kaylapbaum

Hello, I am American and I have been waiting on my Norwegian (humanitarian/volunteer) work visa to be renewed for about 5 months now. I live in Ålesund, and my current visa expired November 1. I have been waiting here in Norway for the renewal since last fall since I am allowed to live and work here while I wait.

We called the UDI and they say it's just "still in process" but the problem is, I have to leave the country this Saturday for 10 days for a trip to (non-schengen) Bulgaria. The UDI told me that if I come back into Norway directly-- aka, not re-entering via another Schengen country, I should be ok, but it still feels like a risk to me. Does anyone know if there is a chance I won't be let back in at all, or should is be no problem?

I also have another 10 trip soon after that to the states, but I re-enter in Copenhagen. Not sure if I need to change my tickets to land in Oslo first, but all these changes add up, and become ridiculously expensive, especially since I am already volunteering for a non-profit (unpaid) in one of the most expensive countries in the world.

Thanks for any help!

Gretchen

I cannot imagine you can get valid/certain advice on a travel board for what is obviously an immigration question. Why doesn't your non-profit make some calls.

kaylapbaum

@gretchen You are probably right. But I have made the same calls the non-profit would be able to make, so it's a matter of risking and going. More than anything, I was hoping to hear of other similar experiences and how it went for people.

sparkchaser

I would not risk it and reschedule the trip or not go at all.

Gretchen

The non-profit has more clout/possibility, IMO. Should have done it for you long ago--but needed to be asked.
Spark is correct, unless you are ready to be sent home.
On any given day at any given immigration slot, ANYthing can be decided one way or the other.

kaylapbaum

Yeah, it's true anything can be decided at any given time. Although Norway has said that if I can prove that my visa is in process (with a paper they never gave me, and I now have to track down), it should be ok at the border. Or well, they more or less say that the paper may not be accepted in other countries, which leaves room to believe that it will be accepted in Norway...

Ackislander

" I have to leave the country this Saturday for 10 days for a trip to (non-schengen) Bulgaria."

Have to? Or want to?

Not being snarky, just trying to help you with priorities. If this trip is not-for-profit business, they should get off their butts and do something, as Gretchen says in a more polite fashion.

I hope you are saving the world, because you are being underappreciated if not exploited. If they were paying you, they would fix this. I worked in not-for-profits for thirty years, so I am not just being some fascist.

kaylapbaum

I see your point. I should mention though, this Bulgaria trip has nothing to do with my non-profit group here in Norway, so it's not their deal. It is a non-profit trip, but technically not affiliated with my Norway responsibility. After this trip I have another trip to the states that also has nothing to do with my Norway responsibilities/job. So both are a bit more in my hands it seems like and Norway just says that my visa is still in process, so the best thing I can do is get a confirmation piece of paper from them that says my visa is being processed and re-enter only in Norway... not another Schengen country.

kaylapbaum

the first trip is a strong "want to" and the second trip is a near "have to"... but both are possible to cancel if I absolutely have to. (I'm shooting a wedding in the states, and that would leave the bride hanging pretty badly last minute... eeeek.)

sparkchaser

Is it worth the risk of you being denied entry?

kaylapbaum

No, it's not worth that kind of risk, but the strange part is that Norway is making it sound like it most likely won't be a problem as long as I enter through Norway, but we don't have that guaranteed. Which is where the problem lies I suppose. We will call the UDI (immigration) department tomorrow again and hope for a clearer answer. Thanks for the input everyone.

DebitNM

[As for the wedding, it would be far better to tell bride NOW that you cannot do it; the longer you wait the more near impossible it will be for them to find photographer. IF you get detained or cannot get back to Norway, you will leave them with even less time.]

Gretchen

Ummm, I think you are totally missing YOUR point. You are IN Norway because of the non-profit (what does Norway need!!) and you are basically unable to leave because of Norwegian paperwork. Your non-profit is responsible for your well-being and ability to move about. It has nothing to do with whether your "business" is theirs you are leaving for.

sparkchaser

Am I the only one curious as to what the "Norwegian (humanitarian/volunteer) work visa" is for?

bvlenci

Your chances of finding someone on a travel forum (mostly tourists) who has been in the same situation is close to nil. However, I've been in a similar position in Italy. When I was a fairly new immigrant, I had to renew my "permesso di soggiorno" every six months, and, even if I began almost immediately the new one arrived, it still sometimes (at least twice) happened that it expired before the next one was processed. In that case, I had to travel with a receipt saying that I had applied and giving the date I had made the application. This receipt had written on it very plainly something to the effect, "This is not a valid travel document". The first time I presented it at Italian immigration I had some trepidation, but it was accepted with no comment.

It is of course a risk, but the border guards probably know very well that Norway is backed up with the paperwork. You just have to assess how high the risk is and how high the cost would be to you of being turned away, and then do a cost/benefit analysis. I wouldn't risk trying to enter through Denmark, though.

Gretchen

Yes, inquiring minds want to know, Spark!!

Christina

The Norway Embassy website doesn't list any visa called that but says this about working for a nonprofit
http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Director...organisations/

Michael

Air Berlin and Vueling fly from Sofia to Oslo.

kaylapbaum

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I know this is a risk, and at some point tomorrow, I have to decide to stay or go. It sounds like it may be ok if I have the document to prove that my application is in process, but it doesn't sound appealing to risk it anyhow. I wouldn't "depend" on a travel forum for these answers, I am more or less looking for any reinforcing thoughts in addition to the immigration contact I have had with the Norwegian government so far.

For those inquiring minds, I volunteer for a non-profit missions organization that sends humanitarian teams out across the world in addition to training students in an arts & discipleship program. I am a wedding photographer/humanitarian photographer from the states that just moved here last year to start the photography course in the school this fall. Our locations are all around the world, but I happened to be based in Norway. Lucky for me, I am surrounded by fjords and incredible landscape that give some relief for the high cost of living here in Norway.