Norway

The family in focus

Case officers in the UDI’s family sections are concerned with providing applicants with good information and service and processing cases within a reasonable timeframe.

Lillian Ulveland and Christian Marius Hasfjord process family immigration applications. Ms Ulveland is aware of the challenges involved in informing users and of the complexity case officers face when processing family immigration cases.

She has worked for the UDI since 2001 – first in the Information Service for applicants and as a case officer since 2004.
‘The most important things in relation to being professional are giving detailed and correct information, caring about the applicants and their families and safeguarding users’ rights,’ she says. 

‘Being professional includes caring about the applicants and their families,’ say Lillian Ulveland and Christian Marius Hasfjord.

Complete applications will be processed faster

Processing family immigration cases can be simple or demanding, depending on the documentation submitted by the applicant. Naturally, correct and complete applications will be processed faster than cases where the case officer needs more information.

‘We can always get better at giving the correct information. And in family immigration cases, it is important that the whole immigration administration – the UDI, the police and the foreign service missions – gives uniform information. Correct information means we have everything we need, enabling us to make a quick decision,’ says Ms Ulveland.

Case Officer Christian Marius Hasfjord, who has worked for the UDI for four years, agrees with Ms Ulveland. When the UDI has all the necessary documentation in family immigration cases, the case officer is often able to make a decision immediately, he says.

‘We sort all the cases we receive. If we have all the information we need, we can often make a decision faster. Making a decision in cases with complete applications therefore takes less time than in cases where information and documentation are lacking,’ he says.

   

‘It is important that the whole immigration administration – the UDI, the police and foreign service missions – gives uniform information,’ says Lillian Ulveland.

 

‘If we have all the information we need, we can make a decision faster,’ says Christian Marius Hasfjord.

Creative solutions mean better user service

Hasfjord says that case officers’ work involves more than just processing individual cases. Often the challenge is finding new work methods and procedures that make the work more efficient.

‘Finding a creative solution gives great satisfaction. When we developed a new solution for writing decisions, we felt that this made us more efficient and provided better user service. It’s our job to serve our users, and we are constantly considering new methods for processing the 20 to 25 thousand family immigration cases that we receive every year,’ he says.

Fewer mistakes and logistical problems

2010 saw significant development work in the migration field. Registering and submitting applications via the internet and the transition to electronic case processing will lead to fewer incomplete applications and significantly reduce logistical problems when processing family immigration cases.

‘The system will discover some mistakes and missing information in applications completed online, which will enable the applicant to correct this information before sending the application. Electronic case processing will also save the administration from having to send case documents between various agencies, which will save a lot of time and reduce the logistical problems,’ says Hasfjord.

‘When we have a better case-processing system that enables us to provide better and faster service to our users, both the case officers and users will be happy,’ concludes Ulveland.
 

 

  ‘When we can provide better and faster service to our users, both the case officers and users will be happy,’ says Ulveland.