Skilled Immigration Act

New Immigration Law in Germany

Due to the lack of qualified candidates such as craftsmen, engineers, or nurses, Germany has promoted the Skilled Inmigration Act (since March 1st, 2020 ) that allows people from outside the EU to work in Germany in a much easier way than before.

The top priority is good training and further education of employees. The innovations about this new law are:

1. Opening of the labor market

In the past, visas for skilled jobs were reserved only for EU members, but fortunately for many, this has now changed to employees with recognized vocational training. To be eligible for a visa, the applicant must have a concrete job offer before applying, in order to be able to stay in Germany in the long term. On the other hand, the qualification must be professionally recognized. The conditions may vary according to the needs of the labor market situation.

2. Easy to find a job

The job search is made easier, so potential applicants can reside in Germany for six months to look for a job. The prerequisite is they have the necessary professional qualifications, knowledge of German, and a secure livelihood. Internships with a potential employer of up to ten hours per week are permitted.

3. Facilitation of the recognition and visa procedure

To qualify for the new visa benefits that the German Immigration Law (Fachkräfteeiwanderungsgesetz) offers to non-EU nationals, the recognition process is simplified by giving the employer an easy way to communicate with the local immigration authorities which will in the future speed up the process considerably to the advantage of potential applicants.

4. Better prospects for skilled workers

In order to ensure a prosperous future, this new immigration law ensures that persons who have obtained a German university degree or vocational training in Germany have the possibility of permanent residence after two years as well as the possibility of residence after four years for qualified workers with a foreign degree.

Although the idea behind this new project seems very interesting and easy, it is not without its migratory difficulties that many applicants may not know very well, especially if they do not really know the German system and the language. Expats Guide with its more than 10 years of experience offers migration advice to make your application much easier to handle. Write to us at [email protected] or click here to complete the form.