Germany’s coalition government has agreed in principle to cut the waiting period before asylum applicants can access the labour market from six to three months, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told Bild am Sonntag on 22 February. The reform—expected to be tabled in the Bundestag within weeks—would apply to most nationalities except those deemed not to cooperate in identity clarification or coming from countries with very low protection rates.
Currently, many employers struggle to fill entry-level and skilled positions because applicants in the asylum process are barred from employment for up to half a year. Business associations such as the DIHK have long argued that earlier access would reduce welfare costs and accelerate integration. The ministry estimates that some 120,000 asylum seekers could benefit in 2026 alone, easing shortages in logistics, hospitality and elderly care.
Amid these pending reforms, VisaHQ can assist both individual applicants and HR departments with the paperwork involved in obtaining the appropriate German permits. Through its Germany-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the service offers real-time guidance, document checks, and expedited filing options that help reduce administrative friction as soon-to-be employees move from asylum status to the regular labour market.
![Berlin Plans to Let Asylum Seekers Work After Just Three Months]()
Under the draft, job-seekers would still require approval from the Federal Employment Agency, but the controversial ‘priority check’—which forces businesses to prove that no German or EU job-seeker is available—will be suspended for bottleneck occupations. Employers will also gain clarity though a new online portal that issues a preliminary work authorisation once the three-month mark is reached and biometric data have been captured.
The opposition Greens welcome the move but warn that temporary residence permits must be issued quickly to avoid illegal employment. Meanwhile, unions are calling for stronger workplace inspections to prevent wage dumping. Integration NGOs stress that language training must be ramped up in parallel, or the policy could disappoint both migrants and businesses.
For multinational companies seconding staff to Germany, the measure signals a broader softening of immigration rules as the Skilled Immigration Act beds in. Mobility teams should update internal hiring timelines: asylum applicants may soon enter the candidate pool far sooner than before, potentially expanding talent pipelines for high-turnover roles.
Currently, many employers struggle to fill entry-level and skilled positions because applicants in the asylum process are barred from employment for up to half a year. Business associations such as the DIHK have long argued that earlier access would reduce welfare costs and accelerate integration. The ministry estimates that some 120,000 asylum seekers could benefit in 2026 alone, easing shortages in logistics, hospitality and elderly care.
Amid these pending reforms, VisaHQ can assist both individual applicants and HR departments with the paperwork involved in obtaining the appropriate German permits. Through its Germany-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), the service offers real-time guidance, document checks, and expedited filing options that help reduce administrative friction as soon-to-be employees move from asylum status to the regular labour market.
Under the draft, job-seekers would still require approval from the Federal Employment Agency, but the controversial ‘priority check’—which forces businesses to prove that no German or EU job-seeker is available—will be suspended for bottleneck occupations. Employers will also gain clarity though a new online portal that issues a preliminary work authorisation once the three-month mark is reached and biometric data have been captured.
The opposition Greens welcome the move but warn that temporary residence permits must be issued quickly to avoid illegal employment. Meanwhile, unions are calling for stronger workplace inspections to prevent wage dumping. Integration NGOs stress that language training must be ramped up in parallel, or the policy could disappoint both migrants and businesses.
For multinational companies seconding staff to Germany, the measure signals a broader softening of immigration rules as the Skilled Immigration Act beds in. Mobility teams should update internal hiring timelines: asylum applicants may soon enter the candidate pool far sooner than before, potentially expanding talent pipelines for high-turnover roles.
