UDI Immigration Changes for 2010
At the beginning of each new year UDI takes the opportunity to make changes. Here are a few to watch out for in 2010:
Residence Permits
Name changes are ‘all the go’ right now.
- All Permits
UDI: The term “residence permit” replaces residence and work permits, so that all permits are called residence permits. In principle, a residence permit will entitle the holder to work in Norway, but in some cases, it will be specified that the residence permit does not entitle the holder to work or that certain restrictions will apply in relation to work. The term “work permit” will no longer be used.
- Permanent Residence Permit
UDI: A permanent residence permit entitles the holder to permanently reside and work in Norway. “Permanent residence permits” replace settlement permits in the new Act. This permit is granted to persons who have had permits for at least three consecutive years that form the basis for a permanent residence permit in Norway.
Also, the word “asylum” is being replaced by the politically correct word “protection”.
Work
There is good news for employers and employees – in general, you don’t have to wait for a Permit to be granted before starting work:
UDI: Early work start makes it possible to start working in Norway early. The arrangement with early work start makes it possible for work migrants to start working before the application for residence permit has been processed and granted.
There are also “easier” laws for EEA nationals to reside and work in Norway. In general, EEA nationals do not need to apply for residency.
Family Immigration
Unfortunately, Family Immigration will become a lot tougher. This is to curb the current trend of ‘marriage of convenience’.
UDI: The new Act introduces new criteria for granting family immigration permits. These are stricter requirements for assured subsistence (financial support) and a requirement of four years of work experience and/or education in Norway in order to be granted family immigration permits.
In family immigration cases, the main rule is that the person living in Norway must be able to document a sufficient income the year before he or she wishes to bring his/her family to Norway, and he/she must also be able to prove that he/she will have sufficient income the following year. In addition, a new requirement is introduced stating that the reference person in Norway, as a main rule, must not have received social security benefits in the past year.
The main rule is further that family immigration permits will not be granted, unless the reference person has worked or studied in Norway for four years.
Unfortunately, people before us have made some crazy moves that are making it tough for us now. In the last months a couple of instances have fronted in the papers about ‘marriage of convenience’. In particular, a Norwegian woman married a Tunisian man (16 years her younger) just after one week. They couldn’t communicate with each other as they had no common language and yet UDI failed to notice this ‘marriage of convenience’. The Norwegian Embassy in Tunisia was outraged with UDI’s “granted” decision. The Embassy refused to give the man a visa to leave the country. The Norwegian Ambassador to Tunisia, who had done a study on marriages between Tunisians and Norwegians, said:
We found out that in nearly 100% of the cases the marriage was dissolved, and that likewise, the time for dissolving the marriage was almost without exception, three years.
Being under fire for their year of failings to detect such instances, UDI has decided to make things tougher for everyone. As a result, there is a new immigration law in regards to marriage: As of January 1st, it is illegal of marry someone with the purpose of giving them entry into the country (whereas before, it was just illegal to charge money for it).
All these changes will take effect 01/01/2010. Make sure you check the UDI website periodically to be informed and updated.
Information correct at posting: http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Oversiktsider/The-new-Immigration-Act-and-Immigration-Regulations-/
Comments are now closed. Please read the whole article and the comments below, and you may very well find the answer to your question.
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Large wooden racks called hjell are for drying fish.
Norwegians love their mountainous nature so much they spend whatever time they can in it – for recreation, fitness, hunting or just family time.
Towards the water in a beautiful pocket of leafy oak trees is the Byneset Church.
Aursfjord is a branch of Malangen Fjord in Balsfjord.
Has Norway had many Muslims emigrate, similar to the experience other countries like Denmark, France, and Belgium for example?
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from L-Jay:
As of the 1st January 2009 there were 423,000 immigrants. Plus 86,000 second generation. It is estimated that up to 200,000 are of Muslim faith. Immigration of Muslims largely depends on the country of origin – as Pakistan has the second largest immigration to Norway the Muslim immigrant population was growing. Well over 50% of Muslims in Norway live in or near Oslo. Immigration through asylum is down because of new laws, therefore slowing Muslim immigration. Most immigration is through work permits – Poland has the largest immigration to Norway.
The 4-year wait for family reunion will most probably have some unintended consequences: a researcher who’s single and has a position at one of the universities to study for a Phd would need to think deeply about any existing serious romantic relationship outside of Norway: suspend it for another 4 years, rely on expensive visits, or …? The UDI ought to be able to handle this better than to punish everyone…
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from L-Jay:
Student Permits are different to Resident Permits. This is because a Student Permit is a ‘temporary permit’ granted only on the basis that the student will return home after their study – they are not permitted to stay in Norway. Student Permit holders can bring their family to Norway but their family live and work under the same conditions as the Student Permit holder – They must return home after the permit holder has finished studies and can only work part time, 20 hours max/week.
For Residency Permits: After three years Residency Permits lead to Permanent Residency Permit (the old Settlement Permit) which are only given to people who intend on living in Norway permanently. So this is specifically where the “4 year” work/study rule is effective. It is to stop immigrants migrating in a domino fashion, for example: resident permit holder-immigrant-A marries immigrant-B from Egypt who then migrates to Norway. Immigrant-B brings their immigrant family to Norway including immigrant-C, then immigrant-C marries Egyptian immigrant-D and brings them to Norway. Immigrant-D brings their daughter to Norway who marries Egyptian immigrant-E etc, etc. Technically all this can happen within two years. Immigrants groups/families who bring in family/spouses consecutively tend to end up being a strain on social welfare as they generally cannot get work because of the language barrier. The UDI is trying to develop a system where immigrants will support themselves and their families rather than sponging off the government as soon as they arrive. As the law was before, Norway couldn’t stop immigrants from abusing the system as they had the right to be reunified with their families – now immigrants have the right to be reunified and support their families.
The question is:
If an immigrant cannot support themselves or their family in Norway, should they have the right to immigrate?
Are PhD fellows considered as students? I think not.
You wrote: “The UDI is trying to develop a system where immigrants will support themselves and their families rather than sponging off the government as soon as they arrive.” — This has always been the case. Fellows here to study have always had to show that they are able to support their dependants prior to getting approval for family reunification.
You wrote: ” It is to stop immigrants migrating in a domino fashion, for example: resident permit holder-immigrant-A marries immigrant-B from Egypt who then migrates to Norway. Immigrant-B brings their immigrant family to Norway including immigrant-C, then immigrant-C marries Egyptian immigrant-D and brings them to Norway. Immigrant-D brings their daughter to Norway who marries Egyptian immigrant-E etc, etc. Technically all this can happen within two years. Immigrants groups/families who bring in family/spouses consecutively tend to end up being a strain on social welfare as they generally cannot get work because of the language barrier. # — This case you have described is improbable, even under the existing laws. (1) Under what arrangement would your “Immigrant-B” bring “their immigrant family” to Norway? (2) Who falls under “family” for “Immigrant-B”? (3) Does the UDI approve ‘family reunification’ without proof that the principal would be able to provide for the dependants?
As is clear in your original post, the sort of specific abuse this change is designed to stop applies manily to natives. The UDI is implementing an arrangement that also punishes honest and hardworking immigrants. And my particular concern here is related to researchers – and others who secure a professional job. Couldn’t an unintended outcome of this directive be a roundabout prevention of some single researchers from accepting positions in Norway?
Langauge many be a barrier, but for the sort of highly skilled immigrants I’m concerned about, language is seldom a serious issue.
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from L-Jay:
This all depends on if your Fellowship is cased as ‘work’ or ‘study’. Fellows may be considered “students” even though they are (half) employed. As mentioned the “4 year” regulation is for people who are coming in for work and residence – students are not on a standard ‘work and resident’ permit – they are on a ‘student’ permit – the rules are different.
Immigrant-B’s family can be children – a 17 year old is still classed as a child but still can legally get married with parents approval (which is a common age in many cultures for marriage). Then that child can bring in their spouse, who can be 17 who might be a parent themselves. etc. Legal adoption is another way people have previously ‘beaten the system’.
In regards to financial sustenance and residency permits (not students) – the law before only stated you need to prove you can earn 215,000kr a year – to do this, whether you are an immigrant or a national, you only needed a statement from your employer stating how much you earnt in the last three months. Or you could just show that you have the amount in your bank account. Once the permit was granted to the spouse/family the Norwegian or immigrant could quit work as further evidence of financial support was not needed for future residency permits. In fact, I know of a person who received a permit without being employed but having the potential of earning the sustenance amount after they moved to Norway. Because of the new law this now will likely not be done.
