red tape

10Mar08

I posted this message over in the expatica forums, but I thought it might be nice to have here as well for those looking to get started in their journeys to Belgium.

“…I’m going through the same thing that you’re going through right now. I’m also interested in being with my bf and trying to get through the red tape is not easy. Neither he nor I have lived together. But we have been dating for a year and a half, and are ready to start our lives together. Fortunately this site helped a great deal. I was able to find the name of a great immigration lawyer based in Brussels. And when I asked him about my options this was his response:

“…If you have not been living together in the past, a cohabitation visa will indeed not be issued. As a US citizen, you are entitled to reside in Belgium for maximum 90 days (per 6 month period). A legal residence for more than 90 days can only be obtained through a visa type D, to be obtained with the Belgian consular authorities in the US. Unfortunately, such a visa can only be issued on the basis of:

a) a work permit type B (applied for by a Belgian employer on your behalf)

b) a registration with a university…”

I’ve also been told that it looks bad if you apply for a visa and are rejected, so I would not try to go down the cohabitation visa path if you haven’t lived together.  

We also spoke to some people at the language school of Ghent, and they told me that due to immigration misuse, the country is very reluctant to issue student visas based on learning the language alone. Now, the letter of the law hasn’t changed; you’ll find documentation that will give the impression of being to come over just to learn a national language (French, Dutch, or German). And you can come to learn the language, but only in conjunction with getting a higher degree. Check out the universities in your BF’s area, and see if there are any courses you’ve always wanted to take. Give yourself the chance to reinvent yourself….

Or just get married. Heinz86 is right. I also don’t want to feel forced into marriage because of red tape. I think we should be allowed to live in the same place at the same time together; if only to figure out if we live well together. But if you think of it the same way as a visa, (like a necessary piece of documentation that let’s you stay in the country) it will cut through a lot of the red tape. I know me and my bf are starting to think that’s not such a bad idea.

Filed under: belgium, moving   |  1 Comment
Tags: belgium, cohabitation visa, expat, expatica, immigration, moving to belgium, red tape, visa