A highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) is a non-EU professional who holds a residence permit to work for an IND recognised sponsor, with no work permit. In 2026 the gross monthly salary, holiday allowance excluded, must reach EUR 5,942 at 30 or older, EUR 4,357 under 30 or EUR 3,122 on the reduced criterion. The IND decides within 90 days.
This guide has three readers. The employee finds the salary bands, the procedure, the timing, the fees and what happens after the grant. The founder whose BV will hire non-EU staff finds how the company becomes a recognised sponsor, what that costs and its duties after the first hire. The founder who wants to move themselves needs a different route: the highly skilled migrant visa (in law, a residence permit) is built for employees, and owning a Dutch BV needs no permit at all (business.gov.nl). Those routes are on the DAFT visa page.
What is a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant), and who qualifies?
The permit is a regular temporary residence permit for work as a kennismigrant (knowledge migrant) for an employer recognised as a sponsor under art. 2c of the Aliens Act, unless the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) judges the agreed pay not market-conform (art. 3.30a(1) of the Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000, the Aliens Decree). Work as a knowledge migrant is a residence purpose of its own (art. 3.4(1)(d)). Only the recognised employer with whom the migrant has an employment contract, a guest agreement or an appointment may act as sponsor (art. 1.9(1)). "HSM visa" is the common shorthand for the same permit, and "knowledge migrant Netherlands" is the literal translation of the Dutch term.
Who qualifies
- A contract, guest agreement or appointment with an IND recognised sponsor (art. 1.9(1) Vb).
- Pay at or above the salary criterion for the age band, and in line with the market (art. 2.1 BuWav 2022).
- No list of occupations: the test is the salary. business.gov.nl gives examples: engineer, software developer, manager or specialist, scientific researcher.
- In a healthcare profession that requires BIG registration, the permit follows only once the person is registered (Vc B6/2.3).
- No work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV): the ban of art. 2(1) of the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen does not apply to this category (art. 3(1)(c)), and the employer applies for the residence permit only.
One exception: a Turkish national is not refused because the employer is not recognised (art. 3.30a(2) Vb). The comparison of routes further down gives it a row.
What is the minimum salary for a highly skilled migrant in 2026?
The highly skilled migrant salary for 2026 is printed in the decree: art. 2.1(1)(a) of the Besluit uitvoering Wet arbeid vreemdelingen 2022 (BuWav 2022), as consolidated on 1 August 2026, sets the amounts, and art. 2.1(2) applies them only where the employer is a recognised sponsor. Every 1 January the amounts move with the CBS collective-agreement wage index (art. 2.1(5)), so a figure from an earlier year is out of date. The IND table of required amounts gives the same 2026 figures and says which year's amount applies: the one in force on the application date or, after a change of employer, the one in force when the new contract starts.
The 2026 salary criterion by band. Sources: BuWav 2022 art. 2.1(1)(a), consolidation of 1 August 2026; IND, required amounts, checked on 29 September 2026.
| Band | Gross per month, 2026, holiday allowance excluded | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 30 or older | EUR 5,942 | First permit, extension and change of employer |
| Under 30 | EUR 4,357 | Also on extension with the same employer after turning 30 |
| Reduced criterion (verlaagd looncriterium) | EUR 3,122 | During or after the orientation year, within three years of graduation or a doctorate |
| Researchers, guest lecturers, doctors in specialist training | EUR 1,635.90 (minimum-wage rule, 1 July to 31 December 2026) | The salary criterion does not apply |
What counts towards the salary criterion, and what does not?
Counts towards the criterion
- The fixed gross monthly wage.
- Allowances and reimbursements that are in the employment contract and transferred every month to a bank account in the migrant's own name (art. 2.1(6) BuWav 2022; Vc 2000 B6/2.3).
Does not count
- The holiday allowance (vakantiebijslag).
- Payment in kind.
- Uncertain, irregular elements: overtime pay, tips and payments from funds.
- Any element that is not paid into an account in the migrant's own name.
