German Opportunity Card opens up job market for skilled migrants Premium

Swapnil Naik, 39, seeks job opportunities in Germany leveraging the new Opportunity Card for skilled professionals from non-EU countries.

Swapnil Naik, 39, is the head of operations at a financial company in Mumbai. Having worked in India for over a decade, Mr. Naik wanted to expand his horizons and has been eyeing European shores. After being unsuccessful with a job visa for France earlier this year, Mr. Naik started the process to apply for Germany’s job-search visa. 

A recent change in German regulations will make the path easier for applicants like Mr. Naik, who can leverage their professional experience.   

On 1 June 2024, the German government released the third stage of its Skilled Immigration Act — passed in 2020 but started coming into effect only in 2023 — with the Chancenkarte or Opportunity Card. This allows skilled professionals in non-EU countries to search for work while legally living in Germany for up to a year. The Opportunity Card was made possible by awarding points if certain conditions were fulfilled. This practice has been common in Canada and Australia for many years.  

“The Opportunity Card has come at the right time for me. I have already completed my police verification for this. I will be enrolling in a German language course soon as I continue my search for jobs in Germany,” said Mr. Naik.  

“The Chancenkarte is an interesting addition to the German labour migration system, which has evolved over the last twenty years. It is becoming more liberal but also more complex. In principle, it sends a good message to potential migrants,” noted migration analyst Dr. Marcus Engler.  

 The major requirements when applying for the Opportunity Card are a minimum of two years of vocational training or a university degree or work experience, entry-level German knowledge or fluency in English , and a blocked account of €12,324 per person per year.  

One is awarded points based on German language proficiency, professional experience, age, experience in regulated professions in Germany (such as teacher, nurse, or engineer), and more. Those who are over 40 years are at a disadvantage as the Opportunity Card is targetted more at a younger professional profile. A prospective candidate must acquire at least six points to qualify for the Opportunity Card.