The bright point of my Brussels weekend a couple of weeks ago was receiving the authorization to live in Brussels. The first step in the process was so simple, I never imagined that the next step would bring me to an impossible situation.
Next step is to get a work permit. When I spoke to the woman behind the guichet at the Commune, she said that I needed a contract from an employer, my criminal record, and a clean bill of health. I was a bit confused, because every language teaching school that I had contacted and who was interested in me basically told me that they wouldn’t interview me if I didn’t already have working papers. I asked her again what I needed and she repeated it, a contract, my criminal record and a clean bill of health.
Further investigation was needed. I was told from another “authority on the process” that it would be best for me to become an independent worker. To get this type of work permit, in addition to the items mentioned, I would also need to get myself an address. I needed to get myself set-up in an apartment, be recognized by the landlord with my name on the mailbox. Control would come, check to make sure that my name appears on the box, inspect that I actually live there, and deliver an official letter to me.
How on earth does one rent an apartment when they don’t have a job? Who in their right mind would rent to someone without being certain that they could pay rent? As I’ve mentioned, I have a part-time internet job for a few hours each week, but it’s not nearly enough to pay for rent, nor enough to secure a work permit.
Which brings me back to the job. How do you get a job without a work permit? It’s simple, you can’t. I want to live and work in Brussels legally. I’ve contacted several teaching schools, and the response is always the same. ‘Do you have a work permit? We don’t hire people who don’t already have one.’
What do I do? In summary, I need an apartment to obtain a work permit for a job, but I can’t find an apartment without a job. It’s as though it’s been created purposely so that immigration is as difficult as possible.
If you don’t know someone who is extremely generous to let you couch surf rent-free, and if you aren’t independently wealthy, how do you make this work? Where are these landlords that rent to folks who haven’t secured a job? I’m certain that others have figured out a way….yet, I’ve spent all week, racking my brain, trying to find a solution and coming up empty-handed. All I can see is an impossible situation. What am I missing?
