Moving From Norway to the USA: Green Card for a Norwegian Spouse (2026)
Written by Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent · CA 4273294Short answer: the spouse of a US citizen is an immediate relative, with no annual cap. The US sponsor files Form I-864 and must show income of at least 125% of the poverty guideline: $27,050 for a household of 2 in the 48 states (guidelines effective March 1, 2026). Assets can fill a shortfall and a joint sponsor is allowed. That is a far lower bar than Norway’s, where a couple needs about $45,300 of income and bank savings do not count.
Free guide: Moving abroad on a fixed income
Income rules and taxes by country: Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Malta and more, plus how a lifetime annuity fits.
Most of this site’s Norway pages cover going from the US to Norway, because that is my parents’ direction. The reverse trip is easier on paper. Here is the comparison.
The route: immediate relative
- Spouse of a US citizen (IR1 or CR1): petition on Form I-130, then consular processing at the US Embassy in Oslo or adjustment of status in the US.
- Parent of a US citizen (IR5): the US citizen child must be 21 or older. Also an immediate relative, no cap. Compare that with Norway, where a parent qualifies only in narrow cases (see bringing parents to Norway).
The I-864 income test (from March 1, 2026)
| Household size | 125% (48 states, DC) | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $27,050 | $33,813 | $31,113 |
| 3 | $34,150 | $42,688 | $39,275 |
| 4 | $41,250 | $51,563 | $47,438 |
| Each extra person | +$7,100 | +$8,875 | +$8,163 |
If income falls short, assets can make up the gap: generally 5 times the shortfall, or 3 times for the spouse or child of a US citizen. Confirm the multiple in the current USCIS I-864 instructions. A joint sponsor can also sign.
Why I write about this. My mom is Norwegian, my dad is American, and they’re planning the move from the US to Norway. My mom is the sponsor (the host, or “reference person” in UDI’s words), so Norway’s income test falls on her income, not my dad’s. UDI told us in writing that money in an account does not count as income, and only lifelong income does. Their savings were not the problem; the paperwork wanted a monthly number in the host’s name. The rules in Norway are different, but the problem is the same one many retirees hit: the income test, not the net worth. I’m writing this to help others in the same boat as my parents. Read how we worked through the Norway income requirement.
In the same boat? Let’s run your numbers
See roughly what a lifetime annuity would cost to close your income gap, then get my personal read by email. I can help while you still live in the US.
Estimates use the September 9, 2026 ImmediateAnnuities.com payout survey (life only) and a 15% cushion. Illustrative, not a quote.
Worked example: does this household qualify?
A US citizen living in the US sponsors a Norwegian spouse. Household of 2, 48 states, so the bar is $27,050. Illustrative figures:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sponsor's income on the latest tax return | $20,000 |
| Shortfall against $27,050 | $7,050 |
| Assets needed at 3 times the shortfall (spouse of a US citizen) | $21,150 |
| Assets needed at 5 times (the general rule) | $35,250 |
Income the sponsor already reports on the US return, such as Social Security or annuity payments, is part of the income picture. Confirm in the current USCIS instructions which items count and how assets must be documented.
Step by step
- The US citizen files Form I-130 for the spouse.
- Choose consular processing at the US Embassy in Oslo or, if the spouse is lawfully in the US, adjustment of status.
- The US sponsor completes Form I-864 with tax returns and proof of income; add assets or a joint sponsor if needed.
- The Norwegian spouse plans the Norwegian exit: tax emigration, exit tax on shares and funds, and closing or reporting Norwegian accounts.
- After arrival, the spouse becomes a US person for tax: worldwide income, FBAR and possibly Form 8938.
US versus Norway, side by side
| Norway to USA | USA to Norway | |
|---|---|---|
| Income needed (couple) | $27,050 (125% of poverty line) | NOK 436,957, about $45,300 (3.2 G, from May 2026) |
| Savings count? | Yes, as a multiple of the shortfall | No: UDI excludes “own funds (money in an account)” |
| Third-party help | Joint sponsor allowed | No third-party guarantee for spouses |
| Parents | Immediate relative if the child is 21+ | Only if over 60 with no spouse or close relatives at home |
The asymmetry is why I spend so much time on the Norway side. If a family can show savings but not income, the US says yes and Norway says no. A lifetime annuity is how that savings becomes income Norway counts.
