Dutch Government to Raise Salary Thresholds for Highly Skilled Migrants

The Dutch government is shaking things up for highly skilled migrant workers—or kennismigranten—with plans to raise salary thresholds and tighten the rules for companies using the fast-track visa scheme. The goal? To ensure the system attracts top talent while cracking down on misuse.

Social Affairs Minister Eddy van Hijum shared the details in a 30-page briefing to MPs, emphasizing that the changes aim to recruit professionals with rare skills that the Dutch labor market truly needs. “We want to make sure this scheme is used for its intended purpose—bringing in the best and brightest,” he said.

What’s Changing?

Under the new rules, the minimum monthly gross salary (excluding holiday allowance) will increase to:

• €5,688 for those aged 30 and over
• €4,171 for those under 30
• €2,989 for recent graduates

These changes align with the European Blue Card standard, ensuring the Netherlands remains competitive while maintaining integrity in the system.

Currently, younger kennismigranten can stay on a lower salary threshold indefinitely if they stick with the same employer. But that’s about to change. Once they hit 30, the higher threshold will apply—no exceptions. Recent graduates will also face a three-year limit on the lower threshold after finishing their studies.

Cracking Down on Misuse

The move comes after inspectors flagged cases of the scheme being used for lower-skilled jobs like hairdressers, cleaners, and hospitality workers—roles that don’t align with the program’s purpose. To prevent this, stricter financial and integrity checks will be introduced for employers, and inactive sponsors could lose their status faster.

What’s Staying the Same?

Good news for families: there will be no changes to the rules for bringing in partners. The government is keen to keep the scheme’s speed and simplicity intact while ensuring it better serves the Dutch knowledge economy.

Fewer Expats Arriving

Interestingly, fewer expats are moving to the Netherlands. Last year, just over 12,000 applications were submitted for the Dutch highly skilled migrant visa, with 10,500 approved. The number of Indian nationals coming for IT and other skilled jobs has dropped significantly, reflecting a broader decline in arrivals from traditional expat countries and those on a Dutch highly skilled migrant visa.

The Netherlands’ international arrival centers, which help newcomers settle in, also reported a dip in users—from nearly 33,000 in 2023 to just over 24,400 last year. This comes as the government works to reduce migration for work and study, despite concerns from businesses about talent shortages.

What’s Next?

Ministers plan to consult parliament and other stakeholders before finalizing these changes. For now, it’s clear the government is walking a fine line between attracting top talent and addressing concerns about the system’s misuse.