I wish to immigrate to Europe, preferably Amsterdam, but have run up
against strict immigration rules. I want specific ways to immigrate so
that I can live and find a job. I am an educated, mature food service
executive. I have already looked at many Web Sites to no avail. I
would like to accomplish this in early 2003.

You have decided to do a very though thing. Europe has a rather tough
immigration policy. Most of the European countries work together under
the so-called Schengen-agreement, set up to 'defend' the fortress
Europe against immigrants. While the internal borders have disappeared
between those Schengen countries, it is much tougher for people from
non-Schengen countries to enter.

I have added a link to the visa rules in Denmark: they would be the
same in all other Schengen countries. Unconfirmed rumors say that some
countries in southern Europe are more easy to enter, but their
official rules will be similar.

I'm a Dutch citizen living in China and many of my Chinese friends
have the same idea of emigrating (even though China itself is offering
more and more opportunities). Most of them end up going to the US and
not to Europe. While getting into the US and Europe (I will deal with
that later) is likewise difficult, it is much easier to stay in the US
the moment you are there. In Europe you will become an illegal
immigrant when you are overstaying you visa, and it will be very tough
to get a legal status again.

Having said that, there are a set of ways to get a visa in Europe. Two
of them do not seem to match your case: a student visa or a tourist
visa. Europe is very eager to 'sell' their educational system but it
means you will have to pay and follow a study and will have to leave
again after the study finishes.
Getting a tourist visa is easy, depending on where you are coming
from. But since you want to go into business, that seems no option
either.

Getting a real work permit is almost impossible. You would need
already an employer who has to prove he cannot get anybody from within
the Schengen countries to fill that vacancy. Criteria for IT-related
jobs have in the past year been relaxed a bit, but again that is not
applicable for you.

Then there are the possibilities for short-term visits (less than
three months)
A family visit can be organized in less than two months when you have
somebody in Holland who will cover for you.
A business trip on the invitation of a Dutch company can be easier and
faster. Make sure the embassy in your country knows that company.

In no way this is going to be easy: you need a lot of good luck and I
hope you are successful.


Links: 
the Shengen agreement
http://www.personvern.uio.no/regler/schengen_e.html
Some discussion on the "Fortress Europe"
http://www.fecl.org/
The Danish rules
http://www.udlst.dk/udlst_engelsk/index.htm
The Dutch links for visas (also in English)
http://www.minbuza.nl/english/Menu.asp?key=423494&pad=257568,407783
http://www.immigratiedienst.nl

Google search terms:
* Schengen
* fortress Europe

I would just like to reiterate what fons-ga posted based upon my own
personal experience.  European Union policy at this time makes it
nearly impossible to simply immigrate to an EU country.

I am a US citizen who earned my Master's degree from the University of
Amsterdam in the Netherlands two years ago.  When I completed the
graduate program I began looking for work in Amsterdam but always ran
into the same problem -- I did not have EU citizenship.

EU policy requires an employer to hire an EU citizen before anyone
else.  For a company to hire a non-EU citizen, the company must prove
to the county's immigration authority why the non-EU citizen is the
only candidate qualified for the position.  The company is also
obligated to show that it has advertized the position for no less than
three months and still no qualified EU citizen has applied for the
job.  Most companies are simply not willing to go to this much trouble
to support someone's residence/work permit.  And even if the company
does go to this much trouble, there is no guaranty that the
immigration authority will agree and grant the permit.

The easiest way to get a residence/work permit for the Netherlands is
to have a girl friend or boy friend that is either Dutch or from an EU
country and living and working in the Netherlands.  The Dutch system
is very liberal in that committed, though unmarried, couples can enter
into what is called "samenwonen" -- living together.  Samenwonen is
essentially the same as common law marriage, and it does provide a
non-EU partner a residence/work permit.

A slightly longer term approach is to work for a US company that has
offices in the Netherlands.  Companies are allowed much more lattitude
when moving employees to different posts within the company, as
opposed to hiring someone fresh for a foreign post.

Finally, the long-shot option to live legally in the Netherlands is
this.  Have no less than 500,000 Dutch guilder in a Dutch bank account
and enough money to buy a house in the Netherlands.  In this situation
the Dutch government will provide a residence permit, although I am
not sure if it also includes a work permit.