Netherlands/Highly Skilled Migrant

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What is a highly skilled migrant?

(work in progress)

Known in Dutch as a "kennismigrant" (literally: knowledge migrant), a highly skilled migrant is someone who immigrates into the Netherlands to work using a specific set of skills and/or knowledge. The IND offers an accelerated immigration path to cultivate a “knowledge culture” within the Netherlands, with fewer requirements than other work visas. For example, employers need not prove for highly skilled migrants that they were unable to find suitable candidates within the EU or EEA, unlike regular worker migrants. It is possible to bring your family members (partner/children) as a highly skilled migrant.

The skills that make you eligible as a highly skilled migrant can be seen as:

Companies, educational institutions or organisations can sponsor a foreign resident as a highly skilled migrant for work, research, study or exchange. The IND wants these sponsors to be reliable and financially healthy. So they must through a 7-step process to be assessed for their continuity and solvency. After approval, they become a recognized sponsor, a list of which can be found here (updated once a month).

The easiest thing to do is finding a job at an existing sponsor from that list. While it is an option to find non-sponsor companies who are willing to undergo this IND process, be aware that the IND has 90 days to take a decision on this before you can start your individual process. Additionally, the IND could decide not to recognize the company as a sponsor, meaning you have to start from scratch to try elsewhere.

Minimum income

This minimum income is used as one way to shorthand “high skills”: the actual job doesn’t necessarily matter, you just need to be paid at least these minimums. The minimum changes every year on January 1. Several factors may lead to a reduced minimum like being younger than 30 years or being a recent graduate: check the link for specific details.

While flexible, the IND does state as a requirement that the agreed salary must be in line with the market rate: you earn the same as what people in the same job earn on average. The minimum income may also impact your negotiation space for salary: companies aiming to hire you may use it as a maximum cap for what they are willing to offer you.

Application process

The IND describes the process as follows:

  1. Check to make sure you meet the requirements.
  2. Collect all required documents (at minimum a copy of your passport) for yourself and any family members.
  3. Have your employer submit this application for you: this must be done before or within 3 months after you have travelled to the Netherlands.
  4. Have your employer pay for the application: at the time of writing (February 2025) this costs €405.
  5. Wait for the decision: the IND must take a decision within 90 days. This period can be extended, for example if your application is not complete: the IND will send a letter if they decide to extend.
  6. Decision on application: the company that applied for your permit will receive the decision in a letter, either positive (you will get a residence permit) or negative (you will not receive a residence permit; note you can object against this decision).
  7. Collect residence permit: you will receive a letter when the residence permit is ready to be picked up at an IND desk. Make an appointment to collect it.

The application is most easily done online by your employer using the IND Business Portal but you can also reach the application forms here (also if your employer wants to submit in writing by post):

Recent graduates

Orientation year (zoekjaar)

The orientation year offers a Dutch residence permit for a year to orient yourself in the Dutch market, and search for a job as a kennismigrant, and critically has a lower income requirement once a job is found.

You can apply for this visa if you've recently graduated with a master's or doctorate from an approved international university or a bachelor's or master's from a Dutch university. The list of approved international universities varies from year to year, based on international rankings publishers. Universities are chosen base don all-round merits and by subject; it's worth checking whether your university meets the overall requirements OR the subject you studied at your university meets the requirements. The most recent lists can be found on the IND page and breaks down generally as the following:

Your foreign diploma must meet all following requirements:

  • Your educational institution is in the top 200 of the general rankings or the rankings by subject of at least 2 of the 3 publishers.
  • Your educational institution is in the top 200 of these rankings on the date of your graduation or promotion.
  • Is your educational institution in a ranking by subject? In that case that ranking must be about your study or research subject.

When finding employment through an orientation year, the income requirements are lower (see reduced salary criterion). Note that the employer must still be from the list of recognized sponsors of highly-skilled migrants.

The orientation year visa currently costs €243. The costs can be found on the IND website under Work -> Looking for a job after study, promotion or scientific research (orientation year).

Researchers

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Healthcare professionals

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