Over 56 thousand Kosovars applied for the term, for working visas in Germany

Over 56 thousand Kosovars do not want to live in Kosovo. That is the figure of those applying for the term for working visa at the German Embassy in Pristina. They are registered in the hope that they will be selected for one of the approximately 460 terms this embassy has available for this month. But the figure of those who do not want to live in Kosovo may be even higher. This is because there are many others aiming to flee even through other types of visas and through embassies of other countries. The German Embassy in Pristina has indicated that a total of 56 thousand and 539 applications were accepted for the lots procedure in December 2021. Of all the records, according to them, from the random computer-run generator in a lot procedure have been selected those who receive a term for application in the coming month.

The “each month is given proportionally as many terms, so that at the end of the year the contingent of the most 5,500 visas can eventually be issued for this category”, says the German Embassy's response to time.

Citizens who have already left the country say there are conditions that prompted them to leave.

Homeland Hasani, who left Kosovo in Slovenia about three years ago by means of a working visa, has said he left to find a better life.

I was born here, I've been out here for three years, I'm out on a work visa. I haven't been wrong here either, but looking for a better future, for that reason we're out, with no better perspective”, Hasani has indicated.

Youth Hajdaraj, who also left Kosovo in Italy, has said he does not even think to return to Kosovo to live.

That's when the winter came back here when the man died, the power flow, since I was back”, highlighted Hajdaraj.

While Muhamet Kasumi, who also with working visas has moved to Croatia, has said he now plans to get his family there as well.

“No conditions here, no. This is 200 years to reach that goal. Croatians, they've gone way, way ahead. We can only dream. I believe that for a short time all of Kosovo will be emptied”, Kasumi has indicated.

Research Director from the GAP Institute, Jeton Mehmeti, has said that the number of job permits requirements submitted by Kosovo citizens to Germany's Federal Employment Agency constitutes 30% of all applications from Western Balkan countries.

“Based on surveys with employees in the private sector, it turns out that among the main reasons for migration are: low wages, poor living conditions and lack of opportunity in Kosovo”, Mehmeti has indicated.

According to him, if this trend of migration continues, some sectors in Kosovo risk falling short of qualified labour powers.

Following complaints about the inability to capture the terms and the large number of interested Germany's Embassy, from December last year has changed the way the term for a working visa is applied. It has enabled all interested ones to register and then select by lot.

Due to the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, the German Embassy has not issued a working visa. And in 2019 the embassy issued more than 50,000 visas. Of them, some 360,000 Schengen visas, as well as about 150,000 national visas for long-term stays, such as family reunion, working visas and study visas.

Over the past few years the Embassy has markedly increased visa processing capacities, so that the visa office is now one of the largest German offices worldwide. But the demand further exceeds our capacities and the waiting time can't unfortunately be excluded from”, says the German Embassy's response.

Work visas from Germany's Embassy in Pristina are issued under “Rule for the Western Balkans”. As of 31.12.23 citizens from the six Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo, have a privileged approach to the German labour market despite the well-known qualifications in Germany. The terms for visa giving remain the approval of the Federal Labour Agency. Within a calendar year, 25,000 approvals for such applications, 5,500 per year, can be issued to Kosovo for application. According to the Embassy, this number corresponds somewhat to the number of visas of this category released before the pandemic.

The lot procedure is conducted every time at the Federal Foreign Ministry in Berlin under the supervision of more people.

According to the Embassy, a new census is necessary for participation in the lots for the term in the following month. At the beginning of each month, a new census list for the term for application will open and remain open for 2 to 3 weeks. The exact opening period of the list is published every month on the Embassy website. Currently, the list of records for the term for the period February by early March is open.