diff --git a/app/models/member.rb b/app/models/member.rb
index df93aaee847..3b65587c66b 100644
--- a/app/models/member.rb
+++ b/app/models/member.rb
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class Member < ActiveRecord::Base
   after_create :send_request, if: :request?, unless: :importing?
   after_create :create_notification_setting, unless: [:pending?, :importing?]
   after_create :post_create_hook, unless: [:pending?, :importing?]
+  after_create :refresh_member_authorized_projects, if: :importing?
   after_update :post_update_hook, unless: [:pending?, :importing?]
   after_destroy :post_destroy_hook, unless: :pending?
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/fix-authorize-users-into-imported-gitlab-project.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/fix-authorize-users-into-imported-gitlab-project.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9f14463fdd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/fix-authorize-users-into-imported-gitlab-project.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Authorize users into imported GitLab project
+merge_request: 
+author: 
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper_spec.rb
index 770e8b0c2f4..1cb02f8e318 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/import_export/members_mapper_spec.rb
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Gitlab::ImportExport::MembersMapper, services: true do
   describe 'map members' do
-    let(:user) { create(:user) }
+    let(:user) { create(:user, authorized_projects_populated: true) }
     let(:project) { create(:project, :public, name: 'searchable_project') }
-    let(:user2) { create(:user) }
+    let(:user2) { create(:user, authorized_projects_populated: true) }
     let(:exported_user_id) { 99 }
     let(:exported_members) do
       [{
@@ -67,5 +67,12 @@ describe Gitlab::ImportExport::MembersMapper, services: true do
 
       expect(ProjectMember.find_by_invite_email('invite@test.com')).not_to be_nil
     end
+
+    it 'authorizes the users to the project' do
+      members_mapper.map
+
+      expect(user.authorized_project?(project)).to be true
+      expect(user2.authorized_project?(project)).to be true
+    end
   end
 end