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Virtual assistant supports the processing of student residence permits
Last update: 22 August 2024
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service has used automated processes for the first time to process residence permit applications by international students. Part of the work is no longer done by a staff member, but by a virtual assistant. It processes the applications quickly, carefully and 24 hours a day.
Up to and including 31 July, this year the IND received about 17 thousand (17,187) applications for student residence permits by students from outside the EU/EEA. This is reasonably equivalent to the same period last year (17,870).
Peak time in applications processed faster
Imro Simmelink, IND manager of matters including studies, says: “It is logical that we receive almost all applications for student residence permits before the summer, i.e. before the start of the academic year in September. We previously dealt with that peak with about 15 temporary workers. This year a virtual assistant takes most of the work off our hands, under supervision by staff members. Training and assisting temporary workers is not necessary any more, which saves a lot of time for the experienced staff members. We started doing this in March and have already been able to handle about 13 thousand applications this way.”
Most applications come from China, India and Turkey
On average approximately one fourth of the international students come from outside Europe. Just as last year, the Chinese, Indian, American, Turkish and Indonesian nationalities are the five nationalities that appear most frequently among these students. Almost all applications are made for students of higher education. The university of applied sciences or academic university submits the application to the IND after it has already assessed itself whether the student meets the requirements. This manner of working enables the IND to grant almost all applications for residence for study purposes.
Three national award days
Just as in previous years the IND awards residence documents to the students during national award days, on 24 August, 14 September and 5 October in the exhibition and conference centre Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. About 7 thousand residence permits can be awarded each day. In this way students can be certain that they will have their residence documents in time. IND staff members from the whole organisation help to make the central awards possible.
Background information on the student residence permit at the IND: International Students and the IND
