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News item | 30-06-2008
The government has opted for a selective migration policy. Policy must be 'inviting' for migrants needed for the economy, culture and research, and restrictive for everyone else.
The new migration policy is designed make the Netherlands more attractive to international businesses and highly skilled migrants. It is expected to be introduced in phases in 2011.
In anticipation, the government will introduce a special scheme in early 2009 allowing about 500 graduates and PhDs from top universities in the Netherlands and other countries to spend one year looking for jobs as highly skilled migrants in the Netherlands.
The procedure for obtaining an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) and the procedure for obtaining a regular residence permit will be combined into an admission and residence procedure. This will involve a single application and a single assessment.
By exchanging information with other government institutions, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will be able to prevent and penalise abuses. It will be given the power to impose administrative-law sanctions, such as fines.
Residence permits will be issued on the basis of eight categories, including Knowledge and talent, Employment, Study, Exchanges, and Family.
Depending on the needs of society, policy for each category may be inviting or restrictive. Migrants within each category will have the same rights, duties and facilities as far as possible.
One of the advantages of this system is that labour migrants and highly skilled migrants will be able to change employer without having to go through a new residence procedure. The conditions for family migrants will not change.
Businesses and institutions that regularly need employees from abroad can be
recognised as hosts for highly skilled migrants. This also applies to
universities that recruit foreign students.
They will provide the IND with all the information it needs to make a decision and will submit residence applications themselves. The migrants can then be admitted through an accelerated procedure.
In addition, the IND and the Centre for Work and Income (CWI) will set up a joint desk where employers can submit a single application for a residence permit and work permit for a labour migrant.
03-07-2008