Wow.  It's been a rough ride so far.  As I posted a week or 2 ago, I am in the process of separating.  My wife has the MVV visa, and I am/was on the spousal half of that.  So my original question was about staying.  It seems that via the DAFT and my existing consulting company, this shouldn't be *too* difficult.

However, I just got back from the US, and found that my verblijfstitel is expired.  In short, when my wife and I renewed them last summer, she mentioned that since her contract was technically to 2014, that it was now valid until then.  Yesterday, I looked at it and found that while her card is indeed valid until 2014, my card is not.  This was a complete shock.  I am trying to find the original papers that we sent/received, but I was completely clueless on this.

The real question: am I technically now an illegal?

It expired June 15, 2012.  I am planning to gather all my paperwork, and get an appointment with the IND asap, but wanted to be prepared before doing so.  I was already planning to make such an appointment to get informed about the DAFT, but now I am fearful that the '3 years continuous work visa' thing will be broken, and that I may even have to leave the country, and do the DAFT thing from the USA.

All advice appreciated... I'm feeling like a headless chicken right now.

-b

christianbarth said:

Otherwise, when IND realizes that you are not in a relationship anymore, they'll start proceedings to revoke your permit.  You can protect yourself from this by changing your status, which will remove your partner from the equation.  Getting professional advice is a good way to increase your chances of a successful transition. 

Christian,

Do you have any idea whether I initiate general divorce proceedings in the US or in the NL?  And do you know whether there is any grace period from the time that the relationship is officially over?

Thanks,

ben

Hoi hoi,

I am living in the NL, currently with a 'spousal' work permit (for ~2 years), which is attached to the MVV permit of my wife.  However, we are in the process of separating, and will be seeking legal divorce.  At this point, I would like to the stay in the Netherlands, regardless of whether she does.

What is the divorce procedure here -- I assume I do normal American divorce proceedings, and then reflect/update status in the NL?  Is there a grace period after the process, or must I have already arranged a new work permit, or be prepared to leave ASAP?

Second, I am already a ZZP'er, both making furniture and consulting as a computer programmer.  Is this likely to pass muster with the ZZP/Entrepreneurship visa program that's available?  And how would I begin that process?  If not, I assume that I would have to seek full-time employment from somebody willing to sponsor a totally new visa.

In any case, this is all sudden, and uncertain.  Mainly I want to keep the rest of the life I've built in the Netherlands.  Now I'm nervous and clueless.

Thanks,

-b