Germany Launches Nationwide Digital Visa Portal for Skilled Workers
Bundestag Committee Clears Bills to Implement EU Asylum Reform—Work Access to Come Sooner
German Non-profit Offers Free Language Courses as State Tightens Access to Integration Classes
Latest News
Lufthansa Faces Triple Wage Showdown, Raising Risk of Flight Disruptions
Multiple wage conflicts at Lufthansa—including a strike ballot among CityLine pilots—could trigger fresh flight cancellations next month. Business-travel programmes should prepare contingency routings and monitor strike notices as negotiations with cockpit and ground unions intensify.
Germany rolls out fully-digital skilled-worker visa portal across all embassies
The Federal Foreign Office has activated a single nationwide e-visa portal for skilled-worker permits, slashing average Blue Card processing times to 27 days and removing most paper requirements. HR teams can now submit and track applications online, while applicants benefit from biometric one-stop capture and chatbot guidance. The reform is expected to make Germany more competitive for global talent and to cut assignment delays for multinationals. ([internationalinvestment.biz](https://internationalinvestment.biz/en/migration/7224-concise-headline-germany-launches-digital-visa-processing-system.html))
48-hour public-transport strike to hit German cities this Friday
Germany’s Verdi union will stage a nationwide 48-hour strike of local buses, trams and metros on 27–28 February, likely paralysing city transport and complicating business trips and residence-permit appointments. Corporates should activate contingency travel and remote-work plans. ([thelocal.de](https://www.thelocal.de/20260224/another-widespread-transport-strike-to-bring-travel-chaos-to-germany-on-friday))
Interior Ministry aims to open labour market to asylum seekers after just three months
Berlin plans to let asylum seekers take jobs after three months, a change welcomed by business groups as a fix for labour shortages but criticised by NGOs for leaving too many exemptions. The draft could expand the talent pool for employers yet add compliance complexity. ([thelocal.de](https://www.thelocal.de/20260224/is-germany-really-planning-to-let-more-asylum-seekers-enter-the-workforce))
Border-city mayor warns extended Poland–Germany checks must not become permanent
Frankfurt (Oder)’s mayor says the extension of German border checks with Poland until mid-September must remain exceptional, warning of deep economic costs for commuters and supply chains. Businesses should factor ongoing spot checks into travel and logistics planning. ([welt.de](https://www.welt.de/article699d22e2d2efdf1bd0d30416))
Berlin sets naturalisation record – but one in twenty applications still rejected
Berlin granted more than 39,000 citizenships in 2025 after digitising and centralising its processes, but almost 5 percent of applications were refused for fraud or missing information. The faster throughput benefits employers who rely on globally mobile staff, yet the stricter checks mean better document vetting is essential. ([thelocal.de](https://www.thelocal.de/20260224/how-many-of-berlins-nearly-40000-naturalisations-last-year-were-rejected))
Case of unpaid Vietnamese nursing trainees exposes cracks in Germany’s talent-attraction system
More than twenty Vietnamese trainees in Thuringia were left unpaid and homeless after their nursing employer collapsed, highlighting the risks embedded in training-linked residence permits and prompting calls for stricter oversight of recruiters. Mobility managers should brace for tougher compliance checks on vocational visas. ([thelocal.de](https://www.thelocal.de/20260224/inhumane-how-germany-failed-a-group-of-vietnamese-nursing-trainees))
Snowstorm strands 600 passengers overnight on Munich airport tarmac
Heavy snow forced six flights to stand down at Munich just before curfew, leaving 600 passengers on board until morning and prompting a police inquiry. The incident highlights winter-weather vulnerabilities at a key German hub. ([welt.de](https://www.welt.de/article699d95061abe4229fa92cf24))