How to Make the Most of Your Orientation Year

09.12.2024

Residence Permit Enables Graduates of Dutch Institutions to Work in the Netherlands

If you have successfully completed your studies in the Netherlands and would like to stay in the country to find a job or start your own company, you can apply for the Orientation Year ('zoekjaar') visa. Holders of this residence permit are allowed to work in the Netherlands without restrictions for one year. During this period, if you find a company willing to sponsor you, the organisation can apply for a regular residence permit on your behalf.

The Orientation Year visa is available to graduates who have completed an accredited bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme in the Netherlands, as well as other eligible courses. To apply for this permit, you will need either your graduation diploma or a Declaration of Study Completion provided by Wittenborg.

The Netherlands’ Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) allows graduates three months after their graduation date – specifically, the Oral Defence date for Wittenborg students – to apply for the zoekjaar while residing in the country. However, many students are unaware that graduates can return to their home countries and apply for an Orientation Year visa up to three years after completing their studies.

Wittenborg External Relations and Events Manager Sophia Faraji adds that if a graduate finds work shortly after finishing their programme and the employer provides a sponsorship visa immediately, the zoekjaar can still be used later, within three years after graduation.

“The Orientation Year is a great resource for graduates of Dutch higher education institutions seeking to settle in the Netherlands and start a career here. Therefore, it is a good idea to know its rules and specifications, so that it can be used strategically to match the student’s needs and goals,” Faraji highlights.

For more detailed information, visit the IND’s Frequently Asked Questions page on the zoekjaar

Thinking long term

Indonesian Wittenborg graduate Bismo Prabasena, who recently completed a Master of Business Management (MBM) in Digital Marketing and Communication, decided to return to his home country for a while before applying for an Orientation Year visa.

Prabasena explains that he chose to do so to improve his Dutch-language skills and other competencies before applying for jobs in the Netherlands.

“I’ve learned from the experiences of several people who successfully secured full-time jobs during the Orientation Year. They were able to do this because they possessed above-average skills and experience, a strong network and high proficiency in the Dutch language, which made them attractive to the Dutch job market. However, others have found themselves in the difficult position of not being able to secure full-time jobs as their Orientation Year visas near expiration,” he says.

In addition to studying Dutch, Prabasena is currently expanding his knowledge in Data Analytics and Business/Product Development. “On top of that, I have secured a full-time job in Jakarta as a business analyst with one of the state-owned companies in the property and real estate sector. I decided to use this opportunity to align my interests and further enrich my work experience, making myself more attractive to the Dutch job market if I choose to return to the Netherlands.”

Regarding his future plans, the graduate emphasises that he would like to continue working in the property and real estate sector.

“As a developing country with a growing market, Indonesia is the ideal place to deepen my knowledge in this field. I became interested in this sector while living and studying in the Netherlands, where the terms ‘property’ and ‘living spaces’ are trending, as people and businesses struggle to find places to live and invest. So, there are interesting opportunities in both countries,” he concludes.