Government to tighten up highly skilled migrant scheme
NETHERLANDS, October 8 - News item | 04-07-2025 | 15:15
In order to further strengthen the knowledge economy and reduce migration to the Netherlands, the government intends to tighten up the highly skilled migrant scheme, gearing it to workers with the specific skills Dutch businesses are most in need of. The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and Minister for Asylum and Migration, Eddy van Hijum, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Vincent Karremans, set out the government’s plans in a letter to the House of Representatives.
The government wants to raise the minimum salary that an individual must earn in order to qualify as a highly skilled migrant and gain admission to the Netherlands. In addition, the process by which companies are designated as recognised sponsors will be examined more critically. A company must be a recognised sponsor in order to make use of the highly skilled migrant scheme. The aim of these changes is to prevent improper use and abuse of the scheme.
Changes to the salary criterion
The government intends to raise the salary criterion for highly skilled migrants. It is considering increasing the threshold amount for highly skilled migrants aged under 30 years to 1.1 times the national average annual gross salary. The current minimum monthly gross salary required for this group is €4,171. The intended increase would increase the minimum monthly salary by several hundred euros.
Stricter requirements for companies
In order to apply for a residence permit for a highly skilled migrant, a company must be a recognised sponsor. The government intends to tighten the requirements that recognised sponsors must meet. These requirements concern the company’s financial health and stability, and its trustworthiness. An application can be denied if, for example, the company has been fined three or more times in the past four years for tax offences, failure to pay the statutory minimum wage and/or use of illegal labour. The government intends to make these requirements clearer, stricter and more robust. This could involve considering violations of other relevant legislation in the assessment of an application.
In addition, a company can lose its status as a recognised sponsor if it has not employed any highly skilled migrants for at least two years.
The details of these measures are currently being worked out, with specific attention being paid to practicability and the impact on the business climate and on companies.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
