Almost 2,500 migrants have entered Germany to find work since June under the coalition government’s new “opportunity card” scheme, official figures showed on Thursday.
The Interior Ministry has registered almost 550 successful applications per month since the measure, which allows skilled workers to arrive in the country to search for employment, came into force in June.
The ministry believes the instrument will attract qualified workers to join the German workforce in key sectors which are struggling to replace retiring employees.
The country where the most visas have been issued so far under the new scheme is India, at 780, followed by China, Turkey and Pakistan.
The opportunity card allows skilled migrants with recognized university degrees and English or German language skills to enter the country without an existing job offer.
Candidates with stronger qualifications, or in bottleneck occupations, have improved chances of securing the permit under the points-based system.
The successful candidates are then permitted to remain in Germany for one year to search for a permanent position.
Credit: dpa
