The Skilled Immigration Act in Germany

If you’re thinking about moving to Germany, job-seeking can be tough. If you have what is classed as a skilled profession, you might be eligible for expedited visas and immigration allowances. However, the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany has changed a lot in the last couple of years. 

Don’t worry, though, we’re here to guide you through the wonderful world of Skilled Immigration and help you discover if you’re eligible for this pathway and what the benefits are. 

So, with that in mind, let’s dive in and find out more about the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany. 

What is the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany?

First things first, what actually is the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany? Essentially, it’s designed to make it easier for people with vocational or specific work-based skills and experience to emigrate to Germany.

Many countries have “in-demand” job lists where immigration processes are quicker and more efficient. Similarly, the Skilled Immigration Act means that there’s a sort of fast-track system in place for people who can prove that they have valuable skills and want to move to Germany.

What Has Changed With the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany Recently?

Even though the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany has only been in place since 2020, there have been several changes to the act that have come in recently or are about to come in.

So, here are the new changes and the dates they’re going to come into play.

What changes have happened since November 2023?

So, the way that many people come to Germany through the Skilled Immigration Act is by using an EU Blue Card. This shows you’re eligible to work in multiple countries and have the skills and qualifications necessary to practice your profession in Germany and the wider EU. 

EU Blue Card-related changes

Since November, the salary threshold has been lowered for the EU Blue Card, and the list of professions has been increased.

If you’re applying for a “bottleneck profession”, the threshold is now €41,041.80, and it’s slightly higher at €45,300 for all other skilled professions. A bottleneck profession is essentially an “in-demand” profession.

The wider list of bottleneck professions now includes the following, in addition to mathematics, IT, science, and human medicine:

• Manufacturing, mining, construction, or distribution managers
• Information and communications technology service managers
• Professional services managers, such as child care or health services managers
• Veterinarians
• Dentists
• Pharmacists
• Nursing or midwifery professionals
• School and out-of-school teachers and educators

Also, if you’ve graduated from university in the past three years, you now only have to meet the minimum bottleneck threshold of €41,041.80 regardless of whether your profession is a bottleneck job or not. 

The final change concerns IT professionals who no longer need a university degree. Instead, if they have experience for at least the past three years, they’ll be eligible for an EU Blue Card as long as they meet the minimum salary requirement. 

Long and short-term mobility

If you’ve had your EU Blue Card approved in another EU country, you can now visit and participate in “activity directly related to your employment” without having to obtain a visa. The length of time you can do this depends on how long you’ve held the EU Blue Card.

For people who’ve just got an EU Blue Card, you can stay in Germany for up to 90 days and work without getting a visa or work permit. Once you’ve held your EU Blue Card for 12 months, you can obtain long-term residence in Germany.

This can be done without a visa if you come to the Foreigners’ Authority and switch to a German EU Blue Card.

There is also now facilitated family reunification with the EU Blue Card if you’ve lived with your family and have held an EU Blue Card in another state. The family members will be able to join the EU Blue Card holder in Germany without obtaining a visa.

This is as long as they hold a residence permit from their previous EU country. Once in Germany, they can apply for a German residence permit instead.

Changes to residence permits and the job-qualification relationship

Another new change is about the relationship between your job and qualifications. Before, you had to get a job that used your degree or vocational qualification.

These were intrinsically tied together. However, this has been removed unless you’re planning on working in “regulated professions”.

If you’re a driver looking to apply through the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany, the process is now a lot simpler. You don’t need to meet language requirements or proof that you hold an EU or EEA driver’s license.

As long as your current licenses are transferable, and you meet the other requirements, you can apply in this way.

With the residence permits, you’re now entitled to them if you meet all the criteria within the Skilled Immigration Act, rather than having them as two separate entities with different requirements.  

What changes have happened since March 2024?

Most of the changes that happened to the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany in March 2024 have to do with the recognition process. This is where the government verifies your qualifications and experience to see if you’re an eligible skilled worker or not. 

Traditionally, this had to be done before arriving in Germany, but now you can enter the country and go through the recognition process while you’re here. You can also complete training while you’re waiting for your approval to improve your skillset.

This requires your employer to agree to this and show that you have a job to go to once approved. 

Also, if you’re participating in refresher training, you can get a residence permit for up to three years and get a second job where you can work up to 20 hours a week.

This is a great option if you need to improve your skillset for the German job market and want to get work experience at the same time.

In some cases, applications might require a skills analysis. From March 2024, you can enter Germany for up to six months in order to show your skill set to the government and prove your level. 

From March, vocational training and certification will be more widely accepted as long as you have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least two years of experience in that profession.

This then has to go under the recognition process. The exception is for IT jobs where you just need experience rather than vocational qualifications. 

Finally, it’ll become quicker to apply for Settlement Permits from March 2024. For foreign nationals with a resident’s permit, you’ll be able to apply for a Settlement Permit after three years rather than four years. If you have an EU Blue Card, you can apply after 27 months of employment, or if you can demonstrate a B1 Level of German, this gets lowered to just 21 months. 

