Publication date: 18 January 2026
This ad hoc query provides an overview of which EMN Member and Observer Countries require criminal record certificates in order to issue long-stay visas or residence permits. Details are provided on the categories of third-country nationals exempted from this requirement, the countries from which these certificates are required (country of origin and/or of previous residence), the other types of documents that may be accepted in lieu of a certificate (such as an affidavit), and more.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: visa, residence permit, application, criminal record certificate, security
Publication date: 02 December 2025
This joint EMN-OECD study provides a comprehensive overview of labour migration laws, policies, initiatives, and practices targeting third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries and Serbia between January 2021 and June 2024. It examines how labour migration is used to address current and future workforce shortages, covering key countries of origin and crucial labour sectors. The study highlights the challenges faced and the practices considered by countries with regard to labour migration.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour migration, labour shortages, foreign workers, talent attraction, talent partnership
Publication date: 10 November 2025
This ad hoc query examines whether national procedures allow or require immigration officers to request missing or additional information from applicants for legal migration after an initially incomplete application, and, if so, under what circumstances, to what extent, and within which deadlines.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: legal migration, application for a residence permit, missing information
Publication date: 06 September 2025
This ad hoc query aims to map the processing times of work-based residence permits across EMN Member and Observer Countries, including the collection of statistics on such processing times and the existence of fast-track procedures for certain categories of employees.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, work-based residence permit, processing time, highly skilled workers
Publication date: 07 August 2025
This ad hoc query compares the existence, type, and scope of bilateral or multilateral agreements on labour mobility between EMN Member and Observer Countries and non-EU/EEA countries, including whether they target general or sector-specific mobility, contain protection provisions, and provide monitoring or evaluation mechanisms.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: labour mobility, labour mobility agreement, labour mobility partnership, labour shortage
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.
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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: 27 February 2025
This joint European Migration Network (EMN) – OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Inform provides an overview of innovative initiatives to attract foreign talent between January 2021 and March 2024 by EMN Member Countries and selected non-EU OECD member countries. It also analyses whether and how EMN Member Countries monitor the effectiveness of these initiatives and identify related challenges and good practices.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: talent mobility, foreign workers, skill development, talent partnership, talent attraction
Publication date: 19 February 2025
This European Migration Network (EMN) study documents the illegal employment of third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries between 2017-2022. It includes an up-to-date analysis of key legislative and policy frameworks and practices to prevent, identify and tackle the illegal employment of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of temporary protection. It also provides examples of challenges and good practices.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: illegal employment, third country national, migrant worker, sanction, labour inspection
Publication date: 03 December 2024
This ad hoc query maps the schemes in place across EMN Member and Observer Countries to issue residence permits for so-called “digital nomads”, or persons who work remotely for an employer registered outside of their country of residence. Emphasis is placed on the issue of the use of forged documents in the applications for such permits.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, digital nomad, forged document
Publication date: 30 November 2024
This ad hoc query examines national regulations and practices concerning the employment of third-country nationals during short stays or visa-free stays, as well as the procedures in place to issue long-stay D-visas for the purpose of employment.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: short-stay visa, long-stay visa, right to work, access to employment
Publication date: 01 November 2024
This country report for Belgium prepared in the frame of the POSTING.STAT 2.0 project, examines the characteristics, the scale, and the impact of intra-EU posting from and to Belgium as well as the characteristics and the scale of infringements which are related to it.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: labour mobility, posted worker, investigation, infringement
Publication date: 17 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether the legislation of the responding EMN Member Countries allows employment agencies to hire third-country nationals on behalf of their clients. Where this is allowed, the query further investigates the legal framework that enables it, as well as how these agencies are monitored and what restrictions are in place to prevent potential misuse.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: employment agency, recruitment agency, safeguard, exploitation, labour inspection
