IT specialists should be able to immigrate to Germany more easily in the future. For example, they no longer have to prove that they have knowledge of the German language. In future, the language requirement will be at the discretion of the employer making the specific job offer. The minimum salary limit for IT specialists and the length of work experience to be proven are also to be adjusted to the lowered level of the EU’s “Blue Card” for technical professional fields.
For jobs and job offers in the IT industry, see also the job market on heise online:
This is based on the drafts of the federal government for the reform of the Skilled Immigration Act and one associated regulation that the federal cabinet launched on Wednesday based on the key points decided in November. What is new is that IT specialists will in future be able to receive a blue card “if they do not have a university degree but can demonstrate certain non-formal qualifications”. Computer experts can already come to Germany without a degree due to their extensive professional experience. However, the formal conditions for this in the areas of wages and previous employment should continue to decrease.
Opportunity card with point system
The leading ministries for labor and the interior expect a total increase of 15,000 applications per year in the IT sector alone, of which 70 percent are new immigrants and 30 percent with a change of status. In general, the following should apply from now on: anyone who has a university degree can do any qualified job. Furthermore, it should become more attractive to come to Germany for vocational training or study and to stay here. A chance card based on a points system will be introduced for people with a foreign professional qualification of at least two years to look for a job. The selection criteria include language skills, professional experience, age and connection to Germany. The one-year ticket is intended to offer options for trial work or part-time employment.
“For a long time, many companies have had considerable difficulties finding qualified specialists,” the government explains its initiative. “The number of vacancies was around 1.98 million in 2022, the highest value ever measured.” The digital association Bitkom, according to which 137,000 IT experts are currently missing in this country, described the project as overdue. However, the steps taken were not enough to solve the problem of skilled workers. When issuing visas, for example, the responsible authorities from the embassy to the Federal Employment Agency should finally expand their digital interfaces in order to get more speed and transparency into the procedures. The points system of the opportunity card is also too complicated and contains no relief, especially for the IT area.
(sigh)
