FAQ

There are many options for you to find skilled workers abroad. You could, for example, use the “Make it in Germany” job listings to attract qualified professionals from around the world.

The Employer Service of the Federal Employment Agency and the recruitment services provided by the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad will also help you find skilled workers. For more ideas, visit “Targeted recruitment”.

You have two options for publishing your job advertisement in the “Make it in Germany” job listings in an effort to attract skilled workers from abroad more effectively. You can either notify the local employer service of your job advertisement or advertise the vacancy yourself online via the JOBBÖRSE (job board) of the Federal Employment Agency (BA).

Please consult our guidance to help you publish your vacancy on “Make it in Germany”.

The Federal Employment Agency presents top applicants in its Internationaler Bewerberanzeiger, a gazette it issues regularly. The gazette features short profiles of qualified professionals from abroad who are currently looking for employment in Germany. You will find the latest applicant profiles here.

Before being able to take up skilled employment in Germany, qualified professionals from abroad must first obtain recognition that their degree or professional qualification is equivalent to a German professional qualification. 

In many cases, equivalence is determined by the competent authority during a recognition procedure. For more information on the recognition procedure, please refer to the section on “Acknowledgement and recognition of qualifications”.

Several aspects need to be considered when employing international apprentices, which may differ from the case of employing German apprentices. The following aspects are particularly important: your first step as a training institution is to check whether the applicant from abroad needs to demonstrate that they have a (recognised) school-leaving certificate. You must also clarify whether your future apprentice needs a residence permit before starting their apprenticeship, and whether they meet the requirements for this. Read more about residence rules in the section entitled “Visa for vocational training”. The third aspect you need to consider is to ensure that your prospective apprentice has the German skills required to succeed in their vocational education and training.

Any foreign individual with a concrete offer of a job that matches their qualifications may enter Germany for gainful purposes, provided that they meet the residence requirements. If the person comes from a non-EU/EFTA country, it is usually the case that they will additionally have to demonstrate the equivalence of their foreign qualifications. Immigration to Germany based on the Western Balkans Regulation is an exception to this requirement. This exception enables skilled workers from Western Balkans countries to enter Germany and take up employment in non-regulated occupations without requiring the recognition of their foreign qualifications. In addition, special rules apply for individual occupation groups. 

It is usually the case that skilled workers from abroad must submit their visa application in person to the competent German authority in order to take up employment in Germany. If the qualified professional is currently living abroad, they can contact their local German embassy to apply for a visa. However, if they have already moved to Germany, the local foreigners authority is responsible for them.  

For more information on the entry process from third countries, visit the “Entry process” section of the site for skilled workers.

The “fast-track procedure for skilled workers” was introduced in March 2020 to enable employers to speed up the administrative process for the entry of skilled workers from third countries. To find out how the process works, please refer to the section on the fast-track procedure for skilled workers.

An important aspect that you must bear in mind as an employer when recruiting qualified professionals from abroad is ensuring compliance with the applicable visa and residence rules. If you have recruited skilled workers from outside the EU/EEA region and Switzerland, it is your responsibility to check that they have a valid residence permit entitling them to take up gainful employment in Germany; you must also retain a copy of the document. In addition, you are required to contact the competent foreigners authority within the space of 4 weeks if the employment relationship is to be terminated prematurely. For more information, please refer to the section on “Visa requirements and duties of employers”.

The Skilled Immigration Act, introduced in 2020, expanded the framework for the immigration of qualified skilled workers from countries outside the EU to Germany. For example, it is now easier for skilled workers who have completed vocational training to migrate to Germany for work purposes. As with graduates from abroad, qualified skilled workers can now also enter Germany to look for a job. The opportunity of post-qualification in Germany has also been expanded, enabling individuals with partial recognition to enter the country, also for non-regulated occupations.

You will find a detailed outline of the changes in our section on visas under the heading “The Skilled Immigration Act”.

In the area for employers on “Make it in Germany”, you will find a wide range of aids, such as information on events and documents for download in the section on “Finding support”. You may also like to take a look at our previous or upcoming webinars.

For issues regarding integration, numerous advisory centres, such as the Welcome Centres or “Integration through Qualification” networks, provide support at the regional level. You will find some of these advisory centres in the section entitled “Advisory & contact services”. You may also welcome the option of participating in a project for recruiting skilled workers: such projects will often provide you with additional support for the integration process.

After arriving in Germany, qualified professionals from abroad will depend on help and guidance in the company and their new place of residence. In the capacity of employer, you can also play an active role in helping new immigrants to settle in during their first few days and weeks in Germany – not only at the company, but also regarding everyday life. The section entitled “Successful integration” offers you all kinds of measures and tools for you to use and implement, such as the compilation of documents and the organisation of welcome days or mentoring schemes. It may make sense to take action before the new employees arrive, preparing materials and offering assistance with practical issues.

German language skills are the key to successfully integrating international skilled workers into your company in the long term. In the capacity of employer, you can offer in-house language courses or arrange for your skilled workers from abroad to take advantage of subsidised programmes such as those offered by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) or the job centre. To find out how you can promote your new employees by enabling them to attend German courses, check out the section on “German language courses”.

Cooperation within the company is also helpful: for example, by giving your new skilled workers time off for lessons or by providing information in simple language.