Anindya Mutsuddy holds a valid zoekjaar (orientation year) residence permit. Under Belgian federal law (Articles 61/1/9 et seq. of the Act of 15 December 1980), the zoekjaar is granted exclusively to third-country nationals who have obtained a degree from a Belgian institution of higher education, it cannot be issued on any other basis. This is confirmed by the Belgian Immigration Office (IBZ/DVZ). The zoekjaar therefore serves as direct institutional evidence that the holder has completed higher education in Belgium, which is itself the primary qualifying criterion for highly skilled worker status under the Flemish single permit framework.

This connection is made explicitly by an immigration lawyer (Altea International), who noted that “for candidates who are already in Belgium under a valid ‘search year’ residence status and who may qualify as highly skilled workers, the procedure may in some cases be more straightforward.” Additionally, during the zoekjaar period itself, the third-country national has unrestricted access to the Belgian labour market and may work legally, employers are simply advised by the IBZ to apply for a single permit promptly once a contract is in place.

The single permit is Belgium’s standardised combined work and residence authorisation for non-EEA nationals employed for more than 90 days. It is not a sponsorship scheme. There is no requirement for employers to register as licensed sponsors, maintain a sponsorship licence, or operate within any framework comparable to the UK Skilled Worker or US H-1B systems.

The employer files a single application via the VDAB single permit portal (Flanders). Required documents are standard employment paperwork, nothing beyond what is already held on file for any new hire:

A one-time regional administrative fee of approximately €200 applies under the 2026 Flanders reform. There is no annual renewal levy and no ongoing compliance framework.

Under the 2026 Flemish single permit framework, a candidate qualifies for the highly skilled worker route when two conditions are met simultaneously:

1. The candidate holds a higher education qualification (Master’s degree or equivalent)
2. The candidate is performing a genuinely highly qualified function

Anindya satisfies both conditions. He holds an MBA cum laude from KU Leuven (2025), and the roles he is applying for; Financial Analyst, FP&A Analyst, Investment Analyst, Treasury Consultant, are unambiguously highly qualified functions under the European Qualifications Framework. The 2026 reform clarified that the highly skilled route cannot be used to place degree holders in non-qualified roles; it was not designed to affect professional finance positions. This distinction matters because the highly skilled route carries two critical advantages over standard permit categories:

Under the 2026 Flanders reform, the regional authority has set a processing time target of 15 business days for highly skilled profiles with complete files. The official statutory maximum is 60 days. Real-world experience for well-documented highly skilled applications has been consistent with the shorter target.