Belgium: Expedited Processing for Highly-Skilled Foreign Workers in the Flanders Region
May 13, 2025
The Flemish government has implemented 15-calendar-day processing for highly skilled workers’ work authorization (down from one to 2.5 months), bringing the overall work authorization processing time (including consular processing and residence permit processing) from 4.5 months to three months in the Flemish region. Starting January 2026, the Flemish government intends to reduce the standard processing time for all work authorization applications to a maximum of 45 calendar days. Further, the government has announced planned restrictions for non-highly skilled/low-skilled immigration pathways. We will track the progress of these plans and report on related developments.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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