‘The IND counter in Enschede offers many advantages to future UT academic researchers’, says Michelle Ekkelkamp, adviser at Expat Center Twente,which entered into a partner collaboration with the UT. ‘With the opening of this new counter in Enschede the expats no longer have to travel all the way to Zwolle, where until yesterday the closest IND counter was located.’
‘All affairs can be arranged in one go and at one location now’, continues Ekkelkamp. ‘Someone from the Expat Center Twente will be present for general information on, for example, accommodation, healthcare and financial affairs. An employee of the IND arranges the residence permits and the municipality Enschede will take care of the municipal registration.’
Lower threshold
The threshold for expats to settle in Twente has been become quite a bit lower as a result. Before, they had to travel up and down to Zwolle in order to arrange their residence permits and then had to go to Enschede as well for the municipal registration. ‘Now, when recruiting abroad, the UT can say that this is no longer necessary. Everything can now be arranged in Enschede.’
During the official opening yesterday a Russian knowledge migrant, who will perform his doctoral research at the UT, was the first customer at the IND counter. He received the first combination package of an IND residence permit and municipal citizen service number from the hands of IND director Wilbert van de Griendt and mayor Den Oudsten of Enschede.
Students still have to go to Zwolle
The counter in Enschede is only intended for international academic researchers and knowledge migrants. International students still have to register at the IND counter in Zwolle.The IND will come to Enschede for students once a year (in September) to process their applications, seeing as that's when the majority of applications is submitted.
