Student visa stuck at the IND? The same procedural lever applies.

How the student-permit route works

Most international students at recognised education institutions in the Netherlands have their residence permit filed by the institution as the recognised sponsor. The application is filed at the IND, the institution pays the IND fee and tracks the file, the student receives the residence permit (sticker or biometric card) once granted. The statutory term under Vw 25 is three months from receipt by the IND.

Continued study and work rights

Under Vw 14 and the IND's working-instructions on student extensions, a student who filed for an extension or for a renewal before the previous permit expired retains the rights of the previous permit. That means study at the institution continues, the basic health insurance continues, and the limited work rights for students (typically 16 hours/week alongside study, or full-time during summer) continue under the same conditions.

If you applied in time, your study and work rights continue while the IND processes. The IND's confirmation of timely receipt is the proof to show to the institution and the employer.

Who pulls the procedural lever

• The student. Direct filing of the Notice with a personal signature. The standard route.
• The institution. Some universities and universities of applied sciences have an immigration-services desk that handles procedural follow-up for students whose files have stuck.
• A representative. MP or a lawyer can file on the student's behalf with a one-page mandate. Useful when the student is abroad waiting for an MVV decision or has limited Dutch-language facility.

Common student-file delays

• MVV stuck at the embassy. A first-time student applying from abroad through a Dutch embassy. The Notice addresses the IND in The Hague, not the embassy. See our dedicated article.
• Extension after a programme change. Switching from bachelor to master, or between institutions, triggers a new IND assessment. Often delayed.
• Diploma-equivalence delays. The IND verifies the foreign diploma; the verification can take weeks. Awb 4:15 suspension only if a formal Awb 4:5 request was sent.
• Search-year (zoekjaar) applications. Recent graduates applying for the one-year job-search permit. Common delay; the procedural lever applies.

The Notice of Default in practice

1. 1
   Confirm the IND received the complete file

   Check the ontvangstbevestiging or the Mijn IND portal. If the IND sent an Awb 4:5 request, note the suspension period.
2. 2
   Compute the effective elapsed time

   Calendar days from receipt, minus suspension days. Compare to 90 days (three months under Vw 25).
3. 3
   Draft the Notice

   Address the IND at its postbus in Rijswijk. Cite Vw 25 and Awb 4:17. Include the IND case-reference and the student's V-number.
4. 4
   Send by registered mail

   PostNL Aangetekend. The 14-day clock starts on receipt.
5. 5
   Continue your study and work

   Vw 14 continued rights apply. Show the institution and the employer the ontvangstbevestiging plus the Mijn IND printout.

Where the institution sits

Most recognised-sponsor education institutions have an international office that helps students with stuck files. Some go as far as drafting the Notice themselves; others refer to a service like ours. The Notice itself is a one-page letter; the IND treats institution-filed Notices and student-filed Notices the same way. The dwangsom (if it accrues) is paid by the IND to the student's IBAN, not to the institution.

Where MigrationProvision sits

Student files are typically straightforward procedurally. The institution has the recognised-sponsor relationship; the IND has the file; the term is three months. When three months pass, the Notice goes out at €8.75. If the IND ignores the Notice and the daily penalty accrues, the €12.40 escalation covers the daily penalty-claim letter and the Ombudsman complaint. Most student files resolve within the 14-day Notice window because the IND's student-unit has internal escalation routes that activate on a Notice.