What it takes to get a job in Sweden.

It is not easy to get real job anywhere in the world. People employ you because they can make money and create value from what you know. If you are in Sweden and you are looking for job ask your self What skill do i have and why will somebody pay for it? If the you have no specific skill then you end up in the path of I know everything but really good at nothing or I will take what ever comes. This can be good for a time doing something that anybody can do. I can just stand in Centrum(city center) or some part of the town and shout i need people to work in my warehouse and all you need to do is move and sort stuff. I will have a very big list but if  i  shout i need to build an mobile application and i need some programmers. You might get nothing or a couple of people. Why?

1.  The skill is specific. and the good thing is  it''s needed in the world and not only in Sweden. 
2.  It takes years and a good education to become productive.
3.  You can start creating value on the first day at your job 
4. You can prove  what you know practically

 If you decide that you love Sweden and you want to live here, then invest some time(days or years) in a specific education that the society will need or is in need of. Because of the need of your service many obstacles like your language, your name and where you come from does not count. It just your skill and the value you are going to create in the company that counts.

Finally just learn to speak Swedish.This should be just obvious. Ask yourself how will it feel to meet a Swedish speaking your local language in your country? Its just makes communication and flow easy and if there is a good flow and skill you can get that job.

How dare you stay indoors on a warm sunny summer day?

After living here for a couple of years you will understand why you should not miss the opportunity of enjoying a warm summer day by basking to the sun and getting some vitamen D. The Sweds do not take the Sun for granted and they make the best of it. After the long, cold and dark winters it is time for the blossomnes of nature to come out .The flowers starts blossom and the trees becaome green , people become more happy and happier as their smiles easily melts out. There is more life outside and every where. I have also learnt not miss this moment .I have to rush out with my kids and wife if i am home and be part of it else i might feel guilty of missing a very important momment and just letting it pass .What is funny is i always ran away from the sun and look for a shed like when I was in Cameroon.Any way there is a lot of sun in Africa and people get bored of it.Human like to place value for things they do not get easily. Here the sun is exotic and o wonderful moment not to miss. Any way if you are sensitive then get your sun protection on. So next time you see the sun and is a warm day it is time to rush out.In Sweden we do not take the sun for granted.

Tuition Fees for International Students in Sweden from 2010

Non EU/EES students will, from the 1st January 2010, pay to study in Sweden. This is the latest comment from the Swedish government, as part of the the Internationalisation of Higher Education bill which will come into effect in the Autumn of this year, as reported in SvD this morning.

Update, December 12th 2008: The 1st of January date may not be correct, it could be later in the year. There is no officially published date as yet.

This story is now also available in english at The Local.

The article is a little light on detail but the following main facts emerge:

- kick off will be the 1st January 2010 (see the above update)

- fees will be set by each university

- there will be some form of scholarship system

The previous government, according to SvD, suggested 80 000 SEK per year as a fee. That’s about 8 500 EURO (to put that into perspective, an international student studying in the UK pays around 12 500 EURO).

So, that’s about one and half years to decide on a marketing strategy, set up the infrastructure and recruit students. This is a huge change for Swedish education and the implications for our university are massive. The critical question is ‘if we had fees, would you have still have come to Lund?’.

There’s plenty of discussion about this at the SvD site - close on a 100 comments in the last few hours.

Updated 2 July 2008 – For some of the background to the Governments announcement take a look at the summary, in English, of their investigation into tuition fees. You need to take a look at pages 13 – 16 for the english summary.

Students who have already begun studying, or are applying in the application periods starting in 2008 or 2009, will not pay fees. The vote will be in Spring 2009. More information will be available then.

How to get a visa to enter Sweden

I am going to develop and write a long essay about this issue.It will be based on real life experiences from those who have succeeded in getting different types of visas to Sweden .Here are some questions i am going to answer:-
How they did it?
What steps did they take?
Why some people do not get it?
Certain things to avoid ?
How life in Sweden is sweet but also tough.
I hope this helps. For now just follow the information from Swedish immigration Just do as they say and follow the instructions they give you on the web site .Let your documents be right and let them be sent to the Swedish immigration authorities on time.