Publication date: 06 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether the EMN Member Countries implement a labour market test to regulate the employment of third-country nationals. Where a labour market test is implemented, details are provided on the procedure, the exemptions, the criteria for a negative decision, and the possible challenges.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: migrant worker, labour market access, labour market test, skills mobility, foreign workers
Publication date: 06 October 2024
This ad hoc query collects information on national regulations and practices regarding third-country national posted workers, with a focus on additional conditions for the hiring of posted workers (e.g. need to submit a motivated notification to extend the period of employment, sector-specific requirements etc.) and measures to facilitate recruitment in specific sectors or occupations.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: posted worker, labour market need, labour shortage
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.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: single permit, processing time, access to work, labour market access
Publication date: 16 May 2024
This ad hoc query seeks to compare the au pair regulations of the EMN Member and Observer Countries to reduce the vulnerability of au pairs and prevent possible abuse of the programme in the Netherlands.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: au pair, residence permit, sponsor, financial requirement
Publication date: 05 May 2024
This ad hoc query maps the existing procedures in EMN Member and Observer Countries to obtain the recognition of third-country qualifications for the profession of doctor with basic medical training. It looks into the requirements in place, including linguistic criteria, the cost of the procedure for the applicant, and the number of applications received and processed in 2023.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: recognition of qualifications, doctor, labour shortages
Publication date: 25 April 2024
This ad hoc query explores the procedures in place across EMN Member and Observer Countries to recognise documents required to engage in “regulated professions” versus “unregulated professions”, as set out in Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2021/1883 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: standard of proof, qualification, regulated profession, unregulated profession
Publication date: 15 December 2023
This ad hoc query identifies which EMN Member Countries foresee an obligation for the employer to secure adequate accommodation for migrant workers, other than seasonal workers. It examines whether this obligation applies to certain types of permits, what criteria make it possible to define adequate housing, what proof is required in this regard and what possible sanctions are foreseen against employers who don't provide adequate housing.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: migrant worker, accommodation
Publication date: 10 November 2023
This ad hoc query explores the use of a minimum salary threshold for granting regular residence permits to migrant workers in EMN Member Countries. This overview compares the different amounts, the policymaking and dissemination styles, and the indexation over time.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: income threshold, income requirement, residence permit
Publication date: 18 October 2023
The Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic is currently looking into a special program enabling a fast-track admission procedure for third-country national lorry drivers due to the shortage of workers in this field. This ad hoc query examines whether other EMN Member countries experience a shortage of lorry drivers and whether special procedures are in place to facilitate the admission of third-country nationals able to fill these positions.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: fast-track admission procedure, lorry driver, shortage occupation
Publication date: 11 October 2023
In response to the growing awareness of the barriers for irregularly staying adult migrants to access higher education, vocational training and employment, the Netherlands sought to map out existing legislation and practices in other EMN Member countries to facilitate this access.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Study § Training, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: access to education, access to employment, irregularly staying third-country national
Publication date: 03 August 2023
Due to the increased need for foreign labour force, Member States are multiplying their negotiations of bilateral agreements and programmes with third countries on labour mobility. In order to have a current state of play and with a view to better coordinate this matter, the European Commission asked EMN Member countries to provide information on any bilateral agreement or programme supporting mobility from third countries.
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Main theme: External Dimension, Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: labour migration, labour mobility, legal migration, bilateral agreements, bilateral programmes
Publication date: 01 August 2023
New research carried out in the context of the Equality Law Clinic at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) focuses on the EU Single Permit Directive and shares concerns regarding the complexity and efficiency of the application (and renewal) procedure, the exclusion of certain categories of migrants from the scope of the Directive and the lack of protection of migrant workers from exploitation.
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Publication date: 05 July 2023
EMN Luxembourg launched an ad hoc query on the implementation of the Seasonal Workers Directive. More specifically, the questions focus on the possible requirement for seasonal workers to undergo a medical examination upon or before entry into the country, as well as on the national implementation of the right to equal treatment, as enshrined in Article 23(1) of said Directive.