Germany is taking significant steps to revamp its immigration laws in order to streamline visa processes and create new opportunities for qualified foreign workers, as the country faces a pressing demand for 2 million skilled employees.
Skilled Workers:
Various sectors, including healthcare, IT, carpentry, and technical fields, are experiencing a critical shortage of skilled workers in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, addressing business leaders at a recent industry event, assured them that changes were imminent, promising a reduction in bureaucratic obstacles.
The Federal Employment Office estimates that Germany requires 400,000 foreign workers annually to address the shortfall.
This challenge will intensify as the aging population enters retirement.
Lawmakers from the governing parties, including the center-left Social Democrats, the Greens, and the neoliberal Free Democrats, have finalized the details of a skilled labor immigration law. The bill is scheduled for a vote in the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament, on Friday, June 23.
Immigration and Implementing:
The proposed bill, initially drafted by the labor and interior ministries, aims to create new pathways for individuals from non-European Union countries to migrate to Germany.
These pathways include streamlined processes for recognizing qualifications and degrees, considering work experience as a basis for immigration, and implementing a point system for job seekers who possess potential but lack an existing employment contract.
Germany introduced the EU Blue Card a decade ago, targeting highly qualified specialists. The requirements for obtaining the Blue Card will be made more accessible, including a lower income threshold.
Future applicants will need to earn a minimum annual salary of €43,800 ($48,000), as reported by Reuters. Additionally, professional experience can be considered as a substitute for a university degree, particularly for IT specialists.
The new reforms will provide greater flexibility for incoming workers, allowing them to change industries more easily—a previously challenging task due to visa regulations.
Under the new “opportunity card” and point system, individuals without a job offer will be permitted to come to Germany and given a year to secure employment. Having a vocational qualification or university degree will be a prerequisite for eligibility.
Points will be awarded based on language skills in German and/or English, existing connections to Germany, and the potential for accompanying partners or spouses to enter the German labor market. The reforms also aim to simplify the process for prospective employers to bring their dependents with them.
Opportunity cardholders will be allowed to engage in casual work for up to 20 hours per week while actively seeking qualified employment.
Probationary employment will also be permitted.
Asylum seekers who applied before March 29, 2023, possess the required qualifications, and have a job offer will also be allowed to enter the labor market. This provision extends to vocational training opportunities.
Similarly, individuals holding tourist visas will no longer be required to leave the country before seeking employment in Germany.
Simplifying the recognition of degrees has been a significant hurdle in the immigration process. Currently, obtaining degree recognition in Germany is a lengthy and bureaucratic procedure. However, under the new legislation, skilled immigrants will not be required to have their degrees recognized if they can demonstrate a minimum of two years of professional experience and possess a degree recognized by their country of origin.
This provision is primarily aimed at skilled workers above a certain salary threshold.
In addition, the Skilled Workers Act allows individuals with a job offer to commence work in Germany while their degree recognition is still in progress.
Despite these proposed changes, there are skeptics who believe that legislation alone will not be sufficient to address the challenges at hand.
Some critics argue that the focus should be on improving staffing levels at consulates to expedite visa processing, as delays can discourage potential foreign workers.
Additionally, shortcomings in Germany’s digital infrastructure may hinder the efficient handling of visa applications. The director of
Berlin’s immigration office, Engelhard Mazanke, highlighted the need for increased staff capacity to manage the influx of foreign workers and their families.
In parallel with the immigration reforms, Germany is also considering revisions to its citizenship law to incentivize immigrants to integrate and remain in the country for the long term.