Norway | Financial assistance requirement for permanent residence changed

Norwegian officials announced they have lifted the requirement that permanent resident applicants cannot have received financial assistance under the Social Services Act.

Key Points:

• Norwegian officials removed the requirement that permanent resident applicants must prove they have not received any financial assistance in the last 12 months when applying for a permit.
• Effective immediately, permanent residence applicants only have to prove that they received a certain amount of income in the last year.
• Exemptions to the income requirement apply to certain groups of individuals, including students and people with disabilities, among others.

Additional Information: The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration stated that permanent residence applicants must prove that they have earned at least NOK 296,550 (about US$26,900) in the previous year. Exceptions do apply for certain individuals either through employment or alternative means of financial support.

BAL Analysis: The announcement is a welcome change for permanent resident applicants and should provide greater access to candidates who previously were unable to qualify.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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