German parliament passes new immigration law to tackle shortage of skilled workers | DW News

The German Bundestag on Friday (June 23) finally passed a new immigration law reform designed to encourage more people from outside the European Union to come to Germany for work.

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.

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[vanCaldenborgh]

As a computer Scientist (University Master) doing many international projects and knowing the German market, i don't believe there is a shortage. German companies only want to pay high salaries to managers, but not to engineers or technicians. They can already hire people from Northern Sweden to Greece, from Portugal to Estonia, but no, they find nobody. Looking at the wages, looking to costs and all secondary circumstances, I am also not too motivated to come to Germany. They want cheaper labour, even from their own German University Master Engineers from Aachen, Karlsruhe oder Dresden. And they know the press will not ask any critical question, just repeat the mantra, shortage, shortage, shortage, so they get away with it. Yes, get them form India, Vietnam, Russia, where ever outside the EU, much easier to exploit and let them do over-hours, put them in boxes far in the suburbs without any culture and fun, since their families are far away anyway, they only will want to work to send money home.

[uve_viktor_doom]

Summary:
- Germany pays less and further deducts high taxes. Social benefits received in exchange does not worth it
- Lack of housing, long waiting times in getting a doctors appointment
- No initiatives at ground level to retain and integrate skilled people
- People demotivate you if you don't speak perfect German
- many unemployed people, a lot of people living for free with "bürgergeld"
- Inmigration policy: bringing a lot of people, but treating them as strangers
- Internationals are treated as if Germany is doing them a favor (it´s the opposite for people with ++studies and ++proffesional exp.)
- Easier for people with no preparation at all to get money from gov. than people with ++studies and ++proffesional exp.
- Very few actions against bureaucracy

[JOKEMMM]

"we need more skilled workers"
Or
"We need more minimum wage workers"

[shallyjain]

In my opinion, there is not skilled worker shortage but rather a shortage of skilled worker with German skills. Its not like everyone is employed in Germany already. It is so hard to get a job and many are unemployed to the point of being homeless, at least in Berlin, I see. Compared to Nordic countries, USA, UK, Canada etc. which are hotspots for skilled immigration, Germany pays less and further deducts high taxes, and additional radio tax and medical insurance fees every month. The Social benefits received in exchange may not be as worth it, for many people. I feel like its only in the news that skilled workers are needed. In reality, I do not see companies making any efforts, like holding placement drives or advertising openings or being open to skilled workers with less German fluency. Students still have to do food delivery jobs, waiting tables and washing utensils, cleaning jobs at restaurants. There should be focus to convert existing students into skilled labour for near future by ensuring all students have working student jobs that train them for future essential jobs. Increasing immigration without a clue, which job the person would do, and also a lack of housing, long waiting times in getting a doctors appointment and a gradual modification of authentic German culture, is not something wise in my opinion. While I highly appreciate the proactive regulations change regarding skilled labour immigration, I do not see any initiatives at ground level. I also saw a video which showed how Germany is facing a Brain Drain situation, where skilled German citizens are moving to other countries due to various reasons, one of which is bureaucracy. When immigrants come to Germany, they are not trained on how to handle bureaucracy, which is all complex and in German; and also immigrants are not taught about German laws and Culture, and many immigrants may not adhere to it unknowingly, and either disturb others or be in legal troubles themselves. Immigrant friendly initiatives are lacking in my opinion, although the people are often very kind and accepting, at least and workplaces and universities. I respect how diversity is taken seriously and opinions are respected even if not in agreement. Thank you, if someone read this. Comments on this are appreciated but not hate speech.

[adnanhasan]

Language barrier, low payment, slower career progression, higher taxes, difficult to social adjustment might be a challenge for the workers.

[cephy]

"Shortage of skilled workers"

Maybe if your requirements weren't so ridiculous people could actually learn those skills.

[momo]

German businesses have the entire EU labor force through freedom of movement at their finger tips particularly high unemployment countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, France etc Something doesn't sound right.

[vornamenachname]

As a German I would like to advice you not to come to Germany if you have a "productive" job (IT specialist, doctor, nurse, teacher, engineer, field worker, construction worker) as for some reason, those kinds of jobs get paid way to little in Germany based on how much time and effort they will cost you and on how important they are for society. Basically, it's modern slavery.
However, if you have any unproductive job in which your only task is to "handle people" or "human capital" (goverment office jobs, politicians, recruiters) then Germany is the destination to go!
And let's rather not talk about our migration policy... or energy policy... or foreign policy... or health care policy... or well... Perhaps instead of blindly welcoming terrorists and criminals, we should send our politicians and journalists abroad.

