Job Seeker Visa for Norway: A Simple Guide
Embarking on a journey to secure a Job Seeker Visa for Norway? Fret not, aspiring expat!
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With our blend of wit and wisdom, we guide you through the procedural fjords, making your quest for employment in Norway less of a Nordic saga!
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Guide To The Norwegian Job Seeker Visa
Before one decides to move to Norway, one would need to get a job. If one still needs to get a confirmed job, one can get hands-on experience in the different competitive markets in Norway by getting a job-seeker visa and visiting the country to look for work.
To know precisely which type of work-related visa one needs to apply for, one should know different types of visas tailored around work or looking for work in Norway.
Therefore, the following are the types of work visas that one should be aware of if one wants to look for a job in Norway:
- Schengen Visa: Through this EU/EEA, citizens can stay in Europe for up to 90 days to tour, visit family, or look for a job.
- Job-Seeker Visa: A short-term visa, non-EU/EEA citizens can look for a job in Norway after acquiring this visa.
- Work Permit Visa: After gaining this visa and the resident work permit, one can finally work in Norway.
If one is an EU/EEA national, then one would need to apply for a separate Job-seeker visa in Norway; instead, one can visit Norway and look for a job through the Schengen visa.
If their stay extends to more than 90 days, then one would either need to apply for a Schengen visa again or would need to apply for a job seeker visa.
Non-EU/Non-EEA nationals will need to apply directly for the job-seeker visa to look for a job in Norway. During this visa, one can only look for a job but not work. Also, it is a short-term visa with a maximum duration of 6 months.
Eligibility Criteria For A Norwegian Job Seeker Visa
The requirements for the job seeker visa for skilled workers who are recent graduates from Norwegian Institutions and those who receive direct job offers while being outside of Norway are different.
Skilled workers who have recently graduated from Norwegian educational institutes and have yet to gain a job can apply for a job seeker visa.
It will allow them to stay in Norway for a period after they complete their studies, and then they can take advantage of this opportunity and look for a job and take multiple interviews and tests.
However, there are specific allowances given to certain citizens of European and EEA nations that they do not need to apply for the job-seeker visa after completing their studies.
They need to inform the police within three months of their arrival. So, they can stay in Norway for 90 days and look for a job without acquiring a job-seeker visa.
Similarly, citizens of certain states do not need to register with the police for their arrival and stay in Norway; they need to inform the National Population Register.
These countries are:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Finland
Essential Eligibility Criteria For Norway Job Seeker Applicant
For one to be eligible for the Norway Job Seeker application, one needs to have the following qualifications:
- A Graduate: One needs to have successfully graduated from college.
- Occupational Training: One should have received specialized training in One’s occupations that One wants to get a job in.
- Unique Skills: One must acquire specific skills related to the job post one wants to get.
- Full-Time Job: People applying for a Norway Job-seeker visa must mention that they are looking for Full-time employment.
- Adult: One applying for this visa must not be a minor but an adult.
- No Criminal Record: A Job-seeker applicant should not have a record of criminal activity.
- Resident Permit: One can only work if one has attained a resident work permit in Norway.
Requirements For A Skilled Worker Appling For Norway Job-Seeker Visa
The people who qualify as skilled workers with visa-free citizenship must follow specific requirements for applying for the Job-seeker visa in Norway. Some of which have been given below:
- One needs to pay the fee for the job-seeker application.
- One must be a citizen of the EU/EEA countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement.
- One must also qualify as a skilled worker.
- One needs to look for employment as a skilled worker only related to one’s education and experience and cannot work as a religious leader or teacher on this visa.
- One also needs sufficient funds in one’s account to live comfortably in Norway during the whole stay.
- The least required amount should be NOK 24,713 monthly and NOK 148,278 for six months.
- You cannot be self-employed or run a business.
Requirements And Obligations For A Recent Graduate/Researcher Applying For a Norway Job-Seeker Visa
The requirements for Norwegian Job-Seeker Applicants are different for those working as researchers or recent graduates of Norwegian educational institutes. The prerequisites and obligations are given below:
Requirements
- Pay the application fee.
- Either one should have a residence permit as a university/college student, vocational school student, or student at a higher secondary school. One needs to apply for the resident work permit at least one month before the student resident permit expiration.
- Must have graduated from a Norwegian educational institute.
- One must also have a resident permit as a researcher before the researcher permit expires.
Obligations
- One cannot run one’s own business on this visa, and neither can be self-employed.
- A job-seeker applicant can work full-time or part-time while looking for related employment to one’s skillset.
- One will be given a residence permit for one year only.
