Government relaxes restrictions on hiring medium-skilled foreign workers

Employers who want to hire medium-skilled workers from abroad currently have to present labour market research to show the need cannot be met from the domestic market. However, some shortages are so persistent in the Flemish economy that the government will now allow employers to skip this stage.

“Experience has taught us that labour market research almost always leads to a positive assessment for these profiles,” Muyters explained.

The occupational shortage list covers 20 job categories that feature in a broader analysis of employment bottlenecks carried out by the employment service VDAB. The list will be revisited and revised every two years.

The shortage list is part of a broader policy, unveiled earlier in December, to make it easier for employers to hire foreign workers. “The Flemish labour market is crying out for technically skilled staff, with a large number of vacancies that we often cannot fill, even when we look across the Belgian language frontier,” Muyters said. Hence the need for changes. “Controlled and efficient workforce migration is necessary to ensure our economic growth.”

The need to conduct a labour market survey is already waived for high-skilled workers, but other changes have been proposed to make Flanders more attractive for them. This includes work permits that are valid for three years instead of one year, and fewer restrictions on changing employer once people arrive here.

The new rules take effect on 1 January. Other changes that Muyters wants to make to complete his employment strategy require action at the federal level. This includes allowing longer residence rights for recent graduates and researchers, and internships at Flemish companies for students who have not attended Flemish universities and colleges.

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