Marking the fifth anniversary of the Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) released new data on 18 February showing that the number of third-country nationals holding work-based residence permits has risen from just over 200,000 in 2020 to 420,000 by mid-2025. More than half—164,000—entered on the EU Blue Card, whose salary threshold was lowered in 2023 and will rise moderately again on 1 January 2026.
The figures underscore Germany’s pivot from a “no-immigration” stance a decade ago to a proactive search for global talent to offset demographic decline. Demand is particularly strong under the West Balkans quota, which was doubled to 50,000 approvals per year in July 2024 yet was already oversubscribed by December 2025. Albanian, Serbian and Bosnian workers now account for roughly one quarter of all non-EU employees in social-insurance jobs.
Digital pre-arrival counselling has taken off: BA advisers logged 360,000 video consultations with foreign professionals in 2025, including 23,600 sessions on skills recognition. Employers praise the service but continue to criticise processing times at over-stretched foreigner authorities (Ausländerbehörden).
![Five years on, Germany’s Skilled Immigration Act doubles foreign talent pool]()
For those daunted by the paperwork or stuck in consular backlogs, VisaHQ can step in as a practical partner. Through its Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the platform walks applicants and HR teams through tailored document checklists, offers real-time status updates, and coordinates courier deliveries to embassies—helpful extras when local Ausländerbehörden are operating at capacity.
For HR teams, the report provides three take-aways: (1) The Blue Card remains the fastest track for university-educated hires—companies should update offer letters to meet the 2026 threshold of €50,700 (or €45,934 for shortage occupations); (2) competition for West Balkans quota slots means early pipeline planning is essential; and (3) the BA’s virtual advisory channels can shorten onboarding by flagging document gaps before visa appointments.
The federal labour ministry hinted that a points-based ‘Chancenkarte’ job-seekers visa—already piloted—could be scaled nationally later in 2026, promising even more flexibility for employers.
The figures underscore Germany’s pivot from a “no-immigration” stance a decade ago to a proactive search for global talent to offset demographic decline. Demand is particularly strong under the West Balkans quota, which was doubled to 50,000 approvals per year in July 2024 yet was already oversubscribed by December 2025. Albanian, Serbian and Bosnian workers now account for roughly one quarter of all non-EU employees in social-insurance jobs.
Digital pre-arrival counselling has taken off: BA advisers logged 360,000 video consultations with foreign professionals in 2025, including 23,600 sessions on skills recognition. Employers praise the service but continue to criticise processing times at over-stretched foreigner authorities (Ausländerbehörden).
For those daunted by the paperwork or stuck in consular backlogs, VisaHQ can step in as a practical partner. Through its Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the platform walks applicants and HR teams through tailored document checklists, offers real-time status updates, and coordinates courier deliveries to embassies—helpful extras when local Ausländerbehörden are operating at capacity.
For HR teams, the report provides three take-aways: (1) The Blue Card remains the fastest track for university-educated hires—companies should update offer letters to meet the 2026 threshold of €50,700 (or €45,934 for shortage occupations); (2) competition for West Balkans quota slots means early pipeline planning is essential; and (3) the BA’s virtual advisory channels can shorten onboarding by flagging document gaps before visa appointments.
The federal labour ministry hinted that a points-based ‘Chancenkarte’ job-seekers visa—already piloted—could be scaled nationally later in 2026, promising even more flexibility for employers.
