How budget cuts have impacted wait times at Norway’s immigration directorate
Waiting times for several applications, such as family reunification, permanent residence, and citizenship, have increased amidst budget cuts at Norway's immigration directorate.
Compared to last year, median waiting times for some application types at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) have increased by more than three months.
The median waiting time for citizenship increased from 319 days in June 2023 to 411 days as of mid-June this year. Some citizenship applications can be fully automated, meaning some applicants will receive an answer in just a couple of months.
READ MORE: How long does it take to get Norwegian citizenship in 2024?
The median waiting time for family reunification has also increased significantly. In June of last year, it took 129 days for a case to be processed. This figure has shot up to 182 days over the past 12 months.
Those waiting for permanent residence are also typically waiting around a month longer for their case to be processed by the UDI. The median waiting time for permanent residence was almost as long as citizenship at 398 days.
Meanwhile, asylum seekers who aren’t covered by the temporary protection rules for Ukrainian nationals have seen their median waiting time increase from 238 days to 285 days.
Earlier this year, the UDI confirmed to The Local that it would be subject to budget cuts. The directorate told The Local that waiting times were likely to increase as a result of the cuts, which would lead to lower staff numbers.
“These budget cuts will reduce the UDI’s ability to efficiently process cases and respond to inquiries. A decrease in capacity to process cases may lead to extended waiting times for residency and citizenship applications, although this will also depend on the volume of cases received,” Trude Beate Sveen, Director of Finance at the UDI, told The Local in March.
READ MORE: Wait for Norwegian residence and citizenship to increase due to cuts
However, not all cases are taking longer to be processed. Those waiting for their residence card to join an EEA national will spend around 29 days less doing so as of June 2024, with the median wait time being 140 days.
Work permit processing times have also decreased from 65 days to 55 days over the course of a year.
Median waiting times for Ukrainians using the collective temporary protection scheme have remained the same, 14 days, over the past year – although did see a slight increase in December 2023.
Below, you can see a table of the figures that the UDI has provided The Local with.
Waiting times could get worse
When it provided the figures, the UDI told The Local that waiting times could get worse, as the UDI may need to cut more staff.
“We have experienced a decrease in capacity strength, which refers to a reduction in staff numbers due to budget cuts. And staff numbers will need to decrease further. This decrease in our capacity to process cases may lead to extended waiting times for residency and citizenship applications, although this will also depend on the volume of cases received,”
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Compared to last year, median waiting times for some application types at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) have increased by more than three months.
The median waiting time for citizenship increased from 319 days in June 2023 to 411 days as of mid-June this year. Some citizenship applications can be fully automated, meaning some applicants will receive an answer in just a couple of months.
READ MORE: How long does it take to get Norwegian citizenship in 2024?
The median waiting time for family reunification has also increased significantly. In June of last year, it took 129 days for a case to be processed. This figure has shot up to 182 days over the past 12 months.
Those waiting for permanent residence are also typically waiting around a month longer for their case to be processed by the UDI. The median waiting time for permanent residence was almost as long as citizenship at 398 days.
Meanwhile, asylum seekers who aren’t covered by the temporary protection rules for Ukrainian nationals have seen their median waiting time increase from 238 days to 285 days.
Earlier this year, the UDI confirmed to The Local that it would be subject to budget cuts. The directorate told The Local that waiting times were likely to increase as a result of the cuts, which would lead to lower staff numbers.
“These budget cuts will reduce the UDI’s ability to efficiently process cases and respond to inquiries. A decrease in capacity to process cases may lead to extended waiting times for residency and citizenship applications, although this will also depend on the volume of cases received,” Trude Beate Sveen, Director of Finance at the UDI, told The Local in March.
READ MORE: Wait for Norwegian residence and citizenship to increase due to cuts
However, not all cases are taking longer to be processed. Those waiting for their residence card to join an EEA national will spend around 29 days less doing so as of June 2024, with the median wait time being 140 days.
Work permit processing times have also decreased from 65 days to 55 days over the course of a year.
Median waiting times for Ukrainians using the collective temporary protection scheme have remained the same, 14 days, over the past year – although did see a slight increase in December 2023.
Below, you can see a table of the figures that the UDI has provided The Local with.
Waiting times could get worse
When it provided the figures, the UDI told The Local that waiting times could get worse, as the UDI may need to cut more staff.
“We have experienced a decrease in capacity strength, which refers to a reduction in staff numbers due to budget cuts. And staff numbers will need to decrease further. This decrease in our capacity to process cases may lead to extended waiting times for residency and citizenship applications, although this will also depend on the volume of cases received,”
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