Permanent Residency in Norway for Indians

Permanent residence or PR for Norway is the permit using which an individual can live and work in the country for an indefinite time. With Norway PR, individuals will have additional protection against expulsion.

Individuals who hold the Norway permanent residency can also invite or sponsor their family members for PR. The significant step for Norway's PR visa for Indians is to meet the eligibility requirements set by the official.

• The very first Norway PR eligibility requirement is that an individual must have lived in the country for a continuous period of 3 years. It means:

• Individuals cannot be without a residence permit for more than 3 months during 3 years of residence tenure.

• Individuals cannot be outside Norway for more than 7 months during the past three years of residence permit.

• Applicants who want to acquire a Norway permanent residency permit need to hold a temporary residence permit. The temporary residence acts as the basis for permanent residence. Those who have residence permits in the following categories can apply for Norway PR:

• Residence permits for work, including skilled workers and self-employed.

• Residence permit for protection or asylum or strong humanitarian grounds.

• Residence permit for family reunification.

• Applicants need to have a valid residence permit at the time of undergoing the Norway PR process.

• Applicants need to sustain themselves financially to acquire the Norway PR.

• Applicants who have been in the country on a residence permit have not received any financial support from the NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp) in the previous year.

• Another important aspect of Norway's PR eligibility is a clear criminal record.

• Individuals do not have any order for psychiatric treatment.

• Applicants who are between the ages of 16 to 64 years need to pass the social skills and language test of the country.

The list of documents applicants need to submit while applying for Norway PR for Indian nationals are:

• Duly signed and completed application form.

• Copy of the used pages of the passport and other travel documents for the last three years.

• Valid residence permit document.

• Proof of income.

• Document to support that you have not received any financial assistance from NAV(økonomisk sosialhjelp).

• Document to support applicants who have completed the required tuition hours and passed the social and language test.

• An authorised certificate stating that applicants have no criminal record.

• In case of Family Reunification for spouses/partners, an applicant need to provide:

• Copy of partner's passport.

• UDI's Declaration of Relationship form.

• Proof of time partners have spent in the country in the last three years.

• Any additional documents needed by the Norway officials.

To immigrate to Norway from India, an individual first needs to acquire a temporary residence, which can be done through the following listed ways:

Family Reunification - This is the program in which the person living in the country can invite their family members to the country on temporary residence. However, under this category, applicants need to have permanent housing and an annual income.

Applicants can apply for temporary residence under the family visa category. After staying in the country for over 5 years, applicants can start applying for permanent residence under the family reunification programme.

Marriage to a Norwegian Citizen - Applicants who marry a Norwegian citizen can apply for permanent residence and Norway citizenship for an Indian after three years of marriage and four years of living in a country. The applicant's entire duration of living in a country should be at least 7 years.

Education - Another way to acquire temporary residence in Norway is to apply for a course in an institute that is accredited by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. Applicants need to apply for full-time courses in the country.

Work - Another most straightforward way to get a temporary residence is to apply for work, which can be done quickly by signing up on the Norwegian Directorate for Immigration website. Norway also offers residence permits to seasonal workers. However, with the seasonal worker category, applicants can not apply for permanent residence.

Business - Individuals who want to start their business in Norway can seek temporary residence. This particular program by the Norwegian government is only suitable for individuals with the required educational and work experience. This kind of residence permit is only valid for one year. However, applicants can extend it if they want to, but the only condition for extension is that the business needs to be successful.

After getting a residence permit under this category, individuals can apply for permanent residence after 3 years and for citizenship after 8 years.

The following steps need to be followed to get the Norway PR for Indians:

1. Determine the Basis for Immigration -The very first step to acquiring the Norway PR is to know if applicants are meeting the eligibility criteria. For Non-European nationals, they must have permanent residence and have been living in the country for 3 years.

Applicants who have married Norwegian nationals can apply for both PR and Norway citizenship. Once the applicant is sure they are eligible to apply for the PR, they can initiate the process.

2. Gather All the Required Documents - Before initiating the Norway PR process, gather all the necessary documents. The official website has listed the checklist of documentation that applicants need to submit based on the applied category. The PR document list may vary depending on the residence permit the applicant holds.

3. Submit the Online Application at UDI Website - After gathering all the documents, visit the official UDI website to submit the online application form. Applicants need to create a user account by registering themselves at the portal.

The applicant needs to fill out the questionnaire correctly and then print out the checklist. All the other details of the permanent residence should be filled manually in the application form.

4. Pay the Norway PR Application Process Fees - After doing the online PR application submission and printing the application form, the applicant needs to pay the application fees using a Visa card or Mastercard.

Further, applicants who are paying the PR fees using a debit card should have sufficient money in their account. If the official portal does not support the card, applicants can try with the different cards.

Those who want to pay the Norway PR process fees offline can do it while handing out the application to local police service.

5. Handover Documents and Filled Application Form to Local Police Service - Depending on the PR request, applicants need to schedule an appointment at the local police service, where they need to submit the filled application form and all the documents.

On the appointment date, applicants need to take all the original documents with them along with the copies. The officials will verify the submitted documents with the original ones.

Once the verification is done, applicants can take the original documents home with them. Further, the documents that are not in English and Norwegian need to be translated by a public interpreter or translator.

Individuals who have been in the country for more than three years can start applying for the Norway PR process. Getting a Norway permanent residency can be a lengthy process. However, before starting the process, make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements.

The processing time for Norway PR can vary depending on who is processing it. Suppose the application is processed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). In that case, it may take 2 months, while the application that is processed by different police districts may take between 1 to 5 months. However, it is best to check the official website.

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