Non-resident registration will be possible in bigger communities. This means that it will be easier for short term residents to obtain a fiscal number. The planning is to have this new procedure implemented on November 1.

June 2013

The Modern Migration Policy Act has gone into effect. Although the original aim was to make the procedure easier, the practice is different. Many companies have difficulties proving that they had a approved application in the past year. This was the criterium in order te become an authorised sponsor automatically. Besides this, many forms needed for the immigration application are not adjusted to the new situation.

March 2013

State Secretary Fred Teeven informed the House of Representatives that the Modern Migration Policy Act (Wet modern migratiebeleid) and the National visa Act will go into effect on June 1, 2013.

A summary of the effects of the new act;

• Most migrants will need to have a local sponsor in the Netherlands. Sponsors and migrants have statutory obligations to provide the government with correct information and to keep records.
• The provisional residence permit for entry and the residence permit application are combined into a single application procedure. As a result, the process is simplified for migrants and/or their sponsor.
• Residence permits such as permits for work, study and family reunification can be granted for longer periods of validity, resulting into the fact that migrants or their sponsors will have to renew these less frequently. Permits for spouses will have the same validity as for the main applicants.
• It will be easier to change employers or educational institutions without the requirement to apply for a new permit. This benefit of the act is not concerning highly skilled migrants, but regular employment (via work permits). For highly skilled migrants the regulations will remain the same.
• The act provides the IND with instruments to effectively supervise and visibly enforce. For example, the IND could impose administrative penalties on migrants and sponsors, for example for providing incorrect information.

In the coming months, the IND will make the final preparations for the introduction of the act and will release further information once applicable.

January 2013

With a new government in place, some of the regulations that were implemented medio 2012 will be dropped. Applications for non-married partners (meeting the demands of the law), starting from October 1 will be approved. The policy will be official in April 2013, but is already in use.

August 2012

Family reunification and formation conditions will be changed on 1 October 2012

The Dutch government has decided to implement new rules for family reunification and formation. Starting on 1 October,this will only be possible for married couples unless it is impossible for a couple to be married in the countries where they come from. In this case, couples will be welcome on a temporary marriage visa, but will need to get married within 6 months after their arrival. After marriage, one can extend his/her temporary marriage visa by applying for a partner permit.

June 2012

Conditions for family reunification and formation will (temporarily?) remain the same

Since the minority government of the Netherlands has stepped down, a number of high impact decisions have been appointed as controversial. One of them is the legislation that would come into effect on July 1 with regards to family reunification/formation. This means that the this new policy will be postponed and perhaps will not be introduced at all. Non married couples meeting the requirements can still come to the Netherlands until further notice.

2012

Conditions for family reunification and formation

As of 1 July 2012, conditions for family reunification and formation will be changed, mainly:

1) family reunification and formation for immigration purpose is only possible for married couples unless it is impossible for a couple to be married in the countries where they come from. In order to be married in the Netherlands, you need first to apply for a temporary marriage visa which is valid for 6 months within which you can get married in the Netherlands. After marriage, one can extend his/her temporary marriage visa by applying for a partner permit;

2) a person can only bring his/her partner to the Netherlands if he/she has been in the Netherlands for at least one year except if his/her stay in the Netherlands is for temporary purpose within the meaning of the decree of integration;

3) the 'extended family reunification' purpose of stay no longer exists;

4) the eligibility period for a permit of continued stay has been revised from 3 years to 5 years;

5) if one stays outside of the Netherlands for more than 6 months (at present it is 9 months) it will be assumed that the Netherlands is no longer his/her principal residence and his/her eligibility for a residence permit will be lost as a consequence;

6) it is no longer possible to apply for a permit on the ground of 'family visit'.

April 2012

Settle Service awarded with EuRA Quality Seal 2012-2014

Settle Service was the first Dutch immigration and relocation service provider to be awarded with the EuRA Quality Seal in 2008. After our succesful re-certification in 2010, we have now been re-certified again. The auditor was very positive about the development of the company. As quality is one of the most important values, we are very happy with this recognition.

March 2012

Foreign taxpayer and mortgages

Foreign taxpayers who earn 90 percent or more of their income in the Netherlands, will get their mortgage interest relief in the same way as residents of the Netherlands. This brings legal certainty and simplification of the existing rules, particularly for frontier workers.

The measures will soon be ratified through a policy decision.