- The residence permit period is not counted if one wants to apply for a permanent residence permit later.
- If one’s family already lives in Norway with a family immigration permit, they can also renew their permit.
Documents Required To Apply For Norway Job Seeker Visa
Following are the documents required for the Norwegian job-seeker visa:
Application Form
One can quickly get the Norwegian job seeker application form online from the official website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. One needs to download the form, fill it out, and attach the required documents before submitting it.
Valid Passport
One needs to have a usable passport 6 months before its expiration date. It also can be up to 10 years.
Passport-sized Photographs
One also needs to have clear and recent passport-sized photos. At least 2 copies of these photos will also need to be attached.
Proof of Financial Means
Presenting proof of one’s finances lays the most essential step in getting one’s applications accepted. One must have a minimum amount set by the consulates that needs to be fulfilled. It is different for different professionals.
The essential requirement when it comes to finances is 24,713 NOK per month and 296,550 NOK per year. This should be the amount that should be in one’s bank account while one is in Norway on a job seeker visa.
Proof Of Accommodation
One also needs to show proof of accommodation in one’s application. It can be a paid hotel reservation, a leasing contract, or a letter from the landlord. All the documents need to be authentic.
Norway Travel Health Insurance
One must get travel health insurance approved in all the Schengen territories. The minimum coverage that the medical insurance can take in emergencies should equal 30,000 NOK.
Travel Itinerary
Another document to attach should be a finalized flight showcasing the entry and exit date to and from Norway. This document should be able to verify One’s flight number, dates of travel, and all other identification details.
Educational Record
All the required and related documents to one’s skill or occupation that One wants to apply for should also be attached to the application form for a Norwegian job-seeker visa.
Civil Certificate
Civil Certificates demonstrate one’s birth certificate, marriage status, and birth and death of children and parents. Indeed, it verifies all the details about one’s identification and family.
Criminal Record
One should not have any previous criminal record; otherwise, it may lead to rejecting One’s visa application.
Job Offer Letter And Work Contract
If one has already received a job offer, one can attach a job offer letter or work contract with one’s application. If not, one can attach the cover letter explaining the reason for applying for this visa and showing the plan for the stay in Norway.
Application Fee
Finally, one has to pay the required application fee for a job-seeker visa while submitting the application form with all the attached documents.
Steps To Apply For a Norwegian Job Seeker Visa
The general outline for the procedure of applying for the Norwegian job-seeker visa has been given below:
Steps For Applying For Job Seeker Visa For Schengen Citizens
As EU/EEA citizens can access Schengen visas, they do not need to apply for job-seeker visas separately. So, they can follow the given steps below:
- Check one’s eligibility for the Schengen visa.
- Then, follow the Schengen application process.
- Plan the visit for job-seeking purposes.
- Make sure that one has sufficient funds to stay in Norway.
- Inform and register with the Norwegian police after 3 months of arrival in Norway.
Steps For Applying For Job Seeker Visa For Non-EU/EEA Citizens
Non-EU/EEA citizens need access to Schengen visas, so their job-seeker visa will be 6 months rather than 3 months.
Applying for the job-seeker visa is also extensive compared to Schengen citizens as they only need to register with the police rather than following a thorough visa application procedure.
The primary steps for applying for the job seeker visa for citizens other than European countries have been given below:
- Check the requirements for required documents according to one’s nationality on the official Norwegian immigration website for a Job seeker visa.
- Fill out the application form and attach the required documents.
- Pay the fee and submit the document to the Norwegian Consulate or Embassy.
- Reach Norway and look for a job within 6 months.
- After securing the job, one can apply for a resident work permit.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Norway Job Seeker Visa?
There are certain advantages and disadvantages of every visa; the pros and cons of the Norwegian job seeker visa have been given below:
Pros | Cons |
✅ One can enter Norway to look for a job. | ❌ It is hard to extend the job seeker consecutively. |
✅ One can get a resident work permit after securing a job through the job-seeker visa. | ❌ One is bound to find work within 6 months. |
✅ The employer can sponsor the skilled worker’s resident permit. | ❌ It is a European country, so not knowing the language can hinder securing a job. |
✅ One can apply for permanent residency after working for 3 years in Norway. | ❌ One needs to stay consecutively for 3 years before one can apply for permanent residency and maintain a specific financial record all the time, which can be challenging. |
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’re now well-versed in the saga of securing a Job Seeker Visa in Norway! With the clarity and insight provided by NorwaySolved.com, the land of the Midnight Sun is closer than ever.
Continue to navigate Norwegian life with us, and unveil more expat mysteries along the way!
Happy Job-Hunting!
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