I am a 27 year old Canadian lady preparing to move to Holland to be with my Dutch boyfriend. I have researched on the internet the processes of moving but I'm still a bit confused. If anyone can help with any of the following questions, I would forever be greatful.

As a Canadian, I am already exempted from taking the MVV, the tuberculosis test, as well as the civic integration test. With that, I'm aware I have to apply for a temporary residence permit.

Do I just go there with all the appropriate paperword (as well as his) and apply?

Do I have to do apply for the temporary residence permit in person in Holland?

After I apply, do I have to stay in Holland and wait for the residence permit to be approved? Or can I come back to Canada and await approval there instead? (since sometimes approval can take up to 6 months!)

And finally, the working visa...after approval of the temporary residence permit, what steps do I need to take to be able to work in Holland? Do I just go out and apply to different companies, and they will apply for the work permit for me? Do staffing agencies in Holland help me with getting a working permit?

I would like to work almost immediately after getting approved for temporary residence. What are the steps I need to take to start legally working in Holland?

I know I know, I sound lost and confused. Well, I guess, I am somewhat...which is why I'm hoping any of you can help me out there! Anyone, anything at all, is appreciated. Hope to hear from all of you!

(PS - Please respond even if you only know one or a few answers to these questions...Thanks again!)

Forza Feyenoord!!! *wooohoooo!

Yep. You and your boyfriend take it all up to the gemeentehuis (where you have to register yourself at his address within 3 days) and they fill out the paperwork and send it out, putting a sticker in your passport that allows you to stay in the country until you get the permit.

Make sure you have everything "legalized"...I was visiting my brother in Ottawa anyways, so I got everything stamped and signed while I waited(i.e., long-form birth certificate, university degrees, etc.). I got the declaration that I wasn't married after I arrived...don't know whether you can get that prior to departure.



Yes. Nothing you can do until you move here and register at your boyfriend's address.



I'd advise staying. My girlfriend received her approval last year within six weeks!! The waiting lists have shrunk considerably. But I would advise staying here anyways, learning the language, finding your way around, being available in case the IND says they're missing a document.

And why would you want to be separated from your boyfriend anyways? :wink:



The residence permit doubles as your work permit. Once you have the card and your sofi-number (or whatever they call it now) from the tax office, you can work.



Nothing beyond what's already mentioned. Please realize that you will have to take Dutch lessons...The inburgeringscursus system has changed since I went through it, so I don't know the process as of this year. I think you have five years to prove basis fluency or something. Hopefully someone else can chime in about this.

Also realize that most jobs require Dutch fluency or a second language beyond English if you aren't into IT or something like that. You may find yourself having to compromise your career somewhat to play catch-up. I'd get your degree evaluated by these people to see whether its valid here, and what its equivalent level is compared to Dutch degrees.

Here's the website for more info: http://www.nuffic.nl/international-student...te%20evaluation

Sign up for the expat temp agencies (If you click on "job search" in the blue menu on the left side of this page, you'll see a list of jobs and their corresponding temp agencies. You can sign up with them online, and send them a CV.)...If you're in town 21 October, check out the Expatica Fair; the agencies usually have representatives that you can talk to, among other things that could be helpful with your adjustment here:

http://www.expatica.com/notatourist/



Welcome to the club...I've been here three years and I'm still lost and confused!!



A woman after my Dutchie's heart...

canucky woman....thank you SO much for your help...i really very much appreciate it and i think that i'll have to become a regular in this forum because really, with the questions, tip of the iceberg lol

thanks again and take care!

tot ziens!

Blimey! That was quick Beebs! When I first arrived [13 years ago], I waited 5 months for my first resident permit to be issued.

How times have changed....

Actually, she was pretty shocked too...She had heard horror stories.

And as you know, I was the other extreme: nine months for approval - after filing a complaint - and another two months for the actual permit.

2004 was a weird year though...

hey guys!

well i'm back with yet another question for all of you. in my situation, what would YOU do...

1. apply for a working holiday visa OR

2. apply for a temporary residence permit?

i've been weighing both for the past few days and they both actually seem like good options. either way, my goal here is to permanently live in holland and get my dutch citizenship.

hope to hear from you all! thanks in advance!

Okay, please somebody chime in if I have my facts wrong; I've never had a WHV so all I know is what I've researched for my son...

