Dutch to fast-track skilled immigrants' families

25 June 2007

The Dutch Immigration Service (IND) plans to decrease the processing time for families of highly skilled migrants into the Netherlands, slashing the waiting time from several months to two weeks, according to justice minister Nebahat Albayrak in a statement to parliament.

Under a ruling from 2004, highly educated foreigners can work in the Netherlands without a work permit, similar to other countries' schemes such as the United Kingdom's Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and Australia's General Skilled Migration program. They can also have their residency fast-tracked at a special branch of the IND in Rijswijk.

To meet Dutch requirements as a highly skilled migrant, an applicant must have a job offer with a minimum salary depending on the applicant's age. In 2007, the minimum annual salary requirement is €46,541 for those over 30 years of age and €34,130 for those younger than 30 years of age.

The salary requirement is not applicable to those employed in an educational or research institute as a PhD student, or to post-doctorate students and university teachers over 30 years of age.

Most of the approximately 8,800 migrants who have taken advantage of the scheme work in the IT industry and science-related industries. They largely originate from the United States, Japan, and India.