Want to apply Job seekers
You must normally have received a job offer in Norway before you can apply for a residence permit for work purposes. If you are a skilled worker, you may in some exceptional cases get a residence permit to stay in Norway while you look for work.
The information on this page is personalised for
The applicant is a citizen of : United States
Please check whether you meet the requirements described below. If not, you cannot come to Norway until you have received a job offer and have been granted a residence permit.
Who are you?
-
Skilled job seeker with a visa free citizenship
Requirements
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must be a citizen of a country that has an agreement for visa free visits with Norway.
- You must be qualified as a skilled worker.
- You must look for employment as a skilled worker. The work cannot be as a religious leader/teacher.
- You must have sufficient money to live on while you stay in Norway. You must have at least
NOK 24 713 per month
, a total ofNOK 148 278 for six months
. This must be your own money, and must normally be in a Norwegian bank account.
Rights and obligations
- You may not work while you are searching for a skilled job. If you receive a job offer, you can apply for a residence permit as a skilled worker. You cannot start working until you have received such a residence permit.
- You can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of six months at a time. The six months are counted from the day you entered Norway. You must live outside Norway for one year before you can apply for a new residence permit as a job seeker.
- The period you have this permit does not count if you later wish to apply for a permanent residence permit.
- Your family members cannot apply for a family immigration permit to come and live with you in Norway.
-
A job seeker who has recently graduated in Norway or is a researcher
Requirements
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must be a job seeker and look for employment as a skilled worker in Norway. The work cannot be as a religious leader/teacher.
- You must fulfill one of these requirements:
- You must have a residence permit as a student at university college or university, student at a vocational school or student at an upper secondary school, and apply for a residence permit as a job seeker before your permit expires. You should apply at least one month before your permit expires. You must have completed your degree/education in Norway. If you have yet to receive your diploma or transcript, you can document your completed degree with a confirmation from your educational institution stating that you have submitted your final thesis and have completed all the other credits in the degree. The confirmation must contain the date of the submission of your thesis/final exams.
- You must have a residence permit for additional education in order for your education to be recognised in Norway, and apply for a residence permit as a job seeker before your permit expires. Your education must have been recognized, or be about to be recognized.
- You must have a residence permit as a researcher with own funds and apply before this permit expires.
- You must have a residence permit as a skilled worker with an employer in Norway for being a researcher at a university, university college or research institute. You must apply before this permit expires.
- You must have enough money to live on during the period you intend to stay in Norway. You must have at least
NOK 24 713 per month
, i.e.NOK 296 550 per year
. This must be your own money, and must normally be in a Norwegian bank account. If you have a job offer in Norway while you are searching for a relevant skilled job, the income from this job can be included in this sum.
How to applyRequirements relating to your education/qualifications
You must have one of the following types of education/qualifications
- a completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, for example as a carpenter or health worker. There must be a corresponding vocational training programme in Norway.
- completed education or degree from a university/ university college, for example a bachelor's degree as an engineer or nurse
- special qualifications are skills acquired through long professional experience, possibly in combination with courses and some education. You must have as high competence as someone who has completed vocational education from upper secondary school. Generally, you must have at least six years of work experience. For example, suppose you have work experience as a painter. In that case, you must present detailed work certificates from previous employers that show that you have learned and can do the same as a person with a professional education as a painter. It takes a lot to get permission in such cases. Many applications are rejected.
Rights and obligations
- You can not be self-employed or run your own business in Norway.
- You can work full-time or part-time while you look for relevant employment as a skilled worker, including in jobs that do not require skilled workers.
- You can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of one year.
- The period you have this residence permit does not count if you later wish to apply for a permanent residence permit.
- If your family members already have a family immigration permit and are living with you in Norway, they can apply to renew their permit. If your family members apply at the same time as you, you will receive the answer to your applications at the same time.
