US Company sends Swiss and Canadian citizens to Netherlands

[stefufay]

Hi,
I have a complicated question. The company my husband and I work for is US based (we work in the Canadian branch) and the company would like us to open a market in Europe on their behalf. This would mean we would move to the Netherlands. My husband is Swiss, I am Canadian, but we both posess resident permits for either country.

The company wishes us to work in the Netherlands, and I would like to know how we could both obtain work permits there. Can a US or Canadian company sponser us to work in the Netherlands for them? What procedures/applications would the company need, and what would my husband and I need?

Thank-you for your advice, it is much appreciated. I am stumped on this one!!

[gani999]

Your husband's company can sponsor you to work in the Netherlands if they have operations in the Netherlands and are registered with the Chamber of Commerce there (they will have to be, if they have operations in the Netherlands).

Since both Switzerland and Canada are so-called "non-MVV" countries, you both can move to The Netherlands without a visa, and stay there while your work permits/residence permits are being processed.

[John]

stefufay, as regards your husband, given you say he is Swiss, I think you will find that he longer longer requires a Work Permit to work in the Netherlands, or indeed in any other EEA country. This is because of an agreement between the EEA countries and Switzerland which effectively extends the EEA to include Switzerland without actually making Switzerland a member of the EEA.

Accordingly I think your husband has a right to live and work in any EEA country. Furthermore, you ... his spouse .... also have the same rights but you need an EEA Family Permit in your (Canadian) passport to prove it.

I recommend that you both contact the Netherlands embassy/consulate in Canada to check this out ... and to enquire how you go about getting your Dutch-issued EEA Family Permit.

[bash_h]

Stefufay,

As John said, since your husband is Swiss, you will be entitled to work in NL as a spouse of a EEA national. This just involves you going to NL, and applying at the local foriegn police/municipality and getting a sticker on your passport saying your the spouse of an EEA national and you dont need a work permit etc.

It would be a good idea to check with the local consulate, as sometimes the authorities in NL need any birth/marriage certificates 'legalised' from the country of origin.

[stefufay]

Thank-you all very much for the advice. I will contact the NL consolate here in Canada to find out more.

Thanks,
Stefufay