Chancenkarte or Opportunity Card in Germany: how to apply for a visa for high...

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The German Council of Ministers is actively working on reforming the country's migration legislation. The reforms aim to attract highly qualified workers from outside the EU. The changes focus mainly on workers with professional and technical training, but the rules will be made more flexible for other workers with higher education.
The shortage of highly qualified workers is expected to be addressed with the introduction of the "Chancenkarte" visa - a special permit to look for work in Germany.

Read more about the spam data new German migration law and the Chancenkarte visa in our material.

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Chancenkarte - a map of opportunities for highly qualified workers

Citizens of non-EU countries will in future be able to apply for a special job search permit in Germany through Chancenkarte - provided they have enough points. The scoring system will take into account qualifications, professional experience, age, knowledge of the German language and ties with Germany.

Read more about healthcare in Germany for foreigners, insurance and medical tourism  here .

How does Chancenkarte work?
The new entry permit for highly qualified workers will allow foreigners to enter the country, live and look for work in their specialty. During this period, it will be possible to work in any job, but up to 20 hours a week. The visa can be issued for a maximum period of one year, but cannot be extended if the job search proves unsuccessful.




No. 24 for refugees: eligibility for a residence permit for asylum seekers in Germany - details  here .

Requirements for Chancenkarte candidates
To apply for a Chancenkarte, a foreigner must meet certain requirements:

- Have a sufficient level of German (B1) or be fluent in English (C1).

- Have proof of financial independence.

- Have a professional qualification or scientific degree that requires at least two years of training or study.

How to obtain a residence permit in Germany - step  by step instructions .

Get legal advice from a local expert in Germany to solve your current problems

What are the points for?
- Linguistic knowledge - up to 2 points.

- Age - up to 3 points.

- Qualifications and experience - up to 7 points.

- Connection with Germany - up to 2 points.

To receive the Opportunities Map, you must obtain at least 6 points out of a total of 14.

Currently, most non-EU citizens must receive a job offer before they can move to Germany. The jobseeker visa already exists, but Chancenkarte was designed to make the job search process in Germany easier and faster.

Chancenkarte is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

Reasons to reform Germany's migration policy

Germany, like many other European countries, experiences a serious shortage of highly qualified workers. In 2022, the number of vacant jobs across the country was 1.74 million. The lack of staff affected many German companies and led to a slowdown in their work.

It is possible to increase the number of employees by attracting highly qualified workers from outside the EU, but currently bureaucratic complications significantly delay these processes. The German Government is currently working on resolving this issue.