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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.
In this section we demonstrate how companies can assist the employees in having their foreign qualifications recognised. Depending on whether the skilled worker is applying from abroad or from within Germany, the options for assistance can differ.
Germany is faced with the immense challenge of integrating thousands of refugees. The most successful path to integration is through the workplace. Refugees bring with them motivation, energy and commitment. Many of them are qualified professionals. Moreover, while fleeing from their home country, they gained a wide range of experiences useful for German employers. Refugees in Germany are eager to find a job and contribute actively to the society they live in. For refugees, employment is a new start in a new country and an opportunity to find home in Germany. For companies, employing refugees is an opportunity to fill open positions and invest in the future. Due to the demographic change and ageing society, many companies find it difficult to recruit the qualified professionals they need. The fact that the majority of refugees who come to us are under 35 years old enables companies to find and bind the employees they need.
The majority of recognition notifications is granted to applicants from Romania. The majority of the recognition notifications are issued for regulated professions, especially general care nurses and doctors. There are much fewer notifications issued for the non-regulated professions such as office clerks and electrical systems technicians.
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 flyer in Ukrainian describes important stages on the way to recognition of foreign professional qualifications and lists free sources of information and advice.
You have received a job application with a professional qualification obtained abroad but you do not know whether it is appropriate or sufficient. Or: You already have employees with foreign professional qualifications and are wondering whether you could place them in a position better suited to their qualifications - and thus make optimal use of your available human resources.
In terms of individual professions the recognition rate in Germany diverges widely. On the one hand, over 90% of master bricklayers and master concrete workers receive full equivalence. Only slightly below this figure is the success rate of applicants who wish to have their license to practice as a dentist or veterinarian recognized.