Frequently asked questions

With the orientation year you will have time to find a job as a highly skilled migrant in the Netherlands. During the orientation year you can work freely in the Netherlands. This means that your employer does not need a work permit for you. And your employer only has to pay at least the legal minimum wage (including holiday allowance). You can also use the orientation year to start your own business. 

Did you find a job as a highly skilled migrant? In that case a reduced salary criterion applies to you. This makes it easier and cheater for an employer to hire you. You keep the reduced salary criterion, also when you change employers. Read the requirements for a residence permit for highly skilled migrant. 

No, that is not necessary. You can work freely in the Netherlands during the orientation year, so your employer can wait until the end of your orientation year before he applies for a new residence permit for you. Do make sure that your employer applies before your residence permit for orientation year ends. Your residence permits will then be continous. 

Yes, like with your residence permit for study this is possible. You do have to meet all the requirements. You can find the requirements at Family and partner. 

Requirement sufficient income

Do your family members already have a Dutch residence permit? In that case you do not have to show income. 

Do your family members not have a Dutch residence permit yet? In that case you do have to show you have sufficient income. There are two situations in which you have sufficient income:

• You have a job with which you earn independent, sufficient and sustainable income.
• You have an amount equal to 12 times the times the social assistance benefit (bijstandsnorm) with holiday allowance on your bank account.

In both situations you and your family members are not allowed to apply for a public funds. A public is for example a social assistance benefit. An unemployment benefit (WW-uitkering), sickness benefit, rental benefit, healthcare benefit, childcare benefit and/of additional child benefit is allowed.
 

No, you do not have to submit proof of your income when you apply for a residence permit orientation year. You will have to sustain yourself during the orientation year, but you do not have to show how. You will be allowed to work during your orientation year.

During the orientation year you are not allowed to use public funds, like a social assistance benefit. Receiving, for example, an unemployment benefit (in Dutch: WW-uitkering), a sickness benefit, rent benefit, healthcare benefit, childcare benefit and/or supplementary child benefit is allowed.

No, you cannot. When you have studied abroad, you should at least have obtained a master's degree. 

You can only apply for the orientation year if you have done scientific research at an educational institution funded or designated by the Dutch government, or at a research institution funded or subsidized directly or indirectly, wholly or partly, by the Dutch government. This is stated in Article 2.1, first paragraph, under b, of the Aliens Employment Act Implementation Decree 2022.

You meet this condition when your letter of appointment or employment contract states the job title and job code as drawn up in the University Job Classification System (Universitair Functieordeningssysteem (UFO) in Dutch). Your job code should begin with 01.

If you have completed an Erasmus Mundus Masters Course or an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (Degree), you must have obtained a joint degree or multiple degrees. These must have been issued by at least 2 participating higher educational institutions. 

You can find all current Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (Degree) programmes in the Erasmus Mundus Catalogue on the website from the European Commission.