By logic, researchers will not be put out by this new law. It states that a person living in Norway needs four years of work and/or study to bring their family – it does not (as yet) specifically say the work and/or study needs to be all IN Norway for students/work permit holders. If a ‘hardworking immigrant’ has worked or studied for four years (whether in Norway or abroad) then there should be no problem with Family Immigration if they meet the living and financial requirements. In general, problems arise for immigrant workers/students being separated from their families when the workers/students application is submitted first and then the spouses/families application is submitted afterwards. This is because everyone has to ‘line-up’ – first come first served. Applications need to be submitted together/at the same time to make a smooth transition to Norway.
Also, UDI has stated that workers now have the chance to come to Norway and start work before a residency permit has been granted. Generally a spouse/family has the same rights as the worker – meaning they too will be able to enter at the same time, if, of course, the spouses/family’s application is submitted at the same time as the workers. It is exactly the same with student permits. This is because family cases are usually processed together. However, if there are two different applications by the same family which are submitted at two different times, you can understand how complications can arise, and separations can occur. This process might change, we’ll have to wait and see in the New Year for clarification.
What this new law does is take into consideration a persons history of work. The last system allowed people to be a dole bludger all their lives and then get work for three months to get their immigrant spouse into the country and then they could go back on the dole again. If you are a hard-working immigrant that has a good history of study and/or employment then you should be happy that you are exactly who the authorities want to approve for permits.
If what you post is correct, then it’s reasonable to conclude that the new UDI directives do not address the issues deeply enough. Consider the case of the Norwegian woman who marries a Tunisian man 16 years her junior after they’ve met for one week. What aspects of the new UDI directive would address this?
1) The Norwegian woman has lived and worked in Norway for more than 4 years.
2) The Norwegian woman could document economic sustenance for her brand new young Tunisian man for any number years: she’s loaded and has not ever received any social security benefits from the state.
3) And no, they both claim they’re deeply in love; they met on vacation and the love is deep. They got married less than 48 hours after they met, convinced that their love would overcome any barriers, including the small language problem.
How does this change – as contained in your post – address the original concern in this case?
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from L-Jay:
The UDI did approve the Tunisians application – the Embassy in Tunisia rejected it by not granting him a visa to leave the country. I think the matter is about proof that can be documented. From my own experience: Even though I have been married to a Norwegian for five years, have two Norwegian children, work in Norway, participate in society and have lived in Norway three years out of the last five, I still need to prove that my marriage is not ‘out of convenience’. I do this, like every other immigrant, by submitting a signed declaration from two Nationals every year saying they personally know me and can vouch that I am true and honest about my relationship with my Norwegian husband. As I live in Tromsø they do not have enough resources for personal interviews. If I lived in a bigger city they would interview both me and my Norwegian husband about personal things that only we would know about each other and then compare interviews. In a court of law you need substantial hard proof that someone is guilty – it is the same when immigration authorities need proof of character and integrity about a marriage. The Tunisian and the Norwegian do not have this proof.
One of the reasons the Tunisian marriage is questioned in Norway is because in Norway it is law for a marriage to be registered at least one month before a marriage is performed – for all Norwegians. And even before you register both parties, especially if one is from another country, there needs to be a certified ‘no impediment of marriage’ paper submitted saying both parties are not married to anyone else in the world and therefore are free to marry. Because the mentioned couple did not do this and wish to live in Norway, they have complicated things for themselves. But also remember, 100% of Tunisians divorce Norwegians when they are granted a Settlement in Norway.
It might be a pain to follow the rules but that is what you are going to have to do to live and work in Norway. Everyone is always trying to beat the system, and I know it sucks if you were born in a country that makes life difficult, and now Norway is being difficult too. But while immigrants want to come into Norway, Norwegians want to keep them out. Already 25% of people in Oslo are immigrants, Norwegians are scared they are loosing their country. So even though immigrants don’t think it is fair that they should be stopped at the border, think how unfair it would be to Norwegians if they let anyone in to their country who just says they are ‘in love’, a ‘hard-worker’ or are a ‘good person’.
I guess if you don’t like how Norway is run, being a researcher, you have other options than just Norway, which is more than some Norwegians.
I’d just like to remind Nimshi that L-Jay is not a representative of UDI. It is not her job to defend or justify the laws adopted by the government of Norway. I mean, what are you going to quiz her on next – the inequities of a global capitalist system which is subdivided into geographical areas of wealth and poverty?
Perhaps try turning off your academic switch for a moment and recognise that here is someone providing
information that is quite difficult to find, without asking for anything in return. I for one am grateful.
Perhaps you should form your questions and comments with that in mind.
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from L-Jay:
Thank you. I forget sometimes that I don’t have to defend the choices Norway makes. Hey, I don’t even have the right to vote…lol. But, as I’m feeling a little nostalgic at this time:
If I consider myself a case to study, I think it is interesting that an Australian immigrant is so passionate about the new country she lives in. I know I have some bad things to say sometimes but when I am at my finest I find myself in love. I’ve proven to myself that I believe in Norwegians and I believe in Norway. I’ve mentioned before in other comments when I look back at this time in my life I’ll see these years as the time I fell in love with Norway. For me right now I’m at the beginning of an exciting new love affair. I am smitten with Norway but also scared to commit. As a teenager I would probably throw myself at her and confess my undying love but as a 30-something I have a little more grace (I hope) and a little more wisdom to ensure I have a love that will last. So far, Norway has been the greatest lover I have ever had. Maybe one day she will say the same about me
.
Extra cheesy, I know, but it is also shocking to me that I could love another country more than my own. Maybe it’s because with Norway I get to choose?
Thanks for your comment – I’ll remember.
L-Jay:
your detailed response is appreciated.
It is again getting clearer that there is enough ambiguity in this new directive, so much so that until applications are rejected by UDI, the clarifications will not be clear; or the UDI may do just well to provide all the details, much as the lawyers in charge could to inform those who will be most affected by this change. As you note: the clarifications that follow should help.
Yet, it is unclear how this change affects the sort of situation described between the Tunisian man and the Norwegian woman; it appears that the focus of this law is other than you explained in your original post. This is, of course, peripheral to good service of informing which you provide without charge. The statistic of divorce for Tunisians married to Norwegians is depressing, and I’m certain this isn’t peculiar to Tunisians: other immigrants who have married Norwegians (the female partners being the Norwegians) have quite high divorce rates. The divorces usually happen after the immigrant partner has gained the right to live in Norway. It is clear from the available data – broken down by the country of origin of the immigrants – that there is an unmistakable trend; but this change does not directly address that.
I am not ungrateful for the service you provide, and the resources – time and others – consumed in providing it. But my question flowed directly from your original post: your post attempted an explanation of the background for the change and appears to explicitly imply that the change by UDI was designed to address “marriages of convenience”… And, oh: I have not complained about how “Norway is run”, but have advanced discussion based on the details of your post.
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from L-Jay:
The current law has always tried to stop Norwegians or settlement/resident holders from ‘marriage of convenience’ – meaning, marrying for some financial benefit just so the immigrant can skip countries.
(Bear with me, I’m also taking this opportunity to explain things to other readers)
In regards to immigrants in Norway on a residency permit:
I think the change will specifically apply to people who don’t have a family and don’t have a spouse/partner when they come to Norway as a work and residency permit holder. If you already have a spouse and family before moving to Norway then I don’t think the new rule will apply as you would bring them with you when you come. As it is now, your status must stay the same throughout your residency permit if you want to stay in Norway. For example, I got my residency permit with a ‘married’ status. If I get divorced during my residency permit my civil status has changed and therefore my residency permit will be terminated. I will either have to return to Australia to live or apply for a new residency permit with my new civil status. (I wouldn’t have to return to Australia to reapply or wait out the new application as Australians don’t need a visa to enter the Schengen area. But if you do need a visa then you might have to return to your home country and wait.) Likewise – if you enter Norway as a worker and then change your status to a student. I don’t know why the law is like this.
Yes, I do think this new law is specifically trying to further prevent ‘marriage of convenience’. (I guess, logic has it that if someone has good work or study for the last four years they are less likely to marry for money.) The new law is trying to stop people from capitalising off their residency permit/settlement/citizenship in Norway. It specifically targets those who immigrate to Norway and then plan to sell their ‘marriage’ off to the highest bidder so the ‘winner’ can buy their way into Norway, as they wouldn’t have been able to enter on their own merits. The new law is to deter these types of actions. (Another type of ‘marriage of convenience’ is arranged/forced marriage so whole families can benefit/capitalise from immigration to Norway.) The old law tried to stop this but was failing. So the new law was made, I guess in hopes that it will curb the already ‘epidemic’ of marriage of convenience cases.
