As Germany is trying to recruit workers from abroad amid a skilled labor shortage, potential immigrants still face many hurdles before they can work here. Is Germany attractive enough for foreigners, after all?
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00:00Would you like to come and work in Germany?
00:03Here are the 10 things that you need to know.
00:06In 2022, applications to get foreign qualifications accredited in Germany reached a new high.
00:12There were nearly 40,000 new requests and it's projected to be higher for this year.
00:18Germany needs skilled workers.
00:20That's what forced the government to loosen restrictions and lower immigration barriers.
00:26It's no longer necessary to get all of your qualifications accredited.
00:33Whether you need to have your qualifications accredited or simply recognized depends on your job.
00:39The best way to find out is to check whether your job is regulated by a professional organization.
00:44Occupations that are regulated are stricter.
00:47They require certain standards and competencies that applicants need to fulfill.
00:51That means jobs for teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers.
00:57For these occupations, it's essential to find the German equivalent.
01:01That information can normally be found in the directory of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, the federal employment agency.
01:09It provides that information in several languages.
01:12You can search for your degree's German equivalent.
01:15You can do this by going through the general list from the federal education ministry.
01:20When you find the German equivalents, you'll see whether or not you need accreditation.
01:24For example, if you want to work as a doctor or a kindergarten teacher.
01:28But that's not the case for other jobs.
01:31Certain occupations are unregulated, meaning they do not require strict qualifications.
01:36These might include working as a linguist or as an economist.
01:40For these kinds of occupations, you just have to have your degree recognized and start your job hunt.
01:49Whatever your plan, you need to know how much it will cost.
01:53Find out what the fees for every step are and calculate the cost for the entire immigration process.
01:59That way you can figure out how much you need to invest.
02:04The tests alone were almost 1,000 euros.
02:07Just the exams without the translations, which cost 2,000 more.
02:11That's about 3,000, then another 400 for the accreditation.
02:15I'd estimate that the process costs around 4,000 or 5,000 euros.
02:22If you're someone with an unregulated first academic year, it is much cheaper.
02:27Your qualification doesn't have to be translated or authenticated.
02:31It can be uploaded as a PDF to the system.
02:34That costs no more than 200, 300 euros.
02:37And it's quite simple, it's all online.
02:40The process and the cost for regulated professions depends on the federal estate.
02:45That's because the translation needs to be done in that region.
02:50Here's a list of the documents that you may need for an accreditation.
02:54A birth certificate, a merit certificate, academic qualifications,
02:58so any degrees or professional certificates, university transcripts with all your grades,
03:04a description of the courses and classes that you took on the CVA certificate of German language proficiency.
03:10And any documents that aren't in English or German will need to be sent together with a certified translation.
03:21Skilled immigrants to Germany can also come on a job seeker visa.
03:25But there's one thing you need to know about it.
03:29Germany requires you to have savings or some form of financing.
03:35And not everyone with the current salaries can have 12,000 euros in a savings account.
03:43But can you move to Germany as a job seeker?
03:46The answer is yes, if you can get the Chancenkarte, the opportunity card.
03:52It's a new visa for skilled workers who don't have a job offer but are likely to find one.
03:57It allows them to live in Germany and work part-time.
04:00The government promised to change immigration rules to address Germany's ongoing skilled labor shortage.
04:06On with the Chancenkarte.
04:08You have up to one year of stay to search for employment.
04:13It allows you to work up to 20 hours a week in secondary economic activities
04:19while you try to get a contract in your profession or work on trial periods with an employer in your area.
04:27Once you get a job in your profession, you can change the type of residence with a blue card or a work visa
04:33without having to leave the country.
04:37This visa allows you to come with a calmer, more focused approach so that you can achieve your ultimate goal
04:42to be successful, find work and enjoy a peaceful life here in Germany.
04:48But is it really that simple?
04:50Critics say that the requirements for obtaining an opportunity card,
04:54which is based on a points system, are too complicated to attract foreign workers.
05:00Maybe those are the reasons why less than a quarter of applications that the government had forecast have been submitted.
05:10Do your research before accepting any offer in Germany.
05:14Verify the authenticity of the company or individual behind it.
05:18Beware of promises of guaranteed employment, high salaries without prior experience or extremely attractive working conditions.
05:26And if you decide to hire someone to help you in this process, do not pay them in advance.
