Germany: government looking to implement a points system along with an ‘opportunity visa’ for foreign workers

As the country struggles with manpower shortages, Germany’s coalition government is preparing to overhaul the law on economic immigration, which is expected for presentation as soon as this coming autumn. On 07 September the relevant ministers released some details of the draft legislation that includes a points-based system and an ‘opportunity visa’ that comes with faster naturalisation procedures.
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Opening the doors to skilled foreign labour. Germany’s twin problems of growing manpower shortages and an ageing population have forced the current ruling coalition to try and improve entry and integration conditions for workers coming from abroad. Germany’s Employment Agency reports some 887,000 vacancies in August 2022, up some 108,000 from 2021. Indeed, the government is forecasting a shortage of 240,000 skilled workers by 2026, an issue that increasingly appears to be a factor hindering...

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