In its first year, the new Skilled Immigration Act has attracted thousands of skilled workers, with nearly 200,000 visas expected to be granted in 2024.
According to a press release by the German Interior Ministry, the number of visas planned to be issued this year will be up by ten per cent compared to 2023 figures when 177,000 national visas were recorded in Schengen.News reports.
On top of national visas, third-country nationals have also shown interest in German education, completing vocational training there or having their foreign qualifications recognised.
New Skilled Immigration Act Improves Chances of Foreigners to Obtain Work Visas in Germany
The Immigration Act included several changes that aimed at facilitating the migration of skilled foreign workers to Germany. Some of these changes included the authorities recognising the professional experience of candidates.
The introduction of the Opportunity Card has also been advantageous for skilled workers, who are not required to know the German language to be able to work in the country.
The Minister also admitted that there are still some administrative issues in processing applications, but the authorities are committed to making the process “even more digital and faster.”
Foreign Minister Vows to Streamline the Application Process
In her speech, the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, pointed out that progress is being recorded constantly when it comes to the digitalisation of the process, which also streamlines the immigration of highly skilled individuals.
The authorities are committed to improving the application process in an effort to improve the labor shortages in Germany. It is considered that there are some 400,000 open positions for workers in these fields across the country.
Employment subject to social insurance contributions increased by 1.6 million between 2018 and 2023, with 89 per cent of this total being attributed to foreigners. Thanks to the increase in employment subject to social insurance contributions of foreigners, a decrease of 80,000 would be noticed compared to 2023 figures.
Source: https://schengen.news/germany-to-issue-22422-more-visas-to-migrant-workers-in-2024/
