BERLIN – The government of Germany has eased the visa rules for foreign students visibly making it easier for them to get residency.
The set of measures effective March 1, aims to facilitate student employment alongside studies and ease certain permanent residency and family reunification regulations.
The government had earlier reduced barriers to permanent residence and established immigration pathways for applicants with vocational experience and the latest reforms seem to be in the same spirit to make the country attractive for the young talent.
The German Federal Ministry of Education said in a statement that from March 1st, relief for foreign students and trainees will also come into force.
‘Among other things, the additional employment options are being expanded from ten to up to 20 hours a week, for example as a working student or alongside training. This also applies during stays to look for training or a study place, during language courses and during study preparation measures,’ it said.
As far as the changes are concerned, the revisions to student permits include expanded working rights and extended validity periods, offering greater flexibility to students seeking employment opportunities while pursuing their studies.
Moreover, adjustments to permanent residency and family reunification rules aim to streamline processes and provide clearer pathways for foreigners to settle in the country.
These legislative reforms form part of a comprehensive package aimed at establishing a more inclusive immigration system.
It bears mentioning that while other countries ar making it tough for foreign students to come and study, Germany has taken a different approach. For instance, the government of Canada has announced to reduce the number of international student arrivals by 35 percent.
Moreover, the authorities in Australia recently announced to increase the English language requirements for Student and Graduate visas.
On the other hand, Germany is making its policies more and more immigration friendly and a significant initiative in this regard is the introduction of the points-based ‘Opportunity Card’ or Chancenkarte which provides additional avenues for skilled individuals to contribute to Germany’s economy and society.
The set of reforms comes as the labor crisis in one of Europe’s strongest economies worsens 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 in a survey, 90 percent of the companies have admitted that they are facing the heat of labor shortage which was affecting their efficiency as well.
