Labour migration as of 1 January 2019 - single permit Flanders: list of bottleneck professions

Author: Yves Stox
Read time: 2min
Publication date: 08/02/2019 - 14:27
Latest update: 08/02/2019 - 14:30

Do you want to employ a manual worker from outside the European Economic Area in Belgium? Theoretically speaking this is possible, but in actual practice the strict conditions make it quite difficult. However, Flanders has decided to change the rules. In the other federal states, the old rules will continue to apply.

From 1 January 2019, Flanders will offer medium-skilled people easier access to the labour market. No labour market research is required, nor is an agreement with the home country.

However, the profession must be stated on the list of bottleneck professions. This is a dynamic list that is reviewed every two years according to the needs of the labour market.

Which professions are on the list of bottleneck professions?

Below you will find the 20 bottleneck professions divided into five categories:

Driving vehicles and machines

  1. driver of lorry and trailer
  2. truck driver with trailer
  3. truck driver fixed wagon
  4. driver of construction site machinery
  5. crane operator

Maintenance of vehicles and machines

  1. maintenance mechanic
  2. maintenance mechanic for commercial vehicles or lorries
  3. technician vehicles
  4. technician construction site, agricultural and lifting machinery

Installation, assembly and maintenance of electrical, electronic and sanitary installations

  1. panel builder
  2. industrial electro-technical installer, industrial installations technician, industrial automation technician designer or industrial automation technician
  3. installer of data communication networks
  4. maintenance electrician, technician electronic installations, technician control and quality electricity and electronics
  5. heating systems maintenance technician or central heating systems technician
  6. pipe fitter
  7. residential electrical installer
  8. installer sanitary systems

Food

  1. chef
  2. butcher

Care

  1. Health care provider

Belgian minimum wage and social security

The employees who carry out such a bottleneck profession are employed by the Belgian employer. Employer and employee therefore conclude a Belgian employment contract. Posting is not an option for these employees.

This means that the (sector) scales apply. The employee will therefore also be subject to Belgian social security.

Source: Ministerial Decree of 19 December 2018 establishing the list of medium skilled professions for which there is a structural shortage of labour (Belgian Official Gazette 29 January 2019).

 

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