The Netherlands, like all developed countries, is interested in improving the quality of the immigration flow. For highly skilled immigrants, there is a special Dutch term - kennismigrant. Naturally, the Netherlands is ready to provide assistance to all refugees, but there are special rules for kennis migrants that make their life and employment much easier.
Opportunity to work until full registration of documents on the right to stay in the country
From July 22, 2022, a highly skilled migrant can start working even if his residence document is not yet ready. A Könnismigrant must apply to the IND, but can start work without waiting for a legal stay sticker to be stuck in the passport. This benefit is currently valid until January 22, 2023, but is expected to be extended. IND is overloaded and unable to cope with sticking stickers, the deadlines for fully providing refugees with a sticker about the place of residence in the passport are constantly being transferred (learn more about these stickers in our article). Highly skilled migrants can continue to work with an expired sticker (at the time of issuing a new one). It is necessary to extend the right to stay in the country within a period not exceeding 4 months.
It must be understood that a highly qualified immigrant is required to apply for legal stay in the country within 2 weeks after arrival. The exemption extends to the right to work until receiving a sticker and is related to the difficulties of the IND in gluing them into passports. In addition, the employment contract, on the basis of which the immigrant is recognized as a highly qualified specialist, should already come into force.
If a foreigner who already has a residence permit in the Netherlands on other grounds has acquired a high qualification and can apply for a residence permit as a kennis migrant, he should apply for a change in the purpose of stay in the Netherlands via the Internet on the government business portal (Portaal Zakelijk), using the form " Change the purpose of stay in the country for a residence permit for a highly skilled foreigner” (Wijziging verblijfsdoel naar verblijfsvergunning kennismigrant). The application can be submitted 3 months before the expiration of the existing residence permit.
Required salary level
The main criterion by which a foreign specialist is recognized as a migrant migrant is his salary specified in the employment contract. According to the pan-European rule, in order to receive EU blue cards, the salary of such a foreigner must be 1,5 times higher than the average for the country. However, in each state there are specific figures for the salary of a highly qualified specialist. Getting less, it is impossible to get the status of a kennismigrant.
In the Netherlands, this level of pay is adjusted annually on January 1, so it is important that the amount of salary in the contract is not lower than that set by the government in a particular year. From January 1, 2023, a highly skilled migrant over the age of 30 must earn at least 5008 euros per month, and under the age of 30, at least 3672 euros. If we are talking about a specialist who received one year to look for a job after graduation, the minimum salary that he can get is 2631 euros. To apply for an EU blue card, you need to earn at least 5867 euros.
Salary is gross (before taxes and fees). On our website there is a calculator for converting gross salaries to net (money in hand) and vice versa - use it!
The IND replaces the Kennis Migrant Status Information Bulletin every 6 weeks. You can see the latest updates at this link.
Nalog.nl provides a wide range of accounting and legal services in the Netherlands. One of the areas of our work is assistance in legal immigration. If you have questions about how to legally enter the Netherlands and stay in our country seek advice from Nalog.nl specialists. If you are interested in the EU blue card, get a consultation by leaving a request at this link.
Publication Date: 26.08.2022
