Recently one of our friends, who is an American living in The Netherlands, got a letter form the IND (immigration services) that he has to leave. Basicly it went something like this.... you've been here for about 8 years, first you had a job. Then you founded a company and made a lot of money, paid a lot of taxes. Thank you for that. You requested a permit based on that company more then two years ago. It took as a while to process your application and during that time you recently started working on a job again. So, you're not aloud to stay based on the business you own (it's not active enough) and you haven't filed an application for a stay based on employmend. So, you have four weeks to leave. He got that letter on the same day he recieved, yet another, tax bill for his company. So he's welcome to pay, then leave.
But, one of our wise leaders: Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Laurens Jan Brinkhorst also noticed that Holland is 'too restrictive on skilled expat migration'.
It turns out there are 'many complaints about the Dutch attitude towards expats and skilled labour migration.'
I guess it's the same everywhere, you just don't realize it as a citizen living in your home country. I am more or less dealing with the same sh.. here so I know what it feels like.
I hope this issue is resolved soon.