Job Opportunities in Germany for Foreigners
Being one of the largest economies, exporters and investors in the world, Germany's labour market offers endless opportunities for foreign workforce. Add to it ageing population of Germany and retiring baby-boomer generation and it is easy to understand why Germany is so open to foreign workforce willing to move to Germany to fill the gaps in its labour market. It is estimated that four and a half million Germans will retire over the next ten years and will need to be replaced. In addition, the German economy is still growing at a steady pace generating hundreds of thousands new jobs every year. All together about six million positions will need to be filled in Germany over the next ten years in order to keep the ball rolling.
The German authorities know very well that there will not be enough local personnel to fill all these open positions and the only hope for the economy to keep its momentum is to hire foreign workforce. Already today there are several sectors of the German economy with major labour shortages. These include health and elderly care sector, engineering industry and technology as well as education. Thousands of medical doctors, electrical and mechanical engineers, IT and communication technology specialists, natural scientists and teachers as well as tens of thousands of nurses and caregivers are needed to satisfy the existing market demand. For example, at the moment there are only about 23 applicants for every 100 open positions in the elderly care industry.
Therefore, the German government approved several foreigner employment programmes and set up agencies to help hire foreign workforce. For the start, anyone wishing to apply for a job in Germany should begin learning German (as German proficiency is one of the major and probably the most difficult conditions for finding work in Germany) and have their professional qualifications recognized as equivalent with German standards.
Citizens of the European Economic Area countries can apply for any job in Germany just like any German national and do not need a residence permit to stay in the country. They only have to register with local authorities, which is a formality. Nationals of countries that enjoy a visa-free regime with Germany (e.g., Australia, Canada or the US) do not need a visa to seek employment in Germany but they need a residence permit in order to take up an employment and this residence permit is restricted to certain jobs. Likewise, citizens of the third countries who need a visa for Germany also have a restricted access to the German labour market and can only take up certain specialist jobs in areas with labour shortages.
Germany is especially open to foreign jobseekers holding a university degree and introduced a jobseeker's visa which entitles anyone who meets requirements to come to Germany for six months and search for a job. When it comes to vocational jobs in areas with major labour shortages, the German government encourages foreigners to visit Germany and complete local trainee programmes (it is possible through a trainee visa) to qualify for an open position in Germany. This is just a small sample of numerous employment opportunities for foreigners in Germany. There are government sponsored programmes for specific professions as well as for different foreign countries (e.g., Spain, countries of the western Balkans, Philippines, etc.) and new programmes are launched every year. So, if interested, keep an eye on the latest German employment programmes for foreigners by frequently checking the guide “Work in Germany for Foreigners”.
These days, anyone who has the right qualifications, irrespective of their nationality, has good chances of finding work in Germany. However, before investing time and money into job seeking, potential applicants should consider certain important factors such as the cost of living in Germany or German culture and lifestyle and make themselves familiar with Germany's labour market conditions as well as the German taxation system to make the right decision about their future. For some it can be a surprise to learn how much money Germans make but also how much they pay back to the government in taxes and social contributions. In fact, foreigners cannot opt out of the pension or social contribution scheme but at the same time they are entitled to the same social benefits and retirement payments as any German national. The German law does not allow discriminating against foreigners but there are also no pension scheme returns or refunds they can take home once they decide to leave Germany.