This Tunisian marriage case arose in the papers late November in Norway but I presume the new law was already being written up by then. So this particular case has not influenced the change in law but I’m sure there have been thousands of other cases that have.
What I think the Tunisian marriage example points out is that ‘marriage of convenience’ isn’t necessarily just for financial gain but also done out of charity. It has been suggested that the Norwegian woman took pity on the Tunisian man and therefore married him (within less than a week of first knowing he existed) to help him to Norway. While this may be a noble cause in romantic realms, it is now against the law and is considered ‘marriage of convenience’. It was decided that the marriage was ‘pro forma’ when the Tunisian man hardly knew anything about his new Norwegian wife when interviewed by the Norwegian embassy.
I think it is funny that the government is putting out a message that marriage is supposed to be about ‘love’. (A love that leaves a paper trail…lol.)
In regards to single immigrants who enter Norway on a work permit and then want to marry an immigrant and bring them to Norway:
(We need more clarification) but at the moment, you will need to prove that you are not trying to beat the system and accept to follow the new law. If you already have a partner, bring them with you to Norway at the same time to save you some trouble. If you are already a new work permit holder and have just met the (immigrant) love of your life while on holiday you have several options to help them to Norway:
1. You can wait out the four years to immigrate them via family reunification as a spouse or a fiancé. Also, if you plan to stay in Norway, you can become a Settlement holder after three years which will help your cause.
2. Your partner can study in Norway – certain 3rd world countries have special arrangements with Norway to make it easier.
3. Your partner can work in Norway which includes establishing a personal business
4. If your partner is under 30 and from a certain country, they can go on a one year working holiday to Norway
These options might change according to more clarification of the law (in two days
-
A clarification: in one of the early responses, L-Jay wrote:
“By logic, researchers will not be put out by this new law. It states that a person living in Norway needs four years of work and/or study to bring their family – it does not (as yet) specifically say the work and/or study needs to be all IN Norway for students/work permit holders.”
This does not appear to be correct; perhaps there has been an early update to the UDI website, but here’s what’s there as of this writing:
“These are stricter requirements for assured subsistence (financial support) and a requirement of four years of work experience and/or education in Norway in order to be granted family immigration permits.”
The section ends with a repetition, perhaps for emphasis:
“The main rule is further that family immigration permits will not be granted, unless the reference person has worked or studied in Norway for four years.”
The UDI may be on to something… it is now less than 28 hours to the end of December 2009…
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from L-Jay:
I think you are picking out pieces instead of looking at the overall picture. Within the same paragraph of your first quote of me above, I am specifically talking about immigrants who already have families and spouses before moving to Norway.
The other two quotes from UDI you picked out are missing the who this new law applies to. This is what I’ve been trying to tell all along – who this applies to, such as:
from the post itself:
there is a new immigration law in regards to marriage
from my first reply to you
Student Permit holders can bring their family to Norway but their family live and work under the same conditions as the Student Permit holder –
from my second reply to you
Generally a spouse/family has the same rights as the worker – meaning they too will be able to enter at the same time, if, of course, the spouses/family’s application is submitted at the same time as the workers.
also – This all depends on if your Fellowship is cased as ‘work’ or ’study’. Fellows may be considered “students” even though they are (half) employed – students are not on a standard ‘work and resident’ permit – they are on a ’student’ permit – the rules are different.
from my fourth reply to you
I think the change will specifically apply to people who don’t have a family and don’t have a spouse/partner when they come to Norway as a work and residency permit holder. If you already have a spouse and family before moving to Norway then I don’t think the new rule will apply as you would bring them with you when you come.
and then to help people with suggestions
In regards to single immigrants who enter Norway on a work permit and then want to marry an immigrant and bring them to Norway…
and yes I did say at the beginning – which you quoted me on above:
By logic, researchers will not be put out by this new law. It states that a person living in Norway needs four years of work and/or study to bring their family – it does not (as yet) specifically say the work and/or study needs to be all IN Norway for students/work permit holders.
Now let me show you that immigrant workers and students do not need to ‘be put out by this new law’:
What you are missing in my argument is the fact that the law specifically applies to immigrants who have established a family from abroad after moving to Norway.
From the UDI website:
Firstly:
Secondly:
Thirdly:
I presume you fall under the exemption category of a work or study permit?
I hope this clarifies things
L-Jay: again, your clarifications – if they are correct – confirm the concerns in my original post:
“… a researcher who’s single and has a position at one of the universities to study for a Phd would need to think deeply about any existing serious romantic relationship outside of Norway: suspend it for another 4 years, rely on expensive visits, or …? ”
I don’t think I missed anything re: “What you are missing in my argument is the fact that the law specifically applies to immigrants who have established a family from abroad after moving to Norway.” — The examples given on the UDI webpage make for interesting reading, and they’ll firmly restrict those who fall under the details of my original post. The 4-year requirement (in Norway) applies to this group.
And, er, you appear to be under the impression that my posts are based on some consideration for personal circumstances; you couldn’t be more wrong…
In any case, I wish you a Merry New Year.
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from L-Jay
I don’t know how I can make this any more clear to you:
If you are in Norway on a work or student permit, the four-year rule does NOT apply to you.
If the researcher is ‘single’ and ‘in an existing relationship’, meaning the couple have lived together for the past two years before coming to Norway,( this in Norway is considered cohabitation), the cohabitant can apply for family immigration on the same permit as the resident.
If the resercher didn’t live with the person of the serious relationship (for at least two years) prior to moving to Norway, it means their relationship status is just ‘girlfriend/boyfriend’ and therefore legally (in any Wesern law) they have no claim to each other. Whether in the old law or the new, the person ouside of Norway cannot apply to enter Norway on the grounds of Family Reunification.
UDI says:
Girlfriends/Boyfirends, no matter how serious, have no claim to each other in the eyes of Western law.
UDI says:
You cannot even come to Norway as an engaged couple unless you state you will get married within six months of entry.
UDI says:
An example – UDI wouldn’t give me a residency permit if I was just Moose’s girlfriend, period. But if I had documented proof (like rental or water bill) that I lived with him outside of Norway for two years, I would be considered his ‘co-habitant’ and therefore can enter Norway through Family Reunification.
Godt nytt år!
Ugh so much to read and take in
Husband and I are applying for my visa this month… thankfully there hasn’t been too many major changes to the way in which we are applying.
In any case, wish us luck – I think we’ll need it haha
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from Moose:
Good luck!
Hi,
Thanks again for this post… In view of this, I don’t know how valid my post on the other thread is… But this raises a few more questions, then.
My fiancee has only started working in Norway in September. He holds an Irish passport. I currently hold a passport from the Caribbean.
So, question is – does this 4 year rule apply to him? As in, do we have to wait 4 years before we can apply for this fiancee permit? And what if we get married outside of Norway, like in England – would we have to wait 4 years before the application is valid then?
Thank you.
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from L-Jay:
You must apply for the Permit in which your partner living in Norway is on. UDI says:
It seems in your case you must apply for “residence permit pursuant” to the general regulations. Also, if your EEA fiancé has been granted a ‘pursuant’ Permit, you (a non-EEA citizen) cannot apply for a fiancé permit. UDI says:
This means you cannot marry your fiancé in Norway via a Fiancé Permit.
Please refer to the links for more information or contact your nearest Norwegian mission office.
Thanks for that – from the previous post though I got this –
You can apply for a fiancé permit if the person you are going to marry is a Norwegian citizen or lives in Norway and holds a permanent residence permit (settlement permit) or a residence permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit
From his job, he DOES hace a residdence permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit…
Also, and I don’t know if this complicates things, or makes them easier, or whether I should as the consulate here about this – We’re a gay couple. i.e. Norway is one of the 5 countries in the world which legalises gay marriage, so I’m not entirely sure as to the predicament of that situation. Any advice there?
Thanks again, L – Jay.
