New rules for trainees from 1 September
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs have decided this. The reason why the rules have changed is that Norwegian authorities wishes to restrict residence permits for interns to those who have a need for practical training as a part of their education.
What is new?
- You who are going to be an intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30.
- You must be studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
- You must hand in detailed information from your place of study regarding your education, which shows why it is important for your education that you get the opportunity to be an intern.
- You cannot previously have finished higher education at the same level.
- Normally, you cannot previously have been an intern, or have worked in the same field as the one you are going to intern in.
- You can get a residence permit as an intern for up to six months. In very special circumstances, you can be granted a residence permit for up to 12 months.
- It is not possible to renew your residence permit as an intern.
Information for you who are going to hand in an application for a residence permit as an intern
If you hand in your application documents to the police, embassy or visa application centre after 31 August, we will process it according to the new rules. This means that if you are planning to hand in an application, you must check that you fulfil the new requirements.
If you have a residence permit as an intern today, it will not be possible for you to apply for a renewal of this residence permit. If you wish to stay in Norway when it expires, you must check if you fulfil the requirements for a different type of residence permit.
If you have already paid the fee in the Application Portal, but are going to attend your appointment with the police, embassy or visa application centre after 31 august, the new requirements will apply to you. If you have applied for a renewal, or have applied for the first time, and now see that you will not fulfil the new requirements, you can choose to withdraw your application. If you wish to do so, you must contact the police or embassy where you applied, and ask for a refund of the fee.
Information for you who handed in an application for a residence permit as an intern before 1 September
If you applied for a residence permit as an intern (for the first time or a renewal) and you handed in your application documents to the police, embassy or visa application centre before 1 September, we will process your application according to the old rules.