Benefits of WHV:
1) You aren't dependent on your boyfriend. And you don't have to leave immediately if the relationship works out; you can still stay until the end of the visa.
2) You don't need to undergo inburgeringscursus.
3) Cheaper to apply for; probably get it faster too.

Detriments of WHV:
1) You have to leave after the visa expires. No renewals.
2) The time you spend here doesn't count towards your five years needed to gain permanent residency (or three if you and your partner marry and you want a Dutch passport).
3) You have to proof you have enough income to support yourself for the length of the visa (is it one or two years? Not sure), or have a job already.

Benefits of Temp Permit:
1) You don't have to leave at the end; you can renew. If you find a job, you can keep it.
2) The time here counts towards permanent residency or citizenship if you and your partner marry.
3) This permit is apparently the only one that counts if you and your partner eventually marry and you want Dutch citizenship because you can remain dual. If he was not considered the reason you moved here, they may ask you to revoke Canadian citizenship.

Detriments of Temp Permit:
1) More expensive.
2) Your partner's income and contract are the main criteria for approval. He HAS to make a minimum income per month and he HAS to have a contract of at least a year.
3) You HAVE to live with him. In other words, you are more dependent on him.
3) You HAVE to undergo inburgeringscursus or compulsory Dutch language and culture lessons. The system has changed since I finished, but you are under pressure to learn a certain level within a certain time. And I think you have to pay now, but I'm not sure.

Personally, if you ultimate goal is permanent residency, then the temp permit is the only way to go. If you are still a bit unsure and not ready to really commit (or if your boyfriend doesn't meet the criteria), then at least a WHV is an option for Canadians.

Does that help? I'm probably a bit older than you, and therefore I didn't qualify for the WHV, so I just bit the bullet and got the permit. Still here after three years, so it wasn't the worst decision in the world!!

canucky woman, again, my deepest thanks to you and your help. i'm finding your input more reliable and easier to understand than reading up on the countless brochures and websites online, all with different information. with that, in response...

1. for temporary residence then, my boyfriend has to have a minimum income. i read somewhere that it was 120% of the minimum wage. do you have any idea what that is? i believe he told me he made at least 1800 euros net/month. he is a permanent employee.

2. inburgeringscursus...learning the dutch language...any more info on that? or a website perhaps on where i read and learn more about it?

3. for the WHV, i read that i need a sufficient income to support myself. one website said $3000 canadian dollars, and another said 75 euros. such a big difference. any input?

deepest thanks again...sincerely.

1) No worries; his income and his contract are fine.

2) This has totally changed since I finished the program. However, one unique feature that hasn't changed is a total inability to provide reliable information for anybody who doesn't already speak Dutch. :roll:

All I've heard is that you aren't confined to one program now; you can choose your own, but you might have to pay. I think you also have longer to reach the required level of fluency. I know somebody who can probably tell you more...I'll get her to post what she knows...

I wouldn't worry about it thought because I assume one of the first things you would do when you move here is sign up for Dutch lessons, right? So no big whoop.

3) I suspect $3000 is the recommended amount of money of which you should prove you brought with you and €75 is the price of the actual visa! But double-check the IND website for that...

And as you know, I was the other extreme: nine months for approval - after filing a complaint - and another two months for the actual permit.

2004 was a weird year though...[/quote]



beebs...long waits are still happening. i know someone who just got her permit after a year. but sure beats asylum seekers...some STILL are waiting decision after TEN YEARS!

It's not a recommendation, it's a requirement. You must show that you have at least CDN $3,000 to support yourself, if you already have a return ticket home.

If you fly into NL on a one-way ticket, you must provide evidence of funds exceeding CDN $6,000.

WHV candidates are also required to take out insurance to cover possible medical expenses during their working holiday.

2. inburgeringscursus...learning the dutch language...any more info on that? or a website perhaps on where i read and learn more about it?

i believe the prices of inburgering are also different depending on which gemeente you live in. but i know they are quite expensive...but you can apply for a loan with the IB group (the body which handles all school monies...where you pay for tuition, etc)...and if you pass the end exams, you only have to pay a small amount back.

and like beebs said...get your university diploma's evaluated ASAP over here...good or bad, it's better to have it done early..so you can choose what to do...like returning to school ,etc (i'm a RN from montreal and my diplomas were completely rejected..i had to re-study almost the complete nursing program and just graduated with my bachelor's degree in august...no easy feat being all in dutch...and being over 40!!!)

