Work permit and court fine - what will the impact be on the work permit?

Question

Thank you for great service, here is my situation, someone swish money to my account in February 2022, unknowing to me it was from fraudulent activities, the bank closed my account, then I got a letter from the police, I was charged to court , August 2024 the ruling was I should pay a fine for 2 months and I did, prior to this I have applied for work permit in July 2023 and still haven’t gotten a decision even when I put in request to conclude my case, it was declined. Is this in any way related to the fine I got from the court and how long do I have to wait ?

Answer 1

Hi and thank you for your question!

The fine you paid as part of a criminal judgment could indeed impact your work permit application, but it depends on several factors. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) evaluates whether an applicant has a criminal record when considering residence and work permits. While minor offenses like fines typically don't result in an outright rejection, they can cause delays as the agency reviews the impact of the conviction on your eligibility. You should contact Migrationsverket and confirm whether the criminal fine has impacted your application. You could also request specific information about the delay and whether additional documentation is needed.

I have contacted Migrationsverket to inquire about this matter anonymously, without providing your name or any other details about you or your case. The agency confirmed that there is no specific rule in Chapter 6 of the Aliens Act (Utlänningslagen) concerning work permits that directly links a court fine or criminal offense to the outcome of an application. However, they mentioned that such matters could potentially influence a decision depending on the circumstances.

They explained that processing times vary significantly depending on the type of employment. For highly skilled positions (högkvalificerade anställningar), work permits are generally processed more quickly than for roles in service industries such as cleaning, hospitality, or construction. It is not unusual for work permit applications in the service sector to take up to a year or even longer to process.

As mentioned earlier, we recommend that you request specific information from Migrationsverket regarding the delay in your case. Delays may also be caused by general backlogs within the agency.

We hope this answers your question. Should you need further assistance or wish to consult a migration lawyer, don’t hesitate to contact us at [e-mail].