Dutch government to raise salary requirements for highly skilled migrants

The government in the Netherlands has announced plans to increase the salary requirements for highly skilled migrants, while also tightening rules for companies that hire skilled workers from abroad. 

Higher Dutch salary required for highly skilled workers

The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Eddy van Hijum, has submitted a 30-page report to the House of Representatives, outlining plans that would place stricter rules on the highly skilled migrant scheme in the Netherlands. With this plan, “the government wants to further strengthen the knowledge economy and at the same time reduce migration to the Netherlands”.

At the top of the plans is raising the salary requirements for a worker to receive a highly skilled worker’s permit. On January 1, 2025, the minimum gross monthly salary for skilled workers older than 30 years was increased to 5.688 euros - 1,3 times the average gross salary in the Netherlands and in line with the European Blue Card standard. 

However, according to van Hijum, the scheme experiences more abuse when it comes to highly skilled migrants aged younger than 30 years, due to the lower salary requirement - the current minimum income for skilled migrants in this category is 4.171 euros per month. The government wants to increase this to 1,1 times the average gross salary, putting it on par with Blue Card Holders who have recently graduated - this would be a raise of several hundred euros.

Stricter rules proposed for highly skilled migrant scheme in the Netherlands

The main aim of the higher salaries is to ensure that migrants are recruited for positions where there is truly a shortage of skilled workers in the Netherlands. This would prevent companies from fraudulently bringing workers over for roles such as hairdressing, cleaning or catering, reports de Volkskrant. 

Stricter rules around companies obtaining permits are also a part of the plans. More financial and stability checks would take place to prevent abuse of the scheme and low-wage migrants. 

The plans still need to be ironed out and discussed with the parliament. They will be debated by the caretaker government and the House of Representatives after the summer recess.

This is not the first time that stricter rules for skilled labour migration have been put forward. Earlier this year, before the cabinet collapsed, two coalition parties proposed tougher restrictions, such as only allowing migrants to move to the Netherlands with a European Blue Card and only allowing workers from abroad to fill roles in certain sectors.