The key things you need to know about Norwegian residence waiting times
A number of readers have been in touch about long waiting times for residence in Norway. Here are some things you should know about waiting times and your application.
Whether you’ve already applied for residence in Norway, will reapply for a new permit, or intend on applying in the future, there will be a waiting time to have your application processed.
Therefore, it’d be good to have an overview of all the key information you need to know about waiting times.
How to check your waiting time
There isn’t really a catch-all expected waiting time for applications. Instead, it will depend on the permit you are applying for and your own situation.
The Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI) has guides on rough waiting times for your application times, which it updates regularly.
The waiting time only calculates the time it takes to process your application and doesn’t take into account how long it will take you to get an appointment to hand in your documents.
The waiting times are updated every month, so it is worth checking regularly. Additionally, it may take longer to process your case than the waiting time provided.
You can click here to take a look at the UDI’s waiting times for various application types.
There may be long processing times
Several applicants have gotten in touch with The Local to share their experiences of long-waiting times to have their cases processed.
In some instances, applicants are left waiting more than 18 months for their application to be processed, while others have said that the waiting time provided to them by the UDI is increasing almost every month.
The UDI has said that there were several reasons why waiting times in Norway had increased, such as the pandemic, Covid entry rules implemented throughout 2020 and 2021 and the adoption of dual citizenship.
It added that the influx of refugees from Ukraine has led to uncertainty over when waiting times could decrease.
READ MORE: Why some Norwegian residence applications take so long to process
Newer applications may be processed quicker than older ones
At the turn of the year, the UDI changed how it handles applications. This means that applications submitted in 2022 typically have shorter waiting times than ones submitted before this year.
The UDI has done this to decrease waiting times in the long term. However, in the short term, it has meant that some applications have been shunted back in the queue.
Where to complain
If you have been waiting for your case to be processed longer than the waiting time, or you feel as if you have been treated unfairly by the directorate, then you can always submit a complaint.
You can complain to the UDI directly. Alternatively, you can complain to an ombudsman. Sivilombudet, or The Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman, also handles complaints about the UDI.
Last year the ombudsman received 4,000 complaints from people who believe they had been exposed to injustice or errors from public authorities.
The ombudsman noted that it saw an increase in complaints surrounding issues relating to immigration and case processing times.
The UDI is working to reduce waiting times
Waiting times will eventually go down, the UDI has told The Local previously. It said that it was implementing some measures with the aim of slashing processing times.
Among the measures is the aforementioned change of workflow and increased automation.
“The aim is to work more efficiently so that, in the long run, all applicants will experience more predictability and get their decisions faster,” Karl Erik Sjøholt, director of residence at the UDI, told The Local.
READ MORE: When will waiting times for Norwegian residence go down?
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Whether you’ve already applied for residence in Norway, will reapply for a new permit, or intend on applying in the future, there will be a waiting time to have your application processed.
Therefore, it’d be good to have an overview of all the key information you need to know about waiting times.
How to check your waiting time
There isn’t really a catch-all expected waiting time for applications. Instead, it will depend on the permit you are applying for and your own situation.
The Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI) has guides on rough waiting times for your application times, which it updates regularly.
The waiting time only calculates the time it takes to process your application and doesn’t take into account how long it will take you to get an appointment to hand in your documents.
The waiting times are updated every month, so it is worth checking regularly. Additionally, it may take longer to process your case than the waiting time provided.
You can click here to take a look at the UDI’s waiting times for various application types.
There may be long processing times
Several applicants have gotten in touch with The Local to share their experiences of long-waiting times to have their cases processed.
In some instances, applicants are left waiting more than 18 months for their application to be processed, while others have said that the waiting time provided to them by the UDI is increasing almost every month.
The UDI has said that there were several reasons why waiting times in Norway had increased, such as the pandemic, Covid entry rules implemented throughout 2020 and 2021 and the adoption of dual citizenship.
It added that the influx of refugees from Ukraine has led to uncertainty over when waiting times could decrease.
READ MORE: Why some Norwegian residence applications take so long to process
Newer applications may be processed quicker than older ones
At the turn of the year, the UDI changed how it handles applications. This means that applications submitted in 2022 typically have shorter waiting times than ones submitted before this year.
The UDI has done this to decrease waiting times in the long term. However, in the short term, it has meant that some applications have been shunted back in the queue.
Where to complain
If you have been waiting for your case to be processed longer than the waiting time, or you feel as if you have been treated unfairly by the directorate, then you can always submit a complaint.
You can complain to the UDI directly. Alternatively, you can complain to an ombudsman. Sivilombudet, or The Norwegian Parliamentary Ombudsman, also handles complaints about the UDI.
Last year the ombudsman received 4,000 complaints from people who believe they had been exposed to injustice or errors from public authorities.
The ombudsman noted that it saw an increase in complaints surrounding issues relating to immigration and case processing times.
The UDI is working to reduce waiting times
Waiting times will eventually go down, the UDI has told The Local previously. It said that it was implementing some measures with the aim of slashing processing times.
Among the measures is the aforementioned change of workflow and increased automation.
“The aim is to work more efficiently so that, in the long run, all applicants will experience more predictability and get their decisions faster,” Karl Erik Sjøholt, director of residence at the UDI, told The Local.
READ MORE: When will waiting times for Norwegian residence go down?
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