2 Pinoys get nod to rejoin family in Norway

OSLO - Two Pinoys will finally be allowed to rejoin their family in Norway after the government gave its nod to their application for family reunification.

Roberto Enconado, husband to Heidi Fai Enconado, a Norwegian missionary who used to work in the Philippines, will soon join his family in Drammen after the Immigration Directorate overturned its earlier decision to deny his application for resident visa in June this year.

The Directorate denied Enconado’s earlier visa application citing his wife earns too little as a missionary to be able to support their family in Norway. The Norwegian government requires a minimum income requirement to grant family reunification visas.

The Enconado couple had been married for 15 years and lived mostly in the Philippines with their 3 children, Tabitha, Daniel and Jonas. The couple worked as missionaries.

In an interview with Drammens Tidende, a local paper, Heidi Enconado said, “my husband Roberto couldn’t believe it when I told him the good news. We have been talking about him joining us this Christmas but we have been disappointed many times.”

Enconado and her 3 children are temporarily staying at the Filadelfia Christian Ministry in Drammen while waiting to be reunited with her Filipino husband.

She also said that she is not sure why the government finally relented in letting her husband join her family in Norway.

In July this year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced that the government is changing the rules regarding family reunification following a controversial case involving a Filipina who was ordered deported after violating terms in her work visa. The new rules stipulate that families with children will be given consideration in granting resident and work visas to spouses of Norwegians.

Recently, Arne Seland, counsel to Laila Navrud told Drammens Tidende that the Immigration Directorate has sent them a letter assuring them that Laila’s case is now a top priority and that her residency is being granted soon.

The assurance was happy news for Ole Kristian and Laila Navrud who had been traumatized by the earlier decision of the Directorate to expel Laila Navrud and her then 6-month-old son, Kent Oscar, last month from Norway after she was found to have violated the terms of her work visa.

The couple has since amassed huge debts in addition to their house loans after Laila was forced to quit her job at a café following the decision. At some point in their struggle to fight the decision, they have decided to put their house on sale.

The Navrud couple has since placed ads in the job section of the local paper and are both trying to move on from their harrowing experience.