Opportunity Card Germany - My First-hand Experience And Complete Guide

Posted on Nov 10

• Originally published at blog.luca-liu.com

The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a new immigration policy introduced by Germany to attract skilled workers from non-EU countries. It is part of Germany's efforts to address labor shortages in various sectors, such as IT, engineering, healthcare, and trades. The Opportunity Card allows skilled workers to move to Germany and search for a job without having to secure employment beforehand.

This system is based on a points-based immigration model, similar to systems used in countries like Canada. Points are calculated based on factors such as qualifications, work experience, age, and language skills. The Opportunity Card simplifies the process of finding a skilled workforce abroad, helping the German economy meet its labor demands.

I've gotten to know many friends in real life who came to Germany in the past year using the Opportunity Card. Many of them couldn't speak any German and had never been to Germany before, yet they all eventually found jobs and successfully converted to Blue Cards. I am one of them as well. I don't know what this means for others, but for me, it has changed my destiny.

To apply for the Opportunity Card, you must meet the following basic eligibility criteria. If you don’t qualify directly as a skilled worker based on recognition of your qualifications, you can also accumulate points to reach the minimum score of 6 points (details in Section 3).

In simple terms, if you are under 35 years old with a bachelor's degree and have approximately €13,000 in a blocked account (€1,091 per month), you can apply for the Opportunity Card. Alternatively, you can qualify with a bachelor's degree plus 2 years of work experience.

Note that the blocked account funds are released monthly, meaning you can access €1,091 each month to cover your living expenses while searching for employment in Germany.

Applicants who don’t directly meet the skilled worker qualifications can still be eligible for the Opportunity Card by accumulating 6 points through the following criteria:

If your foreign qualification has been evaluated through Germany's recognition process (Anerkennung) and deemed partially equivalent, you are awarded 4 points.

If your profession falls under a shortage occupation in Germany (known as Mangelberufe), you earn 1 point.

Source: Dev.to