Tax and estate points for a Norwegian spouse in the US
- Leaving Norway can trigger exit tax on shares, funds and similar assets. See Norway exit tax.
- Non-citizen spouse estate rules: the unlimited US marital deduction does not apply to a non-citizen spouse unless assets pass through a qualified domestic trust (QDOT). The annual gift exclusion to a non-citizen spouse is $194,000 for 2026. The US basic estate exclusion is $15,000,000 for 2026.
- NAV pension paid to a US resident is taxable only by Norway under Article 19 of the treaty.
- Norwegian funds become PFICs once the spouse is a US person. Review holdings with a cross-border tax preparer before the move.
Social Security and Norwegian work history
The US-Norway totalization agreement has been in force since 1984. A spouse with a Norwegian work history can combine periods in some cases to qualify for benefits, and a US partial benefit using Norwegian credits requires at least 6 US credits. Ask SSA and NAV for written statements of your record before the move, because each system calculates its own benefit and pays it separately.
For a couple planning to split time between the two countries later, keep the same rule I give for the Norway direction in mind: lifetime income products are bought where you live, so make US annuity decisions while you are a US resident.
Leaving Norway: the Norwegian checklist
- Tax emigration. After fewer than 10 years in Norway, residence ends once you live abroad permanently, spend no more than 61 days a year in Norway and have no home available there. After 10 years or more, you stay resident for the moving year plus at least 3 more years.
- Exit tax. For moves from March 20, 2024 there is a NOK 3,000,000 deduction on latent gains, losses are ignored when moving outside the EEA, and the tax can be spread over 12 years.
- Wealth tax stops once you are no longer resident, but Norwegian property and some Norwegian assets can still be taxed.
- NAV pension paid to a US resident stays taxable only in Norway under Article 19.
The US paperwork that starts on arrival
| Form | When it applies to a new US resident |
|---|---|
| Form 1040 | Worldwide income from the year of becoming a US tax resident |
| FBAR | Norwegian accounts above $10,000 combined at any time |
| Form 8938 (living in the US) | Single above $50,000 at year end or $75,000 at any time; joint $100,000 / $150,000 |
| Form 8621 | Norwegian funds and ETFs (PFIC rules) |
If you are a US resident planning retirement income for a household that may later live in Norway, the same rule applies as in the other direction: buy US annuities while you live in the US.
Frequently asked questions
Free annuity gap analysis for Norway. Tell me your ages, your Social Security or pension, and whether you are single or a couple. I will show how far your income is from the Norway requirement and what a lifetime annuity would cost to fill the gap, in the sponsor’s or main applicant’s name where that matters.
Related reading
- Moving to Norway from the US: the hub
- UDI income requirement 2026 explained
- Norway exit tax on IRAs and 401(k)s
- Can you bring your parents to Norway?
- Dual citizenship Norway and USA
Sources
- USCIS: I-864P poverty guidelines for the Affidavit of Support
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments)
- UDI: Income requirement in family immigration cases
- IRS: United States and Norway income tax convention (Articles 18, 19, 21, 22)
- Skatteetaten: Exit tax
Goldstein & Co. LLC dba Goldstein Insurance Services · Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent, CA lic. #4273294 · NPN 20602398 · 213-414-2808 · hans@hansgoldstein.com
Education, not tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules, thresholds and exchange rates change; confirm with the consulate or immigration authority and a local tax adviser before you act, and get answers in writing. Hans Goldstein is a licensed insurance agent (CA 4273294) and can only offer annuities to residents of states where he is licensed. Annuity payments are guaranteed by the issuing insurer’s claims-paying ability, not by any government. Payout figures are illustrations from a published survey, not quotes. Immediate annuities are generally irrevocable.