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Hi everyone,

I currently live in Belgium with a carte de séjour limité (A‑card), and my permit is sponsored by my employer. Since my partner is Belgian and we have been in a relationship for more than five years, I would like to switch my residence status and apply for the F‑card through family reunification.

I already have an appointment at my commune, but I have a question about the Orange Card.

Does anyone know whether my A‑card remains valid until the F‑card is approved? My A‑card only expires in two years, so in principle it shouldn’t be an issue, but I’m unsure if I’ll be asked to hand it back while waiting for the F‑card. I’m particularly concerned because, as far as I know, you cannot travel outside Belgium with only an Orange Card, and I sometimes need to travel abroad for work.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Were you able to keep your A‑card until the F‑card was issued?

Also, does switching from A to F create any issues later when applying for Belgian citizenship?

For context, I’ve been living in Belgium for 1.5 years with my A‑card and would now transition to an F‑card.

Additionally, does my employer need to take any action once I start the F‑card procedure? Since my current permit is tied to my employment, I want to be sure that my employer doesn’t have to make any updates or cancellations while the new card is being processed.