Learning the Swedish Language

Many immigrants I have come across say the Swedish language is difficult to learn. Is it really difficult? Personally I do not think so. I think everything can be learned if the time, patience and motivation is invested in the learning process.It also depends on how you want your life to be in Sweden.Language makes live easy for you and others to communicate together. Learning a new language is always a bonus credit in life. The more languages you know the more you have easy contact with people if you are the friendly type of course.

I now lots of people studying at various universities and studying complicated mathematics and software engineering everyday.They say the Swedish language is difficult to learn and also barrier to get a job here if you cannot speak it.Its true in Sweden and everywhere in the world. Getting a jobs in Sweden takes more than knowing the language.But know the language gives you an edge over others who do not know the language.So learning the language is one step forward in getting a job.These guys will say is difficult to learn the language.I always ask them this questions.If you can calculate complicated stochastic processes,probabilities and write complicated code whats difficult to learn a language that just needs verbs and grammar?

"I love you"="Jag älskar dig"
"Hej" = "Hello" or "Hi"
"Kom" = "Come"

or

an example of a stochastic process involving mean reversion.
dP = h P (M - P) dt + s P dz
Where M is the long-run equilibrium level (or the long-run mean price which the prices tend to revert); and h is the speed of reversion.

or

C Program recursive function
include

int factorial (int n)
{
if (n == 0)
return 1;
else
return (n * factorial (n-1));
}

Which of these is easier to grasp directly?
You can make your choice? Anyway personally i think the language is easy to learn and the C program beautiful to write to solve a problem and the stochastic process boring.
If you really want to live in Sweden i encourage you to learn the language.It not difficult and it not easy.You have to make an effort.The choice is yours.

Global Uppvärming

Jag har tänkt hur jag kan hjälpa för att reducera global uppvärming. Jag kommer på att jag älskar frukt från andra länder t.ex banan, avocado, cashewnötter och många andra. De där frukterna kan man inte plantera i Sverige. De måste importeras från andra länder och de också tjänar pengar för att deras växter säljes utomlands.
För att frukterna kan komma till Sverige ska man använder båtar, lastbilar, flygplaner etc. Alla de här metoderna att transportera varor höja växthus gas.
Ska jag sluta köpa tropisk frukter och börja äta bara äpple eller frukter och grönsaker man kan plantera i Sverige eller ska jag fortsätta leva mitt liv som ingenting kommer att hända?
Jag vet inte vad jag ska göra. Jag vill verkligen hjälpa med global uppvärming.

Do not follow the crowd. Go your own way

Everybody is an individual and has to choose their own route in live. I have noticed a very common pattern amongst immigrants that come to Sweden. They always want to stick together, speak their home languages, compare Sweden to their countries and complain about Sweden. It is good to speak your language and have a talk with someone from your country but I think it should not be the goal or something you take as a huge part of your life when you move into a new country. I know it can be tough to make Swedish friends here but everything takes time and you must have the will and motivation to have them , know them and want to understand them before you want to think about friendship.

The truth it takes time to build relationships here and people are so skeptical of just getting into friendship with someone new. You just have to take it slowly. I encourage immigrants who come to Sweden to get out of their holes and stop sticking with a crowd of individuals from the same country confront the society, try to understand it than give up. Stop looking for negative things to say about the people to make you feel better. Are you really better than them? If you are really better than them you should not even be here in the first place. The airport is not that far. Instead take steps to understand the society; they are different of course as you are also different. There is nothing to compare about two nations. I say Cameroon is just a wonderful nation with wonderful people just as Sweden is a wonderful nation with wonderful people. From this point you are relax you start looking for opportunities and challenges. You understand a culture and make the best of it.

Staying in your little groups just will make you a frustrated individual and the group will never help you get any better here. Live is tough everywhere in the world. You have to come out from the little group and say goddamit! I am now in Sweden. Let me make the best of it. You will see how your life will change for the better. You will be happier and more relax and as I always say to everyone I meet Learn the Language if you got the chance. If you live in your little groups and stuck too it you will not even be interested to learn it because you speak your home language everyday and get by just fine but are you really living in Sweden or staying in Sweden? But you are living and behaving just like you did back in your country of origin. How can you integrate yourself ?

So the question is what do I do?

