Germany starts the second round of implementing some more immigration rules from 1 March 2024. The new law helps new skilled workers willing to pursue their professional careers. This will not only help skilled workers to settle and work in Germany but also help young people to come to Germany do training and then find jobs.
Stages of the Skilled Immigration Rules
| First Round | Second Round | Third Round | Fourth Round |
The first stage of the new regulations for skilled immigration came into force in November 2023. It mainly included facilitation for the “EU Blue Card” and for recognized skilled workers. | Starting on March 1, 2024, the main beneficiaries will be applicants with two years of experience, nurses, and students. Secondly, foreigners can move to Germany for employment by fulfilling certain requirements. | Opportunity Card to begin on 1 June 2024 allowing the candidates to apply for this one-year visa if they have a degree or vocational qualification. | Start of famous and most awaited citizenship law from 26 June 2024 where apply can apply for German nationality after only 5 years of stay in the country. |
Work visa for qualification holders
In the future, people from third countries will be able to work in Germany if they have at least two years of professional experience and a professional vocational qualification recognized in their country of origin or a degree. You must meet a salary threshold or the employer must be bound by a collective agreement. For those with professional experience, foreign professional qualifications will no longer have to be recognized in Germany in the future.
If the professional qualification still needs to be recognized – for example in many health and nursing professions – the process can in the future only begin after entry into Germany. To achieve this, skilled workers and employers must commit to a recognition partnership. This offers advantages to both sides: the employer can employ a pre-qualified specialist more quickly. The employee can obtain additional qualifications in Germany while working and thereby acquire not only valuable professional experience but also job-related German skills.
Work visa for Care professionals
Germany is also opening up new opportunities to alleviate shortages in the care sector. This is why qualified nursing assistants will be able to come to Germany and work here in the future. The prerequisite is that the training as a nursing assistant has been acquired or recognized in Germany.
Visa for Professionals’ Qualification Recognition
There will also be improvements in other areas for non-EU foreigners if they come to Germany for educational purposes or language courses. They are allowed to do part-time jobs and are given more time to have their professional qualifications recognized.
Vocational training visa
Germany is also making vocational training in Germany more attractive by making employment regulations more flexible. The government is abolishing the priority examination in vocational training. This allows training companies to fill their vacant training positions more quickly.
Opportunities for Asylum Seekers
For tolerant people (Duldung status holders) who can secure their livelihood, we are also creating more incentives to take up training with a residence permit for vocational training. The training companies also benefit from this.
Short-term employment seasonal visa
To cover seasonal peaks, companies in Germany can also hire up to 25,000 workers from third countries temporarily this year. A degree or vocational training is not required.
In addition, contingent short-term employment will be created for the first time to cover temporarily particularly high needs. This is a good opportunity for employers to recruit foreign skilled workers and hire them for up to eight months. Requirement: The employer must be bound by a collective agreement. The employment is subject to social insurance contributions from day one. The Federal Employment Agency has set a quota of 25,000 for this purpose for 2024.
Statements of ministers
Federal Minister of the Interior and Homeland, Nancy Faeser:
“We are ensuring that the skilled workers that our economy has urgently needed for years can come to our country. Important improvements will apply from March 1st. We know that skilled workers and workers are necessary for our future viability and the prosperity of our country. We are reducing bureaucratic hurdles and making Germany more attractive for foreign skilled workers – for example in nursing, where we need a lot of staff.”
Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil:
“The shortage of skilled workers must not become a brake on growth. For our economy to have enough skilled workers, we need every helping hand and every clever head. Our new skilled worker immigration law is one of the most modern in Europe and is the right basis, to be successful here. Further regulations will come into force in March. This will make it easier for foreign skilled workers with professional experience and trainees to come to Germany. Together with strong training and further education and a higher labor force participation of women and older employees, this is the right way to fully exploit our potential as the third strongest economy and thus secure our prosperity. For skilled workers from all over the world to come to Germany and want to stay here, we not only need good laws, but also the openness and the will to welcome them into the workplace and society.”