Permanent. The one-year visa I can get is the opposite of permanent.
“And since you’re employed in Canada, and you’re able to do your job from here, there’s no justification to sponsor you for immigration to Sweden.”
“Got it,” I reply, keeping my face fixed in the most professional expression I can muster. “What if it’s a one-year visa that’s eligible for extension?” That’s worth a try, at least.
Ajay squints at his screen. “According to the email HR sent me, we can only approve transfer requests to any EU country if you show us a national residence permit specifically for permanent residence, or evidence of citizenship in an EEA country, whatever that is. Or Switzerland works, too. Are you secretly Swiss?”
I shake my head. I have two passports, Canadian and American, but neither of them let me stay in Sweden for more than three months.
Noticing my sour expression, Ajay puts on a sympathetic face. “I know you were looking forward to going, and I’m sorry that it isn’t up to me to make the rules,” he says. “Besides, it isn’t impossible. You just need to find a way to get a three-yearSwedish visa without company involvement, or find a different internal position that’s eligible for sponsorship.”
Without anything else productive to say, I thank Ajay for letting me know, sign off, and let my head fall onto my desk.
I guess it’s time to break the bad news to Erik and search for other jobs.
Company says that I need a permanent visa to transfer my job. The one year working holiday thing doesn’t cut it.
Erik Norberg
Oh no I’m sorry to hear that :(
Are you doing okay?
No, but the fact that he asked makes me feel a bit better.
I’ll be fine, my manager said that the company will sponsor me for a work permit if I can find a job based in Sweden
So that’s what I’m going to do now
Sounds like a plan but it still sucks. No game tn so lmk if you want to call
It’s eight on a Friday there, so I’m not going to make Erik stay in and talk to me when he should be out with his friends.
Thanks, I think I need to spam job applications on the portal rn. Going to watch baseball later so hopefully that’ll take my mind off of things
Sounds good. Have fun!
I send out a couple of job applications to the few jobs at the company that are based out of Sweden. As I’m about to look forones in the rest of Scandinavia just in case, I get a text. It might be Erik, so I check it immediately.
It isn’t Erik, but it’s James, so my mood still lifts.
James Hernandez
Confirming two tickets for the 7PM game tn, you still in?
Hell yeah. Need it after the day I’ve had lol
Oh shit, tell me abt it over drinks after. I got good seats for you guys so hopefully that cheers you up a bit
James texts me the tickets, and they’re in the private area right behind home plate.
HOLY SHIT THESE SEATS ARE AMAZING
Thank you so much man I really appreciate it
Np, hope you enjoy them!
It’s after three on a Friday, and my entire team is offline, so I log off. If this company is jerking me around and taking months to do so, they can deal with me taking back two hours of my day.