•Go your own way, do not follow the crowd
•Seek help and advice from those who have live here for a long time. You will be surprised what kind of help you can get from them.
•Be humble and honest. You can get your way just fine by being honest and humble.
•Ask questions and get to free seminars or forums to meet other people.
•Have fun and go to parties.
•Date a girl
•Be yourself and have and set clear goals for yourself and everyday move towards them and you will get to enjoy this lovely country and its people. You will be relaxed
• Meet your folks at times and have a chat and some fun and talk about your home country.
I hope you enjoy your stay and go your own way in Sweden.

Fees for Swedish Universities

This is just a follow up of what i wrote before about fees in Swedish Universities. This time the commission required to study this issue came out with an estimate of 80.000sek and can probably be instituted from the 2008/2009 academic year. This is really much money but i hope this information can make you to start thinking if you want to come to Sweden or already a student in Sweden.I will write more on this when i get more details.

The new work permit law in Sweden

Many people have been asking me about the new work permit law in Sweden that implementation started on the 15th December 2008. Its really an interesting law because the government is now realising that its time to soften up those old rules and let people with skills get job permits in Sweden.
Another thing here is these jobs should have been announced in the whole of Sweden and EU and the employer has no choice but to employ a NON EU immigrant and that is where you can see the real aim of the program.It is actually to to let companies employ highly skilled engineers from other countries easily.

If you an immigrant and already got a job or doing some unskilled job somewhere and think that with that job you can get a work permit because of that then read on and understand what this is all about.I always encourage others living and studying here and wish to work here to learn the swedish language and become really good in what you are studying.If you think you are ligible for this kind of visa then ask yourself what skills you really have that some company will want to invest in you? If you got no skills or got them but doing some unskilled job in another field then you better drop that now and upgrade you skills and begin to apply for real jobs that warrants some skill learned.With that said you might get an employer that really wants to invest in you.I am ready to answer questions about this but here is a summary of the conditions to apply.

Here is the new law
EU/EEA citizens, Swiss citizens, their family members and people with long-term resident status in another EU country are not required to apply for a work permit. There is more information on our website under ”EU/EEA citizens”.

Other foreign citizens who want to work in Sweden must have a work permit. A residence permit is also required if the person is going to work for a period of more than three months. Citizens of certain countries must have a visa to work for periods of less than three months. See www.ud.se for a list of nationalities required to have a visa.

What is required to get a work permit?
A person who wants to work in Sweden must have an Offer of Employment from an employer in Sweden.

The following are also required to be granted a permit:

The employee must have a valid passport.
The employee must earn enough from employment to support him/herself.
The terms of employment must be equivalent to those provided by a Swedish collective agreement or to customary terms and conditions for the occupation or industry.
The relevant union must be given the opportunity to state an opinion on the terms of employment.
The job vacancy must have been advertised in Sweden and the EU. Where should the employee apply for a residence and work permit?
The main rule is that the employee must apply for a residence and work permit in the country of origin or another country outside Sweden in which he/she resides. The permit must have been granted and the permit sticker affixed to the passport before entering Sweden. However, in certain cases, employees may apply for a work permit in Sweden.

People who may apply in Sweden:

Students with a student residence permit who have completed at least 30 higher education credits or one semester/term of postgraduate education in Sweden.
Job applicants who have received an offer of employment and who are in Sweden to visit an employer, and there is special need to begin the work immediately. The occupation must also be found on a special list, which is posted on the Migration Board website.
Asylum-seekers whose application for asylum has been rejected and the decision has taken legal force.
What applies to family members?
Family members of employees may be granted a residence permit for the same duration as the residence and work permit granted to the employee. If the permit is valid for at least six months, family members may also be granted a work permit.

The following people are considered family members:

Husband/wife, de facto (“common law”) spouse or registered domestic partner.
Children (under the age of 21) of the employee or his or her husband, wife, de facto spouse or registered partner.
Children over the age of 21 cannot be granted a residence permit unless they are financially dependent upon the parent. Note that the age limit for residence and work permits is 18 for family members of asylum seekers.

How much does it cost?
Most applicants are required to pay an application fee. The fee is SEK 2,000 for the initial application and in certain cases for an extension. When an application to extend a permit concerns the same employer or the same occupation the fee is SEK 1,000.

The fee is SEK 1,000 for family members over 18 and SEK 500 for family members under 18.

How long is the permit valid?
If the employment is temporary, the employee will be granted a residence and work permit valid only for that period and for a maximum of two years at a time.

After 48 months, the employee will be eligible for a permanent residence permit.

