BERLIN – The government of Germany has finally rolled out the opportunity card or the ‘Chancenkarte’ which allows foreigners to land in the country even without a job offer.
The opportunity card has come into force from June 1st and allows non-EU workers to look for jobs in Germany as the country faces a severe labor crisis and looks for ways to wrestle with the challenge.
“We are ensuring that workers and skilled workers that our economy has urgently needed for years can come to our country,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Saturday.
As far as the card and the eligibility criteria are concerned, foreigners can apply for the ‘Chancenkarte’ if they have had at least two years of vocational training or have a university degree recognized by the home country where it was obtained; the applicant’s age must be less than 35.
Those interested in the opportunity card must also know German or English. Eligibility for the scheme will be decided based on a points system which will gauge the applicants based on their language skills, professional experience, age, and ties to Germany.
At least six points are required to obtain a card and if an applicant receives a card, they will be able to enter Germany and look for a job for up to a year. Another advantage of the card is that during the job hunt period, participants in the scheme can work up to 20 hours a week in part-time or trial jobs.
The biggest upside of the opportunity card is that it removes the necessity for non-EU residents wanting to work in Germany to present a contract with a German company before being permitted to enter the country.
The development comes as labor crisis in one of Europe’s strongest economies has worsened and the country needs at least 4 hundred thousand immigrants each year to keep its firms running and maintain exports.
The shortage of skilled individuals has risen to unprecedented levels as statistics reveal and surveys, companies have admitted that they are facing the heat of labor shortage which was affecting their efficiency as well.
