Foreign 'knowledge workers' should be able to start working faster. By admitting highly educated people from abroad without too many restrictions and conditions the government hopes to give the 'dynamic knowledge economy' in the Netherlands a hand.
Universities should be able to have the qualities of the rare top-experts in fields like ICT and fundamental research at their disposal much quicker. With the new procedure, which should make sure that the knowledge workers get a work permit for five years within two weeks, the government hopes to remedy this shortage.
According to the cabinet, the acceleration is possible by for example digitalising the permit applications.
Moreover, since 1 January residence and work permits are obtained from one office. But, the two week term will probably not be achieved until the end of the year.
The rule, of course, does not apply to people from within the European Economic Area (EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). For top-people from these countries most barriers have already been removed.