University-related changes

There are several changes coming for international university students or prospective students in Germany. From March, the amount you can work alongside your studies will increase from 120 full days or 240 half days to 140 full days or 280 half days. It’ll also be represented as 20 hours per week. 

If you’re applying to a university in Germany, you can now work for up to 20 hours per week while you are applying for a place. 

Apprenticeship-related changes

If you’re applying for a vocational training course or apprenticeship in Germany, the upper age limit will increase from 25 to 35, and the language requirement has been reduced to the B1 level of German. 

Additional changes include the maximum residence duration for vocational training and apprenticeship, which has increased from six months to nine months. Apprentices will also now be able to work up to 20 hours per week alongside their studies, as well as trialing jobs for up to two weeks.

Who is Classified as a Skilled Worker in Germany?

If you’re applying to be a skilled worker in Germany, you’ll fall into one of two camps: vocational or academic. For vocational skilled workers, you need to have completed a recognised professional training programme which has to be at least two years long. It also helps if you have work experience alongside this. 

On the other hand, if you’re an academically skilled worker, you need to make sure that your university degree is comparable to a German degree to be eligible. The only profession or industry that is exempt from these qualifications is the IT industry.

If you work in IT, you have to show that you’ve worked consistently in the industry for the past three years in lieu of qualifications. 

As a Skilled Worker, Do I Need a Job to Move to Germany?

No, under the new rules, as a Skilled Worker, you can come to Germany to look for a new job. However, your degree or training has to be recognized by the German government before you’re eligible to work as a skilled worker. 

With the new rules, you can go through the recognition process while you’re in Germany, actively looking for work. There is a dedicated job-seeking visa in Germany that you can take advantage of while you’re waiting for the recognition process to be completed.

If you have a job offer and your skills and qualifications are recognized before you arrive in Germany, it’s often an easier process to get started at your new job and sort out things like residence permits.

This is because you’re not switching between visas and permits after a couple of months. 

As a Skilled Worker, Can I Complete Training in Germany?

Yes, you can complete preparatory training in Germany as a skilled worker. This can include vocational, work-based training, health and safety, or even language courses.

With the exception of coming to Germany for a language course, you need to demonstrate a German level of B1 or above to be eligible.

While you’re completing your training, you can only work up to 10 hours a week, so you need to make sure that this is clearly communicated to your employer.

You can also come to Germany for training for up to six months if you’re under 25, have a B2 level of German, and can show a high school diploma or equivalent.

Is Vocational Training an Acceptable Skilled Worker Qualification?

Yes, vocational training is accepted as a Skilled Worker qualification in Germany. It’s one of the two pathways into the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany, so it does make up a big chunk of applicants.

That’s because many roles around engineering, manufacturing, and trades involve more vocational training than academic qualifications and degrees. So, by not allowing vocational training, you miss out on a lot of highly skilled people. 

In order for your vocational training to be deemed acceptable in Germany, you need to go through the recognition process. This is essentially a verification process to make sure that the qualification for your country lines up with German standards. 

How Do I Get Recognition for a Professional Qualification?

To get recognition for your professional qualifications, you need to go through the Anerkennungsverfahren or recognition process. This is where you submit all your qualifications, documents, and details about your courses to the German government so that they can see how they measure up to their German counterparts.

The idea behind this is to standardize the qualifications so that everyone entering a certain industry comes in with comparable knowledge and skills. They’ll assess your documents and either approve, deny, or suggest that you attend adaptation programs to narrow the gap in your skillset.

How long is the recognition process in Germany?

On average, the recognition process in Germany takes three months to complete. Under new rules, applicants can go through the recognition process once they’re in Germany, in the hopes that this will speed up the process to around two months instead. 

How much does the recognition process cost?

Recognition process costs vary based on the number of translated documents you need, any adaptation or refresher courses you might need, or travel expenses you might incur.

All in all, this process can cost as much as €600; however, if you have all your documents in order and just have to pay for translations, it can be a lot lower than this.

What can I do if I do not get recognition for a professional qualification?

If you do not get recognition for a professional qualification, you might have to complete a refresher or adaptation program. These courses help bridge the gap between your current qualification and the German standard. 

Sometimes it’ll be new information or standards, which will be covered in the adaptation program. If you’ve been out of the game for a while, you might opt for the refresher course instead to make sure your knowledge is up-to-date. 

Which Jobs Do Not Need Recognition of a Professional Qualification in Germany?

If you work in IT, you do not need professional qualifications, whether that’s an academic degree or more vocational, practical qualifications.

Instead, the requirement is that you’ve worked in your industry or profession for at least the past three years. This is crucial as it’s not three years total, it’s the past three years.

That’s because it’s a field that’s fast-moving and constantly changing, so it’s easy to get out of touch with relevant programs, technology, and software.

So, even if you have a degree in IT-related services, you may need the experience as well to be eligible for a Skilled Worker position in Germany. You can check with your local German embassy for specifics on this issue.

Where Can I Find Out the Required Qualifications for My Role?

If you want to find the common foreign qualifications that are comparable to the German counterparts, you can check out the Recognition in Germany portal.

