This week I made my return to Sweden after a visit home to the US. The bus ride from the airport gave me so many flashbacks to the day I arrived in Sweden as a new student in 2020.
I remember taking the KTH Arrival Days bus from the airport and chatting with a fellow new student from Singapore along the way. I remember watching the forest go by and thinking how amazing a place with mostly forest between the airport and city must be. And most of all, I remember being thrilled by all the newness and opportunity that lay ahead.
![KTH Entre and a view of campus with students gathered for KTH Arrival Days in autumn 2020](https://i0.wp.com/www.kth.se/blogs/studentblog/files/2022/09/IMG_8030.jpg?resize=840%2C558&ssl=1)
Pulling up to KTH Entre two years ago doesn’t feel that long ago, but for me, two years has come and gone in a blink. Since graduating, I took a bit of vacation to see family and friends and make the most of the remainder of summer before I begin working full time.
My recent return to Sweden has really felt like a homecoming. But being here after finishing my studies was made possible by my application being granted for what is essentially a job seekers visa; it’s available specifically to graduates of Swedish master’s programmes and provides residency for up to 9 months in order to apply for jobs in Sweden.
![One of many idyllic streets of Stockholm, with traditional architecture and a bustling streetscape](https://i0.wp.com/www.kth.se/blogs/studentblog/files/2022/09/IMG_8706-1.jpg?resize=840%2C558&ssl=1)
I think it’s great that Sweden and an increasing number of other European countries offer a similar opportunity. It’s a great way to retain graduates and gives them a better chance of pursuing a career abroad. If you fall in love with Sweden as much as I have, maybe you’ll want to check it out as a future option – more important info from Migrationsverket here.
// Claire