Many who enter the Netherlands have to have a work permit before they will be allowed into the country. If you are traveling to Amsterdam or some other region, you should check on the requirements ahead of time. You should note that by law Dutch employers are required to try to fill positions first from Dutch employee pools, then from potential employees from specific countries. In most cases, the employer will be required to file for the work permit.

Before work permits are granted, the employee must be able to provide proof of support. That means that your job must pay at least a specific amount or you'll be required to provide proof that you have an additional source of income available to you while you're in the country. This is typically true for anyone, but you should note that some who plan to work in higher education are exempt from these requirements. You should also note that these requirements have to be met for the initial period of three years. After you've lived in the country for that period of time, you'll no longer be required to go through the process for a work permit.

The region is known for its "knowledge-based" businesses and encourages business and industry. Toward that end, the Amsterdam Foreign Investment Office offers a range of services, including providing points of contact for many industries and interests. You'll find more information from the Foreign Investment Office online at http://www.iamsterdam.com/doing_business. You'll also find links here to information regarding legal requirements for starting your own business in Amsterdam as well as financing options.

The University of Amsterdam is one of the city's larger employers with some 5,000 employees. The Virje Universiteit (VU) is another academic employer. There are almost 4,000 employees here, with more than half coming from the scientific community. City government and area healthcare facilities also offer significant employment opportunities.

As with most areas, you'll find online sources for job listings.

Many families in the Netherlands require childcare. Note that there are often waiting lists for the most popular day care programs, so start your search well before the first day you need these services. Some companies provide daycare facilities for their employees, a very convenient option. If daycare isn't exactly what you had in mind, you may choose a "host family" situation. In this case, a host cares for the child (up to three) in his or her home during the hours parents typically need childcare. Nannies and babysitters are also common options.

If you're wondering about salaries in Amsterdam as compared to those in other parts of the Netherlands, you'll find some comprehensive information listed at http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/location/amsterdam.do . This site appears to be regularly updated and has some useful information to help you consider what salaries are fair. You can seem what IT jobs are paying and how many positions have been opened and filled over the past three to six months. You can also quickly look at graphs to get a picture of the job situation in Amsterdam as opposed to that in other regions of the Netherlands.

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