Suspension and withdrawal of recognition as sponsor

Does the IND have a serious doubt that your organisation no longer meets the requirements for recognition? Then the IND can suspend your organisation as a recognised sponsor. During the suspension, the IND will investigate whether your organisation still meets the requirements for recognition.

Suspension duration

The suspension of your recognition can last up to 3 months. During the investigation, the IND can extend the suspension by 3 months at a time. The suspension can apply to one or more residence purposes. These are the residence purposes for recognition: work, research, study and exchange.

Consequences recognition suspension 

During the suspension, your organisation is not allowed to have the status of recognition. If it is required to be a recognised sponsor when applying for a residence permit, you cannot start this application. The IND will also immediately remove your organisation from the Public Register of Recognised Sponsors. 

The IND will withdraw your recognition in one of these situations:

• The recognition was given on the basis of wrong or incomplete information.
• You no longer meet the requirements for recognition.
• You have not met your obligations as a sponsor.
• You apply for withdrawal yourself.
• You have had three administrative fines for violation of your duty of care or failure to meet your obligation to provide information.
• You refuse to cooperate with IND check-ups.
• You do not properly check whether the foreign national meets the requirements for the residence permit.
• You knew about or suspected wrongdoings during the stay of the foreign national. And you did not take proper action.

Consequences withdrawal of recognition

The IND can withdraw your recognition for one or more residence purposes: these are the residence purposes for recognition: work, research, study and exchange. We will remove your organisation from the Public Register Recognised Sponsors. The IND may refuse your organisation as a recognised sponsor for a maximum of 5 years. In this period, the following will apply to your organisation: 

• Your organisation may not use the process to speed things up.
• Your organisation cannot act as a recognised sponsor.
• The IND will reject any new application for recognition.

Withdrawal residence permits

Has your recognition been withdrawn? Then the IND can also withdraw the residence permit of a foreign national for whom your organisation is a sponsor. The IND examines this for every situation:

• The foreign national did not know of the reason for withdrawal of recognition. In this case, the IND will not withdraw the residence permit immediately. The foreign national will be given 3 months to search for a different recognised sponsor. If they do not succeed within 3 months, the IND can still withdraw the residence permit. The foreign national will first receive a letter with this information.
• The foreign national knew the reason for the withdrawal of recognition, or was involved in the situation about this specific reason. In this case the IND can immediately withdraw the residence permit. 

• Regulations (in Dutch only) about suspension and withdrawal of recognition as sponsor:
  • articles 2f and 2g Aliens Act (Vreemdelingenwet)
  • article 1.22 Aliens Decree (Vreemdelingenbesluit)
  • article B1/2.2 Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines (Vreemdelingencirculaire)