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If you want to employ a Filipino electrician, refrigeration technician or welder in the Netherlands, the employee needs a residence and work permit. For technical roles, two routes mainly come into view in practice: the highly skilled migrant scheme and the combined residence and work permit (GVVA). They look alike, but the conditions and the process differ.
This article sets out the differences and shows how to determine which route fits your vacancy.
The highly skilled migrant scheme in brief
The highly skilled migrant scheme is intended for employees with knowledge or experience the Dutch economy needs. A degree at university or university of applied sciences level is not required. The main criterion is income: the employee must earn a salary at least equal to the income threshold set annually by the IND. That threshold depends in part on the employee’s age.
Two further conditions apply:
- The employer is a recognised sponsor. Only an employer recognised by the IND can apply for a highly skilled migrant.
- The salary is in line with the market. The pay must match what is customary in the sector for comparable work.
There is no labour market test. You therefore do not have to show that no suitable candidate is available in the Netherlands or the EU. For experienced technicians the scheme can fit well, provided the role and the grade under the collective labour agreement reach the income threshold.
The GVVA in brief
The GVVA combines the residence permit and the work permit in one application. The application goes to the IND, which asks UWV for advice on the employment part.
The main difference from the highly skilled migrant scheme is the labour market test. UWV assesses whether no suitable candidates for the vacancy are available in the Netherlands or the European Economic Area (EEA), and whether the employer has done enough to find them. Examples are reporting the vacancy to UWV and demonstrable recruitment efforts over a certain period.
The GVVA also sets requirements for pay and terms of employment. The employer does not need to be a recognised sponsor for the GVVA.
The differences side by side
| Highly skilled migrant | GVVA | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour market test | No | Yes, by UWV |
| Recognised sponsor required | Yes | No |
| Main criterion | Income under the IND threshold | No suitable supply in the Netherlands or the EEA |
| Assessed by | IND | IND, with advice from UWV |
| Fits | Roles that reach the income threshold | Roles with demonstrably no supply |
How do you choose the right route?
Start with the role, not the permit. Three questions will help.
1. Does the role reach the income threshold? Compare the role with the collective labour agreement and determine the grade based on the candidate’s experience. If the salary comes out above the applicable IND threshold, the highly skilled migrant scheme is usually the obvious choice. If it comes out below, the scheme is not an option.
2. Are you a recognised sponsor, or do you want to become one? Without recognition, you cannot apply for a highly skilled migrant yourself. You can apply for recognition, or work through a party that is already a recognised sponsor. In the model through SkillShift, SkillShift is the employer and recognised sponsor.
3. Can you substantiate a labour market test? If only the GVVA comes into view, you must show that you have searched in the Netherlands and the EEA and that this has not produced a suitable candidate. For roles with many jobseekers available in the Netherlands, this test is hard to pass.
Two practical examples
An installation company is looking for an experienced refrigeration service technician. The candidate has years of experience in the Gulf states and is graded under the collective labour agreement at a level above the IND threshold. The company is not a recognised sponsor and does not want to become one for now. The highly skilled migrant scheme, with SkillShift as the employer, may then fit. If the company later hires more highly skilled migrants on a structural basis, its own recognition may pay off.
A metalworking company is looking for a welder for a role whose grade under the collective labour agreement stays below the IND threshold. The highly skilled migrant scheme is then not an option. With a thorough recruitment effort in the Netherlands and the EEA, a GVVA application can be substantiated, provided UWV finds that there is no suitable supply. In Belgium, the same role may sometimes be feasible through the combined permit for shortage occupations.
What if the situation changes?
A permit is not an end point. Also take into account what may happen later.
Changing employer. A highly skilled migrant can generally move to another employer that is a recognised sponsor and meets the conditions. The new employer reports the change to the IND. A GVVA is tied to the employer and the role for which it was granted. A different employer or role usually requires a new application.
Extension. Both permits have a term. Plan an extension in good time and check whether the employee still meets the conditions at that point, for example the income threshold.
Family members. On both routes, family members can apply for a residence permit under certain conditions. Discuss this early with the candidate, as it often plays a role in the decision to come to the Netherlands.
And the Philippine side?
Whichever Dutch route you choose, the employee must also complete the Philippine departure procedure with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). That procedure is separate from the IND and UWV. SkillShift is itself registered with DMW as a Foreign Recruitment Agency and aligns the Philippine procedure with the Dutch application.
Want to know more?
On our page about Filipino technicians under the highly skilled migrant scheme you can read how this process works at SkillShift. You will find an overview of all routes under work permits for Filipino employees. Not sure which route fits? Request a feasibility check.