Edbar57,
Welcome to Expatblog.
How long have you been communicating with this gentleman?
It's a plus he is a product of two cultures; American and Belgian, so that's great. In other words, it's good he has been exposed to the American culture and that should minimize the difficulties of him trying to learn and understand the American culture. I've met a lot of Belgian people here and the only exposure they have had to American culture is what they have seen on tv; never been to the U.S. and don't know any Americans. Most are extremely inquisitive about the U.S.
I had no problems as an American citizen; none whatsoever in regards to permission to live/stay here. I am married to a Belgian man and we were even married here. It does take time to get processed into their system, so you will have to be patient and wait. I am not sure if you would be planning on marrying or just living together with this gentleman if you move here. I can't really comment on the living together senario.
I met my husband in Brussels while on vacation and we stayed in contact and the rest is history. I would recommend taking your time building the relationship and not rushing into packing up and moving to where he is without thoroughly considering things; the pros and cons of moving to another country. Make sure you think about what you want. Even though the U.S. and Belgium are western countries they are still very different. The hardest thing for me was adapting to another way of life at an older age.
My husband is wonderful, gentle and kind, however, keep in mind that has nothing to do with a nationality; the fact he is Belgian. That has to do with his character and personality. I've heard horror stories from a few foreign women who came here to be with a Belgian man and it was disastrous, so you need to know who exactly you are dealing with. Someone could portray himself as being something he is totally not. You should definitely meet this man in person and interact with him as much as possible. I have also met a lot of foreign women who come here and want a house, job, children, etc. in a short period of time and their only financial support is their husband or boyfriend and he doesn't earn much. They want everything to happen at once and they have no money of their own. Make sure you have you own financial resources before moving here and that you aren't solely depending on a man for support. Jobs for foreigners aren't easy to find here as well. These are the types of things you need to consider.
I wouldn't even start entertaining the idea of moving here until your relationship has gotten to the point of being serious. Get to know him and let it build slow for right now. He may or may not be the one.......time will tell.