Facilitating and Promoting Labour and Skilled Workers Immigration

Managed immigration can contribute to ensuring the availability of labour and skilled workers in German companies. Appropriate national and EU-wide frameworks are needed for this purpose. A coordinated approach from EU Member States in immigration policies can help make the EU an attractive destination for international workers. Additionally, opportunities offered by the freedom of movement for workers within the EU should be further utilized. On a national level, it is important that statutory regulations are implemented efficiently and without undue bureaucracy, while being consistently reviewed – adjustments are rapidly necessary in case of deficiencies. This includes, for example, the complexity of the overall regulations, the salary thresholds in the so-called experience column of the Skilled Immigration Act, the requirement for tariff commitments for deviations from statutory regulations, as well as the immigration into training. Administrative processes throughout the immigration procedure should be faster, more transparent, and simplified, with digitalisation making a significant contribution. Institutions involved in the immigration process, such as German diplomatic missions abroad, foreigner authorities, and employment agencies, should be equipped with the necessary resources and cooperate smoothly. Companies need fixed and easily accessible contact persons to provide information about the procedure (for instance, one central foreigner authority per federal state). Additionally, operating a clearinghouse should establish a permanent institution for companies and skilled workers that resolves practical issues promptly during ongoing immigration processes. This institution should exchange with all administrations/agencies involved, possess clear responsibilities and capabilities. Abroad, focussed information should be provided regarding Germany as a work, study, and training location, as well as pathways to skilled workers immigration. Promoting language acquisition in the respective countries already abroad is also essential. Furthermore, it would be helpful to strengthen (centralised) support and advisory structures domestically and internationally, particularly for SMEs, to assist with labour and skilled workers availability. Such structures should concern, for example, recruitment abroad, but also promote the integration of foreign skilled workers into professions and everyday life domestically, including language acquisition, and contributing to welcoming culture. Often, housing shortages become bottlenecks for labour and skilled worker immigration. Therefore, sufficient housing should be available, requiring, among other things, an investment-friendly climate as well as quick and unbureaucratic construction and approval procedures.

To ensure labour and skilled workers availability in German companies, managed immigration from abroad can help. This requires suitable national and EU-wide frameworks. A coordinated approach from EU Member States in immigration policies can help make the EU an attractive destination for international workers. Additionally, opportunities from workers’ freedom of movement within the EU should be further utilized.

Managed immigration can contribute to ensuring the availability of labour and skilled workers in German companies. Appropriate national and EU-wide frameworks are needed for this purpose. A coordinated approach from EU Member States in immigration policies can help make the EU an attractive destination for international workers. Additionally, opportunities offered by the freedom of movement for workers within the EU should be further utilized.

On a national level, it is important that statutory regulations are implemented efficiently and without undue bureaucracy, while being consistently reviewed – adjustments are rapidly necessary in case of deficiencies. This includes, for example, the complexity of the overall regulations, the salary thresholds in the so-called experience column of the Skilled Immigration Act, the requirement for tariff commitments for deviations from statutory regulations, as well as the immigration into training. Administrative processes throughout the immigration procedure should be faster, more transparent, and simplified, with digitalisation making a significant contribution. Institutions involved in the immigration process, such as German diplomatic missions abroad, foreigner authorities, and employment agencies, should be equipped with the necessary resources and cooperate smoothly. Companies need fixed and easily accessible contact persons to provide information about the procedure (for instance, one central foreigner authority per federal state).

Additionally, operating a clearinghouse should establish a permanent institution for companies and skilled workers that resolves practical issues promptly during ongoing immigration processes. This institution should exchange with all administrations/agencies involved, possess clear responsibilities and capabilities. Abroad, focussed information should be provided regarding Germany as a work, study, and training location, as well as pathways to skilled workers immigration. Promoting language acquisition in the respective countries already abroad is also essential. Furthermore, it would be helpful to strengthen (centralised) support and advisory structures domestically and internationally, particularly for SMEs, to assist with labour and skilled workers availability. Such structures should concern, for example, recruitment abroad, but also promote the integration of foreign skilled workers into professions and everyday life domestically, including language acquisition, and contributing to welcoming culture.

Often, housing shortages become bottlenecks for labour and skilled worker immigration. Therefore, sufficient housing should be available, requiring, among other things, an investment-friendly climate as well as quick and unbureaucratic construction and approval procedures.