Many companies in the Netherlands employ highly skilled migrants. To qualify for the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure, two key criteria apply:
- The company must be a recognized sponsor with the IND.
- The migrant must meet a salary threshold, which is reviewed annually.
Curious about what the salary requirements will look like in 2026? Here’s what we know so far.
Government’s Proposal for HSM 2026 and beyond
The current caretaker Dutch government has expressed a desire to reduce migration to the Netherlands. This includes all types of migration, also Highly Skilled Migrants. Another wish is to limit misuse of the regulation.
From 2026 onwards, companies seeking recognized sponsorship and wishing to hire non-EU Highly Skilled Migrants will likely face stricter requirements, such as:
- Enhanced reliability screening:
- Criminal records and past violations of labour and tax laws.
- Fines under employment-related legislation. This could affect your company’s eligibility if there are compliance issues in your HR or payroll practices.
- Clearer financial health criteria;
- Long-term financial continuity.
- Sufficient solvency and liquidity. This is especially relevant for startups and scale-ups — business plan and financials will be scrutinized more closely.
- Introduction of an economic relevance test; to determine what a new recognized sponsor will add to the Dutch economy.
- Higher salary thresholds.
For more details on these proposed changes, see our earlier news update.
Advice Social Economical Board
The SER (Social Economical Board) advises the Dutch government and parliament on socio-economic policy. In response to the government’s plans for stricter requirements, the SER recommended:
- Maintaining the attractiveness of the Highly Skilled Migrant scheme
- Tackling misuse through higher penalties and earlier withdrawal of sponsorship
Notably, the SER did not provide specific advice on salary thresholds for 2026.
SER advices are usually adopted by the Dutch government, but that is not necessarily the case. On basis of this advice we expect that misuse will be punished earlier and/or more severely. However, it might be that the Highly Skilled Migrant salaries for 2026 will be raised extra.
Meanwhile, national elections have taken place, and at least two former coalition parties are unlikely to join the new government. While the new cabinet is expected to form in the coming months, we anticipate that the caretaker government will still decide on these stricter requirements—including salary increases—before the end of 2025.
Highly Skilled Migrant salaries for 2026
The current proposal suggests linking salary requirements to the average gross income in the Netherlands, applying:
- 1.1 × average income for employees under 30
- 1.3 × average income for employees over 30
Labour market experts forecast an average gross income of €4,000 per month in 2026. If this figure is used as the basis, thresholds could actually decrease, something we find unlikely.
Important to know is that all immigration applications submitted in 2025 will be under the 2025 thresholds.
Conclusion
We expect the caretaker government to implement stricter requirements for the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure before the end of 2025. However, the exact salary thresholds for 2026 remain uncertain. We’ll keep you updated as soon as more information becomes available.
More info
Would you like to learn more about the Highly Skilled Migrant procedure or other work-related immigration processes in the Netherlands? Contact us today – we’ll respond within one business day.
