I Belong Stage 1 restructured (15 June 2026)

Direct answer

Is I Belong Malta Stage 1 still open for applications?

No — and the earlier “paused for restructuring” status has now resolved. As from 15 June 2026 the I Belong Stage 1 courses are discontinued. The Stage 1 Cultural Orientation course is replaced by the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture (Malta Labour Migration Policy framework), which is now the prerequisite for the I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course.

Do not treat older “applications paused, awaiting a reopening date” wording as current. There is no reopening of Stage 1 as it was — the programme was restructured. Check the official Human Rights Directorate page and contact the programme directly if your timeline depends on it.

What official information says, in full

The core statement is direct: “As from 15 June 2026, the I Belong programme will only focus on the provision of I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course (previously called as Stage 2 Cultural Orientation).” The Directorate lists as discontinued as from 15 June 2026 the Foundation Courses, the I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation, the I Belong Maltese Language (MQF level 1), the I Belong English Language (MQF level 1), and the I Belong Maltese Language (MQF level 2).

In place of the discontinued Stage 1 Cultural Orientation, the Directorate names the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture, developed under the Malta Labour Migration Policy framework, and states that it “remains a requirement for participation in I Belong Cultural Orientation at 100-hours course.” Applications received before 15 June 2026 keep the opportunity to take both the I Belong Maltese Language (MQF Level 2) course and the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course.

For context, the wording that preceded this change was different: before 15 June 2026 the same page said the programme “is currently undergoing restructuring, and during this transition period, they are not accepting new Stage 1 applications or Repeat with Payment applications.” That open-ended pause is the situation that has now been resolved by the concrete 15 June 2026 restructuring described above.

“When will Stage 1 reopen?” — the question is now resolved

While the programme was paused, independent commentary (not an official Human Rights Directorate statement) suggested registrations might reopen around early 2026. That speculation is now moot: Stage 1 as it was does not reopen. The pause resolved into a restructuring, effective 15 June 2026, that discontinued the Stage 1 courses and put the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture in place as the prerequisite for the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course. We record dated changes like this on the updates page. The Directorate also notes that “further changes may be announced at a later stage.”

What to do next

Treat the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture as the entry point. It is now the prerequisite for the I Belong 100-hour Cultural Orientation course, in place of the discontinued Stage 1 Cultural Orientation.
Bookmark the official page, not a summary of it. The official I Belong Programme page carries the authoritative wording and is where any further changes will appear first.
If your situation is time-sensitive, ask directly. If a Long-Term Residence deadline, employment condition, or other process depends on this certificate, contact the programme using the published address — see official I Belong Programme contacts.
Read what you’ll be applying for. See who official information says is eligible and what each course covers, including which courses were discontinued on 15 June 2026.

Frequently asked questions

01Is Stage 1 still paused, or has something been decided?

It has been decided. The earlier open-ended "restructuring" pause concluded with a concrete change: as from 15 June 2026 the Human Rights Directorate discontinued the I Belong Stage 1 Cultural Orientation course (along with the Foundation Courses and the Maltese and English Language courses at MQF Level 1) and replaced Stage 1 Cultural Orientation with the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture, developed under the Malta Labour Migration Policy framework.

02What is the entry point now, in place of the old Stage 1?

The New Course on Maltese Language and Culture. The Directorate says it "remains a requirement for participation in I Belong Cultural Orientation at 100-hours course" — in other words it is now the prerequisite course that the former Stage 1 Cultural Orientation used to be. If you hold an existing recognised certificate and want to know whether it satisfies this requirement, ask the Human Rights Directorate directly rather than assume.

03I was waiting for Stage 1 to reopen — what should I do?

The question of "when will Stage 1 reopen" is now effectively superseded: Stage 1 as it was does not reopen, because the programme was restructured on 15 June 2026. Treat the New Course on Maltese Language and Culture as the current entry point toward the 100-hour Cultural Orientation course, read the eligibility and course pages so you know what you'll be applying for, and if your situation is time-sensitive (for example tied to a Long-Term Residence deadline) contact the programme directly using the published contact address.

Official sources for this page

These are the official pages this guide depends on. Open them directly before acting on a time-sensitive requirement.

01
Human Rights Directorate (opens in a new tab)
Official I Belong Programme overview: the current programme structure (as restructured from 15 June 2026), eligibility, course content, and discontinued courses.
Source last checked: 22 July 2026

Check the official page directly

The Directorate notes further changes may be announced later, and the official page will always be more current than a guide like this one.

Read the official I Belong Programme pageThe Human Rights Directorate's own, most current description of the programme and its application status.humanrights.gov.mt

Continue through the same official-source trail without switching to a portal.