The Immigration and Naturalisation Service has expanded the knowledge migrants scheme, such that the scheme is now open to scientific researchers and doctors who are in training to become specialists. The knowledge migrants scheme offers a fast-track procedure for foreign nationals who enter the service of employers who have applied to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service to participate in the scheme. Under this scheme, no work permit is required, and the application for a residence permit is processed within two weeks by a single department of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service in Rijswijk.
A minimum earnings requirement applies in the case of knowledge migrants, although, in some cases, residence can be granted to a knowledge migrant who does not meet the minimum earnings requirement. Until now, this applied to PhD students, postdocs and university lecturers up to thirty years of age, but this category has now been replaced with a single category for all foreign nationals who are employed in the Netherlands to carry out scientific research. In addition, doctors who are in training to become specialists have been admitted to the category of knowledge migrants who do not have to meet the minimum wage requirement. All this has significantly widened the possibilities for scientific researchers to come to the Netherlands. In this way, the scheme addresses the practical need that exists among Dutch universities and research institutions to expand their ability to attract highly qualified workers from outside the European Economic Area.
Since the introduction of the knowledge migrants scheme in October 2004, 4700 foreign nationals have been admitted to the Netherlands as knowledge migrants,
and more than 2000 employers and institutions have issued declarations within the context of this procedure. The top three labour market sectors where knowledge migrants find employment are the IT sector, the industrial sector in general, and scientific education and research. The top three countries of origin of knowledge migrants are India, the United States of America, and Japan.
Source: Pressrelease Ministerie van Justitie |