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Speeding up Visa Application for my Turkish Wife to Belgium

Last activity 24 July 2023 by Hanney Bustami

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Algolimit

Hello fellow forum members,


I am at my wit's end and I need your advice. My situation is quite complex, and I hope you can help me speed up the visa application process for my Turkish wife to Belgium.


To make a long story short: My wife and I spent the first few years of our marriage in Istanbul, but it didn't work out well for me. So, we decided to move to Europe, and Belgium seemed like a good country to raise our children. We have two kids, almost 2 years old and 10 months old, both of them are Dutch citizens.


As a Dutch citizen, I moved to Belgium, but I had to wait a staggering 8 months for my residence permit. This was completely unexpected and it has caused significant delays for us.


Now, we have applied for a visa (visa C - short stay) for my wife to initiate the family reunification process once she is here. However, it has been 4 weeks, and we still haven't heard anything. The lawyers say it's normal, but I can't accept this. Our family is on the verge of falling apart due to this separation, and I miss my wife and children immensely.


I strongly feel that something is not right, and the process shouldn't be so difficult and lengthy for a Dutch family trying to reunite in Belgium.


I am desperately seeking advice. Have any of you experienced speeding up a visa application for family reunification? Are there any steps I can take to expedite this process? Any help and suggestions are welcome!


Thank you all.

Hanney Bustami

May I know why your resident permit took 8 months? Can your wife apply for Schengen visa/Tourist visa? I have friend came with Schengen visa, and applied Resident permit in Belgium.

maharaji1984

@Algolimit unfortunately visa application really takes time. As far as I know there is no way to speed up process unfortunately.


Your chance is application was from Istanbul. Otherwise from other cities agencies waiting for gathering all applications  / sending to İstanbul and waiting for return.

This recently took 2.5 months for one of my friend.

maharaji1984

@Hanney Bustami may I ask when/from where  your friend came with this type of  visa and applied for residence permit and which province?

Algolimit

@Hanney Bustami I have moved to the city Hasselt. The municipality explained that I will need to come after 8 month (if all the checks were done, such as checking whether you actually live at that address) to pick up my residence permit. It is a residence permit called EU-card.

Algolimit

@maharaji1984 I believe that the Type C visa is a Schengen Visa type for Short Stays (< 3 months). That is what we want to do as well.


Technically I could bring my kids here, and then apply for my wife, which I believe will be an urgent application in that case. But I am not willing to play like that.

Hanney Bustami

@maharaji1984 She and her Ducth husband, She came with 90 days schengen Visa, and and they both move to Belgium and they apply the resident permit at the same time in belgium , city Lanaken / Near Maastrict border, her husband got the job 2 weeks later in Maastrict ( 1 year contract) 6 months later she and her husband receive the resident permit. Some or other friend , they were trying to have resident permit thru IND Nederland, got rejected, so they found a house in BE and move in, and apply for resident permit  while her visa schengen 2 weeks nearly to the end at the time they apply the resident permit. and they stays together in BE after they apply, Her husband work near the border and still work there, in 3 months, they are both got their permanent resident permit , city Ravels..

Hanney Bustami

@Algolimit my Husband is Dutch too, and he is also applying Resident permit, The police had came to his address and , he was told to give pending documents ( 3 month pay slips, Birth Certificate ) later in Sept. You can apply EU Reunification directive 204/38/EC visa for your wife. and that is 90 days Visa ( C type)  , and renewable . This is the information we received from Jakarta Belgium embassy. Since you are already had the Belgian Resident permit, The Directive 204/38/EC visa should only take 3 weeks. You can ask the Belgium Embassy in your wife country for this information. You can google this type if Visa , is purpose use for EU member who want to join their spouse in other EU member country.

Hanney Bustami

@maharaji1984 my friend from Jakarta- Indonesia, they apply Schengen Visa (tourist )thru NL embassy..

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