[TheRomanianfalcon]

I lived in Germany for almost 3 years working as a Software Engineer with Bachelor, Master Degree in Computer Science, with couple years of experience, I left Germany and this was one of the best decisions in my life.
Germany is not attractive for skilled workers, big taxes, low wages compared with the costs of living, no business environment to deal just with English, bad social services(waiting months to get an appointment to a doctor, a lot of bureaucracy), a lot of people which don't work and sit on social benefits on behalf of tax payers, very left government, no freedom of speech when you think critical regarding the government policy and you are conservative.
In Romania a Software Engineer remains with much more money at the end of the month and will have a better quality of life(restaurants, hobbies, picnics, shopping) and much more sunny days, warm and sociable people.

[datasqlai]

Wow, the level of bureaucracy in Germany is astounding! That, plus the language barrier and their attitudes toward foreigners is horrible. They want to use the skills of foreign workers to benefit their economy for them to compete globally, but at the same time, they make it incredibly difficult for them to build a life there. You are being used during your peak years, with an uncertain future;

[piconano]

Why can't Germany invest in its own population and provide them with the skills the country needs?
Me thinks they want cheap labour.

[val-schaeffer]

Germany wants engineering and tech workers TRAINED by OTHERS who would work for Germany at rock bottom salary. E.g. typical expectation would be 5+ experience in SAP, expensive certifications, preferably MS level education from a leading University. He would be expected to business fluent in Germany right during the interview, and near native by end of probation period. His net salary expectations would be 2500 € plus/minus, for a location where basic cost of living is about 1700€. And he'd be expected to go to work in perfect business formals whose upkeep sends one 300€ minus per month. And I am not even mentioning passive aggressive office culture and rabid housing discrimination.

[omegax]

I think the main reason for the need of labour are the salaries. Germans don't want to work for low salary anymore, but the companies are not willing to pay more. So they get immigrants, who are satisfied with less

[uttams]

How this helps, when people from other country comes to Germany without German language skill ? There are already so many people already in Germany who are struggling to get job whith basic or intermediate German language skill ....

[lenzp]

we dont need more immigration, we need better conditions for people already living here. everything from wages, infrastructure, retirement plans, innovation and education has fallen into ruin because politicians focus on cheap labour and nothing else. its pathetic.

[shray]

Quick understanding and what it means for me?

I am living in Germany now for 6 years working full-time IT engineer. Came here from India in search of higher-paying jobs and stuff.
What did i see? I got paid just the right amount to get a blue card, I was happy to be able to live in Germany and get a blue card. ( P.s. i got 10 years exp)

worked for 3 years in my current company, what I saw, My company offers exactly the same amount of money i.e. blue card salary or even work visa salaries to all ausländers.

what did I understand?

when the government makes salaries for IT engineers lower for getting a blue card, these companies have to pay less, cheaper labor. good for them.

what do I do?
Take the low salary to start with, and move to a role that pays you the salary according to your experience in a year or so.
Get citizenship (if you want it) because they are making it easier for people to get citizenship now. And move out of Germany or just relax and demand the wages that you deserve.


It's a win-win they use you to pay minimum wage you use them as a stepping stone, to get in the country. there are companies who will value your caliber and pay you for it.

We need to understand that the government and companies are not the same, everywhere in the world people exploit the rules made by the gvt according to what suits them. you gotta do it too. don't complain just find your way out and take the best of it and remember nothing in life is for free.

[shallyjain]

The hiring is based on what you can do already rather than what you have the potential to do. If you have coding background and did an MBA, you are likely to get a coding job only and MBA skills are completely disregarded as you have not done something professionally in MBA, but only academically. Recruiters need to take risk that candidate will be able to perform as it has academic know-how. Rather recruiters look for people who have doen about to 90% of things already that they are looking for. If someone has already done so much, it is still expected they know German. If all this is there, they probably still offer less salary than some other countries.

[ibrahimshikdaher]

This law is to bring professionals from abroad and convert then to slave strangers

[deep.space.]

Watch the montage from 0:08 to 0:27. "Skilled workers" means Ausbildung type of professions, not doctors and engineers. Y'all complaining in the comment section are overqualified. Germany doesn't want you.

[iij]

I work in a traditional field in IT/wireless communications, and the new hires are almost always non-german. It is not like the company is underpaying to attract cheap labours, but rather the younger generation of germans seem not interested in traditional engineering fields anymore and would rather be in management or as Instagram influencers.