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from L-Jay:
I would certainly tell the consulate!!! You don’t want to hide anything from them. They might think something is wrong with your application as two people of the same sex are applying for a Fiancé Permit. I don’t think they get many gay couples applying for Family Immigration. But you also have to be careful as they might think you are just going to Norway to get married. This can cause problems for you if you get married in Norway and then you return home to your country of residence – or want to live anywhere else were gay marriage is not permitted. The gay marriage law (I think) is intended for Norwegian citizens. I think that this is to protect you, a non-Norwegian permanent resident as you still might get sent home on a normal residency permit. The Norwegian government doesn’t want you to get married and then you go to live in India and get stoned. But you cannot hide this info from them – it’s not a matter of discrimination that gay people have to mention their sexual preferences and straight people don’t – it’s a matter of your safety and being honest in your dealings with Norway.
HI!
I AM A NEW IMMIGRANT IN NORWAY..I GET MARRIED LAST YEAR WITH A NORWEGIAN CITIZEN..I LIVED IN NORWAY ONLY FOR 6 MOUNTHS AND I AM PREGNANT FOR TWO MOUNTS AGO… UNFORTUNATELY THE LIFE WITH MY HUSBAND IS BECOMING IMPOSSIBLE AND UNFORTUNATELY EVEN WE WERE IN LOVE IT DOESN’T WORK WITH US AS IT WAS BEFORE I COME TO NORWAY..I AM THINKING SERIOUSELY ABOUT DIVORCE BUT I AM PREGNANT AND I LIVED IN NORWAY ONLY 6 MOUNTHS I DIDN’T WORK YET AND I JUST STARTED NORWEGIAN COURSES FOR ONE MOUNTH AND HALF.. WHAT I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO BE MARIED IN NORWAY TREE YEARS THAT I CAN STAY PERMANENTLY.. HAVE I TO STAY MARRIED UNTIL I GIVE THE BIRTH TO MY BABY OR IF I DO THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT NORWAY TAKE MY BABY AND SEND ME BACK TO MY COUNTRY WICH IS MOROCCO???? OR HAVE I RIGHT TO STAY EVEN AFTER DIVORCE BECAUSE I AM PREGNANT OR IF I HAVE NORWEGIAN CHILD????
THANK YOU TO HELP
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from L-Jay:
Your residency permit has been granted on the grounds that you are married. If you get a divorce your residency permit will be cancelled and you will have to leave Norway. In order for you to get a divorce in Norway you need to be separated for at lease a year – this separation needs to be registered with the government. This will, of course, break your residency permit agreement and puts you in a difficult situation.
However, if you can prove that the unborn baby is your husbands – he signs a declaration or you get genetic tests – you might be able to get a residency permit based on compassionate grounds – meaning the baby has a right to live in the same country as the father. Your baby will not be taken away from you. However, if your husband says the baby isn’t his then it gets very complicated.
The main problem is your situation will seem ‘fishy’. On the surface it looks like you just got married/pregnant so you can get into Norway. UDI will treat your case very carefully (and slowly) as they won’t want to make a mistake by granting you stay. You will need to be up-front with UDI and you cannot hide this from your husband as UDI will need to contact him and ask questions about your situation.
You need to talk to UDI about this.
This is for Samira. I am also Moroccan and looking for Moroccan community in Olso. If this meets your interest, write me on manbar85@hotmail.com, otherwise good luck and safe birth. Sorry L-Jau to use your block as social red but her case push me to someway try to do something.
Thanks
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER L-JAY
MY HUSBAND KNOW THAT I AM PREGNANT I DIDN’T HIDE IT..ACTUALLY THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HE IS THE FATHER AND IT IS HIM WHO DOESN’T ACCEPT THE DIVORCE BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT HIS BABY FAR FROM HIM..I ASKED YOU BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID TO ME THAT THEY WILL TAKE MY BABY AWAY FROM ME IF I DON’T GO BACK BEFORE MY BABY BORN..AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IT IS SCARY..
IT IS CLEAR THAT MY BABY CAN HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION AND GOOD LIFE HERE AND THAT’S WHY I AM INTERESTED TO STAY IN NORWAY..ONLY FOR MY BABY NOT FOR MY SELF..ACTUALLY I DIDN’T LIKE NORWAY….
I AM THINKING OF DIVORCE AND I SPOKE ABOUT IT TO MY HUSBAND BUT HE DOESN’T ACCEPT IT..HE SAID THAT HE WILL CHANGE AND IT WILL BE OK WITH US.. AND I STILL CONFUSED ABOUT IT..I COULDN’T STAND THE NEW CULTURE AND THE COLD AND THE EMPTY CITY…
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from L-Jay:
Most immigrants find it extremely hard to adjust to Norway, especially from non-English speaking, non-European countries. The thing to help you survive is to surround yourself with ‘community’. You need to make the effort, if it doesn’t work then you need to make more of an effort to connect with Norwegians. Norwegians are shy and laid back and don’t get involved with other people unless a huge effort has been made. It’s great that you are going to Norskkurs as you can make some immigrant friends as well.
It’s a big problem about your husband not wanting a divorce – it puts you in a difficult situation. If you do divorce him without him wanting to then it could get tricky when the child is born – like ‘custody battles’ and ‘suing for care of the child’ if things aren’t worked out. You will also need to prove to the authorities that you can work and earn money for the child.
But in regards to residency permit (if you get a divorce) you could probably get a Family Permit because your child will be a Norwegian citizen (based on the father’s citizenship). UDI says:
hope this helps
Hi,
I am trying to understand the Family Immigration process and the success rate. I will explain my situation as below so you can perhaps help me out a bit.
I am a Malaysian citizen and my partner is a Norway citizen. We met each other online through an internet dating website and we have started our relationship since 26th September 2009. On the 09th of January 2010, he came to Malaysia to visit me for the first time for a period of three weeks. In the coming April, I will be travelling to Norway to visit him for two months and during that time we also plan to get married in Norway.
After that, when I come back to Malaysia, we plan to submit our application for Family Immigration so that we will be able to live and be together in the same country soon after.
As based on my situation above, I have a few questions as below:
1) Do I need a transcript or official letter from the police in Norway when my future husband has been interviewed? How does this process goes? Please advise.
2) Is it a requirement that I should have a certain amount of cash in my bank account as prove and submit the bank statement for the application?
3) Can I as a Malaysian Citizen apply for the Family Immigration in Norway? If yes, then what are the process involved?
4) Can I travel into Norway during the application process of Family Immigration?
5) How long is the maximum period of time that I need to wait for the result of the application for Family Immigration?
6) If our application gets rejected, then how and when do we appeal or resubmit? please advise the process involves.
7) Based on the history of how my future husband and I met, what are the chances that the application for Family Immigration will be a success?
9) As mentioned, we plan to get married in Norway on April 2010, please advise how best we should do this and what are the procedures and documents needed.
I really appreciate you help in answering all my inquires. Many thanks in advance.
Best Regards,
Alexis
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from L-Jay:
Hi Alexis
All these questions have straightforward answers on UDI. if you just go to the website (www.udi.no) and read up on the family immigration you’ll get all the info you need. Also if you read this post it will answer most of the questions you have asked. If you read the other comments all your questions and more will certainly be answered. We do try to leave this comment section for obscure circumstances. Your circumstance is very normal and clear.
You might also want to read a new post just as good info: Norwegian men and import brides
Cheers
Hi,
My situation is pretty normal and clear, thats good to hear. Thanks for the article but i am pretty sure mine is not the “wrong” type of Norwegian guy.
Of all the questions, there is one that i can not really find an answer too. That is Based on the history of how my future husband and I met, what are the chances that the application for Family Immigration will be a success?
Any comments on that particular question.
Best Regards,
Alexis
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from L-Jay:
A lot of people find each other on the internet these days however, to get to the point of marriage you at least need to have met each other. You both will be interviewed about your relationship. The authorities will take extra care with your application so don’t be surprised that it will take longer than first expected. The authorities also need to make sure you are a willing participant of the marriage. You need to be open and truthful, especially about your age. (They can bring in age interpreters if they suspect a person is under age by Norwegian law.) Actually visiting Norway is always a plus before you commit to immigrating. A major factor will be if your fiancé can financially support. He has to be prepared to support you financially for at least three years. If he can’t then it will be very hard to win a case.
Hey,
Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it. Anyways we are waiting till end of the year before moving forward.
I would like to ask about jobs for asians in Norway. What are the requirements to find a professional job in Norway. I am thinking of teaching English as i am doing the professional course. Or perhaps you can advise me the jobs that are in demand in Norway now.
Thanks again.