The salary must also be market-conform. Where the Minister of SZW judges that it is not, the IND refuses the permit or withdraws it later (Vc B6/2.3). To make that judgement the IND may ask the employer about the nature and size of the company, the migrant's diplomas (with copies evaluated by Nuffic), the job itself and whether a collective agreement applies (Vc B6/4.3).
How does the highly skilled migrant application work, step by step?
The employer is recognised
The company becomes a recognised sponsor first; the IND decides within three months, extendable by up to six (art. 2c(4) Vw).
The contract meets the band
The pay is at or above the amount in force on the filing date and is paid monthly by bank transfer into the migrant's own account.
MVV or not
Where the migrant needs an entry visa (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, MVV), the sponsor applies for the MVV and the residence permit at the same time; nationals of designated countries need none.
File and pay
The employer files and pays the 2026 fee of EUR 423 by direct debit after filing; the fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
Complete the file if asked
If documents are missing, the IND allows two weeks to supply them, and the decision period extends by two weeks.
Decision
The statutory period is 90 days, extendable by at most six months (art. 25 Vw).
Start work
After a positive decision the migrant may work for up to four months on the decision letter before the card is issued; biometrics follow within two weeks of the decision.
Validity
The permit runs for the length of the contract, at most five years (art. 3.58(1), row d, Vb).
The employer, not the migrant, is the applicant, for the migrant and for the family (business.gov.nl). So there is no way to apply for this permit without a job offer from a recognised sponsor. Steps 4 and 7 follow business.gov.nl's permit page. The IND's application form lists the documents it wants; this guide does not reproduce that list.
Statutory or official periodIND targetNo official time
- Employer recognisedThe employer applies; the IND decidesThree months, extendable by up to six (art. 2c(4) Vw)
- Contract at the bandThe employer: the amount in force on the filing date, paid monthly into the migrant's own accountNo official time
- MVV and permit filed togetherThe sponsor, where an MVV is neededNo official time
- Fee paidThe employer, by direct debit after filingEUR 423 (IND fee 2026); not refunded on refusal
- DecisionThe IND90 days, extendable by at most six months (art. 25 Vw) IND aim: two weeks, a target, not a period
- Work on the decision letterThe migrant, before the card is issuedUp to four months (business.gov.nl)
- The cardValid for the length of the contractAt most five years (art. 3.58(1), row d, Vb)
How long does the IND take to decide?
Ninety days is the statutory decision period for a highly skilled migrant application under art. 25(1) of the Vreemdelingenwet 2000 (Aliens Act), and art. 25(2) allows an extension of at most six months. The IND's page on decision periods gives the same 90 days. business.gov.nl adds that the IND "aims to decide within 2 weeks". That is a target the IND sets itself, not a period. The IND publishes no approval rate and no throughput figure on the pages behind this guide, so the answer to the processing-time question is the statutory chain in the table.
Official timings for the employer and the migrant. Sources: Vw 2000 art. 2c(4) and 25; IND decision periods, checked on 3 October 2026; business.gov.nl, checked on 3 October 2026.
| What | Period | Statute or source |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition as a sponsor | Three months, extendable by up to six | Art. 2c(4) Vw; IND |
| Highly skilled migrant permit | 90 days, extendable by at most six months | Art. 25(1) and (2) Vw; IND |
| Incomplete file | Two weeks to complete; the period extends by two weeks | IND |
| Change of employer | 45 days, extendable by 15 | IND |
| Work on the decision letter | Up to four months from the date in the letter | business.gov.nl |
| Permanent residence | Six months | IND |
What is an IND recognised sponsor, and how do you check the public register?
A recognised sponsor (erkend referent) is a sponsor the IND has recognised under art. 2c of the Aliens Act (art. 1 Vw). Only a company or legal person, or a branch of one, registered in the Handelsregister (the KVK Business Register) can be one (art. 2a(1)(c) Vw); a natural person is never recognised (art. 2e(2) Vw). The Minister keeps a public register of recognised sponsors (art. 2c(6) Vw). That register is what people mean by the IND recognised sponsor list, or the IND NL public register of recognised sponsors.
Checking a company
- The IND publishes four public registers: Work, Exchange, Study and Research.
- The Work register is the one for highly skilled migrants.
- The registers are updated once a month, so a company recognised recently may not appear yet.
