As the European countries are increasingly dealing with labour shortages, two countries have enhanced their efforts to address this issue.
Two countries that particularly stand out for their efforts are Germany and Italy, both of which are increasing the number of visas granted to migrants, especially for employment purposes. As informed by a report in Schengen News.
Among the new changes that aim at attracting more workers to these two countries, are also included the introduction of the Opportunity Card, which allows skilled workers to work in Germany with only basic knowledge of the language.
The new Skilled Immigration Act has been deemed very successful after attracting thousands of skilled workers. In 2023 over 177,000 visas were anticipated to be issued to foreign skilled workers. This number will increase by ten per cent in the coming years, with the foreign workers’ quota reaching 200,000 in 2024 alone.
The process will be further streamlined for applicants, making the process more digitalised for immigrant candidates. In general, there are over 400,000 open vacancies in Germany in the fields of skilled workers and any progress marked in addressing these labour shortages is more than welcomed.
In total, the number of work visas granted to foreign workers is expected to increase to 165,000 in 2025. In 2024 this figure stood at 151,000 while in 2023 was 136,000.
The three-year plan includes increasing the number of work visas issued, especially across professions where labour shortages are noticed.
An increase in the number of seasonal workers will also be happening in 2025, with the government issuing 93,550 visas. In 2024, this figure was set at 89,050. The majority of workers in this category are engaged in agriculture and hospitality such as hotel tourism.