What happens if the employee changes employers?
For the first two years, the residence and work permit is restricted to a specific employer and a specific occupation. For that reason, the employee must apply for a new work permit if he/she changes employers or occupations during the first two years. If the residence and work permit is extended after two years, it is restricted only to a specific occupation. In that case, the employee must apply for a new work permit if he/she changes occupations.

What happens if employment is terminated?
A residence and work permit in Sweden is always temporary. If the employee loses his/her job, the Migration Board may withdraw the residence permit. However, the employee may look for other employment in Sweden for three months after the date the previous employment ended.

If the employee does not find a new job during that period, the Migration Board may withdraw the residence permit and the employee must leave the country.

If the employee gets a new job and the current permit does not cover the duration of employment, he/she must submit a new application for a work permit. The Migration Board will then examine the conditions of employment by the new employer.

Appeal
Rejection of an application for a work permit cannot be appealed.

Further information
For further information about work permits in Sweden, contact the nearest Swedish embassy/consulate or the Swedish Migration Board's Public Contact Unit.

The TooMuch Syndrome

You might ask your self what is the TooMuch Syndrome? What is this guy writing about? It is syndrome created by parents in developed countries who buy too many toys and offer too many choices to children in about everything.What i have noticed is that child even become more aggressive,arrogant and confused because of too much choices they have.Parents become friends to their children and when children take control .Children become confused and angry even though they got everything i call it the toomuch syndrome.May be they are adults who have this problem of obsession with things but things will always be things and we have to be parents from day one till when the relationship changes to an adult one when children move to their own homes.

Anyway parenting is not about buying too many toys.I think kids should have time to enjoy each toy they have and really make some connection to it before new one come in.They learn how to focus and appreciate things.
I will end by saying that after living in Sweden for all this years i see the Too much syndrome in many people and i ask myself if they do not get it.THINGS WILL NEVER MAKE US HAPPIER THEY CAN ONLY MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR US. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE IS OUR LIVES AND BODY AND FAMILY.To get that balance we need to eat good healthy food,love , have a passion and have fun.

In a country like Sweden where basic needs of life is not really a problem it is easy for your children and your self to develop the TooMuch Syndrome.You can avoid it buying what is really necessary or needed and let your children grow and learn that things are not what that makes us happy because they are just things and you do not need to pay for happiness.

Back to the university

I have not posted for a long time now because i am now studying computer science (Datavetenskap) at the university.I always wanted to be a computer engineer and this dream of mine finnaly came true when i got admission for the program entirely in swedish and partly in english.I worked very hard to get the requirements for an entrance into the university.I had to do lots of maths in the swedish language but anyway maths is maths and i had really great support from my darling wife .Without her support and care i do not think i would have made it through.

The truth is there is no short cut to make money or get a good job in Sweden.You have to be good in something and the opportunity is there for you if you have the will, motivation and determination to study free of charge in one one thier excellent universities.I will keep on posting on issues i think are important and will like to get ideas on what you guys want to know.I always say good things do not come easy.

What or who is a Swede?

I just thought of sharing this with you guys.Anyway i have my own reservations about this but i think the person that wrote this had really good points. I will update it later with what i think is Swedish. You can get an image of how the majority Swedish people are and do not forget to always take a queue in what ever place you need a service e.g.bank,shops etc . Its always first come first served in Sweden."Just stand on the line or take a number and wait. Isn't that nice?

A Swede is tall, blond, blue-eyed, and wears a woolly hat in the winter. By nature he is shy, reserved, serious, industrious, and finds it hard to laugh at himself. He is also a creature of habit and every morning gets up at 5.30 to give himself enough time to read the morning newspaper before going to work. Since work does not usually start until 8 o’clock, this can only imply that a Swede is also a slow reader.

Apart from himself, his chief interests are money, his job, his home, ice-hockey, and his family (in that order). He also loves animals – especially dogs – and spends hours cycling through the town dragging a huge and ferocious German Shepherd behind him on a leash.

A Swede is usually punctual, honest, reliable, clean, has his own teeth, and is law-abiding. Evidence of the latter is particularly noticeable at pedestrian crossings. No matter what the weather is like, a Swede would rather get soaked to the skin than cross an empty street when a red light is showing. Similarly, he always wears a seat belt, never drinks and drives, always has a television licence, usually hands in his tax-return on time, invariably has a plastic bag in his pocket when he walks his dog, and never has a bath after 10 o’clock.

