The German government is going to introduce a new work permit system named “Chancenkarte” on 1 June 2024. The new work permit will comprise of points-based system usually adopted by many other developed and immigration-friendly countries such as Canada and Australia. The new work visa will be available even for those who do not have a job offer from Germany.
Please check our dedicated article with the latest updates on the opportunity card here.
The Federal Minister of Labor “Hubertus Heil” wants to boost the immigration of skilled workers from abroad with a so-called opportunity card.
According to an expert from the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), without immigration, Germany may lose around five million workers by 2030. To compensate for this, 400,000 more people have to move in than out every year,”
According to the initial information, interested candidates outside of the EU countries will be able to get a “chance card” if they meet three of these four criteria:
- completed foreign vocational and university degrees
- Professional experience of at least three years
- Language skills or a previous stay in Germany
- Age under 35 years
The exact points grid shall be announced in Autumn. According to the German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag” (BamS), the coalition government will present a modern immigration law in autumn, confirmed by labor minister Mr. Heil. He said,
“We are introducing an ‘opportunity card’ with a transparent points system so that people who our country needs can get to can come to us.” Because looking for a job in Germany is often difficult from abroad.
“We need more immigration,” emphasized the Minister of Labor and explained his plans: “Every year, depending on our needs, we will set a quota for how many people can come to Germany with the ‘Chancenkarte’ to settle here for a certain period looking for a job or training. During this time, they must be able to secure their own livelihood.”
Anyone who can show a qualification recognized by Germany, regardless of whether it is an apprenticeship or a degree, immediately fulfills the condition for the “chance card”. “But we also want to give people who have other strengths and who we need on the job market a chance to come to Germany,” said the minister.
In addition to increased immigration, Mr. Heil also wants to meet the need for skilled workers with targeted training and further education and more women in work.
“We want to increase the proportion of women in employment, which at 72.1 percent is still around seven percentage points below that of men,” said Heil. “If we could halve that gap, we would have gained 900,000 workers.”
The unemployment rate in Germany
Despite global crises, the number of unemployed in Germany rose only slightly in August. According to the Federal Employment Agency (BA), around 2.5 million people were recently unemployed, 77,000 more than in July. Unemployment and underemployment “again increased more strongly than usual for the season” in August, said BA boss Andrea Nahles on the occasion of the figures on Wednesday. “However, this is still due to the registration of Ukrainian refugees.” Compared to the previous year, however, 31,000 fewer people were unemployed in August.