A majority of MPs on Tuesday backed calls from the ruling VVD for the cost of employing non-EU workers under the highly-skilled migrants (kennismigrant) scheme to be cut.

It currently costs €5,300 to apply to bring in a worker from outside the EU, which is a considerable barrier to small firms, says VVD parliamentarian Michiel van Veen. In particular, this is a disadvantage to start-ups with limited budgets, he said.

Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp said earlier he was not opposed to looking at a price cut.

The anti-immigration PVV and PVV splinter party Groep Bontes-Van Klaveren both voted against the move.

The government recently introduced a special visa for entrepreneurs who wish to launch an innovative start-up in the Netherlands. The start-up visa costs €307.