A Swede is also very cautious and rarely does anything on impulse (except perhaps sneeze). To him, all decisions are a matter of life and death. Take a simple matter like buying cheese, for example. A Swede may try at least ten different sorts of cheeses before finally deciding to buy twenty grammes of Brie. It is the same sense of caution that prevents him from plunging into marriage straight away. Instead, he lives with a woman first, has one or two children, then – if all seems well – asks her to marry him.

With reference to marriage, a Swede is quite unlike most European men. Anything a housewife can do, he can do better – from cooking to sewing on buttons. In fact, everything in the home (apart from breast-feeding) is shared.

A Swede also likes to think he is well informed and spends hours finding out all he can about such things as nuclear power, the Third World, pollution, South Africa, the sexual habits of the centipede, etc. while at the same time paying little attention to unimportant matters - such as the name of his neighbor or whether certain types of beer should be banned or not.

Most Swedes as fanatics when it comes to keeping fit and regularly spend their weekends running through the nearest forest or cycling for hours in the cellar on a bicycle fixed to the floor. With his health in mind, he has also given up smoking, sugar, drinking coffee in the evenings, going to bed after 10 o’clock, and mixing with strangers.

But perhaps the greatest thing about a Swede is his sense of equality – of everyone being the same as everyone else. To help this, most Swedes have the same surnames – Svensson, Nilsson, or Persson – earn the same amount of money after tax, have the same taste in furniture, dress alike, think alike, drive a Volvo, and go to Majorca or Kreta in the summer.

A Swede also refuses to admit that he is prejudiced in any way. To him, all foreigners are just the same as Swedes and, although he doesn’t actually have any Jugoslavian, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Italian, Finnish or Czechoslovakian friends, he is certain there is very little difference between them and Swedes – apart from their names, their customs, the way they grow vegetables in the kitchen, the fact that they carry knives, rob banks, live on social security, pinch their jobs, breed like rabbits, beat their wives, and speak Swedish like someone with a gobstopper in his mouth.

Finally, a Swede loves the sun, hates queuing, gets a kick out of being first on the bus, detests winter, enjoys sex, can’t stand gypsies, believes what the National Social Board of Health and Welfare tells him, doesn’t believe in God, worships Ingemar Stenmark, only gets drunk when he drinks, is patriotic (wears Swedish flag underwear), visits the off-licence twice a week, visits his parents at Christmas, goes to English classes, and, inevitably, is deeply offended by an article such as this.

(Found in the computer lab in Umeå.)

Leva ditt eget liv och bli inte som alla andra!

I dag tänkte jag på de folken som försöker leva upp till deras grannar eller kompisar in stallet för att skapa och hitta deras sätt att leva. Jag tycker att I den här samhället har folk mycket press på sig. Man måste vara så och så. Du måste göra så och så med dina barn. Du måste köpa så och så eller så. Du måste har så och så eller så. Om du inte har så och så eller så tycker andra att du är konstig eller att du inte vill vara med nya trender.


Vem är det som sätter trender?Vem är det som säger att vi måste göra så och så. Jag vill bara säga att alla ska försöka ha självförtroende och bli själv de nya trenderna.


Jag har redan bestämt att leva mitt liv som jag vill och skit vad vem som helst tänker eller säger. Alla har sina problem och sitt liv. Vi behöver inte jämföra med någon. Om dina grannar köper en ny bil eller "flat screen tv" det har ingenting att göra med dig. Lev ditt eget liv och skapa dina erfarenheter i livet. Du behöver inte vara så eller så för att bli glad. Har kul i livet istället och vet att det alltid kommer finnas problem att lösa när du lever.Det är så mycket roligare saker i livet än att skapa och ha den pressen på sig.Det är därför jag säger "Leva ditt eget liv och bli inte som alla andra"!

Choosing your status in Europe

Many people in the developing countries think that money just flows in Europe and if you live here you must be rich and have lots of money. That is not really true. As a matter of fact they are very many poor and homeless people here in Europe . However they are not as many compared to the developing countries. I do not have time to back these with statistics.

If you are form any developing nation and you move to Europe , i think you can choose your status and the type of live you want to leave here and in the future.
You can decide to do stupid desperate jobs,suffer everyday and have a situation worse than even you had back in your home country ,feeding poorly and only saving money to send back to your home country.

