The German government successively implements various measures to facilitate access to the German employment market for qualified professionals from abroad. Already, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) deems the German immigration procedure as one of the least bureaucratic and most efficient worldwide.
In its capacity as an attractive high technology location and because of the demographic change, Germany has facilitated the immigration opportunities for qualified professionals from abroad. Both foreign professionals and enterprises have access to comprehensive information by way of a number of internet portals.
Germany is the most desirable site for investment in Europe. This is the conclusion of the Ernst & Young accountancy firm's "Attractiveness Germany 2013" survey. According to the opinion of international investors, this is predominantly due to the excellent vocational education and training system, in addition to a first rate infrastructure. This excellent training system constitutes the basis for supplying the German industry with highly qualified skilled personnel.
However, because of the demographic change, the sufficient supply of skilled labour in the future cannot be ensured. As a high technology location, Germany's innovation capability is particularly dependent on the sustained safeguarding of such a skilled labour supply. To this end, government authorities in co-operation with the industry associations and enterprises have introduced a comprehensive programme of measures.
In 2011, the federal government passed a concept for the nation-wide safeguarding of skilled labour. In addition to increasing labour participation and the general qualification level of the population, this concept aims at increasing the skilled labour supply by allowing the immigration of qualified professionals from abroad.
Integration and qualified immigration
In the face of the significant increase of demand for skilled labour in Germany, the "Konzept Fachkräftesicherung" (Concept Safeguarding Skilled Labour) provides for facilitating access to the German labour market for qualified professionals from abroad. The introduction of the "EU Blue Card" as part of implementing the EU's Council Directive 2009/50/EC is to facilitate the entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment.
In occupational fields not requiring an academic degree, the new employment regulation – effective since 1 July 2013 – results in a much simplified labour market access for skilled personnel from non-EU countries. In its semi-annual skilled labour shortage analysis, the German Federal Employment Agency identifies those occupational groups, where the demand for skilled labour currently is not met by sufficient supply. These shortage occupations are included in a so-called positive list.
In as far as their occupation is on this positive list and their foreign occupational qualification is equal to the German educational attainment, qualified professionals from outside the EU are granted free access to the German labour market. At present, occupations in the field of geriatric and nursing care, sanitary engineering, mechatronics and electrical engineering are on the positive list, to name a few examples.
In addition, by passage of the recognition law bill for the assessment of foreign professional qualifications in 2012, the evaluation of foreign qualifications as regards equality was significantly simplified and rendered more flexible.
With respect to the high unemployment rates in some European countries, the increased utilisation of the network of European employment agencies (EURES) provides an opportunity for the far more efficient utilisation of the European labour market as a whole and makes it possible to fill vacant jobs in Germany with European unemployed skilled personnel and young people.
"Make it in Germany"
Foreign qualified professionals can access the welcome portal "Make it in Germany" free of charge and obtain information regarding career opportunities, legal matters and life in Germany, amongst other things. In addition, they are provided with a compact advice booklet ("Working in Germany") containing all important information and advice for foreign qualified professionals; the booklet is available for download free of charge.
In some Asian countries (India, Indonesia, Vietnam), the "Make it in Germany" advisors already offer a comprehensive range of personal support services, starting with help in finding employment and culminating in Germany with the integration of the qualified professional and his or her family into society. Additionally, various providers within the German municipalities offer occupation-related language and integration courses.
All in all, it can be ascertained that, because of the above mentioned measures and reforms, Germany now boasts one of the least bureaucratic and at the same time most efficient immigration systems in the whole world. In its recently published survey "Recruiting Immigrant Workers: Germany 2013", the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points towards the transparent application system that is part of the German immigration policy.
Compared to other countries, the processing period for applications is short and the process is both affordable and made easy for the applicant. Moreover, Germany has no annual maximum limit for the number of highly qualified immigrants entering the country.