The Netherlands are looking for graduates from TOP Universities
Few people know that the Netherlands offer a “zoekjaar” visa - residence permit orientation year, which provides an opportunity to recent university graduates to live and work in the Netherlands without any restrictions for 1 year.
With this visa, you can work as an employee, as well as a freelancer or entrepreneur. You can bring a partner or family. The partner thus receives the same rights as the main applicant.
This orientation year visa can be applied for within 3 years of completing an undergraduate or graduate/postgraduate program at a Dutch university, or after completing a master's/doctorate/post-doctorate program at one of the top 200 universities in at least 2 recognized world university rankings. What ratings are acknowledged as recognized?
Ratings
For the Dutch immigration service, these are 3 ratings, namely:
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Times Higher Education: Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject.
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Quacquarelli Symonds: QS World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings by subject.
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ShanghaiRanking Consultancy: Academic Ranking of World Universities and ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects .
It is important to remember that your university or program must be in the top 200 of these rankings on the date you completed your program, not the year you are applying for your visa.
Language requirements:
IELTS
You obtained a minimum score of 6.0 on a test in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). There are 2 versions of the IELTS: Academic and General Training. It does not matter which version you have.
Other English Language tests
You obtained a minimum score of 6.0 on another accepted English language test (TOEFL, TOEIC and Cambridge English grades & scale) that is listed in the Code of Conduct for International Students in Higher Education.
Diploma, Certificate and other
You have a diploma, certificate or document as referred to in Article 2.1 of the Regulation on civic integration 2021 (only in Dutch).
Programme was in English or Dutch
Your master’s degree programme, doctoral programme or post-master's programme was in English or Dutch.
During the period of validity of the residence permit orientation year, you can safely travel and leave the Netherlands many times. The only thing to remember is that the maximum period of absence should not exceed 6 consecutive months during the year if you plan to apply for Dutch citizenship in the future.
This is a great opportunity for those who would like to legally move to the Netherlands, one of the most tolerant and highly developed countries in the world, and find your dream job without haste in a friendly environment.
We will
1. help you evaluate your chances, prepare a complete set of documents and fill out an application for a residence permit based on your background.
2. tell you in detail about specific features and bonuses of the orientation year residence permit or student visa.
3. answer everyday questions about relocation to the Netherlands.
Sign in for a free introductory session (30 minutes).