You can also decide to sell illegal drugs and live a dark life but you will be caught someday for sure.

You can stand up intergrate yourself,enjoy your life, educate yourself and make the best of it and be as rich and have a high standard of living as any other European.

You should know that if you choose a way of live you choose the consequences and the outcome.Bad choices usually lead to a bad outcome and good choices usually lead to a good outcome.

I have divided those living in Europe from developing nations into three categories namely :-

1)The desperate ones
People in this group have no official papers to live in Europe and their situations are quite complicated and i usually have pity for them.They are very desperate and can do almost anything to get money for survival.I just hope things turn out good for them,


2)The dull and short sighted
This is the people that came to Europe through legal means and have official papers to live and work in Europe. These people want to make fast money and get rich fast.They will work and work.They might live about 10 of them in one room apartment and only save money to take back home which i think is good but they live a very isolated life of no intergration.I will describe them as staying in Europe but having living a life way below standard of that country.I think they are dull because there is more to Europe than just making money and living like packed sardines in a can.I think they can have a better status and create a very good image of us immigrants than reducing it and others seeing us as pathetic.I challenge you if you are in this group to get to next level and get a good education,intergrate yourself,have a good life and make good money.

3)The smart and intelligent
These are the people who think like me.Europe has a lot to offer so go for it. Get an education, get a good job, save money, get a good pension, buy a good house, enjoy and have good live quality , make real money like Europeans and get respected in this society and even when you go back to your home country. These people know what they want and they are long - sighted and they usually make it. This category ends being the richer ones with higher status and most secured group financially and socially.

You can ask yourself these two questions . What category am i in ? What is my status and what do i want to achieve here in Europe?

I love these quotes

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

"The only source of knowledge is experience."

- Albert Einstein

No more free education Sweden soon

If you from a non - European nation and you have admission to study in Sweden you should better hurry up for it will cost you double soon.Fees will soon be implemented in Swedish Universities. I will encourage you to get those funds and get to the university before it is too late.I came myself to Sweden because they had free education and i have written much about it on this blog.(search in blog).The education is good but having a job and learning a new language can be a real challenge

The Swedish minister of Higher education has been given the go ahead to implement and develop a system that will allow Swedish Universities to take fees from students of non- European Union Students.The amount and date has not yet been set but it just a matter of time now.They are already working on it.
From an earlier investigation the estimated that the fees will be about 80 000 sek per year.Anyway that has not been confirmed.If it is confirmed it means that to study in Sweden you will need to have to show an account of more than 160 000 sek(1 year.).

I do not know how the Swedish minister is thinking. He compares Sweden to USA and England. There is only one thing to compare between them.Its the education quality factor but there are many variables that play in the life of a student in a new country.
It is easier to intergrate and get a job as a student and after studies as a graduate in USA and England.Its damn difficult here in Sweden except you are the engineering field.

I do not know how many parents in the world that will be willing to cough out more than 200,000 sek for a child to study in a country where it is difficult to intergrate, get a job as a graduate or a student, must learn the language and other main stream societal difficulties? On the other hand you can get all these named above for same price in UK,Canada and Auatralia. Anyway to stand these challenges will depend on individual people.

However i still thank Sweden for offering free education to me and gave me the chance to fulfill a dream.If you want yours to fulfilled , when you get that admission letter better hurry up before you pay a double price.

Rapid Integration in Sweden

It is always tough at the beginning when you have just landed in a new country but sooner or later you can make it here if you got a plan and know exactly what you want and what your goals are.It is possible if you start taking actions that will make you integrate better and take some risk in trying to meet people and make connections as much as you can.

You can meet some people around you church or what ever.

You can date a girl
Dating a Swedish girl.

Check on line for jobs or companies that easily employ immigrants but do not let yourself be exploited with 20kr per hr job.

Learn the Swedish language always be yourself .Swedish language guide.

Be different from other guys and you do must not follow the crowd or do exactly what people from the same country like you are doing.

Set you goals clearly on what you what to achieve in the nearest months and start working towards them.

