Application Status: Approved!!!
I can't believe I haven't said anything about this when it happened as it's a huge part of being an expatriate in Norway ..... my application has been approved! Now that it's not a worry anymore I guess posting to tell about it slipped my mind. It only took 2 weeks at that!
After reading some things other expatriates have said about their own horror stories with getting the residency application approved, I was expecting things to take no less than 6 months.
However, the problem we had was getting my correct birth certificate, which took many tries.
First, I did the search over the phone and the gentleman over the phone sent the search to the wrong state - I later got an email saying they failed to find my birth certificate and when I called back I was told the money was not refundable. The second time, I was sent the WRONG birth certificate. The third time, I was sent the correct birth certificate, but we had to also send a pre-posted envelope with it to the Secretary of State.
When my husband and I went to the post office to ask what type of postage, we were given something with instructions on the back for sending it back to Norway. We turned in my application without the apostille to authenticate my birth certificate because it was taking so long. After calling Indiana about the hold up with the birth certificate, I was told it was sent, but could have been lost in the mail if it was taking so long. Needless to say, I haven't seen my birth certificate since.
However, we were worried over not having the proper documents with the application, so we went ahead and ordered three more birth certificates, but during the time we were waiting for my other birth certificates, we received a letter in the mail stating my application had been approved - and it was approved in 13 days!
If anyone is thinking of moving to Norway, I'd strongly encourage them to have all needed documents and an up-to-date birth certificate (meaning no older than 3 years old) with an apostille stamp from your birth state's secretary of state prior to moving to Norway. Had I known I needed this (the instructions on the application don't state this) I would have already had this ready and available.
This is such a huge relief that everything has thus far gone so amazingly well. I now have a person number - similar to a social security number. Which just basically says I'm "in the system." What's also a relief is that now I can search for a job, I have access to Norwegian healthcare (first time I've had health insurance in about 5 years), my language classes aren't costing anything, among many other benefits to having an approved application.
This is a follow-up blog to these:
Application Status: Turned IN!!!!!!!!
UDI....
I'm Married. Who's My Husband?
After reading some things other expatriates have said about their own horror stories with getting the residency application approved, I was expecting things to take no less than 6 months.
However, the problem we had was getting my correct birth certificate, which took many tries.
First, I did the search over the phone and the gentleman over the phone sent the search to the wrong state - I later got an email saying they failed to find my birth certificate and when I called back I was told the money was not refundable. The second time, I was sent the WRONG birth certificate. The third time, I was sent the correct birth certificate, but we had to also send a pre-posted envelope with it to the Secretary of State.
When my husband and I went to the post office to ask what type of postage, we were given something with instructions on the back for sending it back to Norway. We turned in my application without the apostille to authenticate my birth certificate because it was taking so long. After calling Indiana about the hold up with the birth certificate, I was told it was sent, but could have been lost in the mail if it was taking so long. Needless to say, I haven't seen my birth certificate since.
However, we were worried over not having the proper documents with the application, so we went ahead and ordered three more birth certificates, but during the time we were waiting for my other birth certificates, we received a letter in the mail stating my application had been approved - and it was approved in 13 days!
If anyone is thinking of moving to Norway, I'd strongly encourage them to have all needed documents and an up-to-date birth certificate (meaning no older than 3 years old) with an apostille stamp from your birth state's secretary of state prior to moving to Norway. Had I known I needed this (the instructions on the application don't state this) I would have already had this ready and available.
This is such a huge relief that everything has thus far gone so amazingly well. I now have a person number - similar to a social security number. Which just basically says I'm "in the system." What's also a relief is that now I can search for a job, I have access to Norwegian healthcare (first time I've had health insurance in about 5 years), my language classes aren't costing anything, among many other benefits to having an approved application.
This is a follow-up blog to these:
Application Status: Turned IN!!!!!!!!
UDI....
I'm Married. Who's My Husband?
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