Students and Recent Graduates

The Orientation Year (zoekjaar) work and residence permit allows graduates from non-EU countries to remain in the Netherlands for one year after graduating, with unrestricted access to the Dutch employment market. Although many graduates who apply for this visa are recent bachelor's and master's student graduates from universities in the Netherlands, you are also eligible for this visa in certain cases if you have carried out research (for example with a highly skilled migrant visa), or if you are a master's graduate from an internationally recognised top 200 university abroad.  

You have up to 3 years after your graduation to apply for an orientation year visa, and it is possible to apply for multiple orientation year visas as long as they are based upon different programmes or research. For example, someone who graduates from a bachelor's degree programme can apply for an orientation year based on this bachelor's degree, but if they later complete a master's degree, they can apply for another orientation year visa on the basis of the master's degree. You must be able to support yourself financially whilst you are here, but you do not need a work permit during the search year.  

Once employment is found, the permit can be converted into a residence permit for highly skilled migrants (with a lower than usual salary requirement), or another permit such as a start-up residence permit. The application form and all required documents have to be submitted to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst - IND). 

Do you have more questions about applying for the orientation year, including requirements, limitations, and what to do once you need to convert your orientation year residence permit into a different residence permit? Then take a look at the IND's answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding this residence permit below!