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Local Norway
a day ago
- Politics
- Local Norway
Q&A: What's Norway's stricter language requirement for permanent residency?
This week, the Norwegian government announced changes to the language requirements for foreigners seeking permanent residence permits. While the previous requirement for spoken proficiency at A1 level, applicants must now demonstrate A2-level or higher. 'Foreigners who want a permanent residence permit in Norway should have a certain level of oral Norwegian. Being able to speak and understand the Norwegian language is an important prerequisite for being able to participate in education and work', said Minister of Justice and Public Security Astri Aas-Hansen (Labour Party). The language levels refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At level A2, individuals can understand simple everyday language, express themselves on personal and basic topics such as family, and manage simple conversations. However, the new requirements include exemptions for those with special circumstances related to health or personal reasons. This particularly applies to adult immigrants with limited or no formal education, elderly people, and individuals with low literacy skills. In addition, the requirements for language and social studies tests will be moved from the Integration Act to the Immigration Act. This could indicate a change to the streamline process, reducing the need for assessments by local municipalities. In 2024, 10,554 individuals were granted permanent residency in Norway . To clarify what the new rules mean in practice, The Local contacted the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security to help us answer some of the frequently asked questions from applicants: Advertisement What exactly has changed regarding Norwegian language requirements? Under the new rules, applicants for permanent residency must pass an oral Norwegian test at level A2 or higher, replacing the previous A1 requirement. What about the social studies (samfunnskunnskap) requirement? Applicants are still required to pass the social studies test, but they are no longer obligated to submit documentation of having completed a course. The legislation mandates a passed test taken in a language the applicant understands. Who does this affect? The changes apply to people seeking permanent residence aged 18–67, including outside‑EU/EEA. The 18-year age limit is calculated based on the time of application and the 67-year age limit is calculated from the time of the decision (the time the application is decided). Advertisement When do these new rules take effect? The changes were officially announced June 26th, 2025, and apply to applications for a permanent residence permit submitted after September 1st 2025. Are there any exceptions? Yes. Applicants can be exempt from the spoken Norwegian test if they can document special health conditions or personal circumstances beyond their control that make it impossible to pass the A2-level test. This applies especially to adult immigrants with little or no schooling, limited reading and writing skills, or older age. People with learning difficulties, cognitive challenges, or mental health conditions such as neurological disorders, may also qualify for an exemption. Are there still written or reading exams required? No. The requirements to obtain a permanent residence permit are to pass an oral Norwegian language test at level A2 and to pass the social studies test.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio immigration advocate: Homeland Security screwups aren't just silly, they're scary
Minister of Justice and Public Security Héctor Villatoro, right, accompanies Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center during a tour of the CECOT prison on March 26, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images) Some in Ohio are mocking an error-filled list of so-called 'sanctuary' jurisdictions that the Trump administration hurriedly took down on Sunday. But an advocate for immigrants in the state said the mistake-riddled list should be cause for alarm. It named 500 states, cities and counties that were allegedly not doing their duty in helping federal officials enforce immigration law. However, it didn't say how. The list included Warren County, northeast of Cincinnati, as a sanctuary county even though voters there went for Trump by a 65-33 margin on Nov. 5. The sheriff, Barry Riley, told WCPO television, 'This report is wrong. A mistake has been made and incorrectly listed Warren County. We have reached out to representatives of the Department of Homeland Security to correct the issue.' Warren County might have made it onto the Homeland Security list because in 2021, Lebanon, the county seat, attempted to ban abortion by declaring itself 'a sanctuary for the unborn,' said Lynn Tramonte, founder of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. She said other jurisdictions were mistakenly placed on the list after declaring themselves sanctuaries for gun owners. 'It's like they've got some intern with an AI program searching for the word 'sanctuary' and popping up a list of names of counties and cities,' Tramonte said. 'They're just sloppy.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Also drawing laughs is that the list spelled Ohio's oldest major city 'Cincinnatti' and a Kentucky county just over the river 'Cambell.' instead of Campbell. Officials in both jurisdictions told WCPO that they weren't violating any immigration laws. The errors might be comical, but in context, they're really terrifying, Tramonte said. 'They took the list down because it was full of errors, and this is the Department of Homeland Security,' she said. 'They can't even get their spelling right. Everybody was making fun of Secretary (Kristi) Noem because she couldn't keep her purse safe, but this is another example. They can't publish a list of examples of cities in the United States and spell them correctly? How can we trust them to keep us safe?' In April, Noem's purse, containing multiple IDs and thousands in cash, was stolen from a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Noem has faced further criticism in her new role as head of the agency. Habeas corpus is a fundamental right that dates at least back to the Magna Carta of 1215. It says that detained people have a right to appear before a judge and challenge their detention. In a May congressional hearing, Noem got it exactly backward, saying, habeas corpus is 'a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country and suspend their rights,' the Associated Press reported. Tramonte said the Ohio immigrants she talks to are terrified as the Trump administration seeks to squeeze 'sanctuary' jurisdictions and deport ever more people — including hundreds of thousands who came legally. She said it's deeply unfair that they're trying to throw out people who came under a Biden-era program that allowed people to apply for asylum from outside the country. 'We told them, 'We don't want you showing up at the border seeking asylum,' even though that's a perfectly legal process,' she said. 'People in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela said, 'OK, I'll find a sponsor in the United States, I'll request advance permission from the United States government to come. I'll fill out this form. My sponsor will show you all of their assets. They will promise to take care of me. I will not be a burden on the U.S. taxpayer. I'll come in an airplane, pay for my own ticket and get a house and a job.' Those using the program followed the rules and now they're working and have kids in American schools, Tramonte said. 'And then Trump said, 'You've got to go,'' she added. 'If I'm from Haiti, what am I supposed to go back to? There's no government.' Tramonte urged people to try to put themselves in immigrants' shoes. 'None of us did anything to earn the right to be born in the United States,' she said. 'It was an accident that we were born here. I just feel like we need to have a bit of compassion for people who were born in countries that are in turmoil.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
