On May 9, 2025, the Flemish government approved a concept note, establishing an updated labor migration policy based on ten core principles. The proposed measures would tighten requirements and increase processing costs, but also promise faster processing times.
Highly-educated individuals will be prioritized and low-skilled people from outside the EU will be excluded from labor migration. There will be an exception for seasonal work such as fruit growing.
Since May 1, 2025, decisions on highly-skilled applications are given within 15 days. From January 1, 2026, decisions on applications for non-highly-skilled applicants will be communicated within 30 days (45 days during peak periods). A new fee of EUR 200 will be introduced for those applying for a work permit from outside the European Union.
Applications for so-called “bottleneck” professions will be possible only for medium-skilled professions with a commensurate salary, and must be supported with a comprehensive application file, as well as a labor market test. The eligibility criteria for inclusion on the Migration List for ‘medium-skilled’ positions will be revised.
These changes will be implemented gradually over the next months.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.