Between January 2021 and April 2025, the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) processed 156 appeals, and 21 reversal requests related to Section 46 of the Immigration Act, which allows parents over 60 to apply for family immigration with adult children in Norway under specific conditions. Only five appeals resulted in a permit being granted under this provision, mostly after new documentation was submitted.
Most applicants came from Afghanistan, followed by Syria, Iran, and Pakistan. Many cases were rejected because the applicant had a spouse, cohabitant, or close relatives in their home country, disqualifying them under the law. In several cases involving health issues, UNE instead assessed the applicants under Section 49, which allows residence on humanitarian grounds.
Three permits were granted under this provision to individuals already in Norway with serious, acute health problems.
UNE's appeal decisions represent a small share of all applications under Section 46, many of which are handled and approved by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). From 2010 to May 2024, around 1,600 permits were granted under this provision.