Belgium’s federal government has unveiled a draft law that would tighten the residence rules for non-EU students, triggering strong push-back from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) and the country’s higher-education sector. Under the proposal, international students would face stricter financial guarantees, mandatory ‘blocked’ bank accounts, shorter grace periods to find work after graduation and additional documentary checks for renewals. Asylum & Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) argues the measures are needed to curb a rise in so-called “study-visa shopping”, where applicants enrol briefly and then disappear into the informal labour market. According to the minister, 17 % of long-stay student-visa holders failed to register at their chosen institution last academic year. Ares, the umbrella body for French-language universities and colleges, says the bill is “disproportionate and discriminatory” because it would apply nationwide even though most suspected fraud cases originate in only a handful of programmes. It warns the extra red tape could push legitimate students toward neighbouring countries at a time when Belgian universities are vying for global talent in STEM and AI. Legal experts also question whether the draft respects Belgium’s complex constitutional set-up, which gives the FWB and Flemish Community wide autonomy over higher education. FWB Minister-President Elisabeth Degryse has requested an impact assessment and hinted she may seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court if the text is not amended. For multinational employers, the debate matters because Belgian universities are an important recruitment pool for highly skilled graduates who can move into the Single-Permit work-and-residence track. If the bill passes unchanged, companies may need to budget for higher financial-support requirements and longer lead times when onboarding non-EU interns or junior hires.
Source: The Brussels Times
