The German Cabinet of Ministers is actively working on reforming the country’s migration legislation. The reforms are aimed at attracting highly qualified workers from outside the EU. The changes are mainly focused on employees with vocational and technical education, but the rules will be relaxed for the rest of the employees with higher education.
The shortage of highly qualified workers is planned to be overcome by the introduction of the “Chancenkarte” visa – a special permit to look for work in Germany.
Chancenkarte – What is an Opportunity card?
Citizens of non-EU countries will in the future be able to apply for a special job-seeking permit in Germany on the Chancenkarte – provided they have enough points. The scoring system will take into account qualifications, professional experience, age, knowledge of the German language, and ties to Germany.
When can you start applying?
The opportunity card is a new type of visa that is yet to be implemented.
You can expect to have this publicly available by late 2023.
Eligibility criteria for an opportunity card
To be eligible for the opportunity card in Germany, you must satisfy the following conditions:
- Age: You should be under 35 years.
- Qualifications: A university degree or professionally qualified.
- Experience: You should hold at least 3 years of work experience.
- Language: Either German language or previous residency in Germany is required.
At least 3 of the 4 conditions should be met in order to be eligible for the opportunity card.
The more conditions you satisfy, the better chances you have.
Also, as this new type of visa is yet to be implemented, there is no full clarity around the exact eligibility criteria and how the points will be calculated.
