Getting him over to Holland

[Jaac]

Hi everyone!

My SO and I are looking into possibilities for him to come and live in Holland for a few years.
The thing is, getting a working visa for him is quite difficult. There are so many requirements!!
It doesn help that I'm a student, so I don't have the minimum wage to sponsor him over.

I was thinking we're probably not the only ones facing these problems...
Who has got an SO outside of the EU/EEU and has managed to get him/her over to Holland and can give me info about how you did it?

[differentcountries]

Is he a student as well? Is it possible for him to transfer to a Dutch school or university?

[MissButterfly]

Google is your friend! Australian citizens don't need a Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf (mvv) so that's a plus. First, he'll need to get a residence permit (verblijfsvergunning):
https://www.justlanded.com/nederland...ijfsvergunning Here's some basic info
https://kdw.ind.nl/default.aspx?know...Verblijf&jse=1 This has more detailed info depending on your specific situations.
After he has a verblijfsvergunning, https://www.ind.nl/Documents/5013.pdf this document would give you all the info he needs to become Dutch, if he wants. Verblijfsvergunningen are only temporary and may be difficult to renew.
My ex came here on a student visa cause he attended university here, but then he went back to the US so don't know details about the rest of the procedure. Hope this helps!

[Jaac]

He's not a student unfortunately... I think he might be able to study here, but that will cost about 3000 euro's a year. And living and working in South Africa, doesn't come with a lot of money.

Missbutterfly thanks for this info! Although my information needed to be updated. My SO is South African and that's where he currently lives.
Because of that he does need an MVV
I have phoned the IND today and basically it comes down to the fact that he can only come here when I have a stable job and can 'sponsor' him over.
Or if he can find a job sponsor. But that requires the employer to prove that there is no one in the EU that is suitable for the job and that they have been looking for employees for over 5 weeks.

I hate the fact that this is so difficult in Holland (europe). They make it impossible! Drives me crazy.
How do other people do this?? I can't imagine there is nobody from outside the EU immigrating into Holland for their partner.

[emsimes]

Hugs to you Jaac, it's tough!
I live in California and my SO is in the EU, so I feel your pain. In either of our countries, it's so hard to obtain a work visa :/
My SO and I have been talking about getting married in order to close the distance. Even then, there are certain income requirements that I must meet in order for him to get citizenship in the US. There is no easy route, I'm afraid
If marriage isn't an option for you, how far away are you from getting your degree and finding a stable job?
Hang in there!

[Jaac]

Emsimes, I thought getting people into the USA wasn't that difficult when you get married? Haha but I don't know really, cause that knowledge is based on the TLC program '90 days to wed' :P
Really makes you wonder what needs to happen for an international couple to actually be together... How do things look for you? Do you think either of you will be able to get a job that meets the requirements soon?
It might be even tougher for you as you both live in countries that make it next to impossible

I still have to finish another 1,5 year of uni and then I will hopefully find a job. But even for Dutch people it's difficult to find a job, especially as a physiotherapist.
Luckily I am able to do an internship of 5 months where he lives! But we have to make plans for after that.
Initially we were planning on me going there because that's easier, but since my dad got really sick we both thought it would be better to be in Holland for a while.

[MissingMyDutchLove]

We are currently experiencing a pretty similar situation. My SO just finished his degree, so he probably will have a job in the next few months, but I have much more time to go. If only I could do my degree there! If I do decide to go to the Netherlands, we will probably wait until he is able to sponsor me. There are also some options for temporary visas like for being a nanny but you have to live with the family then. I know that there are some other circumstances like that that visas are relatively easy to get. Look on the IND website! There is a feature that allows you to input information and it will tell you what kind of visa you need. It may help!

[Unicorn26]

I share everyone's frustrations here!!!

It seems to be incredibly difficult for non EU residents to move here. I've been looking into it recently and it just seems hopeless right now. I have children and their dad is English so no way can I move to USA. I can't take them away from their father and I will not leave them. I do not earn enough money right now to sponsor my SO although once my youngest is in senior school, I will be able to go back to work full time and I will meet the income level then.

The government website seems really confusing and unclear, I've yet to find anywhere that gives clear and concise answers re moving a partner to the UK so if anyone knows of such a source of accurate info then please let me know!

I hope you can find a way to work this out, keep us posted!

