Clarity on work permits in Ghent.

Hi guys,

So I've been offered a job as a software developer in one of the leading startups in Ghent and I'm their first international hire. That means we don't have experience in obtaining work permits and don't really know the success ratio depending on my capabilities. As of the firm, its one of the newest and more successful startups from Ghent and they're decently respected. They offer their employees a good range of benefits and have a modern work culture.

As for myself, I've worked for two of the top startups in India and have experience working with some of the cutting edge trends in the software development industry - web development to be precise. I've been working for about two years as a web developer now and given I've worked well, I am pretty confident of my records.

What I'm feeling lost about is the chances for obtaining work permits. I've been getting mixed opinions about the process - on how long it takes and what my chances are for getting it. I also happen to be in a relationship with a Belgian but we're not considering marriage yet.

Some people have told me that the work permit granting process is easy for people belonging to the IT sector, while some have scared the wits out of me. Some people, including a friend of mine who is travelling to Brussels because her firm decided to post her there (she got a work permit) even claimed that it took just two weeks for her to get the work permit.

I definitely need clarity about this process. My documents just reached my employer and they're about to file a request in the next 2-3 days. So its close and I'm getting very anxious about the results.

It'll be extremely helpful if anyone, from India or elsewhere has been in a similar situation before, or has any more clarity on the process and my chances of getting the work permit, can give me an idea of what I should expect. I'll seriously owe you one.

Thanks in advance!