Immigration lawyer Norway

Immigration lawyer Norway

We assist foreigners with immigration applications and setting up a business in Norway. For persons residing outside the EU/EEA area an immigration application is required.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (“UDI”) is responsible for processing applications from foreign nationals who wish to visit or live in Norway, the running of asylum reception centres and expulsions cases.

UDI has a well developed website were one can find valuable information about how to apply, where to deliver the application and which documentation that is required.

Family immigration

This type of permit is applied for if you have a family member in Norway who you want to come and live with. Typically for spouses, cohabitants, financés, children, parents and other family members. The processing time for these types of permits is usually quite long, but it varies depending on which country you are from. Generally one should expect around 12 months processing time. Updated processing times can be found on UDI’s website.

If you have recently married and wish to live together in Norway, you may be eligible to apply for a family immigration permit. This permit allows spouses to reunite and build a life together in Norway. Below is a summary of the key requirements and steps involved in the process.

General Requirements for Both Spouses

• Application Fee: An application fee must be paid when you apply.
• Valid Marriage or Partnership: Your marriage or partnership must be legally and genuinely entered into.
• Recognition of Marriage: If your marriage took place outside Norway, it must be possible for it to be recognized under Norwegian law.
• Intention to Live Together: Both partners must have clear plans to live together in Norway.
• No Forced or Circumvention Marriage: The marriage must not have involved coercion or have been entered into solely to obtain a residence permit.
• Minimum Age: Both spouses must be at least 24 years old.

Requirements for the Applicant (the Person Applying to Live in Norway)

• Proof of Identity: You must be able to verify your identity with valid documentation, such as a passport.
• No Entry Ban: You must not be subject to any ban preventing entry to Norway or any Schengen country.

Requirements for the Reference Person (the Spouse Living in Norway)

• Income Requirement:
  • The spouse living in Norway must have a pre-tax income of at least NOK 416,512 per year (as of June 2025).
  • This requirement is updated each May; the stated amount applies if you are applying now.
  • The reference person must have had this level of income last year, at the time of application, and continue meeting it the first year the family member receives the permit.
  • Only certain income sources count towards this requirement; it’s important to check which sources qualify and if any exemptions are possible.

Next Steps

If you and your spouse meet these requirements, you may proceed with your application for a family immigration permit. Be sure to review the official guidance from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) for detailed instructions, up-to-date requirements, and a list of any potential exemptions.

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Work immigration

If you are a skilled worker or a seasonal worker and would like to work in Norway you would need this type of permit. These types of permits generally have less processing time with UDI. To obtain a skilled worker permit, then you need to be considered a skilled worker and the job needs to require a skilled worker competence.

If you wish to work in Norway as a skilled worker, you must meet specific requirements regarding your qualifications, the job offer, and employment conditions. This article outlines the key criteria, special considerations, and your rights and obligations once granted a skilled worker residence permit.

Below you can find more information about skilled worker visa with an employer in Norway.

Education and Qualification Requirements

You must have one of the following:

• Completed Vocational Training
  At least three years of upper secondary school-level vocational training (for example, as a carpenter or health worker). This training must correspond to a vocational program offered in Norway.

• University or University College Education
  A completed degree from a university or university college, such as a bachelor’s degree in engineering or nursing.

• Special Qualifications
  Skills acquired through extensive professional experience (usually at least six years), possibly combined with coursework or formal education. You need to demonstrate that your competence is equivalent to someone with vocational education in your trade. Detailed work certificates and documentation from previous employers are essential. Be aware that these applications are less likely to be approved and many are rejected.

Note on Documentation:
Applications from certain countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Kosovo, Nepal, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Vietnam) within the restaurant, automotive, and construction industries face stricter scrutiny due to previous incidents of fraudulent or incorrect documentation—especially for positions like chef, car mechanic, carpenter, painter, bricklayer, or hairdresser.