Best Regards,
Alexis
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from L-Jay:
There are not many English teacher job around – it is because everyone already learns English for 8 years at school. There are some English language jobs in the business sector teaching corporate clients business-English. Of course there are High School English teachers but you need a four year teaching qualification in general to do that. The problem with teaching English in Norway is that everyone does it. You even need to know English to go to uni. Even though a lot of Norwegians aren’t that good in English they know enough to get by. You would be much more employable if you also teach French, German, Russia and Italian.
Usually immigrants won’t get a job in Norway unless they speak Norwegian or have a specific qualification like a doctors or engineer education. The jobs that I see ‘Asians’ get are cleaning jobs or child care jobs, or they start up their own shop or restaurant.
You will most likely need to get re-educated here in Norway if you want to earn good money and you won’t be able to do that unless you pass a Norwegian language test (this usually requires about 6 months of full-time Norwegian language classes.)
Jobs in demand are cleaning jobs, child care jobs, off shore oil industry jobs, health care and administration. A at least 50% of jobs are word-of-mouth, so you need to know people in your industry to get hooked up.
In coming to Norway you really need a whole bunch of skills and education so you can go for more jobs. You can’t just do one thing, there are not enough jobs available to wait for a job in your industry.
This has been a very informative site to which I have gained more information in 20 minutes then my 20 -30 visits to the UDI site. Thank you for taking the time to carefully go through all the postings and replying as accurately as possible.
The one question that I cannot seem to receive an accurate answer on is the timeline for UDI. I am an American citizen and my plan was to marry my Norwegian wife in the fall of 2010. We applied for the finance visa in January 7, 2010 and were told that it takes about 6 months for approval. We contacted the UDI in Norway in February and now they say it is a minimum of 12 months and in the interim I cannot visit Norway or it will void my application. Can that be? That time of rules seem draconian for those trying to start a family. If gay marriage was legal in NY I would never move to Norway but for that and various other reasons I am being pulled 3000 miles away from my home, which I love. Now I am beginning to notice they don’t do want foreigners marrying their people.
Anyway I digress. What are the realistic timelines I can expect from the UDI for the application process?
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from L-Jay:
At the beginning of the year is when UDI receives the greatest amount of applications. Your application is put in line so the 10,000 who have applied before you come before you and the 10,000 who apply after… etc. The time change is not unusual for the beginning of the year.
UDI says in regards to Family Immigration:
The ones in bold may apply to your case.
So the reason why UDI now says 12 months is because they know more about your individual case. The fact that you are only coming to Norway just to have a gay marriage is not a strong argument for immigration – Norway not only wants you to immigrate but become a Norwegian citizen in which you would have to renounce your American citizenship. (Of course you don’t have to but Norway wants you to come to Norway and be Norwegian.)
Also, UDI needs to be careful because if you get married in Norway and then want to leave to live in another country you could break the law in that country just by being in a gay marriage (in some countries you’d get stoned to death).
The US is also known to be uncooperative in giving up their citizens to other countries. Every American that I personally know in Norway has had to wait ridiculous amounts of time because the US just wouldn’t release their information to Norway.
The other reasons could be that your information isn’t clear enough, or detailed enough or that you didn’t stress that this will be a gay family reunification. Even though gay marriage is permitted in Norway, people immigrating through gay marriage still gets the same treatment as everyone else.
Did you hand in all forms like the ‘No Impediment’ to marriage? Also, why do you need to enter on a fiancé permit? In general, US citizens can enter Norway, then get married and then apply for family reunification from within the country.
UDI says:
As a general rule US citizens don’t require a visa to enter the Schengen area and therefore should be able to apply for family immigration from within Norway.
Call up the embassy and see if you are able to enter Norway and then apply from within after your marriage. You might be lucky
.
Hei!
I have seen that you have helped so many others getting the right answers to their UDI Qs =)
I am a Venezuelan national and I am living in Norway with a student visa that expires at the end of August 2010.
I will continue to study next year so I could easily re-new my study-permit. However my Swedish boyfriend has proposed to me and we wish to get married.
Can I get married with him under a student visa?
Can I apply for a family residence permit from a Student visa under de contition that we have formed a same-sex marriage in Norway?
THANX!!!
Andrés
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from L-Jay:
Venezuelan nationals don’t need visas which generally means you can enter Norway and marry a Norwegian citizen and apply for family reunification from within Norway. However, as you have entered Norway on a student visa/residency, part of the conditions is that you will return back to your home country after your visa expires. Also, your fiancé is Swedish and therefore they are in Norway on a Nordic agreement. Nordic agreement residents have a special arrangement, however, UDI says:
UDI also says:
I suggest you call the embassy to confirm details as same sex marriages can have a complicated application process. People often want to just defect to Norway to have a gay marriage – but Norway only wants people who want to be Norwegians. Also, there is no legal recognition in Venezuela of same sex marriage. Returning back to your home country being married can cause a lot of problems for you and the Norwegian government will want to make sure that the marriage will not cause life threatening problems for you.
I first of all want to thank you for this detailed information. I do however have a couple of questions. I am engaged to a Norwegian citizen. I have visited him and he has visited me in America. He is wants us to be married and live in Norway. I will not live with him before marriage for religious reasons. Either way, we will apply for a fiance permit. Once approved, I will go to Norway and get married and then apply for the family reunification. Will I have to leave the country and wait in America for the approval or can I remain in Norway with my husband? I’m sorry if I am asking a stupid question. Thank you!
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from L-Jay:
Because of your citizenship you should be able to apply in Norway for family reunification after marriage and stay in Norway until it is approved. Unfortunatley, not living with your fiancé can pose a problem. UDI says you must live together:
The purpose of this permit is to enable you to get married in Norway. The permit is valid for six months. You must live with your fiancé in Norway during this period. If you do not get married in the course of six months, you must leave Norway.
http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Family-immigration/Fiance-permit-get-married-or-enter-into-partnership/
I am an asylumn seeker and i have been living with my boyfriend for 1 year and 2 months. He is a british who was married to a norwegian woman and they have 2 children. He has lived here for over 30 years and is 3 years divorced. I am currently pregnant with him, will my baby be granted norwegian citizen.
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from L-Jay:
Not unless you or your British partner has Norwegian citizenship. UDI says:
Thanks for the reply but will this guarantee my status as an asylum seeker as we are having a child together and we are planning to get married legally soon.
Thanks in advance.
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from L-Jay:
No it won’t. In fact, if your status changes, e.g. from being unmarried to married, this could frustrate you asylum application or cancel it. Even if you are on a residency permit and your status changes, you have to re-apply. If you have to re-apply for residency you may have to leave the country to do so. This is largely because your partner is not a Norwegian citizen and you are from a country that needs a visa to enter Norway.
For you to get married in Norway your government will need to provide details that you have not been married before. If you are seeking asylum, your government might not be so co-operative in giving Norway these details therefore delaying your marriage.
It might be best to wait for your application to be approved before changing your status.
Thanks L- Jay. I confirmed with my boyfriend last night he said he has citizenship as he has even a norwegian passport and when he got married 30 years ago they lived in norway not england and that his life is here as his children are here.
Please advice because we want to know the process as we want to get married before the baby comes.
Regards,
Elsa
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from L-Jay:
I suggest that you contact UDI and ask what will happen to your application if your status changes. The UDI has changed many things in 2010 and they haven’t updated a lot of their pages yet. But in general, if your fiancé is Norwegian then his is not British anymore. Even still, you still have to follow the same rules, processes and waiting periods as everyone else. And you still might have to leave the country if your status changes depending on your citizenship. Your newborn will be Norwegian because of your fiancés Norwegian citizenship but that still doesn’t mean you will have the right to stay in Norway. Your fiancé will have to acknowledge that the child is his but sometimes the government can order paternity tests to confirm. This is because you first applied for asylum which is a serious application and now wish to change your status from refugee to family reunification. I suggest you be open and honest with UDI – be forth coming with all information and go the extra mile to help them with the process. Being transparent and helpful is the best thing you can do with UDI.
hey i m a tunisian gril and i m engaged to a norwegin boy we are so in love and because we can not get married in tunisia since he is not muslan so we decided to get married in norway so we applyed for fincee visum but it is been now 3mnths and there is nothing yet.i want to konw how much time we have to wait so we can get together.thank you
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from Moose:
Expect at least 6 months to a year. This is the processing time for straight forward cases – and it doesn’t seem like your case is that straight forward. You come from a country that requires a visa to enter Norway, and this will make it take even longer. It also depends on how cooperative the Tunisian authorities are with providing information about your application. Do not be surprised if your application takes up to two years. Good luck.
