Michelle Walker, who is of Jewish ancestry, says the organization that runs the community, Return to the Land, discriminated against her by denying her the opportunity to buy land based on race and religion. Walker is married to a Black man and has biracial children, her lawsuit says. She’s seeking unspecified damages, including punitive damages.
I’m dead, lol. This is rage baiting on another level. At least she got a lawsuit out of it.
Ahhh fuck now that I read it in that way I can totally see it lol!
I moved using the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty; basically start and run a Dutch business that employs yourself and sponsor your own immigration. It was the only valid path I had from the US -> Europe, and it’s actually surprisingly easy if you’re capable of being self employed. My business went well for a while until my main client screwed me over but now I have a regular highly-skilled-migrant visa which requires a Dutch company to hire you and sponsor your work visa.
I think it’s a wonderful place in it’s in own right. If I compare it to where I used to live I question why I didn’t do it sooner.
I know Google exists and I’ll go to research on my own, too, but as someone who’s been through the process, can it just be any business, or does it have to be a minimum value company before you can do it? Any general advice?
The IND (Immigration & Naturalization Department) has pretty good docs online and in English: https://ind.nl/en/residence-permits/work/residence-permit-self-employed-person
Not just any business; IIRC lawyers & doctors are restricted, and prostitution isn’t allowed. Although if you bring a spouse they are allowed to work without restrictions, including prostitution… if that’s your/their thing.
There’s no minimum “value” or income requirements at first (though if you want to get renewed at the two year mark you’ll need to demonstrate the business is doing at least something), you basically just need to put 4.5k euro in your business’ bank account and never let it go under that base 4.5k.
General advice: read everything you can; what I just wrote is ~3 years old and could have changed since. I paid an immigration attorney to handle my & spouse’s application something like 1k euro and think it was well worth it. Shipping stuff by boat usually comes with a minimum space purchase, which also means a minimum cost of 5k (again, few years old on that reference…). Most electronics aren’t worth bringing due to the AC/DC difference, though I disassembled my desktop and brought everything but the case and power supply in my luggage on the plane.
And lastly, if you are seriously considering it, learn the language. I can’t stress it enough. This isn’t just a two week vacation, you will eventually need to interact with dentists, doctors, repairmen, delivery people, etc, who probably speak great English but it isn’t guaranteed – especially if they’re older or if you live outside the randstad. I know some fellow Americans here that barely know any Dutch and it makes everything feel more difficult for them; even basic knowledge helps a lot if you’re on the train and you hear an announcement “the rear of the train is staying at the following station and going back, if you wish to continue further move to the front cabins”
Avoid Duolingo, it used to be good but it’s all AI-enshittified shit. I recommend Busuu, and when you feel like it’s starting to make sense do some actual lessons. “NOS Journaal in Makkelijke Taal” (“NOS Journal in Easy Language”) is good to watch; it’s a 8-ish minute news report of the day in simple and (usually) kindof slowly spoken Dutch. Just keep watching until it works.
Yep I agree, love Netherlands, seriously thinking about moving. My friend that lives there now keeps bugging me to move there.