Employment Requirements

• Concrete Job Offer
  You must have a specific job offer from one employer in Norway.

• Full-Time Position
  The job is typically required to be full-time, but positions of at least 80% are also acceptable.

• Appropriate Qualifications
  The job you are offered must require qualifications as a skilled worker, and you must meet those qualifications.

• Standard Pay and Conditions
  Your pay and working conditions must be no less than what is normal for the role in Norway.

Special Requirements

• Authorisation or Recognition
  For certain professions (such as health personnel), you need recognition or authorisation from the relevant Norwegian authority (e.g., the Norwegian Directorate of Health).

• Staffing Agencies
  If you will work through a staffing agency, you must provide a detailed list of planned assignments, confirmed by the businesses involved. The agency must also be registered with the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. Your permit will cover only the time required to complete these assignments.

Rights and Obligations

• Permit Duration

  • If your position requires vocational training, the permit can last up to one year at a time.
  • If your position requires university-level education, it may be granted for up to three years at a time. Permits may be shorter if your employment situation changes or more frequent checks are needed (e.g., if working through a staffing agency).
  • After three years, you may apply for permanent residence in Norway.

• Family Immigration
  Your immediate family may apply to join you in Norway. Applications submitted together will be processed simultaneously.

• Changing Employers or Positions

  • If you change employer but keep the same type of skilled position, a new permit is not needed, but you must notify the police within seven days.
  • If you change to a different type of position (with the same or a new employer), you must apply for a new permit and cannot begin the new job until it is granted.

• Unemployment
  If you lose your job, you must notify local police within seven days. You may stay in Norway for up to six months to find a new job, as long as your residence permit remains valid.

• Remote Work
  Remote work is only allowed if it is explicitly part of the job for which you were granted a permit.

Processing times and fee

There may be delays in processing skilled worker applications, especially for jobs that require vocational-level qualifications and originate from certain sectors due to rigorous document verification. You must pay an application fee when applying for a skilled worker residence permit.

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Appealing a decision

Be aware that the deadline for appealing a decision is 3 weeks from the date on which you, your authorised representative or your lawyer received the decision or when you should have become aware of the decision. If you have not managed to get all the documentation you would like to enclose with your appeal within the 3 weeks period, you still have to submit the appeal within the 3 weeks but you can write in the appeal that you would like to send in more documentation. You will then typically be granted another 2 weeks to submit the rest of the documentation.

Before you send in an appeal you should make sure that you have can document your case properly so that you have the best possible chance of getting the appeal accepted.

What happens when you appeal?

When you appeal then the UDI will reconsider your case. Then there could be two outcomes; the UDI could either grant your appeal or forward it to the Immigration Appeals Board (“UNE”) for consideration. If it is forwarded to UNE they will consider your case again, and either reject or grant your appeal.

Can UDI cover my legal expenses if I appeal?

In some cases one can get the legal expenses covered. Four conditions needs to be met:

• the UDI changed the decision in you case after you appealed
• the expenses were necessary in order to get the decision changed
• the reason why the UDI changed the decision was not that your situation had changed after the first decision, for example that you got a pay increase
• the reason why the UDI changed the decision was that the immigration authorities had made a mistake, for example that the application was rejected because they overlooked that you had handed in an employment contract before we made the decision

You have to apply for coverage of legal expenses no later than three weeks after you received the answer for your appeal.

How can we help?

Since the waiting time for a lot of application types are quite long these days, it is beneficial to make sure that the application fulfills the requirements the first time that it is sent in. In this way one would avoid having to appeal or submitting another application with new waiting time.

Get in touch with us to discuss your case either through phone: +47 23688558 or e-mail: post@reinholdt.no.

Experienced law firm

We regularly assist foreigners with immigration law in Norway. We are also listed on the UK Government site

We have also contributed to the ICLG corporate immigration guide for 2024. 

Other articles that might be of interest:

• Planning to do business in Norway?
• Norway digital nomad visa: How to guide