[80anthea]

Yep, moving to the EU is a nightmare which is why it has taken us so long to get to this stage. The UK does seem to make things extra complicated but like you unicorn I have a child here and don't want to move her away from the UK. I also think in the long run the quality of life is better here in terms of pay, education and definitely healthcare so it'll be worth the wait in the long run.

[Unicorn26]

Yep, moving to the EU is a nightmare which is why it has taken us so long to get to this stage. The UK does seem to make things extra complicated but like you unicorn I have a child here and don't want to move her away from the UK. I also think in the long run the quality of life is better here in terms of pay, education and definitely healthcare so it'll be worth the wait in the long run.

Ugh, it's just so frustrating and patience is not my strong point lol!!!

I hope you are feeling better xxx

[Jaac]

I share everyone's frustrations here!!!

It seems to be incredibly difficult for non EU residents to move here. I've been looking into it recently and it just seems hopeless right now. I have children and their dad is English so no way can I move to USA. I can't take them away from their father and I will not leave them. I do not earn enough money right now to sponsor my SO although once my youngest is in senior school, I will be able to go back to work full time and I will meet the income level then.

The government website seems really confusing and unclear, I've yet to find anywhere that gives clear and concise answers re moving a partner to the UK so if anyone knows of such a source of accurate info then please let me know!

I hope you can find a way to work this out, keep us posted!

It's so frustrating!
We're trying to find a way to have him sponsored over for a job. He's a butcher and chef in South Africa, so we might find a shop/butchery that needs someone who can make traditional SA snacks/braai meat. I would assume someone who can do that is rather hard to find in EU.

About your situation Unicorn26, have you tried phoning immigration/ambassy/government? I searched on the internet for ages, but you never know what's true or applicable in your situation. If you could talk to someone on the phone and ask your personal questions, things might get way more clear.
When i've phoned the IND they were actually pretty helpfull. Also I know the information is the truth and I've been able to ask particular questions that the internet hasn't been able to answer.
I hope you can find a way to get things more clear!

[Jaac]

Yep, moving to the EU is a nightmare which is why it has taken us so long to get to this stage. The UK does seem to make things extra complicated but like you unicorn I have a child here and don't want to move her away from the UK. I also think in the long run the quality of life is better here in terms of pay, education and definitely healthcare so it'll be worth the wait in the long run.

That's deffinately the truth! Europe is much more stable if you thing about the future! It would be nice to both have 2 passports so we can choose where we want to live
For example, save up money in Europe for a few years, maybe live in SA for a while after that and when the children are on their way, we get back to Holland.
Ah... If only we could create the perfect world where things like that can just happen!

It would be worth the wait indeed, but sometimes it kind of hits you harder than normal that your other half is so far away... And at these moments, even waiting a month more seems like eternity.

[SailorRei]

What about moving to other European country with lower restrictions? Or basically anywhere in EU? It won't be closing the distance, but living on the same continent and time zone will be an improvement. This is how me and my bf will try- he wants to find work in Norway, which means that we'll be just a country away and I can join him there after I graduate.

It's not perfect, but it's an improvement.

[Jaac]

I have thought about that, yes! We're busy trying to find someone who needs a south african butcher/chef first.
If that doesn't work, that's deffinately worth looking into
It's so much easier and cheaper to travel within the EU. So that would be an option. Thanks!

[emsimes]

Emsimes, I thought getting people into the USA wasn't that difficult when you get married? Haha but I don't know really, cause that knowledge is based on the TLC program '90 days to wed' :P
Really makes you wonder what needs to happen for an international couple to actually be together... How do things look for you? Do you think either of you will be able to get a job that meets the requirements soon?
It might be even tougher for you as you both live in countries that make it next to impossible

I still have to finish another 1,5 year of uni and then I will hopefully find a job. But even for Dutch people it's difficult to find a job, especially as a physiotherapist.
Luckily I am able to do an internship of 5 months where he lives! But we have to make plans for after that.
Initially we were planning on me going there because that's easier, but since my dad got really sick we both thought it would be better to be in Holland for a while.

Getting married is the "easiest" route to take, but depending on the visa option we choose, it would still take us nearly a year to be together permanently. Luckily, I'm already done with university and have a full-time job, but I don't know if it meets the appropriate visa requirements yet :/ Being in an international LDR is not for the feint of heart!
I really hope things start to look up for you guys