Early employment start
Normally, work immigrants from countries outside the EU/EEA cannot start working until they have been granted a residence permit. However, they can start working if they have received a confirmation from the police (early employment start).
The police issue confirmation of early employment start
- Check with your local police district if you meet the requirements for the early employment start scheme.
- At the service centres for foreign workers (SUA) in Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger and Trondheim, you will not be able to get a confirmation of early employment start.
- contact the police (external website) if you have questions about how long you have to wait for the police to confirm your early employment start or if you have any other questions about how they handle the early employment start scheme.
Requirements for skilled workers with an employer in Norway
- An application for a residence permit either for skilled workers with an employer in Norway or for athletes or coaches must have been submitted with all necessary documents.
- The employee must as a minimum have completed a three-year education programme from a university/university college, for example a three-year bachelors degree.
- The worker cannot have applied for a residence permit as a religious leader/teacher.
- The worker may not be a citizen of Iran or North Korea.
Requirements for employees of international companies who are going on assignment in Norway
- An application for a residence permit for employees of international companies who are going on assignment for the Norwegian branch of the company must have been submitted with all necessary documents.
- The posted worker must meet the requirements for classification as a skilled worker.
- The posted worker may not be a citizen of Iran or North Korea.
This is what you need to do
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If the employer/client submits the application for a residence permit on behalf of the worker
- The employer/client must have a written power-of-attorney (pdf, 205 kB) from the employee, and show the power-of-attorney when he or she hands in the application for a residence permit to the police.
- The employer/client must ask for early employment start when they hand in the application for a residence permit to the police.
- The police can then issue a confirmation that the employee can work for this employer/client until their application for a residence permit has been decided (confirmation of early employment start). The worker cannot change employers or clients.
- If the employee needs a visa to enter Norway, he or she can get this at a Norwegian embassy that accepts applications for a residence permit. The employee must show the confirmation of early employment start at the Norwegian embassy. Other countries' embassies cannot issue this type of entry visa. If the employee lives in a country where Norway is represented by another country, he or she must contact a Norwegian embassy in another country that accepts applications for a residence permit.
Please note! After the police have sent the application to UDI for processing, it is not possible to get a confirmation of early employment.
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If the worker submits the application for a residence permit
It is not possible to ask for early employment if you hand in the application for a residence permit at an embassy.
- The worker must ask for early employment start when they hand in the application for a residence permit to the police.
- The police can then give a confirmation that they can work for this employer/client until their application for a residence permit has been decided. The worker cannot change employers or clients.
Please note! After the police have sent the application to UDI for processing, it is not possible to get a confirmation of early employment.