the date they approve you, you can just point out that you're awaiting a decision, and they'll let you live in Sweden until it's official again.

So at the end of July I sent in my request for renewal. It required the same exact form be filled in as the first time, with the only changes being "date of last entry into country" and "renewal" box being checked.

They said they got it, now send money within 10 days.

Then they mailed my sambo and I forms. They can also request an in-person interview, which they might do in your case.

On our forms, one question was about having lived with the sambo "all this time" which is tricky to answer depending on when you fill out as your official move-in date. If you fill in that you moved in on your visit date, then you will undoubtedly have to explain why you then left the country, so that may cause some complications.

But of course, if you fill in that you moved in on the later date, your time spent in Sweden will be even shorter.

You have a caseworker, perhaps you should try to contact them for advice. They'll undoubtedly counsel you to do the legally correct thing, but probably they'll also help you to figure out what will cause them the least amount of work .. which means you'll have less to do and it will be quicker ... in the end everyone wins!

Good luck, I'm sure it'll be fine, and I hope you have no hassles for it!