On Friday, June 23, the German parliament enacted legislation to create new prospects for job seekers from outside the EU as well as those refugees who are currently in the country.
According to DW, the new immigration law reform is intended to encourage more people from outside the European Union to work in Germany.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) stated that the new law would ensure German prosperity but would only work if bureaucratic barriers were removed during implementation.
She stated;
“This draught law ensures Germany’s prosperity.” It is outrageous that you must complete out 17 different applications in order to bring a new carer into the nation.”
Some members of Germany’s opposition party supported some of the government’s proposals, but they criticised plans to cut qualification requirements for foreign employees.
While some opposition parties claimed that plans to lower the level of German language skills necessary would only encourage low-skilled workers, others argued that it would turn Germany into a “junk country”.
A major new innovation under the law is a new “opportunity card” and its associated points system, which allows foreigners who don’t yet have a job lined up to come to Germany for a year to find employment. A prerequisite for receiving a card will be a vocational qualification or university degree.
The cards will be awarded to those who fulfill a certain number of conditions, for which they will be awarded points: These could be German and/or English language skills, existing ties to Germany, and the potential of accompanying life partners or spouses on the German labor market.
The opportunity card will also permit casual work for up to 20 hours a week while looking for a qualified job, as well as probationary employment.
A similar change holds for those on tourist visa. They will not be required to first leave the country before returning in an employment context.
In the future, skilled immigrants will no longer have to have their degrees recognized in Germany if they can show they have at least two years of professional experience and a degree that is state-recognized in their country of origin. Someone who already has a job offer can already come to Germany and start working while their degree is still being recognized.