- This guide explains the register and does not reproduce it or offer a PDF of it: the IND's page holds the current version.
How does a Dutch BV become a recognised sponsor?
Incorporate and register
The BV is incorporated and entered in the Handelsregister; the 2026 KVK one-off registration fee is EUR 85.15 (art. 5 of the Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019).
File by post
The application goes to the IND by post on its form, one application per category: Work, for highly skilled migrants.
Pay the invoice
The IND starts processing only after its invoice is paid (business.gov.nl).
RVO advice
Where the company files a business plan, it goes to RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency) for advice.
Decision
Within three months, extendable by up to six where advice or investigation by third parties is needed (art. 2c(4) Vw).
What a company files, by its age
The evidence of continuity and solvency depends on how long the business has been running (art. 1.13 of the Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000, the Aliens Regulation). An established company files a payment-behaviour statement from the Belastingdienst; a new BV files a business plan, which RVO assesses. Art. 1.13(2) lists exceptions for group companies and reorganisations, and a branch of a foreign company has a route of its own through the NFIA (Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency).
What a sponsor applicant files to show continuity and solvency. Source: Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000 art. 1.13, consolidation of 1 July 2026, checked on 29 September 2026.
| The applicant | What it files |
|---|---|
| In business for eighteen months or more | A Belastingdienst verklaring van betalingsgedrag (payment-behaviour statement) not older than three months (VV art. 1.13(1)) |
| Younger than eighteen months, such as a new BV | A business plan (ondernemingsplan), sent to RVO for advice (VV art. 1.13(2) and (5)) |
| Wholly owned by a parent that would itself qualify, or a merger, takeover or change of legal form between recognised sponsors | The exceptions listed in VV art. 1.13(2) |
| A branch of a foreign company | May file an NFIA verklaring van bekendheid (statement of acquaintance) instead (VV art. 1.13(3)) |
How RVO scores a business plan
RVO's advice is positive at 50 or more of 100 points (Vc 2000 B1). Its scoring table looks at the product or service, the market, the organisation (up to 20 points) and the financials, where a balance-sheet total under EUR 50,000 scores 0 points, plus a liquidity forecast (up to 15 points). The assessment opens with a KVK check of the registration and of any changes in partners, shareholders or control.
When the IND must refuse recognition
Art. 2e(1) Vw allows refusal where continuity and solvency are not sufficiently assured, or where the reliability of the applicant or the persons behind it is not established. The policy rules make refusal mandatory on a negative RVO advice, on bankruptcy or suspension of payments, where the company is in fact run by persons other than those the register shows, and where tax penalty fines under arts. 67d to 67f of the General Tax Act (AWR) were imposed in the four years before the application (Vc B1/2.1). If the IND asks, a VOG (verklaring omtrent het gedrag, certificate of conduct) must follow within eight weeks (Vc B1/3.2).
A payroll or staffing company also proves its registration in the Register normering arbeid (Vc B1/8.2.2), and from 1 January 2027 the admission regime of the Wet toelating terbeschikkingstelling van arbeidskrachten (Wtta) applies to such companies (Stb. 2026, 159).
Is your BV preparing its first recognised-sponsor application? Ask us about the file: the business plan or the evidence that fits the company's age.
What does recognition cost, and how long does it last?
The 2026 recognition fee is EUR 5,080 (VV art. 1.11(1); IND fees). It drops to EUR 2,539 where the application relates to work and the applicant is an undertaking with at most 50 employees, or an undertaking of a group with at most 50 employees (art. 1.11(2)(b)). The 50 are counted across the group, so a small Dutch BV owned by a larger foreign group pays EUR 5,080. Size is proven with an anonymised payroll summary (verzamelloonstaat) not older than three months (Vc B1/8.2.2). The fee is not refunded if recognition is refused.
How long recognition lasts
- Recognition is for an indefinite period (art. 2c(3) Vw).
- It may be withdrawn if no MVV or residence permit was granted for a foreign national in the past three years and nobody remains for whom the company acts as sponsor (VV art. 1.15a).
- It can be suspended for three months, and it is withdrawn after a third fine for a serious breach of the duty of care or the duty to inform (Vc B1/2.2).
