Introduction Programme and Norwegian language tuition

The Introduction Programme is an educational programme that aims to prepare you for work or further education in Norway. The programme is intended for people aged 18 to 55 and who are settled in a municipality by agreement with the IMDi. The Introduction Programme is a full-time (30–40 hours a week), one-year programme.

To find out whether you can take part in the Introduction Programme, you must get in contact with your municipality. In some municipalities, NAV is responsible for the Introduction Programme, while in other municipalities it is a separate service.  

If you are employed or have an offer of employment – of 30 hours or more per week – you do not have the right to participate in the Introduction Programme nor are you obliged to do so.

Who is eligible for the introduction programme?

All refugees between the ages of 18 and 55 who are settled by agreement with IMDi in a municipality can participate in the introduction programme if they wish and have been settled in the municipality for less than two years. In some cases, you can also take part in the Introduction Programme if you have a residence permit in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Immigration Act as a family member of a refugee.

• The municipality shall offer you a place on an introduction programme as soon as possible and no later than three months after you are settled in the municipality.
• The municipality may choose to offer you a place on an introduction programme if you are between 55 and 67 years of age, or have been settled in the municipality without an agreement with IMDi, and you wish to take the programme.
• If you move to another municipality, you will not be entitled to take the introduction programme in the new municipality if the move has not been agreed with the new municipality. 

What do you do in the introduction programme?

The Introduction Programme has some common content for all students, while other content is tailored to you. The programme may include parental guidance, courses in life management in a new country, work experience and Norwegian language tuition.

If you have not previously completed upper secondary education, upper secondary education can be a part of or the entirety of your programme. 

Integration plan and integration contract

Together, you and the programme adviser will set a goal and a plan for what your introduction programme will include. This plan is your integration plan. If you and your programme adviser do not agree, it is the programme adviser who decides what the content of your introduction programme will be.

You will also enter into an integration contract where you promise to follow the plan and the municipality promises to offer you an Introduction Programme.

Work-oriented programme

• If one of your goals is to get a job, you will have a work-focussed Introduction Programme with at least 15 hours of work-focussed activities per week.
• If you have completed your upper secondary education or higher, this minimum requirement will apply after three months on the Introduction Programme. 
• If you do not have upper secondary education or higher, this minimum requirement will apply after six months on the Introduction Programme. Examples include work experience at a workplace, part-time work, or a short vocational or industry course. Work experience means that you develop your skills and networks so you can find a regular job, and it gives you the opportunity to practise the Norwegian language.

Financial support

You will be paid for participating in the Introduction Programme. This support is called introduction benefit and can be compared to having a salary.

You must pay tax on the introduction benefit. You can talk to your programme adviser about how to do this.

Read more about tax deduction cards and tax returns here.

The municipality pays the introduction benefit.If you are in receipt of other financial support, you may receive less for your participation in the programme. If you provide your municipality with incorrect information, the municipality may demand the repayment of the introduction benefit. 

Holiday, absence and leave 

• The municipality decides when you can take holidays.
• Programmes lasting one year or more confer a total of five weeks of holiday per year.
• Programmes lasting six months confer two and a half weeks of holiday.
• You are entitled to leave when you are sick, have had a child or if there are other important reasons why you can’t participate.
• You must contact the programme adviser to apply for leave.
• You will be paid less per month if the absence has not been approved by your
• If you have a lot of absence, you may lose the right to participate in the introduction programme

Can you postpone taking the introduction programme? 

If you decline an offer to start the introduction programme or stop, you lose the right to take the introduction programme. Everyone has the right to start the introduction programme within three months of settling in a municipality.

If you are employed or have an offer of employment – of 30 hours or more per week – you do not have the right to participate in the Introduction Programme nor are you obliged to do so. If your employment ends or the job offer is withdrawn within two years of you being resident in the municipality, you will still have the right to take part in the Introduction Programme and you will be obliged to do so. You only have the right and obligation to take part in the Introduction Programme following the termination of employment once in the course of a two-year period of residence. 

Appeals

You can appeal the introduction programme decision, the plan for your programme, or the implementation of the programme if you believe the municipality has done something that violates your rights. You can appeal to the municipality. The municipality will consider the appeal. The municipality can change the decision. If the municipality decides that the decision should not be changed, the municipality will send the appeal to the county governor. The county governor will then consider the appeal.

The municipality has an obligation to provide guidance on the regulations and how to appeal if necessary. The municipality must also provide information about how to appeal a decision.

Norwegian language tuition in the introduction programme

Everyone between the ages of 18 and 67 is entitled to Norwegian language tuition in the municipality where they live. If you move to another municipality, you retain the right to Norwegian language tuition. If you have valid leave from tuition, it will be extended by a period equivalent to your leave. 

Read more about Norwegian language tuition