Germany is planning to introduce its version of a green card. It aims to make it easier for non-EU nationals to come to find work in an attempt to plug its desperate labour shortage.
Industry associations have been complaining for some time, and the Labor Ministry has suggested the shortfall is slowing economic growth.
The new “opportunity card,” presented by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil, will offer foreign nationals the chance to go to Germany to look for work even without a job offer, as long as they fulfil at least three of these four criteria:
1) A university degree or professional qualification
2) Professional experience of at least three years
3) Language skill or previous residence in Germany
4) Aged under 35
The number of cards issued will be limited by the German government on a year-by-year basis, according to demand in the labour market.
“This is about qualified immigration, an unbureaucratic process, and that’s why it’s important that we say that those who have the opportunity card can earn a living while they are here,” Labor Minister Hubertus Heil told the WDR public radio station on last week.
The criteria are similar to Canada’s immigration system, but there will be limits and conditions
Read also; Germany Unveils $65 Billion Inflation Relief Plan.
