Leaving EU > 12 months - L Card - Retaining Status

I would say if you are interested in applying for citizenship, then you might recalculate the continuous-5 years-residency from your day of return.

You might be able to keep the L card if you are able to proof your reason and Aliens office accepts it.

I would suggest that your wife get Belgian nationality so in case of loss of L card, you can apply for F card on your wife (5 Years residence card) given she continues to work.

If I were you, and I am interested to be Belgian citizen, I wouldn't do this step until being Belgian.

@ItaloBelg

Thanks for your response.

I would suggest that your wife get Belgian nationality so in case of loss of L card, you can apply for F card on your wife (5 Years residence card) given she continues to work.

If I were you, and I am interested to be Belgian citizen, I wouldn't do this step until being Belgian.

The citizenship route would have been the 'obvious' choice. However, for private reasons, neither of us wish to apply for a Belgian nationality at the moment. So the impact to Long term resident status is therefore more important.

Hence would like to hear from somone who had experience / know of international assignment while on D/L card, thanks again for adding to the discussion

Regards,

Avinash

Hey, I think there is an answer to your prolonged question above. You lose the right to PR if you leave Belgium for 12 consecutive months.

There is an easy work around it. You can keep the PR if you return around the 10th or 11 months for a few days and head back and then, the 12th consecutive month counter resets. So a small amount to pay (return flight ticket) for career progression.

@ARMaliq

There is an easy work around it. You can keep the PR if you return around the 10th or 11 months for a few days and head back and then, the 12th consecutive month counter resets. So a small amount to pay (return flight ticket) for career progression.

Thanks for your input. I will be in Belgium for multiple calendar days during a 12month period (visiting spouse / holidays).

However, I will likely be de-registered from my Belgian address for more than 12 months (as I have to register at the address abroad and inform local Belgian authority also about it).

I had understood the 12month outside of EU to be understood primarily based on being registered within Belgium / EU, and not just based on entry/exit. Am I incorrect in this understanding?

Regards,

Avinash

@avinashclt  Will you continue to be on a Belgium payroll (i.e., you will be an expat in Japan, but still be paying social security in Belgium)? Or will you be on a local, Japanese payroll? Frankly, unless it is the former (i.e., Belgium payroll) you may want to reconsider the relocation. You won't have the same protections on a Japanese payroll as you would have on a Belgium in case your company decides to restructure (and there is a lot of that going on right now).

    @avinashclt  Will you continue to be on a Belgium payroll (i.e., you will be an expat in Japan, but still be paying social security in Belgium)? Or will you be on a local, Japanese payroll? 
   

    -@masstonsils0e

I will continue to be on a Belgian payroll, social security / taxes will be paid on my behalf by the employer in Belgium as applicable. The Belgian indefinite employment contract remains active through the assignment. So indeed it is being an expat in Japan from a Belgium employer, but as a non-eu citizen.

So trying to understand the impact of long term residence status in Belgium in this unique case 😊