Official data from the government showed that employment among immigrants remains significantly lower than in the general population.
This gap is especially pronounced among refugees and their family members, whose employment rate is up to 28 percentage points below the national average.
The government attributed this gap to weak Norwegian language skills, limited access to education for formal qualifications, and exclusion from the labour market.
"We have not been successful enough with integration when we see that immigrants and their children are overrepresented among the unemployed, and too many speak Norwegian too poorly. Good Norwegian skills are crucial for access to work and education," said Minister of Employment and Inclusion, Kjersti Stenseng, in a press release.
Municipalities, companies, and especially individuals confirmed that language remains the primary barrier to employment and full participation in society.
A fragmented and costly system
The current Norwegian language training offer for adult immigrants refers to all public and private training services provided by municipalities, county authorities, NAV (The Labour and Welfare Administration), employers, non-profit, and private providers.
This also includes Norwegian language training and special language training provided within basic education for adults (FOV and VOV), but not informal Norwegian language training under the auspices of the voluntary sector, as stated in the mandate.
The problem lies in the fact that the system is described as a "diversity of actors and schemes with very little coordination", and that the cost of the investment is also very high.
This has led to government concerns that these funds are not being used as effectively as possible.
For example, in 2024, Norway spent over 2 billion kroner on municipal and regional language training for newcomers alone, serving approximately 100,000 people.
“Norway spends several billion each year on Norwegian language training, and I am concerned that we use these funds in the best possible way. This is important for both service users and society as a whole. There is significant potential for better adaptation, the use of educational tools, and greater coordination of Norwegian language training,” said the Minister.
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The committee
To address these challenges, the government has formed a committee to review the Norwegian language training offer for adult immigrants and assess how it should be organised and structured.
“I will leave no stone unturned to increase employment among refugees and immigrants. That is why I want some of our leading experts to come up with suggestions for improving this. The training must be organised so that as many people as possible gain the language skills needed to participate in working life and society. We are doing this because we want more people to succeed,” said Stenseng.
The committee has one clear goal: to get more immigrants into work, so it will focus on how services can be improved.
The newly formed committee, led by Kristin Holm Jensen, department director at KS (The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), will propose legal, financial, and organisational measures for both the short- and long-term.
The group will determine whether changes are needed in the division of responsibilities, organisation, and content of Norwegian language training programmes.
A primary objective is to ensure public funds are used as effectively as possible, allowing participants to achieve the highest possible level of language proficiency.
By optimising resources, the committee will also assess whether the right to free training can be extended to more people without compromising quality for the current target group.
Another major goal is to reduce administrative overlap among the national directorates currently responsible for the system.
They will also emphasise digital innovation, specifically exploring how artificial intelligence and other digital tools can improve learning outcomes for adult immigrants.
Furthermore, the review will clarify whether there is a need for changes to the current Norwegian language test (Norskprøven) structure. The goal is to increase the use of formal language requirements in employment and reduce language-related discrimination.
The expert committee will submit their report to the ministry by June 15th, 2027, and is tasked with proposing at least two specific alternatives for a more coordinated national system.
“I look forward to starting this important work, which will have a significant impact on many adult immigrants, their families, and Norwegian society. With targeted and accessible Norwegian language training, more immigrants can find work and become part of the community,” said committee leader Kristin Holm Jensen.
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Who is covered in the current system of free training?
Rights and obligations for language training vary significantly depending on an immigrant's legal status.
Under the Integration Act, training is primarily aimed at refugees and their family members, as well as family members of Norwegian and Nordic citizens from outside the EU. These groups hold both the right and the obligation to receive free Norwegian language training.
Labour immigrants from non-EU countries (third countries) are responsible for learning the language but must pay for the training themselves.
EU citizens and their family members currently do not have access to free, state-funded language programmes.
A specific language obligation applies to social assistance recipients under 30 if a lack of Norwegian language skills is the primary factor preventing them from becoming self-reliant.
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