Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa stated that someone who obtained Norwegian permanent residence status, but left Norway in 1989 and did not return would no longer be entitled to permanent residence status (Norway 9 May 2013). She noted that the regulations pertaining to this situation are "as per Immigration Regulations Code § 62 Permanent Residence, Subsection § 11-8 Loss of Permanent Residence" (ibid.). She also indicated that information about loss of permanent residency is found on the website of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektoratet, UDI) (ibid.), which states:
You will lose your permanent residence permit if you stay abroad for a continuous period of two years or more after being granted a permanent permit. The stay outside Norway will be deemed to have been continuous even if you have stayed in Norway for one or more periods of a certain duration. You can, however, apply to stay abroad for more than two years without losing your permanent residence permit if you are to settle in Norway again after your stay abroad. However, this only applies if you:
- are to serve your military service or other equivalent service in your home country
- are to stay abroad in connection with work or education over and above upper secondary school
- are to stay abroad together with a spouse, cohabitant or parents staying abroad in connection with work or education (ibid.; ibid. 13 June 2013)
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Norway. 9 May 2013. Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ottawa. Correspondence with an official.
_____. 13 June 2012. Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. "How Do You Apply for Permanent Residency." <http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Permanent-Residence-Permit/How-do-I-apply-for-a-settlement-permit/> [Accessed 9 May 2013]