Just have this question to be clarified on;
I have been given admission to study in Norway, but is coming up at a time when i am pregnant for my fiancee though we’re both non Norwegians,I wish to know the possibility of me obtaining a Visa being a prospective Graduate student though pregnant, and if given a Visa what Status will be of the child when i deliver in Norway
-Also, just incase VISA isnt granted,and i suceed to deffer the admission.If i finally get to be in noorway what is the possibilty of inviting the child and my fiancee?
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from L-Jay:
Many students have babies in Norway, however, the universities advise against it and recommend you defer until the baby is born as the work/study load and new life would be too much for a pregnancy or living with a new born. Your child will not be Norwegian as you and your fiancé are not Norwegian. For a child to be Norwegian it must have at least one parent with Norwegian citizenship. You can apply to bring your family over while you study but it is best to do this at the same time as your study visa application.
am an asylum seeker since 2008 but have never got reply.no work permit bse no id.
i presented papers for my wife who is also a refugee in another country .unhcr papaers.
advise pse
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from L-Jay:
Asylum seekers without ids usually cannot leave the country after asylum has been granted unless it is back to their home country. (This is because no other country will let you in.) Because of your ‘no id’ issues you are going to have a big problem bringing your wife to Norway. You need to be truthful to UDI telling them what country you are from and give them all your details including copies of your passport if you want the right to bring your wife to Norway.
the problem is that most countries in Africa dont take marriega,birth or passports as important as europeans.
very few have these docs.
and secondly,it depends on how on left his or her country.
I left mine home,house burnt with everything but my wife managed to flee with her voters card to another country where he got refugee status and other papaers from unhcr.
I have sent all these docs to udi though they are for my wife and not mine.
Are they of any assistance as far as my case is concerned.
am of the view that they can call unhcr to confirm since they are doubting my origin.
am readyto take blood tests or any tests.
thnx for ur advise
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from L-Jay:
It is unfortunate that some people don’t have legal documents as it does make the process of immigration much harder. One of the things that asylum seekers usually don’t know is once they are granted residence in a country they cannot usually leave. This is not because they don’t have rights to leave but because many countries (like the US for instance) will not accept asylum seekers from another country who don’t have official documents like a passport. You can only obtain a passport if you are a citizen of a country. If you don’t have any documents to say that you are a citizen the process is frustrated. Asylum seekers are not citizens and therefore cannot get passports. I had a friend from Sudan who was granted asylum in Norway. He was accepted into a university in the USA with full scholarship but the American authorities would not let him into the country because he didn’t have a passport and he was an asylum seeker. Once you are granted asylum in one country you usually cannot migrate to other countries.
It is likely that your application process will be more vigourous than others. You will likely need to be interviewed, have your age tested and be put on a probationary wait. It is odd that you have your wife’s papers and yet she has refugee status in another country. You need to be honest and forthcoming with your information to UDI. The other thing that is a concern is that you being in one country and your wife in another especially if she is a refugee and now has papers from that country (meaning asylum status?). Laws from both countries might make it hard for you two to be together.
Am an asylum seeker. like the one above,my husband has positiveor refugee status in Tanzania bse we fled bse he had married a munyamulenge woman as a socond wife who was suspected to be Nkundas spy and for that my family was persecuted. We ran in different directions until this year when i have just leant that he is there. we have no children but married.
I have not yet got a responce from goverment and now he cant join me.
Suppose i seek to return thruogh IMO,where will they take me?Tanzania or Congo?
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from L-Jay:
UDI does take their time. If you wait you might get a positive reply. I’d suggest to get a conformation letter of a approval or rejection first before leaving Norway. Your husband is likely not allowed in Norway because he practises plural marriage and of his second wifes background.
Am an asylum seeker. like the one above,my husband has positiveor refugee status in Tanzania bse we fled bse he had married a munyamulenge woman as a socond wife who was suspected to be Nkundas spy and for that my family was persecuted. We ran in different directions until this year when i have just leant that he is there. we have no children but married.
I have not yet got a responce from goverment and now he cant join me.
Suppose i seek to return thruogh IMO,where will they take me?Tanzania or Congo?
What my freind who came pregnant in 2008,gave birth here.what will happen to her and her child since she has got a negative answer from UDI?
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from L-Jay:
Her child will not be a Norwegian citizen unless one of its parents is. It is likely the child will be sent back with her as the child is not Norwegian. The Norway will not keep the child.
What about my first question where IOM will take me if i wanted to return.
where will they take me. Tanzania where my husband is or Congo my country where i currently dont a family and i fled from persecution.
He is a recognised refugee in that country.
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from L-Jay:
By law the Norwegian authorties will not put you in a place where your life is in danger. I advise you to contact them.
Dear Sis,
I am an Argentine citizen and have been admitted to postgraduate studies in Oslo. I shall file my residence permit application next week and I wonder if I should wait in my home country until the permit is granted, or whether I´m allowed to enter Norway as a tourist (Argentine citizens need no tourist visa) and await the residence permit in Norway. I´m concerned because UDI says the process may take between 2 and 3 months, so I would be too close to the starting date. Thanking you in advance.
Regards
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from Moose:
Yes – you should wait in your country until your applicaton is approved, as a change in your status is likely to cancel your application, or at least complicate it.
Hi. How is a child born in Norway registered if both parents are not norwegians. My boyfriend has been living and working in Norway with oil industry for over 22 years. He has a house a summer house and he pays norwegian tax so he lives here in Norway permanently. Am expecting his child soon, please advice.
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from L-Jay:
You will likely need to register the child in Norway if you are residents but the child will not be Norwegian. You will likely have to register the birth in your home country so the child can have your citizenship.
Supposing ana asylumseeker has a cronic diseaser like diabates,what chances does he or she have to remain since in He fled and if taken back will not get adequet treatment and good meals.
Or what does the Norwegian laws say about chronic illness.
By the way am diabetic myself,i cant return to country bse of problems there.My husband is also suffering in Tz thus even i join him,he is of no help as u all know africa.
Thnx for ur advise
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from L-Jay:
Because of European law, Norway does have a responsibility for those who need medical treatment, however, it depends on the individual’s asylum application and severity of disease. (If you are an asylum seeker in another country you cannot jump from country to country. Once you apply that is it – you have to stay in that country.) Certain populations are more receptacle to diseases such as people of African heritage with diabetes. Your case will be assessed and depending on certain criteria it will be accepted or rejected. You will, of course, need to get tested by a Norwegian doctor. There are many degrees of diabetes and most of them are manageable with diet. If you require drugs and they are available in your own country or that your own country has a medical system that works with diabetes, there should be no reason you need to stay in Norway because of health.
thnx for the response.
As i have already told u,i cant go back to Congo bse of the reasons i left.
Two,My family is currently in Tanzania where they dont get enough or almost have nothing to survive on
in otherwards ,if i join them i will never get good treatment let alone the diet required.
But my case isnt handled here.three years now.
Can i be given humanitarian positive on those grounds.
remember,Diabetes doesnt cure.
Hello, I am from Serbia,married to Icelandic man. We lived on Iceland two years and because of economic crisis which blow away Iceland
we decided to move in Norway,but….my husband came here in February 2009. and I applied from Norwegian embassy on Iceland in April 2009. So, it is 13 months since we applied (me and my daughter) and there has been no answer for us from UDI. I’m not able to work,they allowed me to come in Norway when Serbia got in to Schengen,before that we were separated for 11 months. This situation completely destroyed our finance situation because only him is working for more than one year.In UDI or police we couldn’t get any information about our case,they just say “it is not ready yet” and that is all! Last information is that it will be over this month,but we don’t trust them any more because they said that before. This is going to destroy our marriage too because my husband has began to think to go back on Iceland because of this and I don’t want to go there anymore because it was terrible for me to live there and I was so happy to leave that place. I don’t know what they are waiting for and why they behave like this to us.By the way,our marriage is not out of convenience,it is good,loving marriage,and we don’t want to divorce for any other reason.This is not question for you L-Jay or Moose,this is just one story for people who want to come here and what can happen to them.
best regards!
supposing someone seeks asylum with a different identity,rejected goes back to his country,remains in touch with his girl friend here,the girl follows him and they get married.
Is it possible for that person come back now on family re-union here and be allowed to stay thereafter?