Visit the Swedish integration office of your town or area and ask the right questions

Good luck

Immigrants and thier old habits

They has been a couple of reports about jobs and immigrants on how there are being forced, because of desperation to take jobs and get paid ridiculous salaries which are far less than the Swedish minimum wage. The terms of the job and conditions in which they work can only be linked to slavery. How can this be happening in Sweden? What i noticed was that they are immigrants exploiting immigrants. I do not understands why these guys will want to exploit a fellow immigrant and say that they are helping him. May be its just old bad habits of corruption in some immigrant from developing countries that just want to keep these bad habits going. Has these really worked?I really got shocked when i read about a well established business woman had embezzled money and employed lots illegally even though she could still have mad good money the honest way here.

It is really sad to know that some immigrants spoil our own image and by so doing letting the Swedish become suspicious about us.I always have this philosophy that you do not need to cheat ,embezzle or steal to be successful in this country.You can become very successful in Sweden if you choose the right business at the right time and if you have the right people around you.The road to success is clear and the doors are open.If you work hard you earn what you worked for and if you want to be lazy and live on social welfare sure you will be poor all your live and complain about Sweden. It makes no difference because you moved here and before you came they had their life so it's for you to make and do things that can make you better intergrate.If there is something you can get from this post, is that.

No matter where you come from keep you bad habits away and know that honesty and truth can lead to success in this society.It may be not one hundred percent sure but its about 80 percent sure.Enjoy Sweden and learn more about it.Its your choice and it your life.I know personally that things get better for you in Sweden when you just relax and connect with people.

Finally if you are an immigrant in Sweden and you are exploiting your fellow immigrants shame to you.I hope you get caught some day.On the other hand if you have just arrived in Sweden try to ask questions and meet people and do not be to desperate because some people take that as weakness and will make you more desperate.Remember cheating,exploitation,corruption and unreliability will get you no where in this country.Ninty nine days for the thief and one day for the owner and for the owner.

Applying for a visa to Sweden

A person who wishes to study at a university or college in Sweden for a period longer than three months must have a residence permit. The permit must be complete and entered into the passport before entry into Sweden.

A person who is in Sweden for a period of less than three months does not need a residence permit. However, citizens of certain countries must have a visa.

A residence permit for study purposes is time limited. Even if the period spent in the country has extended over several years you are normally not permitted to become a permanent resident in Sweden.

Countries whose citizens require entry visas

What is required to be granted a permit?
To be granted a residence permit for study purposes at a university/college in Sweden you must show that you:

have been enrolled for full-time study, i.e. 30 credits per term (Special conditions apply to doctoral students)
can support yourself for the whole of the plan­ned period of study
have comprehensive health insurance which is valid in Sweden if you intend to study for a period of less than one year.

How can I prove my capacity to support myself?

You should show that you have your support secured by means of verification of bank assets, a grant or in another similar manner. The support requirement is at present at least SEK 7,300 per month. If you intend to study for one year or more you must show that you can support yourself for 10 months per year.

Example: if you intend to study for:

18 months you must have SEK 109,500 (15 x SEK 7,300)
24 months you must have SEK 146,000 (20 x SEK 7,300)
If you can show, for example, that you will receive free accommodation and/or food, the monthly amount can be reduced. If you want to know the exchange rate in your local currency,check it out here

Which documents do I need?
When you apply for a residence permit you must use the form Application for a residence permit for students and doctoral students, No. 105031.
You can obtain or order forms on this website.Application Forms You can also order by e-mail, Distributionen@migrationsverket.se, fax 011-15 66 91 or by writing to the Migration Board, Distributionen, 601 70 Norrköping. Forms are also available at Swedish embassies and consulates.

Enclose copies of the following documents:
A copy of your passport, showing your identity, the period of validity of the passport and any permit required to spend time in a country other than your home country.

A certificate stating that you have been enrolled for full-time study.

A certificate stating that you have comprehensive health insurance valid in Sweden if you intend to study for a period of less than one year.

A certificate from a bank confirming that you have funds of your own to support you
or
that you have received a scholarship or similar funding. Include details of the amount and during which period you will receive the money.
or
that you have received a study grant or a salary (only doctoral students). Include de­tails of the amount and during which period you will receive the money.
Please do not enclose any education certificates.

Please note that the embassy or consulate where you submitted your application could require further documents. Visit www.swedenabroad.se or contact the embassy or consulate for more information.

Remember
If a permit from a central bank or equivalent is requi­red to transfer money from your country, you must enclose such a permit.