January 2012

Changes in 30% tax ruling

he 30% tax ruling is meant as a compensation for extra territorial costs. The employer (or Settle Service on their behalf) applies for this ruling in order and, after it is granted, will pay out a tax free allowance of (roughly said) 30% of the salary of the employee. The 30% allowance will be included in the salary in such a way that the costs for the employer will not be higher, while the employee has a higher net salary

The main changes in the ruling are:

• the condition of specific expertise is to be fulfilled by means of a standard salary. This salary is € 35.000, which is € 50.000 under the 30% ruling. This is more or less the same level as the salary requirement for the highly skilled migrant procedure. Scientists are exempted from this salary requirement. The term 'scientist' still needs to be defined.
• the period for which the ruling is granted will be 8 years for applications after January 1st 2012 (instead of 10).
• for masters younger than 30 years, the salary requirement will be € 26.605, until the year in which they will become 30 years of age.
• border workers (up to 150 kilometres from the Dutch border) will not be entitled to the 30% ruling anymore.
• the period which is taken into account for a reduction of the duration of a 30% ruling will be increased from 10 to 25 years. Meaning that returning Dutch nationals can only apply for the ruling when they have been out of the Netherlands for over 25 years. Also people from abroad who lived in the Netherlands before (within a period of 25 years) and were then entitled to the 30% ruling, can be affected by this.

Transition rules will be in place - when the application for the ruling has been done after 2007 but before 2012 and the ruling has been granted, it will stay in place for 5 years. After 5 years the tax authorities will do a re-check. Applications from before 2007 will remain under the 'old' system.

January 2012

Highly skilled migrants procedure also for short termers

As of January 1st 2012 up to at least December 31th 2013, the highly skilled migrants procedure will, as a pilot, also be applicable for people who will work in the Netherlands for a period of 3 months at maximum. The salary requirement will be the gross salary for a person > 30 years of age (per January 2012 € 51239,-). The process time will be approx 2 weeks. The 'usual' requirements -the employer has a covenant with the IND and the salary level- will stay in place.

Salary requirements highly skilled migrants procedure 2012

The highly skilled migrants procedure is the most popular immigration procedure in the Netherlands. The main requirement is the salary level. For 2012 the following levels will apply:

• for highly skilled migrants of 30 years and older: a gross annual income of at least € 51.239
• for highly skilled migrants under 30 years: a gross annual income of at least € 37.575
• for search students: a gross annual income of at least € 26.931

December 2011

Social security agremeement between India and the Netherlands

On 1 December 2011, a social security agreement between India and the Netherlands will come into effect. The agreement outlines in which country Indian employees are covered by insurance. After the agreement has come into effect, an Indian employee working temporarily in the Netherlands will be subject to Indian social security legislation. This social security agreement will only apply to Indian employees seconded before or after 1 December 2011.

September 2012

Opening of International School in Utrecht

An international school will open its doors in Utrecht at the start of the school year 2012/2013. The management of the school will be in the hands of a number of schools, amongst which the Alberdingk Thijm college (Hilversum), that has been an international school since 1982. The new international school will make Utrecht even more attractive for companies and their international employees.

September 2012
New European School in The Hague Area
The Board of Governors of the European Schools in Brussels has approved the establishment of a new European School for primary and secondary education in The Hague. The school will be a part of het Rijnland Lyceum, which has locations in Wassenaar, Oegstgeest and Sassenheim. The current International School of The Hague is also part of the Rijnland Lyceum. The new European School will be covered by the Dutch educational system.

July/August 2011
Private housings
From 1 August, banks will no longer be allowed to extend mortgages for more than 110 percent of the actual value of the property being bought - that is 104 percent plus six percent property transfer tax. At the moment the limit is 125 percent of the foreclosure value of the property, which is always lower.

On 1 July the Dutch government decided on a regulation to help the Dutch housing market. The transfer tax is reduced for a period of one year from 6 percent to 2 percent. This new rule was backdated to 15 June 2011.

July 2011
Extra requirements for HSM procedure
The Dutch government has added a new requirement for the Highly Skilled Migrants procedure. The income level requirements stay on € 50.619 for people older than 30 years and € 37.121 for people younger than 30 years, but their salary levels must be in accordance with other salaries for the same position in the market. This may mean extra administrative hassle and difficulties to get that one person with special qualities to the Netherlands.