- It can be withdrawn when the sponsor breaches its duties (art. 2g Vw).
What are the IND fees in 2026, and who pays them?
State fees for 2026. Sources: IND fees, checked on 29 September 2026; Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000 art. 1.11 and 3.34; Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5.
| Item | 2026 fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highly skilled migrant permit: first application, change of purpose, extension | EUR 423 | IND; VV art. 3.34 |
| Partner, married or unmarried | EUR 254 | IND |
| Child under 18 | EUR 85 | IND |
| Recognition as a sponsor | EUR 5,080 | VV art. 1.11(1); IND |
| Recognition, at most 50 employees counted across the group | EUR 2,539 | VV art. 1.11(2)(b); IND |
| Permanent residence, first application | EUR 254 | IND |
| KVK one-off registration of a new BV | EUR 85.15 | Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5 |
These are state fees for 2026. The employer pays the permit fee by direct debit after filing (business.gov.nl), and neither the recognition fee nor the permit fee is refunded on refusal. Our own fees are quoted on request and are not part of this table.
What does the permit allow, and can your family join you?
What the permit allows
- Work for the sponsor with no work permit (art. 3(1)(c) Wav).
- Self-employed work alongside the job (art. 2.1(3) BuWav 2022).
- The residence document states it: "Arbeid als kennismigrant en zelfstandige toegestaan, andere arbeid toegestaan met TWV" (work as a knowledge migrant and as a self-employed person permitted, other work permitted with a work permit; VV art. 3.1(5)).
- Any other work only with a TWV.
The employer applies for the residence permits of the migrant and of the family (business.gov.nl). In 2026 the IND fee for a partner, married or unmarried, is EUR 254, and for a child under 18 it is EUR 85. Nationals of designated countries, the United States among them, need no MVV to enter (art. 17(1)(a) Vw, with Annex 2 of the Aliens Regulation). The other conditions do not change for them: the employer still has to be a recognised sponsor and pay the criterion.
What must the sponsor do after the hire?
The recognised sponsor's three duties. Sources: Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000 art. 4.44a; Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000 art. 1.4, 4.23 and 4.35; business.gov.nl, checked on 3 October 2026.
| Duty | What and when | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Duty to inform (informatieplicht) | Report within four weeks of knowing, or reasonably suspecting, that the migrant no longer meets the conditions of the permit, for example no longer works for the sponsor, falls below the criterion or loses a required BIG registration; also report within four weeks of the end of the employment | Art. 4.44a Vb; VV art. 4.23(1) |
| Duty to keep records (administratieplicht) | Keep the contract, the pay slips and, since 1 January 2026, a business bank-account statement or batch-payment overview proving the salary reached an account in the migrant's own name | VV art. 4.35(1) |
| Duty of care (zorgplicht) | Inform the migrant of the relevant rules at recruitment | VV art. 1.4 |
The records duty tightened on 1 January 2026. In the words of business.gov.nl's page on becoming a recognised sponsor: "A payslip alone does not prove that the employee has received a payment." The proof is the bank statement or the batch-payment overview, and both come out of the payroll, which is why running payroll for a Dutch employer and the sponsor's records go together.
Sanctions are graded. Recognition can be suspended for three months, and it is withdrawn after a third fine for a serious breach of the duty of care or the duty to inform (Vc B1/2.2); art. 2g Vw also allows withdrawal when the sponsor breaches its duties. Breaches of the Wet arbeid vreemdelingen itself are fined up to the fifth fine category (art. 19d(1) Wav).
What happens if you change jobs, lose your job or your sponsor loses recognition?
