Immigration Updates – Belgium

Immigration Task Force Amcham Belgium

Last Wednesday Expat Management Group was invited to take part in the kick-off meeting of the Immigration Task Force of Amcham Belgium. The Immigration Task Force is a sub-committee of Amcham Belgium’s Human Capital and Talent Committee.

 

The Human Capital and Talent Committee’s role is to promote a positive employment environment in Belgium which attracts and develops international businesses and their employees and contributes to their continued success. The committee encourages the sharing of best practices between its members on relevant topics such as talent recruitment and retention, employee engagement, compensation and benefits and diversity & inclusion. It’s aim is to engage in a broader discussion on the future of work in Belgium, looking at the type of employment ecosystem Belgium would like and can achieve in the future.

 

Expat Management Group is excited to be part of this taskforce and will make sure to contribute and share knowledge and help create or improve government policies and help to make Belgium more attractive to foreign companies and employees.

 

Minimum salary requirements Flanders and Brussels region communicated for 2021.
Brussels

Highly-skilled workers: EUR 43.395 (up from EUR 42.869); 

Executives: EUR 72.399 (up from EUR 71.521);

Specialist EU ICT Permit: EUR 44.889;

Trainees EU ICT permit: EUR 28.056;

EU Blue Card applicants (including managers EU ICT Permit): EUR 56.111 (up from EUR 55.431)

 

Flanders

Highly-skilled workers: EUR 43.524 (up from EUR 42.696);

EUR 34.819,20 (up from EUR 34.156,80) linked by an employment contract with an employer established in Belgium, insofar as the employee:

1) either has not reached the age of thirty or

2) is employed as a nurse 

Executives (including managers EU ICT Permit): EUR 69.638 (up from EUR 68.314);

Specialist and trainees EU ICT Permit: EUR 43,524 

EU Blue Card applicants: EUR 52.229 (up from EUR 51.235)

 

Please take the following into account:

First time and extension applications. Employers who want to obtain or extend work authorization on or after January 1st 2020 must increase the salary to comply with the new threshold. Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum salary requirement will be rejected. 

Pending applications. Employers with pending applications as of January 1st 2020 must increase the salary to comply with the new threshold and must inform the Regional authorities.

Foreign employees with valid permits. Employers must also make sure that the salary of foreign employees already working in the Region complies with the new thresholds as of January 1st 2020.

We are following up with the Wallonia region and expect that they will publish the new minimum salary requirements in the next month.

Can we help you?

Contact us at the nearest Expat Management Group office or submit a contactform.