For your business, you might need certain expertise, which you have found in a highly skilled professional outside of the Netherlands. No stress or worries, their qualities can still help you and your business out here, due to the highly skilled migrant program.
Several years ago, this program was introduced to make the Netherlands more alluring for professionals with certain qualities to help increase the Dutch economy, and enrich culture and scientific research. The highly skilled migrant scheme has simplified the procedure of bringing highly educated employees to the Netherlands.
Still, there are strict regulations and legislation to be able to apply. Are you looking to hire a highly skilled migrant, but you have no idea where to start? Dutch Employer of Record will explain to you all the steps and conditions to do so.
Are you an employee that found a job and needs a highly skilled migrant visa for the Netherlands? We can help you as well. For more detailed information on the different visas, visit the Applying for a work visa or residence permit blog.
What conditions have to be met to be considered a highly skilled migrant?
To hire a highly skilled migrant, they have to be qualified as one. This means that the professional you are looking to hire with a nationality other than EU/EER and Switzerland, must meet the conditions of all migrants, and furthermore:
- Have an employment contract with an employer or research institution in the Netherlands. A side note is that this employer has to be a recognized sponsor by the Dutch Immigration & Naturalisation Services (IND)
- Earn a sufficient income, which is above a set threshold
- That wage that is agreed upon must be in accordance with market conditions
These are just the conditions to be qualified as a highly skilled migrant. To be sure they can actually work in the Netherlands, there are some more steps to be completed. As an employee, you need a residence permit to work here. Only an employer is able to apply for the permit and to do so you have to be a recognized sponsor by the IND. Read more on the specific requirements for your country and how you can apply as an employer on the website of the IND. Or get in touch with one of the professionals at Dutch Employer of Record. We’re happy to help out with the maze that is the IND.
The process of hiring a highly skilled migrant
The way to go about hiring a highly skilled migrant for your company starts, as most international processes do, at the Dutch Immigration & Naturalisation Services (IND). Here you can apply to become a recognized sponsor, which allows you to hire a highly skilled employee to work in the Netherlands. Another option is to work with an affiliated recognized sponsor, for instance, a payroll company such as Dutch Employer of Record. These companies possess all the knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill the procedure of hiring highly skilled migrants in the Netherlands.
Once that process is completed, you or the affiliated sponsor can start the Entry and Residence Procedure (TEV). During this process, the IND will investigate whether there are any objections to admission on account of public policy or security and takes about two weeks. When the positive outcome of the investigation is in and the highly skilled migrant meets the conditions mentioned above, it will be able to obtain authorization for temporary stay (MVV) from the Dutch embassy. Once the MVV is obtained, the migrant can come to the Netherlands and gather their residence permit from the IND. If not, the employer will be able to start the procedure for the application of the residence permit once the migrant has arrived.
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Rights and obligations sponsors
As a recognized sponsor of the IND you have some rights and also some obligations. One of them is that you can use some procedures that are fast-tracked, such as the highly skilled migrant scheme. Otherwise, you have to choose a highly skilled foreign national, who meets these specific conditions as stated above. Also, you are expected to provide potential candidates with information regarding these conditions. If you’re looking for a partner who can take on these tasks so you can focus on running your business, Dutch Employer of Record is here to help!
What Dutch Employer of Record can do for you
As a by the IND recognized sponsor, Dutch Employer of Record is there to help you and your organization get a foot in the door in the Dutch market. Since it takes a lot of time to learn and understand the whole maze of legislation and regulations of the Netherlands, we thought it best for you to focus on your business instead of peripheral matters. With our English-speaking experts, we take care of or guide you on all legal and payroll matters within the Netherlands. The same goes for the highly skilled migrant procedure or for applying to the 30% tax ruling. If you’re looking to expand your business to the Netherlands, Dutch Employer of Record is here to help you on your way. Get in touch or create a profile to get started!