Three scenarios for a highly skilled migrant after the grant. Sources: IND decision periods and business.gov.nl, checked on 3 October 2026; Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000 B6/2.3; Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000 art. 3.89a.
| Scenario | What happens | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Change of employer | The permit does not transfer; the new employer must be a recognised sponsor and files a new application | 45 days, extendable by 15; if the IND does not decide in time, the migrant may work for the new employer for the rest of the current permit (IND) |
| Job loss | A search period (zoekperiode) to find a new highly skilled migrant job; the permit is withdrawn at its end if none is found | Three months from the day the contract ended (Vc B6/2.3; IND policy, not a statutory right) |
| The sponsor's recognition is suspended or withdrawn | A migrant in good faith gets time to meet the conditions of the permit again | Three months (art. 3.89a Vb) |
Changing jobs as a highly skilled migrant brings the salary test back: the band that applies is the one in force on the day the new contract starts, not the one that applied at the first application. Age matters as well. With the same employer, the under-30 amount keeps applying on extension after the migrant turns 30; with a new employer at 30 or older, the EUR 5,942 band applies (IND; Vc B6/5.1). Whichever scenario applies, the old employer still owes the IND its four-week report on the end of the employment.
How long is the permit valid, and what is the five-year rule?
The permit is valid for the length of the employment contract, at most five years, and each renewal is again for at most five years (art. 3.58(1), row d, Vb; business.gov.nl).
Residence as a kennismigrant is not on the list of temporary residence purposes in art. 3.5 Vb. Read against that list, it counts as non-temporary residence, and that is what the five-year rule turns on: after five years of such residence, a permanent residence permit can be requested under art. 21 of the Aliens Act. The application can still be refused on the grounds listed there, the civic-integration requirement among them (art. 21(1)(g)). The IND decides within six months, and the 2026 fee for a first application is EUR 254. The practical side of settling is in our guide to moving to the Netherlands as an entrepreneur.
Can a founder be the highly skilled migrant of their own BV?
Owning a Dutch BV does not require a residence permit. business.gov.nl puts it plainly: "You can start a business in the Netherlands while you live abroad"; a permit becomes relevant only for moving there.
Whether the founder can also be the BV's own highly skilled migrant is a question the sources behind this guide do not answer. What they do say is this. Under its policy on the director and major shareholder (directeur-grootaandeelhouder, Vc B6/2.5), the IND treats a foreign national who holds 25 percent or more of the business, bears the business risk and can influence their own salary as self-employed (zelfstandige, art. 3.30 Vb). The highly skilled migrant section of the same circular (Vc B6/2.3) contains no rule on a migrant who owns the sponsor. Nothing read confirms or excludes the route, so this guide states neither.
The routes written for founders are on the self-employed permit page and in our start-up visa overview, next to the DAFT route for US citizens. Investing is not a way in either: the investor permit has been abolished, as the investor visa guide explains.
How does the highly skilled migrant permit compare with the EU Blue Card and other routes?
Work and founder routes compared, 2026. Sources: BuWav 2022 art. 2.1 and 2.2; IND required amounts; business.gov.nl, checked on 3 October 2026; Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000 art. 3.30a(2).
| Route | Recognised sponsor needed | 2026 salary figure |
|---|---|---|
| Highly skilled migrant | Yes | EUR 5,942, EUR 4,357 or EUR 3,122 per month |
| EU Blue Card | No | EUR 5,942, or EUR 4,754 within three years of a higher-education degree |
| Essential start-up personnel (a separate pilot, not the kennismigrant scheme) | No | EUR 3,122; the pilot runs until 1 June 2028 |
| Turkish national as a knowledge migrant | No (Association Treaty) | The salary criterion |
| The founder's own permit (DAFT, self-employed, start-up) | Not applicable | See the founder routes |
The EU Blue Card shares the EUR 5,942 headline amount under art. 2.2(1)(b) BuWav 2022, with a lower EUR 4,754 within three years of a degree, and the employer needs no recognition (business.gov.nl). The guide on who qualifies for an EU Blue Card in the Netherlands sets out its other conditions.
The 30 percent ruling: a tax facility, not a permit condition
The 30 percent ruling is a Belastingdienst tax facility with a salary test of its own. In 2026 the employee's taxable salary must exceed EUR 48,013 (art. 10eb(1) of the Uitvoeringsbesluit loonbelasting 1965). Up to 30 percent can be paid tax-free in 2025 and 2026, and 27 percent from 1 January 2027 (Kamerstuk 36602 nr. 41); in 2026 the tax-free amount is capped at EUR 78,600, reached at a salary of EUR 262,000 (Belastingdienst). The statutory seat is art. 31a(8) of the Wet op de loonbelasting 1964. The IND tests the gross salary against the BuWav criterion, and the ruling does not change that test. The rest is in our 30 percent ruling overview.