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from L-Jay:
Well, a person who has given false information to the authorities have broken Norwegian law. Resident permit holders who break the law are returned home to their country. If you have broken Norwegian law and een deported hen your chances are grim.
hi L-Jay you have been so informative for others i would like to know whether the earnings of a student during legal 20hours/week are subjected to Tex.is there any starting wages of a student on which taxes are applied or there is no starting limit? what are the rules for taxation for student part time income? i appreciate your answer and keep good work up
cheers
shery
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from L-Jay:
I believe you are not taxed up to kr.50,000, however, the government still takes tax out and then you get reimbursed at the end of financial year. Working 20 hours a week a student should expect to get at least kr.80,-100,000 p.a. So about 36% for the excess on kr.50,000 will be taxed. (However, it is hard for an immigrant student to work in Norway unless it is in a nursing home or cleaning a hotel.)
barengayabo zilifa says:
thnx for the response.
As i have already told u,i cant go back to Congo bse of the reasons i left.
Two,My family is currently in Tanzania where they dont get enough or almost have nothing to survive on
in otherwards ,if i join them i will never get good treatment let alone the diet required.
But my case isnt handled here.three years now.
Can i be given humanitarian positive on those grounds.
remember,Diabetes doesnt cure.
_____________________
from L-Jay:
Obviously if it has taken three years there is likely to be a problem with your application. Contact the authorities and find out your status. If you haven’t even been tested yet for diabetes or needed to give proof to UDI with your application that you have diabetes then I’d say that your disease might not have any weight in UDI’s decision. Diabetes is an extremely common disease. I’m sure type 2 diabetes isn’t enough to warrent approval with humanitarian status. If you are in constant need of drugs to survive then it might be a different case – however if this was so then you wouldn’t have made it to Norway.
Your health problems might not be the issue here. Usually UDI takes longer when you haven’t provided the right information, you have tried to hide things or your story doesn’t add up. There are many warning signs for UDI – like if you apply for one residency staus and then swap to another or if you tell them all the people you want to bring over instead of concentrating on your own residency first. One of the major issues is people seeking asylum first in one country and then going to another to seek asylum again. These people have no claim. Internationl law staes you can only apply for asylum once in one country – you cannot jump around. This is because once you are safe, you are safe. You cannot beat the system. UDI also needs to check who your family members are. If you are relative to someone of an unhealthy nature then you are less likely to be approved residency in Norway. This is because once you have residency and settlement then you are allowed to bring family to Norway through reunification. This is why UDI is very strict with who they let into Norway.
Im sure if your diabetes was a concern for UDI you would know it by now. I suggest you talk to UDI with the attitude of helping them with your case. I cannot answer anymore of your questions.
Good luck.
Hi L-Jay
What do you say about the new post study law which applies to students who would like stay in norway and look for jobs?
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from L-Jay:
It enables students to immigrate to Norway (if they can find a job).
hi
am from nigeria and i have no parents aneymore am an orphan,my parents was kild by niger delta militants,my life is in danger now.but still norwaygean govt is given me paper to leav the country,is it a proper thing,how did they want me to survived i dont even have house to leav now.can you see?
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from L-Jay:
People who apply for asylum in Norway don’t understand that Norway already knows that most of Africa is a life threatening place. Norway can’t save everyone but what they do do is help people who are deserving. The ‘deserving’ are those who tell the truth, those who do not hide things and those who are up-standing people. There is obviously something in your application and your story that doesn’t warrant you to stay in Norway. Character is one of the most important pieces of information authorities collect on you. You show characer through your conduct, through your speech and through your story. For example – how an asylum seeker gets to Norway is a big give away on character. If they get to Norway via airplane (which is basically the only way from a third world country) it means they had a passport when they left their original country. When they reach Norway and they mysteriously don’t have a passport then this is a matter of character. It doesn’t go down well with any authoritites in any country. Another example: when you are safe you are safe. An asylum seeker is only allowed ‘one pass’ – meaning you can only seek asylum once. If a person jumps from country to country seeking asylum they have no claim. This also tells authorities they are trying to beat the system. This is also a matter of character. No matter how bad your life has been you cannot deceieve governments to grant you asylum.
Of course, if you disagree with UDIs decision you can have the case go to court. But if rejected in court you will be sent home immediately.
my husband is going norway as a master degree student.so how long it takes him to take is spouse,can spouse travel assoon as possible?
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from L-Jay:
If you have applied for a visa straightway with your husband when he got the master’s position then the applications are likely to be done together. However, if you apply separately then you are likely going to have to wait longer. The waiting process depends on your application: for example, if you haven’t filled out something correctly the process will take longer.
he is on self finance in masters course not in scholarships so can i apply as his dependant together, i am his wife.what do i need to do if i can apply together with him now,he is going to apply soon.
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from L-Jay:
UDI says:
But you need to apply ASAP!!!!! –
thank you L-jay….. he is applying tomorrow.i heard i can apply after 3months do i need to show bank balance showing that i can survive there with him with out job. He tried for scholarship but he was not granted so now going on selffinance.I want to go with him as soon as possible.
Hi,
I asked this question before. But you didnt reply. I will appricate, if you can give me your views on it.
If sponser dont have pervious year income dosucment. and even if he didnt fall in any excpetion catagoriy.
so can he submit the application for family immigration? and what will be the result as per your point of view?
Regards
Aamir
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from L-Jay:
We have answered your questions but you are looking in the wrong post. Go to the post: Work and Residency Permits in Norway and you will find both your comment and our answer there.
Thank you Dear,
Can you please let me know that
If sponser dont have pervious year income and even if he didnt fall in any excpetion caritaria.
Can he submit the application for family immigration? and what will be the result as per your point of view?
Thank you
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from L-Jay:
UDI will want to know how your sponsor will support you. If they have lots of money in the bank at their disposal they should include a bank statement in your application as supporting evidence. Or if they have just started work they will need wage statements for three months plus a declaration from their employer saying what they will earn and that they are in a permanent position. Also, family permit immigrants cannot get unemployment benefits unless they have worked at least nine months to a year first. If your sponsor cannot prove they have enough money to support you, your application is likely to be denied, and you cannot immigrate to Norway.
Hi L-Jay, i talked to you earlier on regarding registration of my baby that is due soon. Unfortunately me and my boyfriend we don`t come from the same country am african and he is english. We contacted the british embassy but they said that he has been living here in Norway and he pays taxes here not in england. Am an asylum seeker as i indicated before. Please advice on if am entitled to some child benefits as he pays taxes here and what will happens. to the child registration.
Thanks in advance.
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from L-Jay:
UDI says a child at birth can only be Norwegian if one of its parents are Norwegian. The child will likely be English and you will need to register the birth with the English authorities. If you become a Norwegian citizen after seven years from the initial grant of a residency permit then you can apply for Norwegian citizenship for the child afterwards.
UDI says:
In terms of getting benefits – as an asyum seeker your benefits are limited – you will not get maternity leave money or any other money related to birth-work benefits if you have not worked. At the moment Norwegian law states that a father’s benefits is relative to the mother’s benefits. Since you are not entitiled to benefits this will affect the father’s benefit.
For more info on social benefits please read the posts:
Do You Really Want to Live in Norway
Norwegain Naional Insurance Scheme
hi there i am a palestinian refugee in lebanon and GAY, here in lebanon we are discriminated for being palestinians so how about for also being GAY?! as you all know how the arabian society treat us, i seek help to immigrate to norway if any one can help me or give me a link to gay rights in norway that can help me immigrating to norway discreetly without mentioning to the lebanese government that i am gay or my family with know and it will turn to hell.
please help me out guys
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from L-Jay:
Being gay doesn’t give you any privilege to migrate to Norway. You will have to come public with your gay status to proove to UDI you are gay by providing evience. (Unfortunately claimig yourself ‘gay’ is the new way refugees and asylum seekers try to beat the system.) In fact, claiming that you are gay can frustrate your immigration as the authorities will have to take it into account that if you are deported from Norway back to your home country then your gay status could put your life in danger so it would be safer for you to be rejected in the first place.
Claiming you are gay isn’t a strong case for asylum.
