The permit allows you to work, and your employer does not need to apply for a separate work permit for you during that year. They will, however, need to do so once the permit expires.
How does it work?
You can apply for this one-year residence permit withing three years of graduating, meaning that you are allowed to go home after graduating and then return to the Netherlands to find work or start up your own business.
In fact, you do not need to have studied in the Netherlands to apply for this visa, you can also apply so long as you have graduated from a master’s, post master’s or doctoral program at a designated top university outside the Netherlands.
In addition, this residence permit is also available to foreign scientific researchers who have carried out research in the Netherlands.
There are, of course, additional requirements which need to be met. The IND has a useful page where you can enter your nationality and then view all the requirements, processes and costs that apply to your situation. In general, foreign diplomas will need to be evaluated and verified by Nuffic before they are accepted, although there are some exceptions. See the IND website for more information.
How to apply
You can apply for this visa yourself online and, if granted, you can choose to collect your residence permit from Holland Expat Center South.
What happens after the year?
The orientation year residence permit cannot be extended. You will need a different type of residence permit to stay in the Netherlands.
However, in certain situations, you can apply more than once. You are allowed to apply after each completed study program or doctoral program, or after each period of scientific research, so long as the new study or research was completed after the previous orientation year residence permit expired. Check the IND website for all the conditions and requirements.