Foreign students often decide to stay in the Netherlands if they can find work

Foreign students decide whether to remain in the Netherlands after their studies depending on their chance of finding a job. If they can start a career, they are typically happy to stay, but if that does not work out, it's an important factor in their decision to leave.

Nuffic surveyed foreign students about their determining factors when faced with the choice to stay or leave. Four out of five who remain cited their career options. Other factors that play a role are the quality of life in the Netherlands, and the balance between work and private life. They also consider staying when they are involved in a relationship in the Netherlands.

However, some also feel discriminated against when applying for jobs and at the workplace. They also tend to have difficulty with finding work, because of job vacancies which require candidates to be proficient in the Dutch language, said Nuffic, the Dutch organization for the internationalization of education.

About half of those leaving said that finding suitable work in the Netherlands was the biggest challenge. The lack of housing also played a role for them.

Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said in a response, "We desperately need international talent, especially for our strategic growth sectors, such as technology.” He stressed the importance of not only attracting talented individuals from abroad, which the Netherlands “desperately needs,” but retaining them to the greatest extent possible.

“To increase the chance of staying, it is also important that students master Dutch."

The Cabinet is still developing new rules for foreign students, which could limit the number of foreign students per higher education course, and could cut down on courses taught in English. The plans have been widely criticized by higher education institutions, high tech and financial technology businesses, and institutions like Brainport Eindhoven.