One Year of Skilled Immigration Act

One Year of the Skilled Immigration Act – 233,000 International Workers Advised

Since November 18, 2023, the new Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) has been gradually implemented. To facilitate the immigration of skilled workers, the act introduced a recognition partnership, allowing the qualification recognition process to begin after arrival in Germany. Additionally, people with recognized professional qualifications now have more flexibility in their choice of occupation and the quota under the Western Balkans regulation has been doubled. The third and final phase of the law came into effect in June 2024 with the introduction of an "opportunity card" for foreign skilled workers.

“It’s too early for a complete evaluation, but positive effects are already visible,” said Vanessa Ahuja, Head of Benefits and International Affairs at the Federal Employment Agency. “Consultations for people interested in immigrating and the regulatory approvals for labor market access have reached record levels. Germany is becoming more attractive to foreign professionals. However, in the global competition, Germany isn’t exactly in the fast lane. The lack of digital interfaces between authorities, the decentralized processes and the often complex, lengthy qualification recognition procedures act as brakes on progress.”

Initial Successes of the Skilled Immigration Act

The number of consultations for skilled workers and professionals living abroad rose by 68,000 within a year to reach 233,000 in 2023. From January to September 2024, a total of 172,261 residence permits for employment were approved, an increase of 6,854 compared to the previous year. This reflects the growing interest and opportunities for international workers to establish themselves in Germany. For individuals with recognized qualifications, the regulation was improved to offer more flexibility in career choices. Approvals in non-academic sectors increased by 28 % from January to September 2024, reaching approximately 28,400.

The quota for the "Western Balkans regulation" was doubled from 25,000 to 50,000. Many workers from Western Balkan countries are using this opportunity to secure employment in Germany that includes social security. However, for several countries, further processing of work permit applications has had to be postponed, as the visa allocation quotas have already been reached, either for a specific month or for the entire annual quota for that country.

Room for Improvement in Bureaucracy and Interagency Coordination

Compared to other countries, Germany is keeping pace but isn’t yet leading the field. The involvement of multiple agencies, the varying responsibilities between federal and state authorities and the lack of digitalization continue to make the immigration process complex and often too slow. There’s room for improvement among all involved.

(Source: Federal Employment Agency Press Release)