05:36At first, I used to contact agencies that told me,
05:40Yes, come now, but you have to pay us 20,000 euros just to do a language course.
05:46Or for this, or for that.
05:53Getting settled in Germany can be quite a challenge.
05:56I came in 2007 and one of the biggest challenges was learning German while working full time.
06:02That took years.
06:04And while I'm used to living here now, sometimes I still do struggle with a lack of flexibility.
06:09There's a rule for just about everything.
06:13I was not the most punctual person at first.
06:16And that caused me a lot of problems with German friends, who obviously made a lot of jokes.
06:21But then it was like, OK, come on now.
06:24And now I have to say that I've improved.
06:26I try to always be on time.
06:28Well, five minutes late at most, but yeah.
06:34Apart from having to be on time, there is one positive thing about the German work culture.
06:39Working hours are lower in Germany than in other countries.
06:42On average, German workers spend just 34.2 hours working a week,
06:48compared to more than 43 hours in countries like Mexico, Senegal, India or the United Arab Emirates.
06:57One of the main benefits of living in Germany is a shorter work week.
07:01And that leads to a better work-life balance.
07:04But this clear divide between work and free time often means that chit-chat on the job is kept to a minimum.
07:11And I think that can sometimes create a colder work environment.
07:18Another thing I struggle with is the paperwork.
07:23Very few processes are digital, so you get tons of mail.
07:27And almost all of it is in bureaucratic German, which is very difficult to understand.
07:33Bureaucracy is one of the biggest challenges skilled immigrants face in Germany.
07:37One survey found that more than half of skilled immigrants in Germany
07:41say they have faced difficulties when dealing with local authorities.
07:45That's much higher than the global average of 39% for expats.
07:51One of the things that shocked me or has shocked me the most about Germany is the bureaucracy.
07:56It seems that everything is very slow with these letters.
07:59Very different from how we do it in Chile.
08:01For example, there everything is digitalized.
08:04One click, you have everything already.
08:10What is it that makes it so difficult?
08:12That can be, for example, when dealing with taxes and social security contributions, which they may not be used to.
08:19There's also a different work environment in Germany, perhaps more formalized in some ways, based more on rules.
08:27When you arrive in Germany, you need to have a registered address.
08:31Without it, you cannot get health insurance or even a bank account.
08:35But to get an apartment, you need to have a bank account.
08:38It's a catch-22.
08:40Finding accommodation in Germany has become a daunting task.
08:44Nearly three out of five skilled workers say they have struggled to find accommodation in Germany
08:49higher than the global average.
08:51And it's not just foreign workers who are having a tough time in the German housing market.
08:55And they're not the only ones.
08:57Locals need more than a year on average to find a suitable home.
09:02It may be easier to get a shared apartment or find a short-term rental that comes with a registered address.
09:08And while that might be more expensive, it gives you time to find more suitable accommodation.
09:13And it helps you get out of Germany's catch-22 for newcomers.
09:18And it's much harder to land an apartment if you have a foreign-sounding name.
09:22Two out of three immigrants said they experienced discrimination and racism in the housing market.
09:28And it doesn't end there.
09:30Yes, there's also the kind of harsh discrimination that means career-related discrimination.
09:36And it's not just in the German housing market.
09:38And it's not just in the German housing market.
09:40And it's not just in the German housing market.
09:43Yes, there's also the kind of harsh discrimination that means career advancement isn't as easy.
09:52What's more widespread is the feeling of being underappreciated.
09:59While racism and discrimination may be a part of life in Germany,
10:02the benefits of living here could still outweigh life elsewhere.
10:06Take safety for instance.
10:08Germany is one of the world's safest countries according to the Global Peace Index.
10:13And if you want to bring your family along with you…
10:17The family reunification visa allows immigrants to bring loved ones with them to Germany.
10:23The right to family reunification is also about exercising fundamental human rights.
10:28The right to family is enshrined in the German constitution.
10:31And on the other hand, family reunification is also an essential part of a modern immigration country.
10:37The process has been simplified with the recent Skilled Immigration Act.
10:42Generally speaking, this type of visa allows people already living in Germany
10:47to bring legally married partners, children younger than 18,
10:51in addition to parents and parents-in-law too.
10:54Family reunification is also an option and applies to foreign residents in Germany
10:59who want to bring their families here.
11:02Now that was a lot of information.
11:04So here are some links.
11:06Thanks for watching and please share your experiences with us in the comment section.