Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has paved the way for a new skilled immigration act. A parliamentary majority voted through a German government bill to reform the law. The bill’s adoption means Germany will get “the world’s most modern immigration law”, said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. She said that the next step had to involve “significantly removing bureaucracy” so as to make it less difficult for qualified professionals to come to Germany.
One of the new things in the draft law is the so-called Opportunity Card, which is based on a points system. Criteria for which points are allocated include language skills, professional experience, age and links to Germany. In future, even skilled IT professionals without a university degree will be able to come to Germany, provided they can demonstrate that they have specific qualifications. It will also be easier for asylum seekers who entered the country before 29 March 2023 and already work in or have the prospect of a qualified job.
Germany has had a Skilled Immigration Act since March 2020. The new law, which has not yet entered into force, is to take the existing regulations a step further.
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