A new amendment that would make it easier for qualified people to move to Germany from outside the EU is expected to be introduced in November. The bill was officially adopted by the German government in July this year. There will be three phases of implementation starting in November 2023, March 2024 and June 2024.
The aim of the new legislation is to address labor shortages in the country by encouraging the immigration of qualified foreign employees. Plans to update immigration laws are expected to reduce barriers for foreigners seeking employment in Germany, potentially adding 60,000 non-EU people to the country’s workforce.
Vocational and other non-academic training will receive greater emphasis under the revised Skilled Immigration Act. Regulations for those who have completed post-secondary education in a relevant field will also be relaxed.
The Institute for Employment Research (IAB) reported 1.74 million job openings in Germany in 2022, marking an all-time high for labor shortages in the country. The majority of companies experienced a staff shortage in July last year, according to a survey by the Munich-based IFO research institute.
To fill this gap, the authorities are considering recruiting qualified workers from countries outside the European Union. However, bureaucratic obstacles currently hamper the country’s immigration system. According to the government, the country needs to cut red tape, digitize processes and increase productivity.
To facilitate the process, Germany is introducing a new “opportunity card” in a bid to close the country’s skilled labor gap. Workers with the necessary skills will be able to enter Germany more easily thanks to the “chancekarte”, which uses a points system.
Workers without contracts in Germany are at the center of the initiative, which is part of a plan proposed by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil to ease the country’s labor shortage.
Qualifications, work experience, age, German language skills and ties to Germany (such as family) will all be included in the points system. The quotas will be adjusted each year according to the needs of the different sectors.
Visa-free entry to Germany is already available to nationals of certain visa-exempt countries, who can stay up to 90 days but cannot work there permanently.
The Opportunity Card will allow foreign nationals to travel to the country and apply for employment or apprenticeships once they arrive. Applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover their immediate needs until they obtain assistance.
Those who qualify, such as those with a professional diploma or certificate, will be allowed to stay within Germany’s borders for a year while they look for work. Those who already have a job offer and a legitimate degree will also benefit from more flexibility. Workers will be able to bring their families to Germany more easily, the required salary will be reduced and permanent residency will be less difficult to obtain.
Craftsmen, electrical engineers, IT experts, caregivers, nurses and hospitality workers are all in high demand in Germany. The hospitality and events sectors have been hardest hit, according to an IFO survey.
This is followed by the transportation and storage of goods, the provision of services and manufacturing, including the production of food, data processing equipment, machinery and metals. Staff shortages have also been reported across a wide range of industries, including retail, construction and wholesale. The government website also lists doctors and scientists as in-demand professions.
Details of the plan have not yet been finalized. At the earliest, the chancenkarte will not be issued until the end of 2023.
Source: euronews.com