As well as having searches that allow you to see previously approved foreign qualifications in your industry, you can also find tons of application tips and frequently asked questions that will help you out.

One of the best things is that the Recognition in Germany portal is available in a wide range of languages. This includes German, English, Arabic, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Turkish.

Not only is this helpful and inclusive, but it’ll give you a glimpse into the number of foreign qualifications and documents that have already come through the portal.  

Can Employers Speed Up the Skilled Worker Placement Process?

One of the new changes that has come into play in the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany is the Accelerated Procedure. This is when employers can help speed up the Skilled Worker placement process to two months, rather than three. 

Essentially, this lowers the recognition process as the employers are helping to endorse their prospective employees. This expedited service does cost an additional €411, which has to be paid by the employer. So, if you have secured a job and they want you to start sooner rather than later, this expedited service is now available. 

Can I Bring my Family as a Skilled Worker in Germany?

Yes, you can bring your spouse and child dependents with you as a Skilled Worker. You’d do this by applying for family reunification at the same time that you’d apply for your Skilled Worker visa. 

This can be a fairly lengthy process, and with multiple visa applications, it can get expensive, so keep this in mind if you’re planning on relocating your entire family to Germany.

What is the Difference Between a Regulated and Non-Regulated Profession in Germany?

So, like in many countries, certain professions in Germany require certain qualifications in order to legally practice your profession in the country. These are referred to as regulated professions.

Some of the most straightforward examples of this include having a verified medical degree to work as a doctor or having manufacturing qualifications to work in certain parts of a factory setting.

There is a full list of professions that are listed as regulated professions that are constantly updated on the German immigration website. If you’re listed as having a regulated profession then you’ll have to go through the recognition process to verify your qualifications and make sure they measure up to the German equivalents.

An unregulated or non-regulated profession is a job where a specific qualification or degree isn’t needed to legally work in Germany. These can be things like hospitality and even some trades.

However, you do still need to submit your training courses or qualifications so that you can find your German equivalent, as this will help you apply for jobs moving forward. This also lets potential employers know that you can work to a set level in the German marketplace, rather than taking a chance on an overseas qualification that they’re not sure about. 

IT is also technically a non-regulated profession as there’s no requirement to submit qualifications to demonstrate your skill set. Instead, you only need to show your experience over at least the past three years.

This is basically an anomaly when it comes to the Skilled Worker application process, as no other industry seems to operate like this. 

How Do I Know if My Profession is a Bottleneck Job?

If you’re evaluating whether you earn enough to qualify for the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany, knowing if you’re in a bottleneck industry is crucial. That’s because the minimum financial criteria is almost 4,000 Euros per year, less than non-bottleneck jobs.

The industries that are currently included in the bottleneck list include:

• Mathematics, 
• IT, 
• Science, 
• Human medicine,
• Manufacturing managers, 
• Mining managers, 
• Construction managers,
• Distribution managers,
• Information and communications technology service managers,
• Professional services managers, such as child care or health services managers,
• Veterinarians,
• Dentists,
• Pharmacists,
• Nursing professionals,
• Midwifery professionals,
• School and out-of-school teachers and educators.

As you can see, it’s a pretty long list that encompasses a wide range of industries. This bottleneck list is essentially Germany’s in-demand list, as there are shortages of these roles.

So, if you’re applying for one of these, your application will likely be prioritized and subject to lower minimum income requirements. 

What Requirements Do I Have to Meet as a Skilled Worker?

The requirements that you have to meet as a Skilled Worker depend on your industry and whether your training is largely vocational or academic. On the whole, you’ll need:

• A degree or vocational training certificate that has been recognized by the German government
• A job offer, unless you are applying under the new changes and terms. 
• A “Declaration regarding a contract of employment” (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis) from your employer
• Valid passport
• Means to support yourself financially while you’re in Germany

If you meet all these criteria, you’ll be issued a residence title. Depending on your circumstances, this could be a visa, residence permit, EU Blue Card, settlement permit, or permanent EU residence permit.

Final Thoughts on the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany

If you’re a relatively high earner in a skilled or sought-after profession, then you might be able to find a new home in Germany. The recognition process can be lengthy and expensive.

However, once completed, you’re pretty free to find and secure work throughout Germany. If you get an EU Blue Card, you will eventually be able to move throughout the European Union.

Especially if you’re working or trained in a bottleneck profession, the Skilled Worker Act is perfect for those looking to live and work in Germany.

With the recent changes to the Skilled Immigration Act in Germany making it easier to move here for work, and even allowing you to train or upskill in Germany while you’re waiting for a recognition decision, it’s a no-brainer.

As with all German bureaucracy, patience is key. But with so many different roles eligible for the Skilled Worker visa, it’s a great way to live and work in Germany without having to get a sponsored work visa, which some companies are unwilling to do.

This pathway to German residency is particularly worthwhile for people in the IT industry.

With no need to have vocational or academic qualifications, just experience in your field for at least the past three years, and meeting the lower minimum salary requirement, it’s a great way to get your career going in bustling Germany!