Germany launch opportunity card to attract foreign workers; Qualifications
Germany has passed an immigration reform law, 'opportunity card' making it easier for foreign workers to move there
Germany has passed an immigration reform law, ‘opportunity card’ making it easier for foreign workers to move there.
The German government has given its final approval for a law that will make it easier for skilled workers from outside the EU to move to Germany.
The new law is expected to come into force in three steps in November 2023, March 2024 and June 2024.
It aims to attract skilled foreign workers and combat labor shortages in the country.
The plans to modernise the country’s immigration legislation are expected to make it easier for third country nationals to work in Germany.
It could increase the number of non-EU workers in Germany by 60,000 per year.
The reforms to the Skilled Immigration Act particularly focus on workers with vocational, non-academic training.
Existing rules for qualified professionals with university degrees will also be relaxed.
Germany is facing a shortage of skilled workers.
In 2022, the country’s labour shortage rose to an all time high: the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) found 1.74 million vacant positions throughout Germany.
In July last year, staff shortages affected almost half of all companies surveyed by Munich-based research institute IFO, forcing them to slow down their operations.
It hopes to fill this gap with qualified professionals from outside the EU. But currently the country’s immigration process is slowed down by red tape.
Germany is hoping to combat its shortage of skilled workers with a new ‘opportunity card’.
The ‘chancenkarte’ will use a points system to enable workers with required skills to come to Germany more easily.
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The opportunity card is a great initiative by the government of Germany to bring in skilled labor to fill the ever-increasing demand for skilled workforce in Germany.
According to a recent survey, Germany is lacking approximately 400,000 skilled laborers every year.
The points-based system will take into account qualifications, professional experience, age, German language skills and ties to Germany.
Every year, quotas will be set depending on which industries need workers. Three out of four of the following criteria must also be met to apply for the scheme:
- A degree or vocational training
- Three years’ professional experience
- Language skills or a previous stay in Germany
- 35 years old or younger
Currently, most non-EU citizens need to have a job offer before they can relocate to Germany. A visa for job seekers already exists, but the ‘chancenkarte’ is expected to make it easier and faster for people looking to find work in Germany.
The opportunity card will allow people to come and look for a job or apprenticeship while in the country rather than applying from abroad.
Applicants must be able to prove they can afford to pay their living expenses in the mean time.
The exact details of the scheme are yet to be formalised. The chancenkarte is not expected to be available until at least the end of 2023.
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