Improving the Economic Migration Framework to Attract and Retain Qualified Talent in Flanders (OECD)
Publication date: 01 March 2025
This report provides a diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Flemish framework for management of economic migration and recommendations for possible areas of reform. The report also presents some of the first empirical analyses of retention and outcomes of economic migrants in Flanders.
Read more
Main theme: Integration, Economic migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: talent attraction, talent retention, skilled workers, activation policy, single permit, posted worker, shortage occupation
Publication date: 20 June 2024
This ad hoc query looks at the possibility for third-country nationals to begin their employment while waiting for the issuance of their single permit, in order to circumvent lengthy processing times.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: single permit, processing time, access to work, labour market access
Publication date: 30 June 2023
FAIRWORK Belgium's 2022 annual report analyses inter alia the complex system of single permits. Given current practices, this system "benefits dishonest employers" according to the organisation.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: migrant workers, single permit, undocumented migrants
Publication date:
Flanders granted around 21.460 work permits to non-EU nationals in 2025, the highest level in recent years. Seasonal work and medium- to high-skilled positions accounted for a large share of the permits. New rules introduced in January 2026 give priority to domestic and EU labour before non-EU recruitment. Stakeholders, including employer organisations and political parties, have expressed differing perspectives on these developments.
Read more
Main theme: Data & Statistics, Economic migration
Keywords: Flanders, work permit, single permit, third-country nationals, seasonal work, shortage occupation
Publication date:
The Walloon administration announces that new regulations come into force on 1 September 2024 regarding salaried economic migration for foreign workers in Wallonia. The system remains largely unchanged in its principles, still falling within the broader framework of the Single Permit for work and residence authorization for foreign workers. However, a new decree of the Walloon Government organizes new features and modifications.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: foreign workers, employer, single permit, EU blue card
Publication date:
Through its campaign “So what, we continue the exploitation?”, the CIRÉ underlines that undocumented workers who informally fill the labour needs, are at risk of being exploited. It pleads to give them access to legal work, particularly through the single permit procedure.
Read more
Main theme: Cross-sectional
Keywords: undocumented migrants, undocumented worker, single permit, labour shortages, labour exploitation
Publication date:
Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo has written to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to call for the regularisation of undocumented immigrants capable of working in jobs in short supply, reports L’Echo.
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: labour shortage, shortage occupation, regularisation, single permit
Publication date:
Myria has published the fourth thematic section of its 2023 annual report. This section entitled "Economic migration, free movement en students" reports that 8.098 long-stay visas were granted for professional reasons to third-country nationals in 2022 (46% more than in 2021) and 19.721 single permits were issued to third-country nationals in 2022 (75% more than in 2021).
Read more
Main theme: Economic migration
Keywords: long-stay visa, single permit, posted worker, student
Publication date:
In the House of Representatives today, Nicole de Moor responded to numerous questions regarding possible fraudulent cases of applications for single permits. All involved actors, including the Flemish Region, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Office, are now part of a working group to foster information exchange and avoid future abuses.