Immigration
25 October 2017
THE NETHERLANDS: Changes to search year permit
Effective 1 October 2017, changes to the regulations on search year permit have been implemented.
The search year permit grants foreign students 1 year to look for a suitable job in the Netherlands. The policy states that students need to apply within 3 years after their graduation. The starting point of the 3 year term is now defined as follows:
- For students graduated in the Netherlands, the term starts on the date they passed their final exam.
- For foreign students, the term starts as per the date stated on their diploma.
Additionally, for foreign students it is required now that the university must be in the top-200 ranking in the year of graduation and not in the year in which the application is filed.