What does being a recognized sponsor entail?

As a recognized sponsor, you can hire non-European highly skilled migrants and enjoy various advantages when applying for permits. Recognition as a sponsor takes place via the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).

Being a recognized sponsor offers opportunities for your company. However, it is wise to be aware of the important aspects. In this article, we would therefore like to discuss what it means to be a recognized sponsor. We look at the following parts: the different categories, the benefits, the criteria, the 30% ruling for highly skilled migrants and we talk about the associated compliance.

Recognition within 4 categories

A sponsor has an interest in a migrant coming to live and work in the Netherlands, for example if you want to employ a highly skilled migrant. Recognition can be requested for 4 different categories:

• Study: if your organization wants to apply for a residence permit for a student.
• Exchange: if your organization wants to apply for a residence permit for an au pair and/or cultural exchange.
• Research: if your organization wants to apply for a residence permit with regard to conducting research in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/801.
• Labour: if your organization wants to apply for a residence permit for a highly skilled migrant. This applies to paid employment, seasonal work, work experience.

Recognition as a sponsor can be requested for several categories. However, a recognition must be applied for per category.

The advantages of being a recognized sponsor

Recognition as a sponsor goes through an extensive process in which your organization must provide a lot of information and evidence. Once you are a recognized sponsor, the IND sees you as an honest company and therefore enjoys a number of advantages:

• A target period of 2 weeks applies to the decision on applications instead of the usual 60 days;
• Fewer supporting documents need to be submitted for the application;
• Applications can be submitted online;

Being a recognized sponsor therefore ensures efficiency and time savings when it comes to hiring highly skilled migrants and submitting the mandatory permit applications. On the other hand, recognized sponsors must comply with various obligations.

Thinking internationally as a recognized sponsor

Recognition as a sponsor offers your organization opportunities on the international labor market.
This is interesting for certain sectors for which there is a labor shortage within the national borders and if specialist knowledge is required, for example in the IT field.

As a recognized sponsor, you can offer the desired highly skilled migrant a place within your organization more quickly and they can start work sooner with the correct permits in their pocket.

Salary standards apply to certain categories of permits. These standard amounts are indexed annually (as of 1 January):

Knowledge migrant or Intra Corporate Transferees (ICT) – 30 years and older	€ 5.008
Knowledge migrant or Intra Corporate Transferees (ICT) – up to 30 years	€ 3.672
Graduated or in orientation year	€ 2.631

Compliance: the obligations as a recognized sponsor

After your company has been recognized as a sponsor by the IND, you must comply with various legal obligations: the duty of care, duty to keep records and duty to provide information.

Our Customer Solutions Manager, Nathalie Crivello, says: ”The recognition as a sponsor is certainly not an end point, but rather a starting point. The IND sees you as a reliable partner and therefore expects you to have the associated compliance in order. In practice, we regularly see companies that have not arranged this properly. That is why we are happy to advise you on this so that the recognition can be maintained and the benefits can be enjoyed.”

The IND is active in checking recognized sponsors and conducts weekly inspection visits to companies established in the Netherlands. As a partner, we can advise you in this and ensure that you and your team are aware of all current information.

Would you like to know more about the various obligations?
Then click through to our article ”The obligations of a recognized sponsor”.

Hiring a highly skilled migrant in the short term?

Recognition as a sponsor and associated compliance can pose a challenge if you want to hire a highly skilled migrant for your organization in the short term.

As a partner, EMG is therefore happy to offer an interim solution. We are recognized as an organization as a sponsor and offer EOR (Employer of Record) and Payrolling services. With this we can apply for the relevant permits for your organization and the employee in question can quickly get to work.

In the meantime, you can initiate the application for recognized sponsor. Our experts are happy to think along about a speedy and efficient application. In addition, we can advise and unburden you in the field of relocation and legal and tax aspects.

EMG, your partner in Global Mobility

Curious about what our team can do for your company in terms of finding and hiring international talent, payrolling and recognized sponsorship?
Feel free to contact our experts and we will be happy to discuss the limitless possibilities.