Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Immigration Office (Office des étrangers/ Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken).
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Statistics Unit
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Boulevard Pacheco, 44
B-1000 Bruxelles
Belgium
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Not requested.
2.1. Metadata last certified
25 June 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
25 June 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
25 June 2024
3.1. Data description
Data collection on student and researchers (and other categories) is based on Article 38 of Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer.
The following datasets are collected under this framework:
Authorisations for study and research by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrath)
Authorisations for long-term mobility of researchers by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrltm)
Notifications for research and study by reason, decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrntf)
The different dispositions included in Directive (EU) 2016/801 were transposed progressively at national level at different dates.
Elements related to students were applicable from 2022. Elements related to trainees, researchers and family members of researchers were mainly applicable from 2023.
In addition, some optional parts of the directive were not transposed (pupil exchange schemes or educational project, au pair, other voluntary service).
3.2. Classification system
See table 3.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Migration and asylum – Residence permits statistics, student and researchers (and other categories).
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
3.5. Statistical unit
As requested in technical guidelines, number of permits/authorisation/ notification (and not the number of single individuals). As a consequence, the double counting of the same person is allowed.
3.6. Statistical population
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
3.7. Reference area
Belgium.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See table 3.8. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of authorisations to reside.
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
As a federal public organisation, the Immigration Office is responsible for the application of the Law of 15 December 1980 and the Royal Decree of 8 October 1981 on access to the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreign nationals. Concerning residence permits, the Immigration Office is responsible for the examination of applications for authorisation to stay (introduced abroad or in Belgium), changes of status, acquisition of long-term residence status and ending/withdrawal of stays. On this specific subject, the Immigration Office takes the decisions of issuance/renewal/withdrawal of the specific permits. The Immigration Office receives the notifications of mobility and can object them. More information are accessible on the website of the Immigration Office (Ressortissants d’un pays tiers | IBZ)
The Federal Public Service Home Affairs was officially designated as Other national statistical authority (other-national-statistical-authorities) and was nominated as responsible for the transmission of residence permits' statistics including statistics related to this directive.
Information on the existence of a national policy for (not) releasing data before a certain time after the end of reference period has passed:
All statistical data are published within the regulatory deadlines. No national policy prevents us from publishing statistics before this deadline. Statistics are published when their quality is considered sufficient.
Required confidentiality by law and signed legal confidentiality commitments by survey staff:
All the officials of the Immigration Office have signed a declaration aimed at protecting the confidentiality of data.
Potential micro-data access for research purposes by external users and confidentiality provisions applied:
Access to micro-data is possible while respecting the general data protection regulation (regulation 2016/679). More information on the procedure implemented in this context can be requested from the Data Protection Officer of the Immigration Office. The contact details are available on the website of the Immigration Office:
To be defined when signing the memorandum of understanding to access the microdata.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
The metadata are complete and accessible online on the website of Eurostat.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
This document gives some explanations on the methodology used to produce statistics.
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Not applicable.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The quality assessment is documented in this document.
11.1. Quality assurance
The principles of the Code of Practice, together with the general principles of quality management, form a common quality framework for the European Statistical System. These principles were followed when developing these specific statistics.
The Consultation Committee, where the federal government (including the Federal Public Service Home Affairs) and the governments of the Regions and Communities are represented, approved on Wednesday 31 May 2017 the Belgian Commitment on Confidence in Statistics as required by Regulation n°223/2009 on European Statistics.
The last peer review in the framework of the European Statistical System took place in 2021. Results are accessible on the following website.
The statistics collected are used in official publications and by a wide range of users at national, European and International level.
These statistics are used by national administrations, academic researchers and civil society groups working on a wide range of topics including the integration of immigrants, the development and monitoring of national immigration procedures, and the projection of the future population and labour force.
At European level, the main users of these statistics are Eurostat and DG Home.
These statistics are used in several publications of the Commission, as well as in the preparation of regular reports, policy proposals and analysis. The statistics also provide an input to the European Migration Network (EMN) studies and reports that address specific issues of current policy importance.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
See table 12.3. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Accuracy is currently considered as good.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Data collected in the Population Register, the database on visas, the database of the Immigration Office, the database on Single Permits are confronted each year to measure error.
