Income requirement in family immigration cases
The information on this page is personalised for
On this page, we use the words 'reference person' and 'applicant'
- The reference person = the family member living in Norway.
- The applicant = the person who wants to move to Norway or continue living here and who needs a residence permit
What describes your situation?
-
The reference person is a student who is a Norwegian or Nordic citizen or holds a permanent residence permit
If the reference person has achieved 60 credits or more the last year
If you, the reference person, has achieved at least 60 credits, or took a full-time study programme at a technical college, in the last tax year or study year, you must have a total income of at least
NOK 320 274 per year pre-tax
. It must be probable that you are going to have this income for at least another year. You may later be asked to document that you had this income the first year your family member was in Norway.
Your income can for example be student loans, grants, income from employment or a combination of these.
There is no requirement that you had any income last year.
If you are going to continue your studies, and you both are at least 23 years old, and the applicant has a job offer in Norway, the applicant’s income can be included in order to meet the requirement.
Examples of those who are considered as having achieved 60 credits the last year:
- You took 60 credits in 2023.
- You finished your studies in the summer of 2023, and took 60 credits in the last year of your studies (autumn 2022 + spring 2023).
- You took a full-time study programme at a technical college in 2023.
- You took a full-time study programme at a technical college in the last academic year (autumn 2022 + spring 2023) and finished your study programme at the technical college in the summer of 2023.
If the reference person has achieved less than 60 credits the last year
If you, the reference person, have not studied full time in the last tax year or study year, there are other requirements for your income.
Examples of those who are considered as having achieved less than 60 credits the last year:
- You took 50 credits in 2023.
- You took 30 credits in 2023 and worked part time.
- You took a part time study programme at a technical college in 2023.
If your study program gives you an uneven amount of achieved credits per study year, we can consider if you on average achieve 60 credits per year or not.
You, the reference person, must have a total income of at least
NOK 320 274 per year pre-tax
. It must be probable that you are going to have this income for at least another year. You may later be asked to document that you had this income the first year your family member was in Norway.
In addition, there are requirements for your income last year.
You must have had a total income of at least
NOK 313 846 per year pre-tax
.
This must be income that your employer has reported to the Tax Administration and correspond to what is stated in your payslips. When your tax settlement is ready for the last year, this must show an income of at least the claim given above. If we do not have the information about your income from last year, the previous year will apply.
Please note that from 1 October 2021, there will be a change in the regulations that will impact the requirement. If you have received introduction benefits after 1 January 2021 it will not count as part of the income, and it will be deducted from the total income in your tax settlement.
Types of income we count as the reference person’s future income
- income from employment
- sickness benefit, pregnancy benefit, parental support, disability benefit or retirement pension from the National Insurance scheme
- other permanent pensions or periodical benefits (insurance payments or similar)
- loans or grants received in connection with studies
- If the applicant is already in lawful employment in Norway, the applicant's income can be included in order to meet the requirement.
You, the reference person, can have one or more of these types of income.
Types of income we do not count as the reference person’s future income
- financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
- housing support
- unemployment benefit and work assessment allowance (this is also the case if you have been temporarily laid off (permittert) due to the corona situation. We will publish information here if the rules regarding this change.)
- any benefits you receive because you have children
- lump sum grant in connection with birth
- own funds (money in an account)
The reference person cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
You, the reference person, cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (except housing support) from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) during the past year. Please note that umeployment benefit is not financial assistance from NAV.
It is acceptable, however, if you received the financial assistance from NAV while you were waiting for National Insurance benefits that are on the list of approved income above.
It is also acceptable if you have received the financial assistance from NAV as a one-time payment during the last twelve months.
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The reference person has a residence permit as a student (study permit)
No requirement for the reference person’s income last year
You, the reference person, do not need to have had any income last year.
How much must the reference person earn now?
You, the reference person, must have a total income of at least
NOK 320 274 per year pre-tax
. It must be probable that you are going to have this income for at least another year. You may later be asked to document that you had this income the first year your family member was in Norway.
Your income can be student loans, grants, own money that you have in a Norwegian bank account or the deposit account of the educational institution, or a combination of these. If you have already been offered a part-time job in Norway, the income from this work may be included.
If you, the reference person, have achieved at least 60 credits in the last year, and the applicant has a job offer in Norway, the applicant's income can also be included in order to meet the requirement. You both have to be 23 years old.
Types of income we count as the reference person’s future income
- income from employment
- sickness benefit, pregnancy benefit, parental support, disability benefit or retirement pension from the National Insurance scheme
- other permanent pensions or periodical benefits (insurance payments or similar)
- loans or grants received in connection with studies
- If the applicant is already in lawful employment in Norway, the applicant's income can be included in order to meet the requirement.
You, the reference person, can have one or more of these types of income.
Types of income we do not count as the reference person’s future income
- financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
- housing support
- work assessment allowance
- any benefits you receive because you have children
- lump sum grant in connection with birth
The reference person cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
You, the reference person, cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (except housing support) from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) during the past year. Please note that umeployment benefit is not financial assistance from NAV.
It is acceptable, however, if you received the financial assistance from NAV while you were waiting for National Insurance benefits that are on the list of approved income above.
It is also acceptable if you have received the financial assistance from NAV as a one-time payment during the last twelve months.
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The reference person is a researcher with own funds
If the spouse, cohabitant, or a child of the reference person applies for family immigration
No requirement for the reference person’s income last year
You, the reference person, do not need to have had any income last year.
How much must the reference person earn now?
You, the reference person, must have a total income of at least
NOK 320 274 per year pre-tax
. It must be probable that you are going to have this income for at least another year. You may later be asked to document that you had this income the first year your family member was in Norway.
Your income can be your own money that you have in a Norwegian bank account.
Types of income we count as the reference person’s future income
- income from employment
- sickness benefit, pregnancy benefit, parental support, disability benefit or retirement pension from the National Insurance scheme
- other permanent pensions or periodical benefits (insurance payments or similar)
- loans or grants received in connection with studies
- If the applicant is already in lawful employment in Norway, the applicant's income can be included in order to meet the requirement.
You, the reference person, can have one or more of these types of income.
Types of income we do not count as the reference person’s future income
- financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
- housing support
- work assessment allowance
- any benefits you receive because you have children
- lump sum grant in connection with birth
The reference person cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp)
You, the reference person, cannot have received financial assistance from NAV (except housing support) from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) during the past year. Please note that umeployment benefit is not financial assistance from NAV.
It is acceptable, however, if you received the financial assistance from NAV while you were waiting for National Insurance benefits that are on the list of approved income above.
It is also acceptable if you have received the financial assistance from NAV as a one-time payment during the last twelve months.