Working with expired student card while waiting for Annex 15

Hello everyone,

I am a non-EU graduate in Brussels (City of Brussels commune), looking for people who’ve been through the same thing.

Timeline:

- 8 Oct: filed my search-year (orientation year) application at Leuven and got my Annex 33ter. Eventually my address change in Brussels was confirmed 25th October and they got my file.

- 31 Oct: student A card expired.

- At the counter the agent told me my appointment to collect the Annex 15 was 16 Nov. When I received the appointment confirmation in e-mail it ended up actually being for the 26th November.

I called the commune asking if it is possible to just pick up an electronic version or print the annex 15 alone, and then come on the 26th for the plastic card application but she vehemently refused and said any such request requires an earlier appointment slot that she can't provide.

So from 1 Nov to 26 Nov I only have an expired card and a 33ter. I have a job and my employer wants to keep me, but as far as I can tell the 33ter doesn’t give any right to work (not even student 20h), and the employer can’t legally keep me on until I hold the Annex 15. Another agent at Brucity told me the appointment confirmation is “proof enough” that I can work, which seems to be wrong so I am very confused.

My questions are:

- Has anyone in Brussels (Brucity especially) managed to get the Annex 15 earlier than their booked appointment through email, phone, showing up early, lawyer letter... did any of these work?

- Did anyone go through this gap while employed? Did you stop or keep working, or go on unpaid suspension?

- Did your employer / payroll provider accept the 33ter + appointment confirmation, or did they insist on the Annex 15?

Some communes (Ghent) apparently send a digital Annex 15 the moment the card expires. Has anyone seen Brucity do anything like that?

Thank you for any answers on this, I just feel very confused and lost with the whole process.