The single permit, in Dutch the gecombineerde vergunning voor verblijf en arbeid or GVVA, combines a residence permit and a work permit in one document. It is the route for employment that does not qualify under the highly skilled migrant scheme or the EU Blue Card.
Legal basis and procedure
The permit implements the EU Single Permit Directive and is governed by the Aliens Act together with the Foreign Nationals Employment Act. The employer files the application with the IND, which decides after obtaining advice from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) on the labour market aspects.
That advice is the heart of the procedure. The UWV assesses whether priority supply is available within the Netherlands or the EEA, whether the vacancy was advertised for at least three weeks, whether the position was reported to the UWV, and whether the terms of employment are in line with the market. A negative advice normally means a refusal.
When it applies and when it does not
The single permit covers employment for longer than three months that falls outside the facilitated routes. It does not apply to highly skilled migrants, Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees under the ICT directive, seasonal workers, or students and asylum permit holders, each of which has its own regime.
Where it goes wrong
The labour market test defeats most applications. Employers approach it as a formality, advertise for a fortnight on a single channel, and cannot show that no suitable candidate was available in the EEA. Building the recruitment file before the application, with dated vacancy texts and a substantiated assessment of each applicant, is what decides the outcome.
Related terms
See also highly skilled migrant, the EU Blue Card and recognised sponsor.
Our immigration law practice guides employers through the labour market test and the application.
