We are looking for a GC, who can tell us something about his or her experience with immigrating in Germany for the ZDF-Mittagsmagzin on friday. If you are interested please call me:
01714321289
Thanks allot
Katharina Konarek
ZDF Landesstudio München

I am from Hessan, I wonder if there is anyone approached by reporter to talk about GC experience at Hessan. So far, I have only seen interest like this perhaps in either München and Berlin
JD

I think of two issues:

Since Jan 2005, I have heard many success stories for NE after 5 years §9.

Recently there have been discussion of lowering salary requirement for NE under §19, and this is what I focus on without implying that people coming under §19 is more important or superior thatn people coming under §9

a) §19 highly qualified professional

What are the issues?
i) when will they lower the salary requirements

ii) where can we find out the profiles of these people, how many of them are from university faculties (very likely they do not have the necessary salary requirements), how many are from industry ( very likely they got it because of salary requirement?, are there cases which are not?)

These questions will reflect how objective/subjective is the process of getting NE under §19

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For foreign talents to immigrate to Germany, $19 is an attractive policy.

However, I am sure many of them would think this is straight fowards to get NE under §19. For some of them, they know they have high scores based on criteria set up for immigrating to Canada, UK, Australia. These people often choose which countries to go rather than being decided where to go. For whatever reason, personal or professional, if these people decide to come to Germany, I am sure, if they are unlucky, they will soon realize that, although, they score very high based on point systems in other countries, in Germany, the best criteria for them is not based on point systesm, but their salary and how persuasive are their companies are willing to help them to get NE. (I am also not surprise that how little informed is Human Resource Department regarding 2005 Immigration law)

If your salary is below (annual 84K), the decision does not lie with local official at ABH. I think the application will be submitted to elsewhere ( hence ,the application fee is almost twice the application of NE if you patiently wait for 5 years)

So far, I have not read of evaluation criteria for awarding NE under §19. Who decide if a person have special scientific or technical know how needed in Germany. For a foreign skilled candidates, the lack of transparency and clear evaluation process is a negative reflection.

My suggestions

A) Please speed up the implementation of the recent discussion to lower the salary requirements for geting NE under §19

In this way, this can avoid the need to come out with an objective evaluation criteria that need to handle so many diverse cases without being discriminating and bias.

What Germany needs is to attract skilled workers to fill the industry. From the recent survey, there is projected significant shortage of engineers and IT professionals. The main reason indicated by the survey is that the universities are just not generating enough of the right graduates and also there is incresaing trend that students are avoiding these professionals.

b) In addition to lowering the salary requirement, there should be national awareness campaign that inform the public that - NOT ONLY these skilled worksers are here to fill the jobs, contribute to social funds, there should be study that show that because they fill the job, the company is now able to function and to deliver the high end products and services. At the end, these companies make profits and in return THESE COMPANIES CREATE NEW JOBS.

IT IS SIMPLY NOT SUFFICIENT TO JUST THINK THAT SKILLED WORKERS come to Germany to FILL JOBS.

Most local will think that because they fill jobs and hence they take away more jobs and the Germany unemployment rate will not improve.

There should be national study to show that they CREATE jobs.

For evidence that foreign skilled workers do create jobs, just look at countries with good immigration policies and see how vibrants the economics is.

PUBLIC EDUCATION is critical.

a) we are seeing everywhere that young people are encouraged by public campaign to study and education is important.

b) Likewise, there should be commissioned study and survey to evaluate wheather foregin skilled workers contribute to job creation. It is the second part that I think is seriously lacking. It is because of this that we are having lots of debates in parlement on how much should be lower the salary requirements for NE under §19 or even the number of years for getting citizenships if the integration of the applicant is clearly not the issue.

PUBLIC awareness campaign to promote the needs of foreign skilled workers. Germany is the first CENTRAL European country to reform immigration policy. Many others are following including France, Netherland, etc. All targeting immigration law geared towards skilled workers and ALL are facing lots of resistance becuase all locals are afraid that they will loose jobs and unemployment rate will go up in there respective countries.

I think Germany shall lead a good example for these following countries.

Implement national survey to study and evaluate how these skilled workers contribute to economics IN ADDITION TO JUST FILLING JOBS.

Similar campaign has been done in other non central European countries to support the value of foreign skilled workers even at time of economics crisis. Because it is during this time that foregin skilled workers are targeted for taking job away. Without governement support and without clearly survey to support their contribution especially in maintaining existing and creating new jobs.

Immigration of foreign skilled workers to Central Europe, starting with first immigration law reform at Germany, will not go as fast as what the industry lobbist in each country would wish to keep economics competitive globally.

What does this mean to our community here?

With this survey, if the result is positive and there is public campaign to improve the image of foreign workers, even though starting with skilled foreign workers. I am sure many of the recurrent discussion and issues we frequently post here will eventually fade away.

For people who manage to read so far, have a good day and hopefully it will not be too cold for the next few days and the sun is back soon.

JD.

Well, typical German, interview the issue to death but don't do anything about it.
I know many of you guys are looking at the jobs and NE. It gets interesting once your kids enter the beloved German school system and you wonder where the hell did you land!
Germany has a long long long way to go in recognizing its shortcomings and be self critical in many social and issues in the society. Their unreasonable pride stands in the way. I am glad that Germany has no role in global politics, otherwise we would see the Nazis rise again. Germans should be kept busy producing goods, some good, some less.

Cheers, as always from the other side of the atlantic