The 'Chance Card' Visa: Germany's New Solution for Millions of Worker Shortages

Starting from June 1st, non-EU citizens can migrate to Germany using the 'Chance Card' visa without a job offer or university acceptance but under specific conditions. The German government has launched a program called 'Chance Card' that allows individuals seeking employment in the country to migrate 'easily, quickly, and legally' and to spend one year searching for a job in the EU's leading economy. Job seekers must cover their living expenses and can only extend their stay in Germany if they secure a permanent job with a gross annual salary of at least 40,770 euros within a year. Under certain conditions, the job search period can be extended up to two years. Applicants are also allowed to work 20 hours per week while searching for a job. All applicants must have at least two years of vocational training or a recognized university degree from their home country, meaning they must have at least an associate degree. The head of the German labor office states that the country needs more immigrants. Having at least basic knowledge of German (A1) or intermediate English (B2) is also a requirement for obtaining this visa. Applicants must also prove they can support themselves for a year in Germany, either through part-time work or their own assets, with the German government's estimated annual living standard for each person being around 12,300 euros. After meeting the prerequisites, the 'Chance Card' visa will be issued to candidates recognized as skilled workers or those who have earned at least six points through a points system. Points are awarded based on professional experience, language skills, age, and ties to Germany. A candidate with the required educational or professional qualifications recognized by the German Ministry of Labor or licensed to work in fields like nursing, teaching, and engineering in their home country will earn four points. Five years of professional experience in the last seven years earns three points. Having a B2 level German language certificate earns three points, while a B1 level earns two points. Additionally, two points are awarded to applicants under 35 years and one point to those under 40. On the other hand, at least six months of residence in Germany, excluding tourist stays, also grants one point. Advanced English skills (C1), training in areas with a shortage of skilled labor in Germany, such as healthcare and engineering, also count as points. Furthermore, applicants can bring their spouse and children to Germany. Previously, the German government had a job search visa for individuals seeking employment in the country, but the conditions for obtaining the 'Chance Card' are easier than this visa, and the job search time is longer. In the job search visa, individuals were only allowed to look for a job in Germany for six months, and it was not possible to extend it. This visa also required at least an associate degree and had a German language requirement, but with the 'Chance Card', applicants can also present an English language certificate. Additionally, in the job search visa, there was no allowance for part-time work during the job search. According to Hubertus Heil, the German Minister of Labor, the European economic giant needs to add seven million skilled workers to its workforce by 2035. According to Heil's ministry, it is impossible to secure this number of skilled workers without relying on immigrants. The shortage of workers is particularly felt in the nursing and hospitality sectors, and there is also a lack of skilled labor in the IT sector in both companies and government agencies. This is because German society is aging, leading to an increase in the number of retirees in the country. The German government is also trying to push society more towards digital fields; an issue that was severely felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, as German citizens, based on their traditional habits, are not very inclined towards it. Meanwhile, new industries in digital fields have emerged in the German economy, for which the country lacks suitable and sufficient labor. The German government sees bringing in immigrants with job skills as the only way to overcome these problems and is therefore working to facilitate the entry and employment of these individuals in Germany; an issue that could be attractive to many Iranians considering migration to a country like Germany. Despite all this, challenges such as the lengthy and exhausting bureaucratic processes of German offices and pressure from far-right groups to expel immigrants are among the issues that the German coalition government must find solutions for so that the 'Chance Card' visa can be effective as desired by the German Ministry of Labor.