The Federal Employment Agency (BA) welcomes the act. Vanessa Ahuja, Director of Services and International Affairs: “The reform is moving in the right direction and Germany is becoming more interesting for foreign workers. The BA is already advising more than 150,000 people interested in immigration every year and is deciding on 340,000 labour market permits. Our tasks are now becoming more extensive, we are happy to meet this challenge and are preparing for it.”

Lowering hurdles to attract more people to Germany
The purpose of the Skilled Immigration Act is to lower the barriers to immigration, to make Germany a more attractive destination and to modernise the immigration system. According to the Institute for Employment Research, without immigration the so-called labour force will shrink by seven million by 2035 due to demographic factors. The law is intended to help cushion this effect.

For example, the draft law allows skilled workers with recognised qualifications to also have a completely different type of skilled employment. People with professional experience, but without formal recognition of their foreign qualifications in Germany, can take up employment in Germany more easily under the law. In addition, the so-called opportunity card is intended to create a points system for the search for work.

Using digitalisation to meet challenges
Ahuja points out: “What is important to me is that there is a cross-agency push towards digitalisation. Individual and isolated in-house digital solutions are not enough. Faster and less bureaucratic procedures can only be achieved with a joint digital exchange between the partners involved. In addition, adequate staffing levels for the authorities must also be considered.”

Press photos of Vanessa Ahuja for download can be found at the following link: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/presse/pressefotos-der-ba

For more information on the FEG, please visit the BMI website.