How to Move to Germany: A New Work-and-Stay Platform Is Coming Online

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Germany has approved the creation of an online platform to make job search and integration easier for non-EU skilled professionals. The project is designed to fill labor shortages and support the economy, reports IAmExpat.

The platform, Work and Stay, will coordinate job offers for foreigners who already live in Germany or are planning to relocate. It will aggregate vacancies and provide step-by-step guidance on visas, recognition of qualifications, housing search, and enrollment in language and integration courses.

The initiative was proposed in May under the CDU–SPD coalition agreement. The government confirmed the site will launch during 2026. Under the Residence Act (AufenthG), a qualified professional is a third-country national who has successfully completed vocational training or higher education.



The platform is part of a broader policy to attract foreign talent. In 2020, Germany opened its labor market more widely to graduates of foreign universities and to workers with vocational education. In 2025, the salary threshold for the EU Blue Card was reduced in shortage occupations to 45.3% of the annual contribution assessment ceiling (about €43,759.80). The list of eligible professions expanded—including IT, engineers, teachers, and medical staff. For IT specialists, three years of experience now suffice even without a university degree.

At the same time, the authorities simplified visa processing. Through the Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren (accelerated skilled-worker procedure), the employer can handle much of the bureaucracy, including diploma recognition and coordination with authorities—speeding up relocation.

In 2025, Germany also shortened visa waiting times at certain embassies. A new initiative targets faster reviews and fewer bottlenecks: pre-checks of documents and digital coordination with immigration offices now allow processing in a few weeks. Priority goes to applicants with German job offers or recognized qualifications.



Germany is also investing in integration. The federal budget for language and integration courses was increased to €1.066 billion—€302.8 million above the original plan. Over 122,000 people started courses in the first months of the year. Meanwhile, Deutsche Welle reports new migration partnerships with Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, India, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and Georgia—aimed at labor exchange and smoother onboarding in the German market.

After the change of government, migration policy is shifting. In October 2025, the Bundestag rescinded** the fast-track citizenship route (3 years instead of 5). There are also new limits on family reunification for migrants with two-year protection status, [leech=https://www.reuters.com/world/german-government-restricts-migrant-family-reunification-path-citizenship-2025-05-28]in force since May.



Why Germany still needs talent: the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) estimates that about 4.7 million workers will leave the labor market between 2024 and 2028. With low birth rates, the country lacks enough working-age people to replace them. This demographic shift threatens the pay-as-you-go pension system: the worker-to-pensioner ratio fell from 2.7 (1992) to 2.1 (2023) and could drop to 1.5 by 2030.

Average annual GDP growth was 1.2% (2015–2023). Without immigration, it could fall to 0.4% over the next four years and reach zero by 2029. According to the Federal Employment Agency, there were about 628,000 vacancies in summer 2025 unfilled, with the largest shortages in IT, healthcare, and engineering. The DIHK notes a slight easing—firms reporting staff shortages fell from 50% to 43%—but tighter migration rules could reverse this trend.

What the new platform means for you

- Single entry point: vacancies + visa steps + qualification recognition in one place.
- Faster timelines: employer-led procedures and digital checks can cut processing to weeks.
- Broader eligibility: more shortage occupations; lower Blue Card threshold; IT without a degree (with experience).
- Integration support: record funding for language and integration courses.

If you are a qualified non-EU professional, 2026 could bring a more predictable, faster path to work and residence—despite stricter citizenship rules.