The Netherlands House of Representatives has informed the government of its desire to consider what tightening of conditions to obtain the European Blue Card is possible. This desire stems from the idea of ​​creating a more selective and targeted labour migration policy for the benefit of a social, high-quality and innovative economy: “control over labour migration”. The Secretary of State on Immigration has made some proposals for amendments.

The highly skilled migrant program will also become more strict. These tightening’s will also be listed below. Before the summer of 2025, the government will make proposals to tighten the conditions for both the highly skilled migrant program and the European Blue Card.

Possible tightening’s of the European Blue Card scheme

• An application can be rejected if criminal sanctions have been imposed on the employer.
• Increase of the salary threshold to qualify for the European Blue Card.
• Numeris fixus for number European Blue Cards in the event of high unemployment in the Netherlands.
• Prohibition on working as a self-employed person in addition to working as a European Blue Card holder.
• Introduction of a labour market test before an European Blue Card can be granted.
• Requiring evidence of higher professional qualifications if the European Blue Card holder has been granted a European Blue Card in another Member State and has worked there as a card holder for less than two years.

Tightenings of the knowledge migrant scheme

The Secretary of State of Immigration already explained the tightening of the highly skilled migrant program in November 2024. This tightening concerns, among other things:

• Restricting of the use of payroll companies (Employer of Records) that are recognised sponsor to employ and deploy highly skilled migrants.
• Preventing abuse of (potential) recognized sponsor by foreign powers (states) from the perspective of Dutch national security.
• Measures aimed at preventing unwanted knowledge and technology transfer to highly skilled migrants working at companies established in the Netherlands.

Before the summer these proposals will be drafted in concrete measures.