Germany: New green card system to tackle shortage of skilled workers

The German cabinet agreed in principle on Wednesday to immigration reform in a bid to secure more skilled workers.
Europe's biggest economy is currently experiencing a lack of roughly half a million people to its workforce and wants to make up for the shortfall.
The federal government said it wanted to boost immigration and training to tackle a skills shortage which is hampering the country's economy at a time of weakening growth. Meanwhile, an aging population is increasing pressure on the public pension system.
Germany is also keen on granting immigrants from the Western Balkan countries that are not in the EU, such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, access to their job market for an unlimited amount of time.
The proposals to amend the Skilled Immigration Act, first introduced in March 2020, include an "opportunity card" for jobseekers.