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On 30 November, the German Government agreed its key points on the immigration of skilled workers from third countries. It thus paves the way for the most modern immigration law Germany has ever had. The key points provide for facilitating immigration firstly for skilled workers with recognised foreign vocational qualifications, secondly for skilled workers with proven professional experience, and thirdly by introducing an opportunity card for job-seeking.

The new Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) makes it easier for skilled workers with vocational training and individuals with practical knowledge to immigrate to Germany. The first amendments of the Skilled Immigration Act came into force on November 18, 2023.

On March 1, 2024, further new changes to the amendment of the Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) come into force.

The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has been increasing across all sectors for years and is slowing the German economy. A recent study by German Economic Institute (IW) shows that many skilled workers are lacking, especially in occupations with unequal gender ratios.

The federal cabinet approved the fifth report on the Recognition Act. The report bundles the results of the recognition monitoring and, as in previous years, provides important information on the current development in the area of professional recognition - at the political level as well as in practice.

On 5 June 2025, the German Economic Institute (IW) will present the results of its new study on the recognition of professional qualifications at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. The event will bring together stakeholders to discuss the role of professional recognition in addressing skills shortages.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is funding the "Pilot project for the recruitment of foreign skilled workers for the German craft trades" as a supporting measure to accompany the new Skilled Immigration Act, which comes into force on 1 March 2020.

The 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO congratulates Germany for its policies in recognizing migrants and refugees’ prior qualifications and skills. The recognition of foreign professional qualifications increases the probability of immigrant employment by 45 percentage points and the hourly wage by 40%. A million migrants a year visit the website ‘Recognition in Germany’, which offers advice on the recognition procedure in 9 languages. The information on foreign vocational training systems and professional qualifications in the BQ-Portal is accessed annually by over 180,000 website visitors, primarily assessment authorities, companies and experts.

The recognition of foreign professional qualifications is essential for securing skilled workers in Germany. The study conducted by the German Economic Institute on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications from a company perspective shows that companies see potential in the recognition of foreign qualifications, but demand simpler, faster and digitally supported procedures.

The new Employment Ordinance has been in force since 1 July. The list of occupations in which people with vocational training qualifications from non-EU countries can access the German labour market is now also in place. Following the "EU Blue Card" for the highly skilled, the improved recognition of foreign vocational qualifications and the relaxations in the rules for students from non-EU countries who wish to stay on to work in Germany, this is a further important step towards making it easier for workers from outside the EU to enter the German labour market and towards covering the skills gap in the German economy via migration.