The Opportunity Card ("Chancenkarte") which opened for applications on 1 June, offers a new points-based system that rates applicants by specific criteria, including academic qualifications, language skills and past professional experience, Germany official said.
"[The Opportunity Card] will make it easier and quicker for people with experience and potential to find a suitable job and get started," Nancy Faeser, Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior and Community, said in a statement to the BBC.
Those that are able to get the Opportunity Card can stay in Germany for up to one year while looking for work, rather than requiring an employer to sponsor them beforehand. Also, the card allows people to legally work part-time while searching for something more permanent. It represents a major shift in the way the country is addressing its growing labour shortage and is intended to help increase the number of professional workers in fields like medicine, education, manufacturing and engineering. Much more than just a digital nomad visa, the new card offers non-EU citizens the opportunity to streamline the German immigration process and search for work on the ground in the country, a move that has been hotly debated by conservatives, who argue that it could allow for already-rejected asylum seekers to find work in Germany.
Successful applicants will either have a professional qualification or academic degree that is fully recognised in Germany, or a combination of criteria such as years of professional experience, a certain age and language skills, each of which are worth a certain number of points. Applicants must have a rating of six or more points to qualify for the visa. They must also show proof of ability to cover living expenses during their job search, at least €1,027 per month.
Because EU citizens can already live and work in Germany, the new opportunity visa is geared towards those currently living outside the EU and in Switzerland, as Swiss citizens also do not require a visa for entry or a permit to work in Germany. The Chancenkarte is set up to favour non-EU citizens with connections to the country, as extra points are available for those who have German language skills or have studied in a German school.
Alex Masurovsky, a former Master's student at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, who now lives in New York, is intrigued by the opportunity the new visa affords to return to live and work in Berlin.
"For me, [Germany] had just enough of those European sensibilities, like sitting down for coffee and staying out late, to enjoy without it feeling pretentious," he reflected. "It also has a great appreciation for music, mostly electronic, but small and sincere pockets of jazz, blues and punk rock, too. I'd recommend it to anyone."
Though it's true that the country's culture and nightlife can be a draw, ultimately the new visa aims to provide a long term solution to address the nation's labour shortages, which is one of the major factors contributing to Germany's ongoing financial issues. "We are making sure that we can attract the skilled workers our economy has urgently needed for years," Fraser said. "This is vital for our country's future."
Those interested in learning more can visit the Make It In Germany website for more information. The site has a "self-check" that allows visitors to check their eligibility status for the Chancenkarte. Official applications for the visa can be made at either a German Diplomatic Mission or on the Chancenkarte website.
德國推出「機會卡」簽證計劃，讓技術工人更容易移民
德國官員表示，機會卡（「Chancenkarte」）於6 月1 日開放申請，提供了一種新的基於積分的系統，該系統根據特定標準對申請人進行評分，包括學歷、語言技能和過去的專業經驗。
德國聯邦內政和社區部長 Nancy Faeser 在給 BBC 的聲明中表示：“[機會卡]將使有經驗和潛力的人更容易、更快捷地找到合適的工作並開始工作。”
那些能夠獲得機會卡的人可以在尋找工作時在德國停留最多一年，而不需要雇主事先擔保他們。 此外，該卡還允許人們合法地兼職工作，同時尋找更永久的工作。 它代表了該國解決日益嚴重的勞動力短缺問題的方式的重大轉變，旨在幫助增加醫學、教育、製造和工程等領域的專業工人數量。 新卡不僅僅是數位遊牧簽證，它還為非歐盟公民提供了簡化德國移民程序並在該國尋找工作的機會，這一舉措引起了保守派的激烈爭論，他們認為這可以讓已經被拒絕的尋求庇護者在德國找到工作。
成功的申請者要么擁有德國完全認可的專業資格或學術學位，要么擁有多年專業經驗、一定年齡和語言技能等標準的組合，每一項都值得一定的分數。 申請人的評分必須達到六分或以上才有資格獲得簽證。
他們還必須證明有能力支付求職期間的生活費用，每月至少 1,027 歐元。
由於歐盟公民已經可以在德國生活和工作，因此新的機會簽證面向目前居住在歐盟以外和瑞士的人，因為瑞士公民也不需要入境簽證或在德國工作的許可。
Chancenkarte 的設立是為了照顧與該國有聯繫的非歐盟公民，因為那些擁有德語技能或在德國學校學習過的人可以獲得額外積分。
亞歷克斯·馬蘇羅夫斯基 (Alex Masurovsky) 是柏林心腦學院的前碩士生，現居住在紐約，他對新簽證提供的返回柏林生活和工作的機會很感興趣。
「對我來說，（德國）有足夠的歐洲情感，例如坐下來喝咖啡、在外面待到很晚，享受而不覺得自命不凡，」他反思道。 “它還非常欣賞音樂，主要是電子音樂，但也有少量真誠的爵士樂、布魯斯和朋克搖滾。
我會把它推薦給任何人。”
儘管該國的文化和夜生活確實具有吸引力，但新簽證的最終目的是提供長期解決方案，以解決該國的勞動力短缺問題，這是德國持續出現財務問題的主要因素之一。 弗雷澤說：“我們正在確保能夠吸引我們的經濟多年來急需的技術工人。” “這對我們國家的未來至關重要。”
有興趣了解更多資訊的人可以訪問“Make It In 德國”網站以獲取更多資訊。 該網站有一個「自助檢查」功能，允許訪客檢查他們的 Chancenkarte 資格狀態。 簽證的正式申請可以在德國外交使團或 Chancenkarte 網站上進行。
Source: BBC
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