What changes are announced, and what is already law?
business.gov.nl announces a tightening of the highly skilled migrant scheme: a higher salary criterion, loss of recognition after three or more fines in four years, and automatic loss of recognition after two years without a highly skilled migrant. Its own notice adds: "It is not yet known when the change in the Highly Skilled Migrant scheme will take effect." (business.gov.nl, amendment notice, checked on 3 October 2026). Until it is enacted none of it is law, and this guide prints no date or figure for it.
Already in force
- The indexed 2026 salary amounts (BuWav 2022 art. 2.1(1)(a) and (5)).
- The proof-of-payment record for sponsors, since 1 January 2026 (VV art. 4.35(1)).
- From 1 January 2027, the Wtta admission regime for payroll and staffing sponsors (Stb. 2026, 159).
- From 1 January 2027, a maximum of 27 percent under the 30 percent ruling.
From our practice
Priya Ramdin, Founder services and immigration lead, nine years in founder services, prepares the sponsor paperwork for companies that hire a highly skilled migrant. In a young BV's file the item she most often rebuilds is the business plan: a company under eighteen months files one instead of the payment-behaviour statement, and RVO scores it out of 100, with 50 needed for a positive advice.
Reviewed by Ilse Brouwer, Tax, VAT and licensing lead, on 4 October 2026.
Sources
- Vreemdelingenbesluit 2000 (Aliens Decree), art. 1.9, 3.4, 3.5, 3.30a, 3.58, 3.89a and 4.44a, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 3 October 2026
- Wet arbeid vreemdelingen (Foreign Nationals Employment Act), art. 2, 3 and 19d, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 3 October 2026
- Besluit uitvoering Wet arbeid vreemdelingen 2022, art. 2.1 and 2.2, consolidation of 1 August 2026, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 3 October 2026
- IND, Required amounts income requirements, checked on 29 September 2026
- Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000 (B), B1/2.1, B1/2.2, B1/3.2, B1/8.2.2, the RVO scoring table, B6/2.3, B6/2.5, B6/4.3 and B6/5.1, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 29 September 2026
- business.gov.nl, Residence permit for highly skilled migrants, checked on 3 October 2026
- IND, Decision periods, checked on 3 October 2026
- IND, Public register of recognised sponsors, checked on 3 October 2026
- Vreemdelingenwet 2000 (Aliens Act), art. 1, 2a, 2c, 2e, 2f, 2g, 17, 21 and 25, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 29 September 2026
- Voorschrift Vreemdelingen 2000 (Aliens Regulation), art. 1.4, 1.11, 1.13, 1.15a, 3.1, 3.34, 4.23, 4.35 and Annex 2, wetten.overheid.nl, checked on 29 September 2026
- IND, Fees, checked on 29 September 2026
- business.gov.nl, How to become a recognised sponsor, checked on 3 October 2026
- business.gov.nl, Employing highly skilled migrants (business.gov.nl/regulations/employing-highly-skilled-migrants), checked on 3 October 2026
- business.gov.nl, Rules for highly skilled migrants change (an announcement, no effective date), checked on 3 October 2026
- business.gov.nl, Starting a business in the Netherlands from abroad
- Stb. 2026, 159, entry into force of the Wet toelating terbeschikkingstelling van arbeidskrachten on 1 January 2027
- Wet op de loonbelasting 1964, art. 31a(8), and Uitvoeringsbesluit loonbelasting 1965, art. 10eb(1), 2026 versions
- Kamerstuk 36602 nr. 41, amendment to the Belastingplan 2025 bill
- Belastingdienst, Inhoud van de regeling (the expat scheme), the 2026 cap
- Financiële regeling handelsregister 2019, art. 5, the 2026 KVK registration fee
Related service
DutchRegist: The Dutch BV: Private Limited Company A company must be incorporated and entered in the KVK Business Register before it can apply to the IND for recognition as a sponsor. What the BV is, and what forming one involves.