Overqualified immigrants are the subject of a new analysis by Statistisk sentralbyrå. Figures for 2025 show that 93,000 worked in occupations below their education level. The report concerns employees with higher education, rather than everyone who has moved to Norway.

What do the new figures show?

40 percent of immigrants with higher education in the analysis were overqualified in 2025. Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB), Norway’s official statistics agency, published the analysis on 15 September 2026.

SSB examines resident employees aged 20 to 66 who have completed higher education. Self-employed people are excluded from this comparison. People who have lived in Norway for less than two years are also excluded. The figures therefore do not describe all newcomers.

Here, overqualified means that the occupation normally does not require higher education. Working in another field at the same education level is a different situation. This distinction matters when reading the new SSB analysis⁠.

On SamfunnPrep, you can also find explanations about work and labour immigration in Norway.

Does everyone lose the same amount in wages?

No. SSB compares wages in two groups, rather than what the same person would earn in another job.

Median monthly pay before tax in 2025 was 43,840 kroner among overqualified immigrants. For immigrants with higher education working in occupations requiring that education, it was 66,150 kroner. The median is the middle amount when wages are put in order.

The difference does not establish an individual wage loss. Nor does it entitle every employee to the pay of the other group.

What can you and an employer do now?

You can make your education and experience easier to assess. An employer can check what your degree corresponds to before ruling out a possible professional position.

Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse (HK-dir), Norway’s directorate for higher education and skills, provides information for employers about foreign higher education⁠. Both standard documents for certain degrees and an assessment service for employers are available.

A practical starting point is to:

  • collect your diploma, transcript and descriptions of work experience
  • compare these documents with the duties and requirements of the position
  • check which recognition is actually relevant
  • agree on anything still missing before you can apply for a professional position.

HK-dir states that general recognition of higher education is voluntary. It assesses level and scope, rather than subject content. See the distinctions in our guide to recognition of foreign education.

What should you follow this autumn?

The report introduces no new application deadline or residence rules. As of 4 October 2026, it provides evidence, rather than a decision establishing a new scheme.

If you plan to move, you can use the autumn to clarify documentation with potential employers. Recognition of education does not itself provide a job. Start with the requirements of the specific position and distinguish them from the debate about the figures.