Germany Launches Opportunity Card for Foreign Jobseekers

Work visas often require a permanent employment contract, which means you need to find a job online while you're still in your home country. But Germany is now making it easier for foreign skilled workers to enter the country and look for a job through the Opportunity Card or Chancenkarte.

What is Germany's Opportunity Card?

The Germany Opportunity Card, or "Chancenkarte," is a recent initiative by the German government designed to attract skilled professionals from non-European countries. This card permits individuals to relocate to Germany without a job offer and search for employment for up to one year.

During this period, those with the Opportunity Card are allowed part-time employment of up to 20 hours per week as well as trial employment for two weeks maximum. Once they find a full-time job, they can directly apply for a residence permit and a work permit through their home country's embassy in Germany.

A critical aspect of the Opportunity Card is proving sufficient financial means. One way is to show proof of a blocked bank account with an amount of 1027 euros (around P66,000) per month of your stay in Germany. This account restricts monthly withdrawals to ensure the funds last throughout the year. Alternatively, applicants can prove their financial stability through a part-time employment contract with a German employer for at least 20 hours per week.

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Who are eligible for the Opportunity Card?

• Recognized skilled workers need proof of full recognition of their foreign qualifications in Germany.
• Job seekers with a university degree or a training qualification of at least two years that is only partially recognized in Germany or not yet recognized need German language skills at A1 or English language skills at B2 level, as well as proof of their partial recognition or confirmation of their foreign qualification. They must achieve six points in the points-based system.

Criteria for the Points-Based System

Applicants need at least six points from these criteria:

• Partial recognition of the qualification in Germany: four points
• Advanced language skills:

- German language skills B2: three points

- German language skills B1: two points

- German language skills A2: one point

- English language skills C1: one point

• Professional experience in the desired field

- of five years in the last seven years: three points

- of three years in the last five years: two points

• Professional qualification in a shortage occupation, e.g. as a natural scientist, mathematician, engineer, doctor, ICT specialist, etc.: one point
• Age:

- Under 35 years of age: two points

- Between 35 and 40 years of age: one point

• Previous stay in Germany in the last five years of six months uninterrupted: one point
• Spouse applies for the opportunity card and has achieved at least six points themselves: one point

Required Documents for Application

One original with one copy of each original in A4 paper should be submitted personally to the embassy. Registration for an appointment is required.

• Valid passport
• Duly filled and signed application form
• Two biometrical passport photos, one of which glued to the application forms
• Visa fee 75 Euro, payable in Philippine peso
• Diploma
• For recognized skilled workers: Proof of the equivalence of your degree with a German degree or the recognition notice from the IHK FOSA for vocational training degrees or the notice from the relevant state authority for regulated professions.
• For applicants with partial recognition of their foreign degree: corresponding notice with partial recognition of the equivalence of the degree by the KMK ZAB, or FOSA, or other relevant state authority.
• For applicants without German recognition of their foreign degree: confirmation from the competent German body that the qualification requirements are met
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Motivation letter
• Proof of finance
• For applicants with partial recognition or without recognition of their degree: German language certificate A1 or higher from an ALTE-certified language school (Goethe Institute, ÖSD, telc, TestDaF, ECL) or English language certificate B2 or higher from an ALTE-certified language school (alternatively TOEFL with over 87 points). The certificate should not be older than one year.
• For applicants with partial recognition or without recognition of their degree: Proof of professional experience (employment references), if available
• For applicants with partial recognition or without recognition of their degree: Proof of previous stay in Germany (employment contracts, rental contracts, old passports with visas, proof of studies, etc.), if available
• Proof of planned accommodation in Germany
• Proof of health insurance coverage

Labor Shortage in Germany

Germany's Opportunity Card is also a response to the country's severe labor shortage, which threatens the growth and competitiveness of Europe's largest economy, according to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck in February 2024. Despite record employment levels, companies across various sectors are struggling to find the skilled workers they need. This issue has been a source of concern for years but has intensified recently, with industry leaders warning that the situation is deteriorating.

The shortage of skilled workers is evident in multiple sectors, including the automotive industry, deemed as the cornerstone of the nation's economy; the mechanical engineering sector; the digital and electrical sectors (particularly the semiconductor industry); and the food and beverages industry in rural areas.

Fewer people are also entering the vocational training program of Germany's dual education system. In 2022, only 469,000 people took up apprenticeships, around 100,000 fewer than in 2011. This decline exacerbates the skills shortage.

Another significant challenge is Germany's aging population. The country’s working-age population has been bolstered by migrants over the last decade, but as this wave ends and baby boomers retire, the labor force growth rate will decline.