Usually in refugee camps the UN comes around with forms for immigration. It will be a very long wait and you won’t get a choice of what country they will send you to but it will be a safe place and that is all that matters. Rememeber, when you are an asylum seeker you have reduced rights, can’t travel to other countries or are not guarenteed residency.
hi
i married with norwigain for 3 years then i apply for permenet resident perment but we separated before they replay to me, i have baby and i am frid if they refuse my application after separation, it is 10 months no replay, please advice
susan
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from L-Jay:
To be legally separated from a partner you need to have registered the separation with the authorities. This is especially so if you want a divorce. You cannot get a divorce without one year registered separation first. Your permit is from the date of your application so they back date it to that even if over many months. In taking so long there might be a problem with your application. Call up UDI and see if there is a problem and ask them if they need any more information from you. Some problems arise if your partner reports your separation to UDI thinking that it might make you have to leave the country but if the child that you have is from a Norwegian partner then you will more than likely be able to apply for compassionate consideration (as in the case of vikibjorg in the comments from the post Work and Residency Permits for Norway).
when i contacted them by e-mail they just say it is under processing nothing else, is that means no problems?
thanks for your help
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from L-Jay:
Well, it should e no problem then. I knew an American gal who had to wait two years for her permit. So it happens to everyone. Just make sure to keep all records of any contact you’ve had with UDI just in case. I would also ask for the persons name who I talked to or a reference number.
my case is the same with susan. I’ve sent my application for student permit in march 2010 because my offer letter from the unibversity is on 6.6.2010. I’ve missed the registration date laready and have to ask my SV to give a new date. That still be ok but my sponsor (malaysian government) will be taken back if i failed to register by Nov. 2010. eventhough it’s still months to go, but with their same answer through email, it makes me headache and cannot plan anything esp. housing etc. why UDI doesn’t want to tell us through email if our application/documents are fault/missing? what they meant by ‘financial subsistence’ document also was not very clear as they don’t want the own funds and thrid party recommendations (this is the case for family imigration). can you help me with these problem? thanks?
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from L-Jay:
For the funds – you need to show documentary evidence that you have enough financial funds to live in Norway. The uni will contact you and help you set up a bank account to where you can put your funds. The funds do need to be transfered to Norway as proof that you have them but this usually happens right before you go.
For the timing – it applies to everyone. If you have missed the deadline most people have to wait til the following year to apply again. The Norwegian uni processing time is very slow – even for in country residence. Norwegians generally don’t find out they have gotten into their course until the end of June. Not much time to quit your job, move and prepare before uni starts.
About emails – they are never really secure and never trackable. With mail letters can be tracked and registered by an outside authority which makes them ‘legally official’ and can even hold in a court of law.
Uni placements – usually the Norwegian placement authority does things as soon as they can. The main reason they have the deadline is because many people go on Summer holidays from June and therefor it will take twice as long to process and send out replies with only half the staff working.
Being late in your application is like missing the boat – they will not make the boat turn around for just one person.
Hi
Regarding norwigian language , the 300 hr rule, is it enugh to have prove 2 exam and ((fre tak)) from the schole even with out finsh the 300 hrs
regards
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from L-Jay:
If you have done an authorised test stating your level of achievement or a school transcipt (high school Norwegian) then that should be ok but you need to check with UDI first if they will recognise the institution. If you don’t have these then you can do the Bergens test in Norway which is level 3. Otherwise you willl need to clock up the 300 hours as proof for UDI.
Reading through your original post and some of the comments it appears that where you submit your application can have an effect on how it is processed…In one of your replies above you state
“Even though I have been married to a Norwegian for five years, have two Norwegian children, work in Norway, participate in society and have lived in Norway three years out of the last five, I still need to prove that my marriage is not ‘out of convenience’. I do this, like every other immigrant, by submitting a signed declaration from two Nationals every year saying they personally know me and can vouch that I am true and honest about my relationship with my Norwegian husband. As I live in Tromsø they do not have enough resources for personal interviews. If I lived in a bigger city they would interview both me and my Norwegian husband about personal things that only we would know about each other and then compare interviews.”
I’m also an Australian, and live in Trondheim with my Norwegian Husband – been here 2 1/2 years now and have recently submitted my 2nd visa renewal application – in that time I’ve never had to submit a declaration from anyone other than myself & my husband (for the 2 renewals this has consisted of us each of us simply filling in our name, address & personal numbers on a form we had to sign) or attend an interview. For both of my renewal applications I was just required to submit the application & a passport photo, they took copies of the pages in my passport & gave us the form to sign at the office.
Likewise, it also seems that because most applications are handled locally rather than in some central UDI office, where you live can have a widely varying effect on how long it takes for your application to be processed. For example the Australian wife of a friend of my husband, submitted her initial application in Oslo and from what I was told it took less than 2 weeks (certainly less than a month) to be approved. In comparrison, my initial application took 8 months to be processed and based on the information on the Sør-Trondelag Police district website (https://www.politi.no/sor_trondelag/om_oss/Tema_705.xhtml) they’re currently working on renewal applications from November – so I’m expecting at least a 7 month wait (probably longer with summer comming up) on my latest application. Then again, like Tromsø they seem to have a lack of staff here so much so as described on the same website they open the queue ticket machine 1 hour before they open, and have to close it again 10 minutes later when they reach their daily quota
“Today we are serving 50 customers at the front desk at the Immigration Office. The numbering machine opened at 0800 and was closed at 0810.”
The joys of immigration I supose…at least my next application will be for my permanent visa….after that will come the question of citizenship, although I’m not sure I want to give up my Australian citizenship, despite the benefits of becoming a Norwegian citizen oh well got another 4 1/2 years to think on that one….
Beck
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from L-Jay:
It is interesting what you said about the photocopies of your passport. Last time they said I didn’t have to submit or copy mine because they said they already had it on record and didn’t want to waste the paper…lol.
The processes are very much different depending on where you are. I’ve applied both from within Norway and then from London. From within Norway was just after I first got married and moved to Norway. Then I left and live in London which canceled my residency. Then I applied from the London consulate and it was so much easier than doing it from inside Norway. In fact, I applied in London and then moved to Norway (because I was nearly six months pregnant at the time). My application followed me to Alta and then followed me to Tromsø when I moved there. This is obviously the reason it took so long but the London consulate told me it would only take a couple of weeks going through them as they don’t get many applications from there (and they are faster). However, they lost some of my records before they sent them to Alta…lol. and then it snowballed from there.
Citizenship is a bigger step in Norway than most countries because you have to renounce your country of birth first before you can apply. It’s like treason…lol. Hopefully they will one day allow duel citizenship for normal cases instead of this ‘alt for Norge’ deal. I’ve heard that most immigrants only do it for retirement purposes. But if I stay Australian it will give my kids an opportunity to live there if they want to.
Hie,I am deligheted to find this site.Thanks for clarifying so many issues that we ask ,and dont really get it.My question is i have applied for a renewal of my student permit from last year and i havent received it to present.I desperately wanting a break it has been a stressing wait with answer like your permit is still on process.while my application is still on process am allowed to travel aotside norway and come back? Example i would like to visit finland and france.Please you take on this would be much appreciated. thanks
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from L-Jay:
To be safe I wouldn’t leave the country just in case as it migt cause prolems on your return. If you need a visa to be in the Schengen area and it has expired, going to a country like France can cause problems for you.
hea l-jay you have very nice advices and you lifted so many worries mind in deed…i like your blogging here and it gives me some info…but im sorry i will still have some questions regarding my stand here in norway….this june 21,2010 i will be 7months working here in norway as au-pair…and i have a norwegian boyfriend since march…i meet him at filipinaheart.com which is very famous dating website in my home country philippine..i am engaged formally with him last june 12,he wants to marry me here,im thinking if that would be possible,he is working in narvik kommune,without college degree,he is very worry about the situation,he is citizen here and have his own house.i am in deep thinking now what shall i do because this summer he wants to marry me…but as i read in udi the norwegian man should have sufficient income.i dont know if his income is sufficient to support me and i am also working as au-pair how can we get marry in this case?im sorry i have lots of questions l-jay hoping your responce..
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from L-Jay:
You are in a tough situation. Your conduct shows you have broken the rules of your country and this will be very unfavourable to any application you will apply for for stay in Norway. This is because character is very important in tthe application process. Your character, through your actions, will not be presented in a good light. UDI says:
This means that you have not been honest wit your own country. UDI will need to work with the Phillipines for a residency permit so this is likely going to be extremely hard and long process. You will likely have to return back to the Philipines to apply for family reunification. Then the question will be will the Philipine government allow you to leave. UDI says:
These rules are designed to stop au pairs from coming to Norway to get married. At this point it doesn’t matter if you are in love, you have broken the rules of your own country and trying the get married while you and an au pair will be breaking te rules in Norway. You could do it but you will pay greatly for it. Really it will comes down to how much your Norwegian fiance loves you – is he willing to go through this?
But to get you on the road – te first thing you need to do is get a certificate of No Impediment to Marry from the Philipine government. Good luck.