Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has tabled an “immediate employment plan” that would allow most asylum seekers to work three months after arrival, regardless of whether they still live in initial reception centres. Under current practice many asylum applicants wait far longer because the residence-centre obligation blocks them from taking up jobs even when local labour offices approve their request.
Economists at the Ifo Institute say the measure could add tens of thousands of workers to Germany’s shrinking talent pool and cut welfare expenditure. Employers’ associations welcomed the plan, noting that the construction, hospitality and care sectors are already advertising vacancies faster than they can fill them.
![Interior Ministry aims to open labour market to asylum seekers after just three months]()
For mobility teams and prospective employees trying to keep up with Germany’s shifting entry and work-permit requirements, VisaHQ offers an up-to-date online visa and documentation service. Its Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) breaks down the latest rules, timelines and supporting paperwork, helping companies onboard international talent quickly even as policies continue to evolve.
Refugee organisations and the Green party, however, argue that recent cuts to government-funded integration courses will blunt the proposal’s impact, and that exemptions written into the draft text – for example for applicants from countries deemed “safe” – could exclude the majority of new arrivals. They also stress that employment will have no bearing on asylum decisions, potentially discouraging firms from investing in training.
If passed, the reform would align Germany more closely with neighbouring Denmark and the Netherlands, both of which lifted work bans early to ease shortages. Mobility teams should monitor parliamentary deliberations: faster access to work authorisation would simplify hiring of asylum applicants on local contracts but may also trigger new compliance checks around minimum-wage and social-security registration.
Economists at the Ifo Institute say the measure could add tens of thousands of workers to Germany’s shrinking talent pool and cut welfare expenditure. Employers’ associations welcomed the plan, noting that the construction, hospitality and care sectors are already advertising vacancies faster than they can fill them.
For mobility teams and prospective employees trying to keep up with Germany’s shifting entry and work-permit requirements, VisaHQ offers an up-to-date online visa and documentation service. Its Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) breaks down the latest rules, timelines and supporting paperwork, helping companies onboard international talent quickly even as policies continue to evolve.
Refugee organisations and the Green party, however, argue that recent cuts to government-funded integration courses will blunt the proposal’s impact, and that exemptions written into the draft text – for example for applicants from countries deemed “safe” – could exclude the majority of new arrivals. They also stress that employment will have no bearing on asylum decisions, potentially discouraging firms from investing in training.
If passed, the reform would align Germany more closely with neighbouring Denmark and the Netherlands, both of which lifted work bans early to ease shortages. Mobility teams should monitor parliamentary deliberations: faster access to work authorisation would simplify hiring of asylum applicants on local contracts but may also trigger new compliance checks around minimum-wage and social-security registration.
