What is the Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)?

It was on June 1, 2024 that the Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) immigration programme began. Its goal is to bring in skilled workers from outside the EU to help fill job openings in the country. You can come to Germany without a job offer and look for work there.

What are the conditions for being eligible for the Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)?

People who want to get an Opportunity Card must meet certain requirements:

• Educational Background: You must have a bachelor's degree or at least two years of work experience.
• German Language: You should show that you can speak and write at least some German (A1 level) or English (B2 level).
• Proof of Funds: Show that you have enough money to live on while you look for work. For example, a bank account that is blocked and makes at least €1,091 a month would be proof. 
• Do it in Germany.
• Points based: A points-based system is used to get at least six points. Age, work experience, and ties to Germany can all be used together.

How to Fill Out the Form for the Opportunity Card?

People can get an Opportunity Card at the Foreigners' Registration Office in Germany or at the German embassy or consulate in their home country. For example, you need to send a valid passport, proof of schooling, language skills, and proof of money with your application. A permit to live in the country for up to a year is given to people who apply. They can look for work or try to get their credentials recognised during that time (Chancenkarte). There is the right to live and work with the German Opportunity card

As long as the Opportunity Card is valid, the person who has it can:

• Part-Time Work: As a part-time worker, you can put in up to 20 hours a week.
• Test Drives: You can try out for jobs with different companies for up to two weeks.
• Getting a work visa or Blue Card: Once you have a job, you can get one of these. This makes it easier to stay in Germany and work there for a long time.

What are the Other Types of Visas ?

Jobseeker visa is another form of visa. There are a few ways in which the Opportunity Card is better than the Jobseeker Visa:

• Work Authorisation: This lets you work part-time while you look for work.
• It gives you a permit to live in the country for a year, not six months like the Job Seeker Visa does.
• Structured Pathway: This method decides who is eligible by giving them points. This makes the process more clear and organised.

The Germany Opportunity Card is a good way for skilled people from outside the EU to look for work in Germany. It gives people a structured, points-based system and the freedom to work part-time while looking for work. The goal is to speed up the immigration process and fill the country's skilled labour gaps. For those who want to apply, it is important to make sure they meet the requirements and have all the paperwork they need.