For professionals in the Netherlands
U.S. immigration for Dutch nationals
Dutch founders, engineers, and researchers have more than one clear path to the United States — self-petitioned green cards with no per-country backlog, and a treaty route open only to Dutch nationals.
What fits
Routes that need no U.S. employer
If you are building a company, engineering, or research record in the Netherlands and want to live and work in the United States, two self-petitioned green-card routes stand out — the EB-2 National Interest Waiver and the EB-1A — alongside a treaty option unique to Dutch nationals.
Why Dutch applicants are well placed
Two things work in your favour. First, the Netherlands is not an oversubscribed country, so EB-2 and EB-1 priority dates are generally current for Dutch-born applicants — an approved petition can progress without the multi-year wait that India- or China-born applicants face. Second, Dutch strengths in technology, engineering, and applied science produce exactly the kind of records these categories reward.
A treaty route unique to Dutch nationals
Beyond the self-petition green cards, Dutch nationals have a treaty-based option: under the Dutch–American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), a Dutch entrepreneur can obtain U.S. treaty-investor status to start or run a business in the United States, on comparatively accessible terms. It is a temporary status rather than permanent residence, but it can be a fast first step — and it can be sequenced thoughtfully alongside a green-card plan.
See the E-1 / E-2 treaty route
What Privello handles
- An honest read on which route fits your record
- Framing your work around merit and national importance
- Building the evidence — impact, recognition, and letters
- Drafting the petition and the argument behind it
- Sequencing any temporary status toward the green card
Common profiles
Where it fits in the Netherlands
The Netherlands' technology, engineering, and applied-science sectors turn out exactly the profiles the NIW and EB-1A are built for — and Dutch nationals alone can also weigh the DAFT treaty route. What matters is not where you are from, but how clearly your record is presented.
- Software and semiconductors
- Agritech and food science
- Water and civil engineering
- Logistics and supply chain
- Design and creative industries
Common questions
Questions Dutch applicants ask
What is DAFT?
The Dutch–American Friendship Treaty lets Dutch nationals obtain U.S. treaty-investor (E-2) status to start or run a business in the United States, on comparatively modest investment terms. It is a temporary status, not a green card.
Do Dutch nationals face a green-card backlog?
No. The Netherlands is not oversubscribed, so EB-2 and EB-1 priority dates are generally current for Dutch-born applicants — unlike for applicants born in India or China.
Do I need a U.S. employer?
No. The EB-2 NIW and EB-1A are self-petitioned. DAFT, separately, is built around your own U.S. business rather than an employer.
Begin
Find out which U.S. route fits you
Tell us about your field, your achievements, and your goal. We'll give you a clear, honest read on your realistic options in a first conversation.