THE HAGUE, 23/05/06 - The cabinet is instituting a points system to make it easier for talented entrepreneurs from outside the EU to come to the Netherlands. They will be admitted on the basis of personal talents, even if they do not have a job at a company or institution.

The government has decided to divide up its immigration policy into five categories. The biggest change involves Category Three, regulating the admission of "high-value knowledge and work migrants." To supplement existing policy for this group, the option will be introduced of admission to the Netherlands on the basis of personal talents. "This 'talents scheme' will be worked out for work migrants who are not associated with a company or institution, such as innovative entrepreneurs, independent researchers or top creative talent," according to a cabinet statement.

Knowledge migrants are people coming to the Netherlands for a paid job with a gross salary of at least 45,000 euros (or 33,000 euros for those aged below 30). An ordinary knowledge migrant needs a contract with a company or institute to be eligible for a residence permit of up to five years. This will not apply in future to migrants entering via the talents scheme. They will be given a two-year residence permit that can be extended, and after five years they will be eligible for a permanent residence permit and family reunification or formation.

The cabinet "wants to make a clear distinction between forms of migration that could lead in due course to residence in the Netherlands and forms whose temporary nature must be strictly maintained." In the area of study and work migration, institutes and companies will "play a greater role in the admission procedures based on contracts with the government" under the new migration policy.

For migrants wishing to come to the Netherlands for strictly temporary work or cultural exchange, such as seasonal workers, contract workers or au-pairs, "a non-extendible residence permit will be introduced with a validity of up to one year." These will have no rights to family reunion or welfare. If they wish to make a followup application for work, they will have to leave the Netherlands first and make the application from their country of origin.

Another category covers the admission of students to an institute of higher education and non-EU citizens who want to work in the Netherlands but are not knowledge migrants. "The residence permit period in this group is linked to the length of the employment or study course. This permit can be extended and the migrant can after a certain period be eligible for permanent residence. They also have the right to family reunification and formation if they can maintain their family members." However, if they apply for welfare, their residence permit will be withdrawn.

Category Four covers the admission of migrants via family reunification or formation with a Dutch citizen, a holder of a permanent residence permit or an admitted asylum-seeker. Category Five governs the admission of migrants who are in the Netherlands due to humanitarian circumstances such as undergoing medical treatment or as victim of human trafficking persecution.