The Swedish Migration Agency has set a new 30-day target for concluding residency permit applications from foreign PhD students and their dependents, in what it hopes will mean better service for higher education. AdvertisementSweden's government has ordered the agency to shorten processing times and increase the proportion of decisions made within the statutory time frame (in other words, within 30 days), especially when it concerns residency permits for work, study and research. The new model for handling permits for PhD students is based on a similar process to that the agency brought in for work permits back in 2024, which led to significantly reduced processing times. "In order to increase the proportion of complete cases and thus shorten processing times, we are improving the service, starting early in the application process," Christine Davidsson, section manager at the agency, said in a press release. As part of the new service, the agency has created a new section for researchers and PhD students on its website, giving advice on providing a complete application which will qualify for the 30-day track.