Asylum Seekers’ Waiting Period for Work Permit to be Reduced
November 9, 2015
Due to the influx of asylum seekers, a new law will reduce the waiting time between a request for asylum and access to a work permit from six to four months. Once the law is signed by the King and published in the Official Journal, it will become effective, which is likely to happen within the next few weeks.
After the four-month waiting period, asylum seekers can perform any work under a C Work Permit for any employer without any specific eligibility conditions. Once the asylum seeker receives the C Work Permit, he or she can continue to work while the residence permit application is processed (including during the appeal of a case, if applicable), which can take up to a year.
What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals
Asylum seekers should benefit from the reduced waiting period for a work permit. Employers should benefit from asylum seekers’ skills and can match their profiles with their vacant positions.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
