How to get a skilled worker visa in Germany?

How to get a skilled worker visa in Germany as there are many options for foreign workers and it seems sometimes a complex process. Germany is leading in Europe in terms of offering more and more skilled worker visa opportunities to non-EU nationals. This is why, the Federal Republic has over the past six months introduced many immigration rules to overcome labor market needs. More and more skilled workers are needed in the country but for new entrants, it is always difficult how to get into the process.

As per statistics, the German Labor Market has a shortage of four Million. The number one economic giant of Europe needs urgent skilled workers in the fields of Information technology, AI, Health and Social Care, Construction, and STEM sectors.

Table of Contents

Germany Needs Workers
Step-by-Step Skilled Worker Visa Process
Applying for the Visa
Source for Germany’s work visa and Immigration

Germany Needs Workers

The German government has been actively trying to have immigration and recruitment partnerships with many countries over the past few months. Some of the main agreements they have recently concluded are:

In December 2023, Federal Interior Minister Faeser concluded a migration agreement with Georgia.
The agreement for close cooperation with Morocco followed in January 2024.
Germany will be giving foreigners citizenship in 5 or 3 years starting from April 2024. German Government makes history by allowing non-EU citizens to get citizenship of Germany in well shorter time by reducing it to 5 from the previously applied 8 years. With “special integration services”, naturalization should in future even be possible after three years. Such “achievements” include good language skills, voluntary work, or very good performance at school or work. The German Parliament has decided on 19 January to change the nationality law.
Germany plans to recruit more nurses from the Philippines. The two countries already have great ties in terms of skilled worker exchange. There are almost 6,000 nurses who work in Germany out of 2,000 who came to Germany through government-to-government programs. There are already many staff shortages in the German healthcare sector, and 1.8 million positions could remain unfilled by 2035.
Columbia and Germany have agreed to the migration management system. A joint steering group was agreed for this purpose. An inter-ministerial delegation from Germany led by the Federal Government’s Special Representative for Migration Agreements. Offices from both sides will address the issue of asylum. Germany will also recruit a young labor force for its labor market.
The German-Indian Migration and Mobility Agreement has also been implemented already.

Step-by-Step Skilled Worker Visa Process

To better understand the new rules, one must follow a certain pattern to be a successful skilled worker in Germany. Following are some of the main steps to be followed, to work in Germany as a skilled worker:

Recognition of Qualifications

To work in the German labor market, you must have a recognized or recognized professional qualification. To do this, you must have at least a state or state-recognized foreign professional qualification. To ensure that the qualification can be recognized, the provisions of the Residence Act also require, particularly for the recognition partnership, that the training has lasted at least two years.

In several cases, you must apply for recognition of your foreign qualifications before entering Germany. In some cases, the application for professional recognition can be made after entering Germany. You can receive individual advice on the recognition process and immigration to Germany from the “Working and Living in Germany” hotline. Further information on the recognition process can be found in the “Recognition of foreign professional qualifications” article.

Language Proficiency (Skills)

One must be as a rule of thumb be fluent in the German language to successfully start a career in Germany. On the other hand, nowadays, with only English language proficiency, some sectors can also be cracked such as IT, Business, and Marketing.

Proof of language skills is required, especially when entering the country to look for a training or study place, but also for certain other stays. Such as as per new rules, for a training visa, a language proficiency of German is required at the B1 level. For the “Opportunity Card“, this level has been set at A1. The same visa can also be acquired by showing an advanced English level at B2.

In this phase, you must start learning the German language and become proficient in the German language. English language courses such as IELTS can also be helpful for white-collar jobs.

Search for a job in Germany

In the next step, you should try to find a job in Germany, You can do it online by using many websites and official portals. Below are some of the job websites, that can help you find jobs in Germany:

Major Websites

Jobs in

Applying for jobs

After finding a suitable job for you in Germany, you should send the employer a job application. You should prepare a CV and write a Cover Letter to apply for the job.

Getting a job

After getting a successful job, prepare the documents required to apply for a visa. You will get a work contract and a job offer letter from the employer. In some cases, your employer can also get work permit confirmation from the relevant immigration authorities in Germany. Afterward, they will send you these documents to include in your visa application. You must read your work contract and check the salary level along with your rights and duties.

Gross and Net Salary System in Germany

Following is the table that shows you two different levels of salaries in Germany. This shows you how your salary is defined in terms of Gross and Net.

Deduction Breakdown	High-level salary	High-level salary
Gross earnings incl. bonuses in euros	4,886.67	2,200
Income tax (based on tax bracket I*)	-828.33	-166.5
Retirement insurance	-452.6	-204.6
Unemployment insurance	-63.27	-28.6
Health insurance	-386.9	-174.9
Social care insurance	-91.25	-41.25
Net earnings Euro	3,044.31	1,584.15

Applying for the Visa

There are different types of visas with different requirements for these to be fulfilled. Such as “Opportunity Card“, Skilled Worker Visa, Skilled Worker Visa with pre-authorization, trainee visa, job seeker visa, and EU Blue Card. You may access full information about applying and visa types here.