Do you need to register with the ONEM or the FOREM before leaving for abroad?
I am going on a language course with Languages & Travel: do I need to register with an organization like FOREM or ONEM before my departure? You have just finished your final year of secondary school or your higher education studies or you have stopped your studies and are registered for a long-term stay, for example under a working holiday visa or a paid job in England.
Registering with Onem/Forem: What do you need/can you do?
First, ask yourself the following question: will I (re)start my studies upon returning to Belgium? If the answer is yes, there's no need to do anything. It doesn't make sense to register as a job seeker at this stage. If the answer is no, then it's a good idea to register as a job seeker now with..Actiris if you are domiciled in the Brussels-Capital Region, at FOREM for the Walloon Region, the VDAB in Flanders and theADG in the German-speaking region. Why? Because these organizations can recognize your language stay abroad as part of the professional integration internship (formerly called the "waiting period"). In other words, the time spent abroad can count towards the 12-month internship, and you will be eligible for unemployment benefits more quickly if you don't find a job at the end of the 12 months.
The C94C form must be completed and submitted to the ONEM / RVA / Arbeitsamt
You are now registered with FOREM / VDAB / Actiris or ADG. Next, download form C94C online in the language of your region (type C94C in your search engine) or obtain it from the National Employment Office nearest to you (RVA in Flanders and Arbeitsamt in the German-speaking Community).
The C94C form consists of two parts: Part I, which you must complete yourself, and Part II, which Languages & Travel must complete. We will send you the completed Part II upon request; you will then submit both parts of the C94C to the nearest ONEM/RVA/Arbeitsamt office.
What status would I have during my language stay abroad?
We are often asked this question. In fact, if you go abroad, you are no longer a student in Belgium nor a job seeker, at most you are in training during your professional integration internship.
What about family allowances?
If you go abroad on a language course and are not enrolled in any classes or training, your parents will generally lose their family allowance benefits (often compensated if you are going on a paid work placement or working holiday visa). If you are enrolled in classes, your parents will need to request a document in your name from their Family Allowance Fund called a "Certificate of the Teaching Institute" or E402, in the language of the country where you are attending classes or training. So, in English, this would be "Certificate of the Teaching Institute," in Dutch, "Bewijs van voortgezette studie," etc.
Family allowances will be paid to them as long as you are attending courses/training. Any month of training started is due in full. Some parents have told us they continued to receive allowances for the entire duration of the language stay, even after the courses ended, but we have no way of verifying this.
Any questions? Send us an email at info@langtra.be.
We hope you found this information helpful. Please feel free to check out our other articles:
– What travel insurance should I purchase before leaving?