Any errors detected are sent to the responsible institution for correction.
Additional controls are proposed on this basis to limit such errors.
Queries are established to control the implementation of the rules.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
The main category is linked to the creation of new events / categories without information of the Statistics Unit.
A continuous monitoring of the different modalities of each variable was developed to identify these cases before the statistical treatment. In addition, statistics on flow and stocks are confronted to identify missing elements.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 4 months.
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : late registration at local level, long delay for correction of specific data, necessary correction of statistical procedures resulting from new registered categories, limited number of persons/experts who can produce / validate the results, multiple sources of information.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the final data, at the earliest : Approximately 5 months.
Reasons for possible long production of the final data and plans to improve the situation : limited number of persons/experts who can produce / validate the results and multiple sources of information. Additional colleagues are trained to support the production/validation process.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
See table 14.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Comparability is ensured for the total territory.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Differences are to be noticed with general statistics on residence permits statistics related to studies and remunerated activities (Article 6 of Regulation 862/2007) due to different definitions.
Consistency of both data collections is checked every year.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable (no sub annual statistics).
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Data coming from different sources are linked at individual level to ensure coherence.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Exceptionally, data are corrected / revised due to: 1/ error of transmission (wrong reference period, errors in data compilation…), 2/ methodological improvements or introduction of new data sources.
17.2. Data revision - practice
See table 17.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data is collected continuously and is consolidated annually.
18.3. Data collection
Data from Evibel (the database of the Immigration Office), data from the application used by the Immigration Office and Regional authorities to examine applications for single permits (“Guichet Unique” in French and “Uniek Loket” in Dutch) and data from the National Register are injected by the IT department of the Federal Public Services Home Affairs into a Data Warehouse from which the data is imported and examined in SAS. These data are then processed and any inconsistencies identified are sent to the competent service for correction. After correction, the data are processed, validated and the results are transmitted annually to Eurostat and published at national level on the website of the Immigration Office.
18.4. Data validation
The following controls are performed:
checking of totals consistency
checking of magnitude of changes over time
visual validation
checking the data integrity over each processing step
checking the consistency between data collection based on the Migration Statistics Regulation and data collections based on the SR Directive
analyse the statistics reported by other countries
checking the consistency between statistics transmitted to Eurostat and statistics published at national level
18.5. Data compilation
Data from the listed sources are imported in a data warehouse where they are linked at individual level (when possible/necessary). Data are subsequently treated using a statistical software (SAS).
Data collection on student and researchers (and other categories) is based on Article 38 of Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer.
The following datasets are collected under this framework:
Authorisations for study and research by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrath)
Authorisations for long-term mobility of researchers by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrltm)
Notifications for research and study by reason, decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrntf)
The different dispositions included in Directive (EU) 2016/801 were transposed progressively at national level at different dates.
Elements related to students were applicable from 2022. Elements related to trainees, researchers and family members of researchers were mainly applicable from 2023.
In addition, some optional parts of the directive were not transposed (pupil exchange schemes or educational project, au pair, other voluntary service).
25 June 2024
See table 3.4. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
As requested in technical guidelines, number of permits/authorisation/ notification (and not the number of single individuals). As a consequence, the double counting of the same person is allowed.
See table 3.6. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
Belgium.
Calendar year.
Accuracy is currently considered as good.
Number of authorisations to reside.
Data from the listed sources are imported in a data warehouse where they are linked at individual level (when possible/necessary). Data are subsequently treated using a statistical software (SAS).
See table 18.1. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
These statistics are currently published once a year within 6 months after the end of the reference year.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the first/preliminary data, at the earliest : 4 months.
Reasons for possible long production of the first/preliminary data and plans to improve the situation : late registration at local level, long delay for correction of specific data, necessary correction of statistical procedures resulting from new registered categories, limited number of persons/experts who can produce / validate the results, multiple sources of information.
Number of days (on average) after the end of the reference period at which the country is able to report the final data, at the earliest : Approximately 5 months.
Reasons for possible long production of the final data and plans to improve the situation : limited number of persons/experts who can produce / validate the results and multiple sources of information. Additional colleagues are trained to support the production/validation process.
Comparability is ensured for the total territory.
See table 15.2. in annex ‘Quality report tables on student and researchers’.
