Germany needs an influx of highly qualified workers
This seemingly simple truth has long been discussed in government and government-related circles, but no real progress has been made regarding specialists arriving from outside Europe. The new decision of the Federal Government is intended to change the situation for highly qualified foreigners seeking work in Germany.
Last week, the Federal Government simplified the hiring process for at least the most sought-after foreign specialists from non-EU countries. These are doctors and engineers.
Foreigners are effectively the least desirable figures on the German labor market. The HR department of a company or enterprise that finds the specialist it needs outside the EU and wants to hire him has to go through a host of bureaucratic hurdles. For example, proving that no local professional is applying for the vacancy. Companies must search for candidates for the job themselves, even if it is known in advance that they are unlikely to exist.
At the same time, the right person, ideally suited and with the necessary experience to perform a specific set of duties, cannot start work until the Federal Employment Agency declares the search on the domestic market hopeless. Not every company dares to go through this procedure, which drags on for months, during which the vacancy remains unfilled and the needed specialist is left idle.
Now this bureaucratic obstacle has been removed, albeit only for two professions – doctors and engineers. But, as Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen promises, this is just the beginning. Germany needs an influx of highly qualified workers, and the country of origin of specialists should not play a major role. Therefore, more extensive changes in the field of labor migration should occur in the near future. For example, it is necessary to lower the minimum income required for a foreigner from a non-EU country to obtain a permanent residence permit and move to Germany with his family.
Currently it is 66,000 euros per year – an amount that few companies are willing to pay to a specialist who is highly qualified but not yet proven on the job. This is confirmed by statistics: last year, only 700 foreigners managed to move to Germany with their families for permanent residence under this scheme.
Dina USMANOVA.
