Nordic region balancing the need for labour and risk of dumping

Offers four types of work permits:

– The Pay Limit Scheme If you have a job offer from a Danish employer that pays more than DKK 375,000 you are eligible for a work and residence permit.

– The Positive List If you have skills in an occupation where there is a lack of qualified workers, you can obtain a work and residence permit in very little time.

– The Business Scheme Allows businesses with foreign activities to import labour from daughter companies.

– Green Card If you can score enough points based upon criteria such as age, education, language skills and work experience, you can obtain a two to three year residence permit.

FINLAND

Changed its Aliens Act in 2004. Immigrants from third-countries must have a job offer in order to get a residence permit. They will also be considered against the labour needs of the relevant industry. Immigration has so far been modest. Special rules apply to certain groups like students and researchers. The government proposed to simplify the regulations in December 2009. 

ICELAND

Experienced a large increase in foreign labour during the boom years, peaking in summer 2007. The finance crisis has hit Iceland very hard and unemployment has risen sharply. The country does not see the need to recruit foreign labour in the foreseeable future. 

NORWAY

Introduced a new Aliens Act in 2008. Immigrants from third-countries must have a job offer in order to get a residence permit. Those with documented annual income of at least NOK 500,000 are allowed general work and residence permits with no weighing of the labour needs in the industry. There is also a special quota of 5,000 specialists who don't meet the salary demand.

SWEDEN 

Changed its Aliens Act on 15 December 2008. Sweden has done most out of the Nordic countries to simplify the work and residence permit situation and leaves a lot of the responsibility with employers. So far there has been no marketing to attract foreign labour, but labour market councillors work in Beijing and Brussels. With companies in charge of their own foreign recruitment, there is little need for state-sponsored recruitment drives.