01. Information about the “orientation year” residence permit of Belgium (September 2023)
MY ASSUMPTION: There are many non-EU/EEA/Switzerland students in Flanders or in Brussels, not in Wallonia.
Thus, the URLs below are mainly in English or in Dutch, few
in French.
Summary:
The official information in Belgium is dispersed. NO any single website can give one all the details. You have to browse multiple websites to get comprehensive information. Different websites (different universities and different municipalities) say different things, which is the essence of Belgium as a federal state.
The proof of subsistence is mandatory. It can be done by a one-time transfer of 11,500 euro (academic year 2023-2024) to a given account of a certain university. The corresponding university can generate a proof of subsistence. Along with other documents required, the applicant can upload them to one of the municipalities. Again, different municipalities have divergent steps for applications.
If you studied in a Wallon university such as UCLouvain, you should ask other people for the steps of such an application since little information is in French or is from Walloina. Even in Flanders, I cannot guarantee that all the municipalities have the capability to handle your applications. Maybe the officers in Gent and in Leuven are familiar to the procedures but not those in Aalst or in Kortrijk.
This is Belgium: The rules and the regulations are usually obscure and dispersed rather than clear or uniformed.
0.
(official information in English,
in Dutch, and in French from the federal level of Belgium)
In English:
In Dutch:
https://dofi.ibz.be/nl/themes/third-country-nationals/study/zoekjaar-na-de-voltooiing-van-de-studies
In French:
1.
(official information in English
and in Dutch from the regional level of Flanders)
In English:
https://www.studyinflanders.be/after-your-studies/work-after-your-studies
In Dutch:
3.
(official information in English and in Dutch from the municipal level of Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp, and Mechelen)
Ghent (in English):
https://stad.gent/en/migration/apply-orientation-year
Leuven (in English):
https://www.leuven.be/en/search-year
Antwerp (in Dutch):
https://www.antwerpen.be/product/zoekjaar-na-studies-aanvragen
Mechelen (in Dutch):
https://www.mechelen.be/prod-niet-eu-studenten
WARNING: Different
municipalities have divergent steps for applications.
4.
(official information in English
from the universities in Flanders and in Brussels: UGent, KU Leuven, UAntwerpen,
UHasselt, and VUB)
UGent:
https://www.ugent.be/student/en/after-graduation/orientation-year
https://www.ugent.be/prospect/en/administration/visa/subsistence.htm
https://www.ugent.be/prospect/en/administration/visa/blocked-account-exchange-phd
“Student who defends PhD in
Belgium end of July and applies for a search/orientation year.
Duration of blocked account:
always 12 months! August to August
Blocked account for 12x950 EUR=
11.400 EUR
Total to be transferred:
11.400+100 (handling fee) = 11.500 EUR”
KU Leuven:
“Monthly amount”
“950 EUR/month”
“Handling fee”
“100 EUR”
“Example full academic year
11,500 EUR = (950 x 12) + 100”
UAntwerpen:
https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/life-in-antwerp/visa-and-permits/orientation-year/
UHasselt:
https://www.uhasselt.be/en/international/from-abroad/orientation-year
VUB:
5.
(non-official information in
French for Brussels)
Infor Jeunes Bruxelles (independent
from any governments):
https://ijbxl.be/mobilite/comment-rester-en-belgique-a-la-fin-de-ses-etudes/
6.
After finding a job and starting to work, the orientation year residence permit needs to be changed to a single permit.
The employee needs ask his/her/their employer to take action and apply for it for him/her/them. The employee cannot finish the application by himself/herself/themself.
Such a single permit relates to the regional level authorities (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia excluding the German-speaking community, and the German-speaking community) instead of to the federal level.
https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themas/onderdanen-van-derde-landen/werk/single-permit
For instance:
If one recently graduated from a Dutch university and then just obtained his/her/their diploma from this Dutch university, and he/she/they finished his/her/their internship (as a mandatory part of the bachelor or master programme),
BUT he/she/they did NOT apply for the Erasmus+ grants for the internship, he/she/they will still NOT be eligible to apply for the Belgian orientation year residence permit, UNfortunately!!!
If ...,
AND he/she/they DID remember to apply for the Erasmus+ grants for the internship, he/she/they will be eligible to apply for the Belgian orientation year residence permit, fortunately!!!
Only if every single step has be correctly processed and ALL the requirements have been met, one can apply for the Belgian orientation year residence permit!!! They are very strict!!!
This is my only 1 post about the Belgian side. 3 more posts should follow. But those 3 will only focus on the Dutch one.
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