Important to submit a complete application
It is important that you send in a complete appli­cation for a residence permit as soon as you have been enrolled in a programme. You can not expect to receive a decision in time for the commencement of your programme if your application:

is not complete
arrives at the Migration Board when there is less than six weeks remaining before commencement of the programme even if you received late notification of enrolment.

Can the permit be extended?
When you apply for an extension you should use the form Application for a residence permit for students and doctoral students, No. 105031.

You must produce proof of acceptable study results to have your residence permit extended. You must also confirm that you have received money regularly for your support during the time you have been in Sweden. This can be done by means of a bank statement or similar document.

You must also show that you have been enrolled for continued full-time study and that you still have your support secured.

Where do I apply?
You apply for the permit at the Swedish embassy or a Swedish consulate in your home country or in the country where you are a permanent resident. Swedish embassies and consulates

The application for an extension of your residence permit can be submitted to any of the Migration Board permit units. You can also apply for an extension of your permit via the Migration Board website or you can send your application by post.

Addresses to the Migration Board's Permit Units

What does it cost.
Permit for, for example, a visit, work or study Adult SEK 1,000
Most people are required to pay an application fee. You will also be required to pay a fee when you apply for an extension of your permit. If your application is rejected the fee will not be refunded.

Fees for applications and how to pay
How long is the permit valid?
You can be granted a residence permit for one year at a time during the period of your study. If the period of study is less than one year you will be granted a residence permit that is valid for the length of the period of study.

Am I permitted to work?
You are permitted to work during the same period you have a residence permit. You do not need a separate work permit.

Permit for relatives
Your husband/wife or partner and unmarried children under the age of 18 years can be granted a residence permit if they can show, among other things, that their support is secured. In that case they will be granted a residence permit for the same period as you. However, they are not permitted to work.

Who decides?
The Migration Board decides on a residence permit for study purposes. The permit must be complete and be entered into your passport before you travel to Sweden. You will be notified of the decision by the embassy or the consulate where you submitted the application.

Where will your application be processed?
First-time applications from students at universities/colleges are processed by four of the Migration Board's permit units. Where yur application will be processed depends on which university/college you have been accepted to.This unit will process your application.

Revoking of your permit
The Migration Board can revoke your residence permit if, for example:

you do not register at the place of learning

you discontinue your studies

you do not satisfy the support requirement.

Appeal
If the Migration Board decides not to grant you a residence permit you can appeal against the decision within three weeks of the date on which you received the decision. The same applies if we revoke your permit. You send the appeal to the Migration Board. If the Board does not change its decision in line with your request the appeal will be forwarded to the Migration Court at one of the county administrative courts in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö.

If you have granted a person in Sweden power of attorney to represent you in the permit matter, he or she can prepare the appeal and submit it.

Forms
You can obtain or order forms on this website.Application Forms You can also order by e-mail, Distributionen@migrationsverket.se, fax 011-15 66 91 or by writing to the Migration Board, Distributionen, 601 70 Norrköping. Forms are also available at Swedish embassies and consulates.
If your documents are okay and convincing enough you get the visa. With the Swedish everything is pretty straight and done by the book.Do not forget that it might take sometime to get your reply.To make sure that you get your reply read this post i made about obtaining a visa to Sweden.
A little detail. You can also read more about education in Sweden on my website.You can check out the link at the end of this post. Education in Sweden
Good Luck!!

Sveriges Social System är bra

Jag kommer från ett land där vårt social system är vår familj. Det betyder att vi hjälper varandra så fort man kan. Familj handlar om alla dina mammas ,pappas familj och alla omkring. Ibland ser vi inte på närmarest sätt hur barn växer för att det finns många som kan hjälpa om man behöver hjälp om barnen.
Jag kom till Sverige för att studera men senare träffade jag min vackra fru och sen gifte vi oss och vi fick vår söta dotter. Jag var pappaledig i fem månader och det var en av den bästa tiden i mitt liv. Jag fick se hur ett barn växer på en nära sätt som jag har aldrig sett förut. Det var möjligt att jag kunde stanna hemma för att Sverige har ett bra social system som gör allt det här möjligt.
Man får mycket kärlek från barnen när man ger. Man är där och se hur alla förändringar hände.
Tack för att Sverige finns och tack för att jag har en vacker fru och ett sött barn.