As China students who are not EU citizens, if they plan to stay in the Netherlands after graduation, "finding a job plan within one year" will be the choice of most Dutch students. Let's follow me to learn about the work visa after studying in the Netherlands.

Dutch policy

At the end of June, libraries of all sizes in the Netherlands were writing graduation papers in front of computers. When they meet, they can't help talking about their work and future plans. For non-EU students studying in the Netherlands, Zoekjaar is the choice of most international students if they plan to work in the Netherlands after graduation. Zoekjaar's English is Searching year, commonly known as "finding a work plan within one year". The program aims to provide a one-year residence permit for non-EU graduates who graduated from the Netherlands. Zoekjaar holders can work at will without applying for another work permit.

Application process

The detailed information about Zoekjaar is explained on the websites of the Netherlands Immigration Service (IND) and the Netherlands Association for International Exchange of Higher Education (NUFFIC), and also introduced on the websites of Dutch universities. The basic process is to call IND to make an appointment, bring graduation certificate, photo, passport and application form (which can be downloaded from IND website or picked up at IND) and pay a handling fee of 600 euros. After the application is accepted, IND will post a temporary residence on the applicant's passport for one and a half years. With this temporary residence permit, you can legally live in the Netherlands, but you can't enter and leave the Netherlands at will.

Students studying in the Netherlands can make an appointment to apply for Zoekjaar after graduation. If you want to apply in advance, students can go to the school to apply for a written statement stating that they have completed all the courses and will graduate in the near future. This statement can be used as application materials, and together with other materials, the application process can be started. After getting the diploma, you need to show the original diploma to the immigration bureau.

Waiting period

Because the processing time varies from one month to one year, if you want to enter and leave the Netherlands during Zoekjaar ID's processing, you can go to IND to apply for a return visa, and the cost is about 140 euros.

If you want to work during the waiting period, the applicant's employer needs to apply for a work permit from the Dutch Labor Bureau (CWI), and you can work for ten hours a week. After getting Zoekjaar ID, you can start working full-time.

Two options

In addition to applying for Zoekjaar, IND also provides another enrollment plan, namely the highly educated enrollment plan. Compared with Zoekjaar, Zoekjaar aims at undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, while the latter aims at postgraduate and doctoral degrees. Zoekjaar needs to apply immediately after graduation, and the latter can apply at any time within three years after receiving a Dutch degree. However, compared with the latter, Zoekjaar can work without restrictions, which is more suitable for international students who want to work. IND pointed out that only one of the two entry plans can be applied for, and neither can be renewed after one year.

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