Reform of immigration law / Germany wants to facilitate the arrival of skilled labor

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil have outlined the basic principles of a new immigration law to eliminate the shortage of skilled labor in Germany. “We are putting an end to a migration policy shaped by the CDU and the CSU, which has denied the reality of our immigration country and thus damaged Germany as an economic area,” they wrote in a joint article for “Handelsblatt”. The immigration system is “too slow, too bureaucratic, too dismissive.”

Acknowledgment procedure in parallel with work

In their article, the two social democratic politicians announce that they want to open the labor market for professionals who have a work contract, but whose diploma has not yet been recognized in Germany. The ministers propose that they get this diploma later with the help of the German employer. Unlike the current situation, proof of a degree and professional experience should be sufficient to enter Germany. The recognition procedure can be carried out later, after entering Germany and in parallel with work.

Faeser and Heil’s plans reportedly go even further. Thus, people with experience should be able to enter Germany to look for work, even without an employment contract, under two conditions: they must have confirmed before entering Germany that their degree is at least partially comparable with a German degree and prove that they are able to support themselves.

The minimum limit for the “Blue Card” should be lowered

This is a step towards a “chance card” that the SPD, the Greens and the FDP want to present before the end of the legislature. The coalition government also wants to facilitate the immigration of skilled workers whose qualifications are already recognised. This should make it possible in the future to practice a non-specialist profession, as long as one has a recognized professional qualification in Germany.

In addition, young graduates will no longer be expected to earn as much as experienced professionals in order to enter Germany with a “blue card”. “We’re lowering the salary caps for them. This makes it easier for well-educated young people to enter working life in Germany,” Faeser and Heil explain. Currently, the minimum salary limit is 56,400 euros gross per year.

Millions of workers are expected to leave

The president of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), Peter Adrian, welcomed the plans: “We have to compensate for the disappearance of four to five million workers in Germany over the next ten years due to demographics,” he told the newspaper.

The German government plans to change the Skilled Labor Immigration Law, which came into force on March 1, 2020. The goal is to facilitate the arrival of skilled professionals from third countries, also according to the needs of the economy./DW

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