best of luck coming to the netherlands!!...there are LOTS of challenges here..but i don't regret my move for one minute! (as for driver's licences...yep! you have to take the whole 9 yrs again UNLESS you're from quebec!...you can just trade it in for a dutch one!!heehee!!..of course this little rule came AFTER i came over in 2001)

thanks to all once again...

susymac...9 months for approval, then 2 more for permit...almost one year?! wow! what did you do to pass time? that's a awfully long time to wait. why did it take that long? many complications? i have to admit...this scares me REALLY scares me!

pakora...any info on health insurance...a website perhaps? i haven't been able to find much info and what type of insurance i need and the costs.

canucky woman...i'm getting really intimidated by the paperwork and process oh my goodness! how long do you think it would take to prepare to get all the papers together and get my butt over to holland?

susymac...i have a bachelors degree in the arts...engilsh major and business and geography dual minor...how do go about getting my diploma evaluated? RN diploma rejected?! oh myyy!!! i don't want to go back to school lol. i just want to work.

...and as for drivers licenses, i am from manitoba. i guess i have to take the written and drivers test again *sigh*

Not much time to reply (back at work today after two weeks off sick ), but one of your questions was already answered above.

To find out how to get your diplomas evaluated:
http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students /preparation-stay/preparing-your-stay/certificate%20evaluation://http://www.nuffic.nl/international-...te%20evaluation

I have no idea why I can't turn that into a link, but it is posted as one in my original reply above.

And, no, you don't want to go back to school...at least right now!! You'd have to pay international students fees, and they are quite ugly to say the least! :wink:

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but things have been hectic at work... Anyway, to be more specific, if you come here on a temporary stay, you aren't eligible for basic, Dutch health insurance, and will be required to have a health insurance, either international or from your country of residence.

If you are applying for residency, international health care insurance is only considered acceptable for the period until you receive your residency. Once you are officially a resident, you will be required to have Dutch health insurance.

Do you need health insurance before you apply for your residency permit, or do you need your residency permit before you apply for health insurance? Unfortunately it's apparently both, depending on who you speak with on any given day... I'd advise you to do what you are told when you register.

* Your eligibility for resident status is partially dependent on having sufficient health care coverage.

See the Ministry of Health Website [English] for more info:
www.minvws.nl/en/themes/health-insurance-system/default.asp

List of Health Insurers in the Netherlands:
http://www.zn.nl/international/aboutzn/hea...esses/index.asp

Well, you need proof of health insurance coverage when you apply for the permit. My Dutchie signed me up online at
https://www.oomverzekeringen.nl/index.asp

After I was approved for the permit, his provider, Zilveren Kruis, signed me up no problemo.

canucky woman/pakora/suzymac...many thanks to you!!! you have all been such a great help to me, you have no idea! i'm planning to move next year around september/october...i know it sounds like quite a long time from now, but i'm finding the preparation is ridiculously difficult and stressfull!

*sigh* the things us women do for the men we love eh?

Ah, but they're worth it! :wink:

It is difficult and stressful. The immigration laws for this country are ever-changing, and I'd estimate that at least 90% of the people who work for the IND and/or the gemeente in any sort of official capacity don't know what the current laws are.

It is a very frustrating system to navigate... This, coupled with the fact that the Dutch can be impossibly rude and arrogant [at least compared to Canadians] can indeed, test your patience.

Good luck.

BTW, whereabouts in NL are you planning to move?

I'm normally a lurker on here, but I'm going through the same thing as you. I'm moving to NL at the end of April to be with my guy. It will be nearly a year of planning, shipping, papers, dog papers, and all that other fun stuff before I finally arrive on his door step. He and I discussed this last May when I was there visiting and would have like to have me move sooner, but I felt that there was too much here that needed to be done first.
I've just started to ship things overseas and getting the dog prepared with his shots and paperwork. I leave in 6 months... and I know that right up to the day I board that plane I'll feel like I forgot something! :? Right now I'm going through the...Oh this will be my last autumn for a while here in Canada, I need to get up to the cottage. Or I have to make sure I enjoy my winter here this year... things like that silly as they may sound.

canucky woman/pakora/suzymac - I would like to thank you too with all the help, I've forwarded all of the websites and information to my guy so that he's well informed! Canucky woman - thanks for "previous" posts and help!

Good luck to you