For students looking to work in another country after their MBA or specialized master’s, visa regulations are a big consideration.
For students who look to work abroad in another country after they have completed their MBA or specialised masters it can be quite difficult due to strict visa regulations. Many countries have been trying to clamp down and and work on reducing immigration globally. However Netherlands is actively seeking highly skilled talent and is welcoming students from across the world.
Business schools on Netherlands like Rotterdam’s School of Management attracts thousands of international student yearly. Businesses in Netherlands are also incentivised to recruit foreign talent. Ex-pat employees who meet all work and legal conditions don’t need to pay tax on up to 30% of their salary.
The Netherlands government has another visa available called the Zoekjaar visa which Is made to attract highly skilled workers. The Zoekjaar visa also known as the ‘orientation year’ visa is available for master students who have studied at the top 200 universities worldwide whether in the general ranking lists or ranking lists by subject. Lists that are accepted include the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the QS World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Furthermore students who have graduated from qualifying universities have up to three years post graduation to apply for the visa. This will allow students who need to return to their home countries to fulfil sponsor or scholarship commitments can do so before they take up the opportunity on the Netherlands.
The Zoekjaar visa gives free access to the Dutch labor market and will mean that visa holders are able to live in the country as well as apply for internships, jobs and also have the opportunity of freelancing or starting their own business.
According to Ljiljana Ilovača from Adams Multilingual Recruitment says those with the Zoekjaar visa who have an educational background in subjects such as engineering or IT will find it much easier to find a job. Also having knowledge of the languages French and German can be beneficial as Holland borders Belgium and Germany and so many business interactions take place across these borders.