KARACHI – The government of Germany has confirmed prioritizing visas for the business community of Pakistan in a major relief for traders.
The confirmation was given by the German Consul General in Karachi, Rüdiger Lotz who assured the president of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) of support in this regard.
During his visit to the FPCCI head office in Karachi, Lotz assured the FPCCI president, Atif Ikram Shaikh that business visas will be prioritized for Pakistani Business community.
During a high-level interactive session with the German travel business community, FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magu highlighted the key areas of cooperation, including women empowerment, startups, research and development, vocational training, and business tourism.
On the occasion, Fayyaz Magu expressed pleasure at the appointment of Mahin Khan, a senior FPCCI member, as the German Consulate’s Focal Person on Trade and Investment for the Sindh and Balochistan region.
The German Consul General admitted that Pakistan was an important market for German companies, which have had a presence in Pakistan and the region for over a century.
The official also revealed that the number of Pakistani applicants for German visas has doubled in recent years.
It bears mentioning that in recent months, the government of Germany has eased visa restrictions for many countries and has also made immigration much easier owing to multiple reasons including labour crisis.
A key aspect of the changes is the introduction of Chancenkarte or Oppurtunity Card which is a points-based route for interested job seekers and would allow foreigners to land in the country easily and then find the jobs there instead of applying from abroad.
The development comes as labour crisis in one of Europe’s strongest economy has worsened and the country needs at least 4 hundred thousand immigrants each year to keep its firms running and maintain the exports.
Germany, one of the most successful economies of Europe is facing labour shortage and the number of job vacancies in 2022 was at a record high of close to 2 million.
