Attract foreign professionals to your company

With the skilled labour pillar, skilled workers with a university degree or recognised vocational training can enter Germany to pursue qualified employment. The experience pillar is intended to make it easier for foreigners to enter Germany by not requiring a university degree but two years of professional experience. With the potential pillar, persons from third countries can prove their skills and knowledge via the points system for the Opportunity Card.

The basic requirement is (at least) two years of vocational training according to the rules of the country of origin as well as sufficient language skills (German A1 or English B2). To receive the Opportunity Card, you must have sufficient financial means. This is possible with a part-time job (up to 20 hours a week). Proof of this can be provided, for example, by means of an employment contract that you conclude before applying for an Opportunity Card. Please register for our newsletter, if you are interested in such a part-time job.

In the so-called experience pillar, you can enter Germany if you have a university degree or a two-year vocational qualification according to the rules of your country of origin. In addition, you need a permanent employment contract. As a foreign skilled worker, you can pursue any qualified occupation in Germany (in non-regulated professions). In the potential pillar, you can enter Germany via the points allocation system for the Opportunity Card.

The prerequisite for participating in the points system is a basic knowledge of German (A1) or English (B2). In addition, (at least) two years of vocational training according to the rules of the country of origin is required. To receive the Opportunity Card, you must have sufficient financial means. This is possible with a part-time job (up to 20 hours a week). Proof of this can be provided by means of an employment contract that you sign before applying for an Opportunity Card, for example. Please register for our newsletter if you are looking for such a part-time job.

In Germany, a skilled worker is someone who has vocational training recognised in Germany or a university degree. As a recognised skilled worker, you receive the Opportunity Card immediately (without a points system) and may also pursue qualified employment in the future. With a recognition partnership, you can have your professional qualification recognised retrospectively so that you can work in Germany immediately after entering the country.

With the so-called recognition partnership, the applicant’s recognition procedure only begins in Germany. The applicant’s qualifications are subsequently recognised by way of a recognition procedure. In return, applicants are allowed to pursue qualified employment in Germany from day one. The recognition partnership allows a so-called “post-qualification” with the help of a corresponding contract between employer and applicant. In a written agreement, both must state that they will carry out the procedure as soon as possible. Employers must be capable of providing training or post-qualification. Find out more information on this in our blog post.

As a foreign IT professional, you do not need to have a university degree or formal vocational training to obtain the “EU Blue Card”. Only “non-formal qualifications”, i.e. two years of professional experience (at academic level), must be proven by a certificate from the employer, for example. A fixed employment contract is required, stipulating a gross annual income of more than 40,000 euros. In the case of collective bargaining agreements, a lower income is also sufficient as proof.

With the Opportunity Card, you are allowed to carry out a part-time job of up to 20 hours a week. Working hours can be arranged flexibly. This regulation remains in force even if you complete a language course in Germany or study here. Participants on a language course therefore have another way of supplementing their living expenses. Stays in the form of a student exchange are excluded from this.

To receive the Opportunity Card, you must have sufficient financial means. Proof of this can be provided, for example, by means of an employment contract for such part-time employment, which you conclude before applying for an Opportunity Card. Please register for our newsletter if you are interested in such a part-time job.

An application to determine equivalence for non-regulated professions is a procedure that enables migrants to have their professional qualifications acquired abroad recognised in Germany. In particular, this refers to professions that are not protected by specific professional regulations or laws. Such an application can be made, for example, for professions such as journalist, IT professional or management consultant. The procedure for determining equivalence is carried out by the competent bodies in the respective German federal state and usually relates to the professional competence and training of the applicant. If equivalence is established, the applicant can use the qualifications in Germany and, if applicable, also obtain a work permit.

If you cannot prove your degree or professional experience with the necessary documents, you can have your skills and knowledge tested within the framework of a qualification analysis in Germany. You must apply for a corresponding residence title for this at the relevant Foreigners’ Registration Office. In doing so, you must prove that your vocational training qualifies you for qualified employment in Germany. You should have at least sufficient knowledge of German (A2), as the examination of your skills will take place in German.

With the qualification analysis, you can have your vocational training recognised by the state in Germany. Your skills and knowledge are tested in practice in a technical interview, through a work sample or through trial work in the company. This is not an examination, but practical proof of your qualification. After a successful qualification analysis, you will be granted full or partial recognition.