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The Federal Statistical Office published the statistics on the Recognition Act this October. Over 17.000 applications for recognition of foreign professional qualifications were processed in 2015 in Germany. In most of the cases, full or partial equivalence could be established. Only 2.6% of the applicants received a negative ruling.
The Federal Statistical Office published the statistics on the Recognition Act for the reference year 2016 this autumn. In 2016, 19.800 applications for recognition of foreign professional qualifications were processed. Only in 3,4 percent of cases, no equivalence could be established between a credential obtained abroad and a corresponding German qualification.
The 2017 report marks the fifth anniversary of the law and reveals that success has been achieved right across the board. Efficient administrative structures, comprehensive information and guidance provision have been established over the past five years. The number of recognition applications is continuing to rise. Three quarters of all recognition notices certified full equivalence between foreign and German qualifications. The results of the external evaluation confirm that professional or occupational recognition is improving people’s life circumstances. Recognition is working!
The second report on the Recognition Act adopted by the Federal Cabinet last month gives a positive assessment of the act. The experience of three years since its enactment shows that the Recognition Act contributes considerably to increasing attractiveness of Germany for a foreign skilled workforce.
The Statement of Comparability has been converted to a digital process. All application, processing and issuing procedures will be from now on digital.
As of January 18, 2016, the Recognition Act was revised: from now on, the citizens of the European Union or European Economic Area can submit their application and all relevant documents online. Furthermore, their applications will be processed by a single contact point. This application procedure will apply, at first, only to the regulated professions in the federal responsibility.
Refugees are increasingly succeeding in integrating into the German labour market. Particularly female refugees benefit from improved recognition and training opportunities for their qualifications in the teaching and health care sectors.
Taking up a German initiative, the EU SME Envoys Network has drawn up the new European Action Programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The European SME Action Programme was presented in Brussels to Elżbieta Bieńkowska, the Commissioner responsible for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs.
On April 16, 2015 German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foreign Skills Approval (IHK FOSA) in Nuremberg. On her trip Federal Chancellor was accompanied by Johanna Wanka, the Federal Minister of Education and Research.