Only 14 days lasts the new employment procedure in Germany

When the regulation for the Western Balkans went into effect on January 1, 2016, the visa - taking procedure was twofold. Employers applied for visas to Germany's representatives in their countries, and at the same time, employers sought preliminary permission at the Employment Office at the company's location.

This procedure lasted for months and was in conflict with the desire for early employment. So from November 2017, the procedure has been simplified.

The employer no longer asks for approval from the Employment Office

The preliminary appointment by the Employment Office is no longer necessary”, explains about Deutsche Welle Sascha Andreas Kienzle (Sasha Andreas Kincle) from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Now it is enough for the candidate to present to the German Embassy all necessary documents, including confirmation by the employer. ”

Control in Germany

Once the documents are handed over to the consulate, they are checked by the relevant authorities in Germany. “If all conditions are met, then a visa is given.”, says Kienzle further.

With the control of the documents, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, part of which are embassies, the Interior Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs are taken through the Federal Employment Agency.

The Role of Federal Employment Ent

When applying for a working visa, we check whether there are any German or European citizens with the same qualifications that have applied for the same location”, says DW, Paul Ebsen, spokesperson for the Federal Employment Agency. Therefore, documents should be sent to the city's work office where the workplace is located and, after being checked, return. The labour office only formally controls whether there are any suitable candidates with German citizenship or EU countries for the country. This does not last more than 14 days, Paul Ebsen assures. If a visa takes longer, it depends on the applicant's individual circumstances. ”

Conditions Have Not Changed

Conditions to meet for obtaining a work visa remain the same: employment in construction or gastronom requires neither language knowledge nor professional knowledge.

Only for nurses or medical caregivers are language knowledge and professional school licenses or diplomas. The conditions are described in detail in the embassy's informative tracts.

Asylum seekers remain disfellowshipped

Disfellowshippers living in Germany are also exempt from this rule. The so-called <x0) lane change” -- that is, switching from refugee status to economic immigration -- which many refugee organisations have long sought -- are not allowed yet. Asians must return to their countries to re-enter Schengen space as immigrants.

Over 35,000 working visas for the Balkans

In 2017, Germany issued 35 200 working visas for Western Balkan countries, as Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs releases Deutsche Welle. The third place occupied citizens from Kosovo (with 6087 working visas), after Bosnia and Herzegovina (9913) and Serbia (977). Albania (3 126) trails Macedonia (584), while Montenegro was the country that brought fewer economic immigrants (913) to Germany in 2017.

Most work in the construction and gastronomial sector, but many have been employed as cleaning men or health care providers. Qualified specialists are few and occupy only 2.5 percent of all immigrants from the Balkans.

New Gastarbeiter

The work visa is given as long as the contract lasts. When the contract is completed, immigrants must return to the country. But if they have paid for social insurance, they can enjoy benefits from unemployment assistance, health insurance and pensions.

Thus, it is not ruled out that, like the so - called Gastarbeiter, former immigrants of the '60s and '70s, will remain in Germany after losing their jobs.