Highly Skilled Migrant Procedure

The Highly Skilled Migrant Procedure

To employ a non-EU resident in the Netherlands, companies must adhere to the highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) procedure. This process requires meeting specific criteria for the employee, employer, and employment contract:

1. Employee Requirements

   • The candidate must hold a bachelor's or master's degree or have relevant work experience.

   • Their expertise, position, and salary must align with market standards and be competitive.

2. Employer Requirements

   • The employer must be recognised as an accredited sponsor by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).

   • This recognition involves a formal application process, as only accredited sponsors are authorized to hire highly skilled migrants.

3. Employment Contract

   • The contract must meet the minimum salary thresholds set by the IND.

   • These thresholds must be guaranteed, and bonuses or other flexible components cannot be relied on.

   • Salaries should remain consistent, even during illness or unpaid leave, and meet annual IND updates.

Salary Criteria (2024)

The minimum salary requirements for knowledge migrants vary depending on age and experience:

BlueStone Services

• Dutch Payroll and Employment: BlueStone is the Dutch employer of highly skilled migrants; we employ the migrants. We handle the IND application for the migrant, along with any additional services as needed. Once the IND issues the permit, we take care of the payroll for the migrant on behalf of our client. The client pays for our services, while the migrant receives a monthly salary.

• Became a recognised sponsor: As a Recognised Sponsor, your company gains the ability to hire and retain highly skilled migrants efficiently, contributing to the growth of your organization.

• EU BlueCard:BlueStone assists companies by streamlining the Blue Card process, making hiring highly skilled non-EU professionals straightforward.