Trying to move to Sweden, need help figuring out visa

Hello, As far as I can understand it those friends of yours had come as "high skilled employees who are non EU residents", under this project https://ec.europa.eu/immigration/countr … -worker_en

While since you don't apply as a US citizen and since you don't fall under this "EU resident with 5 year residence permit category" https://www.migrationsverket.se/English … dents.html

You seemed to have got stuck between two EU laws which have made you to neither non EU citizen nor to EU resident with 5 year permit.

Have you tried to apply solely as a US citizen?

(Please note that; everything is written above is only a speculation, I could be totally wrong)

I don't know if I specified this already. I am living in Estonia with a 5-year residency permit. As you said, my friends do qualify as "high skilled employees who are non EU residents" or rather non-citizens. Since I graduated from the same program as them and have similar work experience my impression has been that I would also qualify as a high skilled worker in a specialized field . . .

"Persons who have lived in an EU country for at least five years with a residence permit may apply for long-term resident status in that country. Persons who are granted long-term resident status receive a special EC/EU residence permit. This gives them certain rights, similar to those of an EU citizen. This makes it easier for them to move to another EU country in order to work, study, start their own business or live on their pension, for example." Do you fulfill the line that is boldfaced?

I have only lived in Estonia for four years, not five. And in any case my residency visa only applies to Estonia

My guess is either you have to wait for another year to fulfill to obtain your full EU rights or apply as a high skilled non EU resident, as I said earlier solely as a US citizen which make you to high skilled non EU citizen.  All the best!